Chapter 8: A Fighting Chance

Almost as soon as Asia had transferred right into the class, people did the usual standby and asked questions as soon as break time came.

Asia did her best to answer questions but slowly, she was being overwhelmed by all of the attention that she was getting. She had never undergone such a situation before until this point.

After ensuring that no sleazy men were getting near her, Issei finally turned his attention away.

The rest of the day was a normal one. Issei had lunch with Asia and Raynare and they even showed her around campus, much to the jealousy of many males.

It was considered strange that Asia had transferred in right before break started, but it only felt right that this happened. After school ended, Akeno had arrived to pick up Asia, with the former having a serious look on her face.

"We have an urgent matter to attend to as members of President's peerage. Follow me, Asia." Akeno the proceeded to leave with said girl before turning to Issei.

"Issei, club activities are cancelled for today. Sorry for the short notice. We'll see you in a few weeks, after break." She smiled sadly before turning around to leave.

Nodding in confirmation, Issei decided that perhaps he could visit her during break instead. They could actually spend some time together.

As Issei and Raynare were about to head home, they both felt something strong come from the ORC Clubroom.

Issei recognized the presence, as well as some strong tempers. He was fairly confident that something bad was about to go down over there but he knew that it wasn't his place to interfere with the Gremory Peerage and with Devils in general.

Raynare understood the distressed look on Issei's face and decided that he needed a push.

"Issei, I have some papers that I forgot to give to Rias and Asia. Can you give these to them for me?" Raynare urged him on with a warm smile as she handed in her ORC forms.

After some discussion, Rias had allowed Raynare to enter the Occult Research Club, due to Akeno's aid.

Issei looked at her with a guilty look when he noticed Raynare's eyebrow twitching. An indication that she knew about his lying to her about the requirements for joining the club.

When she handed him the papers, she kept her smile as she pushed on for him to do what his heart told him.

"Thanks, Raynare." He was amazed that she had already come to know him so well, but given that they were living with each other, it was only natural that she would learn things about him.

"Take your time going there. I'll be waiting at home." She waved as she went on her way.


Heading to the Clubroom, Issei heard voices getting louder and louder.

Deciding to act natural, Issei knocked on the door.

"Excuse me." Issei called out.

"Enter." Rias's voice snuck out from the other side as the brunette teen opened the door.

He walked inside to find Rias's entire peerage standing behind her. Rias, herself, was sitting on a couch, with someone standing in front of her.

That person was one of the most beautiful people that he had ever seen. She had braided silver hair and silver eyes. She also had red lipstick on, alongside a blue and white maid uniform.

"Issei? Club activities are cancelled for today." Rias looked surprised at his entry, making Issei realize that perhaps he had made a wrong move after all.

"Well, Yuuma wanted me to drop these papers off for her, since she forgot to do it." Issei handed Rias the documents, until the maid looked at him and noticed a supernatural air around him, something Issei forgot to tone down.

"Lady Rias, who might he be?" She asked respectfully.

"He is a second year student here and a member of the Club that I manage." Rias pointed out.

"Hello, I am Issei Hyoudou, a second year student here. I am pleased to meet you." Issei bowed, to which the maid returned the gesture.

"Greetings. I am Grayfia Lucifuge, a maid of the Gremory Family. It is an honor to meet you, Mr. Issei." Grayfia replied.

Issei then noticed the intense aura around him and sheepishly looked at Rias.

"I'm sorry for interrupting anything important."

As soon as Issei finished his words, a bright orange light lit up the room.

A strong surge of heat surged from a bright magic circle on the floor. Issei recognized that the symbol in the middle of it was of the Phenex Clan of the Devils.

Flames erupted from it and who appeared from the circle was a large group of women with one sole male. They counted in 16 total. The male was tall, wore a red suit with a white button-up shirt with no tie, and had blonde hair with dark blue eyes.

"The air is so different from the Underworld's. It's been so long since I've been to the Human Realm." The tall, blonde man spoke as he then looked at Rias.

"I've been wanting to see you, my beloved Rias." He gazed at her, a confident look on her face.

Sitting himself next to her, the blonde man put his arm around Rias as he reclined on the couch.

"It's been such a long time since we've met or even talked. Come, why don't you return to the Underworld so that we can properly plan our wedding."

Issei could gather from the sharp glares that Rias was giving him, that she didn't want to be in this supposed 'marriage'.

"For the last time, I will not marry you, Riser. Who I marry and who you marry should be our individual choices, not our families. I will marry the person that I love, and that person isn't you." Rias spat, though Riser didn't look fazed, though a somewhat sympathetic glint flashed in his eyes, unknown to everyone else.

"This marriage has the weight of the future on it. If we don't marry, pureblood Devils of ancient lineage will go extinct. This is not only for our futures but for the future of our clans. Given how so many households went extinct in the last war, there are few of the 72 pillars still remaining in this world." Riser calmly spoke, with a smirk.

Rias glared him with an icy look. She couldn't stand his arrogance and his advances were annoying to her. He was trying a bit too hard to win her over. She was also aware that he cared a bit too much about her physical appearance and lineage, which aggravated her even more.

Just then, the red-suited man looked at Issei with an almost disdainful look.

"Who might you be, if I may ask?"

Issei respectfully bowed, though he didn't really want to, and introduced himself. Shemhazai always reminded him to mind his manners so that he wouldn't make enemies with the wrong people.

"It is an honor to meet you, sir. I am Issei Hyoudou. I am merely a student here and a member of Lady Gremory's Club."

For a moment, Riser wondered if Issei was human, though he could tell that Issei was used to supernatural moments, given how he wasn't the least surprised by his arrival.

"Are you…human?" Riser didn't notice any kind of unhuman features on him and he could tell that he wasn't a devil either. Still, he could sense that Issei wasn't fully human.

"I am, sir. However, I am aware of the existences of Devils." Issei lied.

"I see, then make sure not to get too deep into our affairs. A mere human commoner should not be here." Riser commented with a dismissive tone with a flick of his hand.

"I understand, then I shall wait outside." Issei then walked outside and closed the door.

Standing outside of the door, Issei listened intently to what was happening inside. Riser was so boisterous that Issei's own temper started acting up. He hated stuck-up people.

As Riser and his peerage made themselves comfortable, Akeno served everyone tea.

Taking a sip of his cup, Riser smiled.

"This tea is excellent."

"Thank you very much." Akeno respectfully bowed.

Issei wondered why she was going 'oh my, oh my' or "ufufufu". He figured that this Riser person wasn't someone for her to take lightly.

He had heard rumors and seen footage of Riser in his Rating Games. He was an up-and-coming star in the competition. His family's gifts and his own talent had a lot of people betting on him.

Using the Boosted Gear's [Boost] Function, Issei increased the power of his eyesight so that he could see through walls.

"It was already decided that I would be free from this problem until after I graduate from college. Why are you all so insistent on rushing this matter by breaking deals?" Rias growled.

"That signifies how much of danger that this situation has become. Your household only has two siblings, with one having left to become a Satan. You are now the heiress to your home. If you don't take a husband soon, your house will collapse. Think about the long term effects, Rias." Riser continued to sip his tea.

"I have, but it seems you all mistake years to be days. The Evil Piece system was invented to save our kind from extinction and it's doing its job well. Besides, I have a life here that I won't just uproot."

"You mean that human boy and that fallen angel girl that hang around you?"

Rias looked at him, confounded that he knew.

"Your father and mine were talking about it. You should be careful with who you associate with, Rias."

Rias looked at him, annoyed,

"You're the heiress of the Gremory. If you hang around those of the lower class, then your family's title will be besmirched. For yours and your family's sakes, I advise you to exercise caution." This time, Riser sounded more concerned, as if trying to genuinely give advice.

"That human speck and that dirty crow will bring chaos to your life. That boy says he's human, but he feels different. The girl that's being rumored, Raymare, was it? She's already tried to kill people at the urging of the expelled exorcists. Who knows what other things she's done for them? Assassinations and services included." Riser emphasized 'services'.

Issei's temper soared when Riser questioned Raynare's integrity. His skin tingled and his chest tightened with anger. He gnashed his teeth, restraining himself.

"What makes you think you have the right to look down on others around you? I'd stand by my friends regardless of rank because they earned my loyalty. Unlike you, they're close to me because I want them to be. You'll never reach that point, Riser." Rias sneered.

Riser scoffed, unfazed.

"You spout all the pretty words you want, but it doesn't change the fact that this marriage will still go on. Our kind depends on it. By the year, our numbers of purebloods have grown fewer, tradition slowly dying, our heritage forgotten."

Rias sighed.

"My father worries far too much about this. We devils live long lives, there is no need to worry about marriage. I will marry…" Rias paused.

"Excellent, then we can…" Riser smiled widely before Rias continued.

"But I will not marry you, Riser. I will carefully choose my husband. No matter what any of you say, I won't let any of you control my life!" Rias declared with an intense discontent and objection.

At this, Riser had flames and sparks flickering off of him, with a displeased look on his face.

"I didn't come here just to talk. If you won't return, then maybe I will just have to force you. Perhaps by burning all of your servants, will I convince you." Riser then turned towards Akeno.

His eyes had a dangerous glint in them. The sparks in his hands burst into raging orbs that were threatening to find their way to the Queen.

Grayfia was about to step in but before anyone could make a move, the doors flew open, and Issei stood between Riser and Akeno within a split second, grasping Riser's arm. Issei hadn't realized that what he'd done was foolish. However, when it came to Akeno's safety, nothing mattered more.

Riser was quite surprised by Issei's instant entry, but he shook it off with mild amusement.

The Phenex Clansman merely raised a brow.

"What do you think you're doing? This is between us." Riser flared the flame in his hand, though Issei remained unfazed.

"You should stop, Riser. I don't think anyone wants things to escalate." Issei warned him. He was tempted to summon the Boosted Gear, but he knew better than to summon it recklessly. If he exposed himself, he felt that he'd only stuff more of his own foot in his mouth.

"How dare you try to give me pointers?! I'll silence that insolent mouth of yours." Riser was about to blast flames from his caught hand, but Issei created a magic circle to shield himself.

Riser swatted a ball of fire at Issei, only for him to punch the Phenex noble into the wall.

Provoked further, Riser's peerage was ready to attack until a stream of ice separated both sides of the room.

"That is quite enough." The maid declared.

Issei instantly dissipated the barrier he made as Grayfia continued speaking.

"To avoid more conflict here, Lord Sirzechs has suggested a mock Rating Game to decide the outcome of this situation, out of anticipation of Lady Rias's objection. The conditions are that if Lady Rias wins, she will be free from all future engagement and marriage plans but if Lord Riser wins, Lady Rias will marry him without any further objections. I will also be the mediator and person in charge of the games, unless either of you have objections." Grayfia grimly spoke.

Rias narrowed her eyes.

"I'm not surprised they would go this far. Very well, I shall accept."

Riser smirked at her decision with a retort following.

"I have no problems either. I have a full peerage and I have gained experience in true Rating Games. I'm going to make sure to tame you and your entire peerage, Rias." Riser smiled before giving a nasty glare to Issei.

"As for you, you are not a part of our world, so you won't be let off the hook." Riser then ignited his flames again.

Issei made a passive look at his threat.

"Lord Riser, you are prohibited from committing such actions, as ordained by Lord Sirzechs. While in the human world, none of you are to disrupt the order of this realm, so that our existence remains unknown to the public." Grayfia then had a chilly aura slightly radiate from her.

Scared into submission, the offspring of the Phenex Clan extinguished his flames with a click of his tongue.

"Very well. The game will take place in 10 days, seeing as how you have such a small peerage, compared to mine." Riser then grinned as he looked at the ORC.

"You only have 4 members while I have 15. It would only be unfair, since your Queen is the only one in your peerage that can match someone from mine. It's no exaggeration when I say that your peerage is inexperienced. Therefore, you get 10 days to grow a little stronger, though I doubt it'll help. If you cannot maximize the strengths and potential of your peerage, then you will lose regardless."

Rias radiated an intense aura at his insult towards her peerage. Nobody ridiculed her peerage in that way without retaliation.

"How dare you insult my beloved servants! Very well, then. I will make sure to wipe you out."

"Good. I will see you at the Rating Game then. Make sure that you all grow stronger for your Master, Rias's peerage. If you all do not improve and embarrass yourselves, it will only shame Rias." Riser made a small laugh before disappearing through a magic circle along with his peerage.

This left only the ORC and Grayfia.

"Very well then, Lady Rias, I will ensure to inform both clans of what has transpired today." Grayfia then looked at Issei.

"I apologize about what you just had to witness, Mr. Issei. I hope that you can excuse the rudeness." She bowed.

"It's of no consequence, Ms. Grayfia." Issei replied.

"Also, if I may ask, what exactly are you? I know that you are not a devil, but you don't quite seem to be human either."

"I'm afraid that I'll have to decline answering that. I made a vow not to disclose my heritage so easily."

Grayfia didn't seem convinced but she relented. Issei and Ddraig figured she was just being cautious. Considering how he was hanging around Rias so often, Grayfia seemed to merely be concerned for Rias' safety.

"Understood, well then, I shall see you all in 10 days."

On that note, Grayfia left as well.

Before anything else could be said, Akeno walked up to Issei and gave him a conflicted look.

Wasting no time, Akeno hugged Issei, with no care about the attention that she had garnered.

"Issei…" She was truly thankful that he had immediately dashed in without hesitation, but she worried for possible future conflicts.

"I'm sorry that you had to reveal your secret." She understood how much Issei's parents meant to him. The last thing she wanted, was for Issei to relive his painful past.

Issei stroked her back as he dismissed her worries.

"My vow doesn't matter if you or anyone I care about, is in danger. I wasn't going to just stand outside if anyone was about to attack you."

Whenever she truly needed him, Issei was always flying to her rescue, ever since they were children. True, he'd failed to find her for years, but she was willing to accept that he was doing his best to make up for it.

After the atmosphere had calmed down and everyone had seated themselves, Rias made a long sigh.

Issei was still present, due to the Gremory Princess's insistence.

"Issei, I know what I'm about to say to you is old news, but I must ask you again, will you consider joining my peerage?" Rias looked at him desperately.

Before he could say anything, Akeno put her hand on Issei's. Turning to her, Akeno was looking at him with a distressed look. The two were connected enough to know what the other was thinking with just eye contact. Akeno wanted Issei to choose freely, to disregard what others were pressuring onto him.

Thinking deeply, Issei knew of the many benefits of becoming a Devil of the Gremory Clan.

You would gain land, wealth, and power. However, he also thought about Akeno. He wanted to be with her so badly that sometimes, he couldn't take it. He had lost so many years of time with her that he desired to make up for that time. Even so, it would be a chain that could be used against him. That was something he couldn't risk.

"Rias Gremory…I…must decline once again." He spoke sadly.

No matter what, he decided that he had to remain independent. He didn't fully understand what kind of people were among the Devils, so he wanted to avoid being used by anyone. He had to be able to move on his own, if that time ever came.

Rias and Akeno looked down sadly. Rias had hoped to be able to recruit him because she was severely interested in him. It was clear she needed all the help she could get. The fact that Akeno trusted him so much, meant a lot.

Akeno felt absolutely downtrodden. She had hoped that Issei would join Rias's peerage so that she could spend more time with him and so that she could be close to him again.

"I…I see. I understand then."

Issei felt horrible but he wasn't going to agree to every single request that came his way.

"So, from what I've seen and heard, how're you going to go against Riser?" He inquired.

Rias sighed with a pained expression.

"I don't know yet. As you might know, Phoenixes are birds of fire and immortality. The Phenex Devil Clan has the same abilities as the bird of myth, though to a lesser degree. The only way to deal with him, is to wear him down and beat him into submission or destroy his willpower." Rias admitted.

Issei recalled seeing a video of the Rating Games that Riser had lost, which Azazel had shown him. His opponent had used curses and spells to wear him down and managed to procure a victory after eliminating his peerage.

"As of this moment, I'm pretty sure that we can indeed become stronger within 10 days, but that isn't nearly enough time to increase our own stamina to match a Phenex Clansman." Akeno gave her input as she tightened her hold on Issei's hand.

'Akeno must be really worried for Rias if she's acting like this.' Issei thought to himself.

"If you lose, what happens to your peerage?" Issei looked at Rias with a very serious expression.

"If I lose, nothing should happen to them. They will still be within my peerage but Riser would be able to have some degree of control over them too. I would be able to do the same with his peerage, since married Devils often have some amount of authority over each other's peerages within in business and their homes. The only time that they can't order around each other's peerages is inside of combat and Rating Games." Rias solemnly explained.

Issei remembered the lustful and piggish look in Riser's eyes when he looked at Asia and Akeno. He refused to imagine the kind of detestable actions that he might make Akeno go through.

Loss, was not something that Issei could let happen if Akeno would be in danger.

"Then, would you mind if I helped you all on your training?" Issei offered with a small smile.

Rias looked at him in surprise.

"What?" Akeno looked at him too.

"If I can help train alongside you, I might learn a thing or two and vice versa. I've been wondering what it would be like to train with Devils." Issei lied. He had trained under Sirzechs before and it was no bit short of Hell.

"Also, could I bring Raynare with me? I made a promise to protect her so I absolutely must have close to me for her safety." Issei sheepishly added in.

Rias mulled over the thought, recalling how Issei was able to easily stop Riser's attack and keep him from escalating matters, she.

"Alright, then. We'll have a training camp at a Gremory estate during break. Make sure to come to the Clubroom tomorrow at 7:00 am. Make sure to bring plenty of clothes. We'll be training roughly for the next 10 days."

On that note, Rias dismissed everyone as they all left to go home and prepare.

Just as Issei stepped off of campus, Akeno came running towards him.

Slamming into his back, Akeno clung to him tightly as Issei staggered forward.

"Akeno?!"

The young lady buried her face into him as she stood in place.

"Can I just stay like this for a little bit longer?" Akeno muttered.

Issei relaxed but his face was still hot. Moments like these never occurred between them before. They'd just managed to return to being friends again. What drove this action?

"You didn't need to intervene to save me. Even if you hadn't, Grayfia would've stepped into the fray. She's known as the 'Strongest Queen' in the Underworld. Now, others might know who you are and might try to take advantage of you. I don't want that. I don't want you to get hurt again."

Issei broke her hold over him and turned around. Embracing her, Issei patted and stroked her back as he spoke to her.

"I'm not as weak as I used to be. I promise that I'll always come back, one way or another. So don't worry so much. It'll only cause you unnecessary stress."

Akeno wasn't convinced but relaxed in his arms.

"Besides, I wasn't going to just stand outside while you were going to get assaulted. I think with your light powers; you would be able to deal with him." As soon as he mentioned Akeno's powers, her mood dropped considerably.

Taking notice of it, Issei apologized.

"I'm sorry, Akeno. I shouldn't have said that." Issei then remembered that Akeno didn't like talking about her heritage.

"I'm still not comfortable with using my powers. It's because of these powers that I was hunted and alienated. In truth, I actually hate my abilities."

Issei could only fathom how long it would take for Akeno to be comfortable with herself again, though only time could tell the answer to that.

Akeno kept her embrace. She'd imagined what it would be like to be under the heel of Riser. His mindset was already hinted at when his entire peerage was full of women. Riser oozed a dominating personality. Behind closed doors, almost anything could happen in the Underworld, especially if the one who closed them had influence. When those thoughts swirled in her mind, she hated it. The only person she'd allow to touch her in that way was possibly…Issei.

"Earlier, you reminded me of how you'd always fight off bullies when they bothered me. Back when we were kids, you'd always swoop in and help me. Even after 9 years, you're still the same Issei that I knew." Akeno smiled as she took in his scent. It was just so mesmerizing to her and it made her feel calmer.


The next day, Issei had packed his bags and made sure to lock up his home before leaving with Raynare.

In a flash of light, the ORC were transported to the outsides of their destination.

The estate was like a gigantic mansion that stood isolated among mountains and forests. The mansion was white stone with black tiled roofs. Shining glass windows lined the outside of the house with balconies protruding from every few rooms.

Black, iron gates stood high and strong, sanctioning off anyone that would dare to try and enter.

Rias then walked forward and put her hand in front of the gates. A red magic circle appeared and unlocked the iron gate. With a creek, the path was clear and everyone moved in. Issei paused when the gates creaked like in a haunted movie.

After putting their things away, Rias had everyone meet at the entrance, which was like a lounge that had 2 stairways that spiraled onto the other floors.

"Now then, everyone, we'll now begin training." Rias smiled as she turned to Asia.

"Asia, we'll have you practice magic with Akeno. Yuuto and Koneko will spar and I will do the same with Issei. We'll spend today gauging where we are and move on from there."

"Understood, President." Everyone responded.

Issei turned to Raynare and decided that he'd ask that she take some time to relax.

"Didn't you bring me to train too?" She was honestly perplexed when he returned home the previous night and told her that they were to go take part in a training camp.

"Well, if you want to, that can be arranged. However, I brought you with me because I want to keep you safe, in case anyone was after you. I didn't want to leave you alone but I wanted to help Akeno and the others. I'm sorry for being so inconvenient to you." Issei then thought about how selfish he seemed.

Raynare shook her head and smiled.

"No, it's fine. Then, I'll do my own training, and then I'll make sure to prepare food for everyone, before lunchtime." Without further ado, she left to do as she said.

Issei had changed into a black tracksuit and walked to the backyard. The size of it was quite astonishing. Spanning an entire landscape, Issei was amazed that the Gremory finances weren't as humble as the one's owning it.

"Alright, then. We'll spar for a few hours and then we'll have lunch. After that, we'll exchange partners and continue until the day ends. We need to sort out our hidden strengths and weaknesses before we can build off of them." Rias announced as everyone enacted the day's schedule.

Rias and Issei stood several feet away from each other and got into stance.

"President, do you have any ideas on how to wear down, Riser?" Issei looked at her as he got into stance.

"I do, though, I'm trying to think of more efficient strategies." She then readied herself.

"Now enough of that. Let's begin."

(Bleach OST – Pleasures of Combat. Play Song.)

Without another word, Rias fired a red and black surge of destruction that disintegrated and broke down the soil and grass that Issei was originally standing on. Having leapt into the air, Issei, covered his hand in red energy and blasted a transparent wave that pushed Rias into the ground, knocking her on her knees.

With a forceful motion, Rias aimed at Issei with her hand and fired a concentrated beam of destruction that sailed through the air, though the Red Dragon Emperor had moved out of the way.

Issei landed back on the ground and dashed at her. Filling his fist with energy, Issei punched at her, though she rolled out of the way before hitting Issei at point-blank range with another magical blast.

Regaining distance, Rias waited for the dust to clear, where Issei stood. His clothes were certainly ruffled, but he looked none the worse for wear.

Dusting himself off, Issei got into stance and blasted another transparent wave of red energy at her.

Defending herself with a red magic circle, Issei took his chance and gathered mana into his foot. Jumping into the air, he did a flying kick into her defense, shattering it and sending her staggering back.

Following up his attack, Issei did a side kick, colliding his foot with Rias's stomach. Being sent flying back a few meters, Rias landed on her back.

(Bleach OST – Pleasures of Combat. End Song.)

With the first match settled, Issei walked over and helped her up.

"Why aren't you using the Boosted Gear?" Rias asked.

"I wanted to save it for later. I kinda didn't want to start at such a high point." They still had several days, after all.


When lunchtime arrived, everyone crowded around a table by the mansion as Raynare brought out sandwiches, onigiri, and cold drinks.

"I made something that wasn't too heavy on the stomach so that you all could get your strength back without really feeling it." She smiled at everyone. Issei honestly felt that her smile was like that of a radiant sun; warm and reenergizing.

Taking a bite out of the onigiri in his hand, he felt energy return to him, though he hadn't really lost much, if any at all.

Sitting by his lonesome, Issei was pondering about how he could help Rias win her match. After their short sparring lesson, He had deduced that Rias had vastly untapped potential but she was just muscling her way through her fights. The Power of Destruction was a powerful ability that disintegrated whatever it came into contact with, leaving no traces of its target. It was a natural ability of the Bael Clan, which Rias was a descendant of.

During their sparring session, Rias was constantly firing large blasts of her power, without thinking about the long term effects that would hinder her. Not to mention, she lacked versatility. She was just firing her blasts without much thought. At the start of lunch, Issei already saw Rias sweating and exhausted. Another problem was that she lacked physical stamina. Magical fighters often got targeted by melee fighters since that was their worst matchup.

He had also done some observations about the other members of the Club.

He already knew that Akeno was unwilling to use her Holy Lightning, which was a given, considering her past. He couldn't force her to use it but he had to advise her to. Light would've proven to be of much help if she was going to help her master win. It was possible that she could even wipe out the other team by herself.

Kiba didn't seem to have anything hidden that he was reluctant to use. The only thing he thought that Kiba needed to do was unlock his Balance Breaker. That was close to impossible, given how nothing critical was likely to happen at this camp. The only thing he could hope for was for an intense situation at the Rating Game.

Koneko was strong and her defense was quite solid. Given the traits of her Evil Piece, it was unavoidable that she would lose speed. However, Ddraig noticed that something was leaking out of her aura, when she struck something. The last time he saw her punch something, he felt traces of ki and senjutsu flow around her. This was probably something that he would need to ask Rias about later.

Last, but not least, was Asia. To his dismay, Asia had no offensive capabilities at the current time. She was far too unwilling to cause harm to others, so he knew that she'd have to focus on defense and healing. Her Twilight Healing proved to be a very strong asset, given how she could heal just as effectively as Phoenix Tears, but it healed at a slower rate than Phoenix Tears. Issei wanted to advise Rias to bench Asia, lest she be a liability in combat.

He recalled seeing Raynare fight the night that everyone had left to go rescue Asia. He felt that she was a bit experienced and she had a crafty mind. With more training, she might gain her next pair of wings if she kept up her work ethic.

Finally, he thought about himself. He felt that he needed to try and unlock more of Ddraig's powers. He was aware that Ddraig had multiple unique abilities from when he hadn't been sealed but he didn't know how to obtain them. Ddraig didn't have a physical body so he couldn't actually show Issei how to do it and mental training could only do so much.

Raynare walked over to Issei and sat in front of him.

"Why are you sitting all alone, Issei?"

Issei shook his head.

"I'm just thinking about things. I promised to help out at this training camp, so I'm trying to think of ways to do that. I'm also learning alongside everyone here too. When I was at Grigori, teamwork wasn't something I did too often."

"Say, Issei, I never got to ask, but what kind of training does Grigori give you?" She inadvertently forced Issei to recall his past as he went through his mental collection of troubles.

Issei paled. Raynare was a bit regretful, as he looked like he was in the thralls of PTSD.

"For starters, I had a giant wrecking ball thrown at me to enhance my endurance and pain tolerance. Then I had to survive in the wilderness for 3 months with nothing on me at all. After that, I had to learn combat training from Kokabiel, alongside magic with Azazel. Baraqiel also taught me tactics and several fighting styles that he knew. I then spent time with others as a student, for a few more years. Finally, near the beginning of this year, I spent time improving my own skills up till this point in time." Issei solemnly recounted his life as he vigorously ate his onigiri, appreciating its great taste.

He never expected mundane food to be so delicious after he had to resort to eating bark in the past.

Raynare was honestly surprised by Issei's tale, but she wasn't doubting the fact that it was effective, given how strong he had become.

"I wonder if I can get stronger if I get closer to you, then." Raynare mumbled to herself, not aware that Issei caught that.

"Huh?" He looked at her with a curious expression.

"N-Nothing!" She then got up and walked away to get more food, albeit with a red face.

Right after she left, Akeno took a seat, which was right next to Issei. It was clear to him that she was up to something considering the mischievous glint that she had in her eye.

"Issei, I wanted to ask if you wanted to be my training partner for the last part of the day." She smiled as she moved next to him.

"I've been wanting to see how manly you become from an up-close view. The last time I saw you fight, you were wearing your armor, so I couldn't get a good look at you." Akeno spoke sensually as she moved closer and closer to him, eventually having her face mere inches from his cheek.

Issei was shocked at how quickly she had gotten near him. He was beginning to wonder if Akeno liked to tease people like this. Did something in her awaken after what happened in the Clubroom?

"Ufufufu. I miss being close to Issei. It's been so long since we actually got to relax together like this. Within the past recent months, we've been getting caught up in tense situations." Akeno then narrowed her eyes in a suggestive way, only to giggle as she backed away.

"Just kidding. I remember how easy it was to tease you back then. Some things never change."

He didn't understand how, but Akeno just seemed to always have a way to destroy his calm mindset.

Rias was honestly surprised by Akeno's behavior, having turned the corner as they talked. She had never known that Akeno had this side to herself. However, that thought wasn't the largest priority at the moment. She wanted to talk with Issei about something else. She had something to confirm, something she'd wondered about ever since she'd laid eyes upon him.

Sitting in front of him, Rias beckoned his attention.

"Issei?"

"Hm?" He turned to her.

"Tell me, are you that boy that trained with my brother a few years ago?" Rias asked.

"Yeah, I was." Issei knew Rias wasn't stupid. They'd actually locked eyes before in the past, but never interacted more.

"After my brother moved out of the home, I'd rarely seen him. I recall that he spoke about having a student but wouldn't elaborate. I recall visiting him before and seeing a boy that looked like you. To think we'd meet again." Rias chuckled.

"Well, we only glanced at each other a time or two. It was actually supposed to be kinda secret since Azazel was cashing in a favor Sirzechs owed him. I spent a year or so training with your brother." Issei shivered, recalling more repressed memories.

"Do you know my brother's dome technique?" Rias had her fingers crossed.

If there was only one technique that she had to focus on, it was that one.

"Yeah, I remember it well. Did he teach it to you?" Issei asked.

"No. He was far too busy. Private matters delayed me, so I never got the chance. I was hoping you knew it and could help me learn it."

Issei scratched his head. He remembered Sirzechs explaining how he did it, but he didn't go beyond that.

"He did tell me how he did it. I could tell you what I know and we'll practice it. The 'Dome of Destruction' is a barrier that is maintained by your Power of Destruction. By shaping your energy around an opponent and reinforcing it with a constant supply of stamina and mana, you're able to trap your opponents in a containment field that depends on your strength and energy levels." Issei briefly explained it to her.

"Can you help me learn it then?" Rias asked eagerly.

Issei looked at her, smiled, and nodded.

"I would be glad to help you." He then looked at his watch. Lunch was almost over and sparring pairs had to be changed.

"Of course, that'll have to be saved for tomorrow."


Later, everyone had changed pairs. Kiba was training with Rias, Koneko was paired with Raynare, and Akeno was paired with Issei.

Asia would be sitting the combat out since she wasn't yet capable of direct fighting.

Issei looked at the woman in front of him with dread as he saw the sadistic glint in Akeno's eyes.

"Oh my, oh my. Ufufufu." She chuckled as she put a finger on her chin.

"I wonder how I'll interact with Issei. Maybe I'll shock him with my affection or heat him up with my passion." She muttered to herself.

Issei was practically screaming in his head.

'SOMEBODY SAVE ME!' He recalled his childhood memories of how Akeno dealt with bullies that bothered Issei. She seemed to enjoy payback a bit too much. He just recalled screams, electric crackles, and giggling.

(Bleach OST – Showing Off. Play Song.)

As Asia fired a starter gun for them to begin, Akeno fired a bolt of thunder that narrowly missed Issei. Fortunately for him, Issei was resistant to elemental magic, a forte of Akeno's.

Charging a [Dragon Shot] in his left hand, Issei blew fire from his right hand. Akeno dispersed it with a wall of water that appeared from a bottle of water that was nearby.

"That's cheating, Akeno." Issei japed.

"Ufufufu. I'm just being creative, that's all." She responded.

Steam hissed across the battlefield, obscuring everyone's sight.

"Geez, now we can't see anything either." Rias sighed as she tried to sense where Kiba was.

Thankfully for Kiba, he had been trained to be able to fight without his vision, as his master had ordained.

Closing his eyes, he could sense where Rias was, given her strong presence. Without a single word, Kiba silently but quickly, dashed to her, without disturbing the smallest cloud of steam.

Rias could feel someone getting close to her; she turned around and fired a blast of destruction. Kiba was able to stop the attack after stabbing his sword into the ground, producing several dozens of demonic swords from the earth. The blast of destruction dispersed after hitting objects that it couldn't break down completely.

Rias was a bit surprised and proud of Kiba. He was able to stop an attack from her with something that she never anticipated for him to be capable of.

Kiba was a bit satisfied with the progress of his training. He had been able to create swords durable enough to stop his Master's attacks.

With Holy Eraser in hand, Kiba dodged forward to continue the match.

Meanwhile, Koneko and Raynare were doing their share of training.

Fists collided with light as the two were locked in close-ranged combat.

Raynare brandished a magenta spear of light, swiping it at Koneko, who was weaving away from her attacks with small movements.

After seeing an opening in Raynare's defenses, Koneko closed in for the attack, but was stopped when Raynare managed to create a small barrier where Koneko had aimed. Her fist blocked by a small magic circle, Koneko whirled around to try and kick her in a different place but Raynare had jumped into the air.

Exchanging her spear for a hammer, Raynare came flying back down, smashing her weapon of light into the ground, causing a significant crater to form.

"You're not bad." Koneko remarked.

Raynare returned the courtesy with a smile.

"I can say the same about you."

Back where Akeno and Issei were, the two were merely firing attacks at each other to size each other up.

'If she wasn't so stubborn about her heritage, she would be so much stronger.' Issei spoke to himself. Though he knew it wasn't his place, Issei couldn't help but say this.

Akeno put her hands together and created a surprising amount of voltage from it. Raising her hands into the air, Akeno fired several bolts of yellow thunder, creating a large magic circle that levitated over Issei.

"[Storm Chaser]" She said as Issei immediately understood why the technique was named so. The magic circle followed Issei as he darted around, dodging bolts of thunder.

'Oh shit!'

Moving around while trying to get closer to Akeno, Issei noticed her expression and words.

"Ufufufu. I wonder how long you can dance with me, Issei. I hope that you can hold on long enough for me to be able to have my way with you tonight." She giggled.

"Huh?!" Issei was completely caught off-guard by her statement. Just then, he remembered the magic circle behind him, forcing him to run again.

To be honest, he felt like playing around a bit. At that moment, he suspected that Vali's battle-maniac tendencies had rubbed off on him.

Still, they were training so Issei knew that he had to get a bit more serious.

Summoning his Boosted Gear, Issei Boosted once and increased his physical performance. He closed the distance between him and Akeno within seconds. Zipping to a halt in front of her, Issei blaster her with [Dragon Pulse]. The transparent wave of red energy knocked her off of her feet, sending her into the air.

Recovering quickly, Akeno sprouted her Devil wings and formed another [Storm Chaser] over the ground. However, that was a feint. The circle crackled and fired a massive bolt of yellow thunder that blew a crater into the ground, demolishing the field that they were in.

The bolt had made direct contact with Issei, and when the dust cleared, it was apparent that Issei was unscathed.

Akeno frowned a little when she saw that and ignited an orange flame.

Firing a flamethrower of heat at her childhood friend, Issei managed to dodge it, though Akeno had already predicted that. Casting a wind spell, Akeno combined air and flame to form a serpent of inferno to engulf her target.

Unfortunately, again, Issei was unharmed, though his clothes were burned.

"Too bad, Akeno. I guess sadists aren't effective against me." He teased her.

The girl only offered a retort in exchange.

"Then what about a lover?" She winked, sending a scarlet shade of warmth to crawl across Issei's face.

"You still cheat like when we were kids." Issei remarked with a deadpan face.

"Oh my, I'm not cheating. I'm only exploiting a weakness that you keep vulnerable." She giggled.

"Gotcha!" Issei leapt at her and bought her to the ground.

(Bleach OST – Showing Off. End Song.)

Pushing her into the grass, Issei looked down at her and admired her figure.

It had no unnecessary fat and it was curvaceous to the point that Issei was tempted to pounce on her. Her giant assets only served to further entice him with her beauty. Issei took a gulp of air. He always knew she was stunningly gorgeous, but up close, she could rival a goddess. Once again, his attraction to her as child came rushing to his thoughts, having grown more as he matured.

Akeno and Issei held their gaze, the idea of training slipping away from concentration.

"Time's up. It's time to change partners." Asia called out before things could get more awkward.

The two cleared their throats, realizing where they were again.

After the first day was over, the intended objective had been met.

Rias had to work on strategy and diversity. She muscled her way through situations a bit too often. She also had to develop her own style of using the Power of Destruction, instead of just firing off regular blasts.

Akeno needed to train on maintaining her magical supply of energy. Her spells took a large amount of her strength when being used on a large scale. Hence, she had to undergo training to adjust the outputs of her attacks.

Koneko needed to improve her speed as much as she could. While her strength and dexterity were fine, she needed to be able to move when an attack that she couldn't withstand, came her way.

Kiba was already trying to maximize his strength beforehand, however, he needed a more strength. He was fast so he was adept at dodging attacks, but if he took a hit to his legs, there was the chance that he would become debilitated in battle.

Raynare had to increase her statistics in general. Like in a video game, she needed to increase her traits to become stronger, such as her speed, strength, and defense. She had been captured by the Stray Exorcists in the first place because she wasn't physically strong enough to fight them off. Her magic supply was a bit above average, so there were no worries there since she wisely spent it.

Asia had a large problem with offense. It was completely against her nature. Therefore, it was decided that she had to focus on defense since she was absolutely adamant about avoiding direct confrontation. Her Twilight Healing also proved to be very effective, so it was best to maximize its potential as much as possible.

Hence, for the second day onwards, everyone would train to improve their strengths and decrease their weaknesses.


Changes from the original Chapter 8:

1. Issei's powers toned down in level. Rather than having him be good at everything, I wanted him to be good at what he specializes in. Again, I was really inexperienced when I wrote this story back in 2016, so I lacked a lot of foresight. Thus, I removed the parts where he shows off and restrains Riser's entire peerage. I also had Grayfia interfere to show more decisiveness on her part.