Alright so…here we go again. A 2-part Chapter. However, this one is worth it, trust me. Fans of the original version of "The Heroic Calamity" will come to understand just how pivotal this chapter(s) is.
Chapter 30 Part 1: Deep Cuts
As Vali wandered through the streets of the Capital, Lilith, she found that strange things were happening.
"Poor girl."
"To think she has to live with her abusers."
"Filthy half-breed. To think that human wench is her mother."
"Disgusting war criminals."
"Why are they still alive? Why is their family protecting them?"
"Are they being controlled?"
Vali froze in her tracks as she realized what was going on. News had still gotten out about her parents. Despite Sairaorg's efforts to shut down circulation of the news about her parents, word still got around. It made her stomach fall as people slandered her family and her parents.
She tuned it out, ignoring the stares of pity and disgust.
When she got home, she reflected on this experience. If she was going through this level of treatment, then what would become of her parents? She didn't want them shut inside this mansion and denied the open world for eternity. She wanted them to have their freedom again. It had been wrongly taken from them in the first place.
It felt so wrong. To be blamed for things that didn't need to be hated. To be glared at with disapproving and hateful gazes. It dredged back up past traumas for her. She could only imagine what it was like or what it would be like for her parents.
"What's wrong?" Issei walked over to her.
"It's nothing." Vali shook her head, smiling.
"I know you better than that. The look in your eyes tells me everything." Issei crossed his arms.
Vali looked down.
"The people still found out about my parents and I just got taste of old-school rumors and finger-pointing."
Issei narrowed his eyes. That kind of behavior always bothered him. When people started pointing fingers and hating just because they could…that riled him up to no end. It was even worse when people did it because others were doing it.
He put both hands on Vali's shoulders and smiled.
"It'll be alright. I'm sure of it. We just need to weather through it after we've gathered all the evidence and support we need. Then, we'll throw facts so strong at their faces that they won't even dare to point fingers or whisper shadiness." Issei smiled.
"I know." Vali nodded.
Sairaorg was making his weekly visit to the Sitri Hospital. It was a regular thing for him, but it wasn't for his sake. He was here to see his mother, Misla Bael. He entered her room to find her still comatose. Her long brown hair was neatly combed by the nurses as she was dressed in a patient's gown. She still looked young but Sairaorg knew that her health was waning.
"Lord Sairaorg, could I speak to you in privacy?" A doctor walked up to him.
"Sure."
The two sat down in his office to speak.
"I'm sure you know this already, but I feel the need to summarize it. Your mother is suffering from a rare Devil disease where the patient falls comatose and over time, if they don't wake up or recover, their body begins to shut down. Your mother's time is drifting away."
(Hiroyuki Sawano – Flower. Play Song.)
Sairaorg felt a lump form in his throat as his stomach fell.
"However, today, we've made a discovery, thanks to some information from joint research with Grigori and Heaven." The Doctor faintly smiled.
Sairaorg felt an air of relief sweep into his very being.
"What? Where?"
"Calm down. The cure lies within a fruit, called the Fruit of Penance. It is a rare ingredient that only grows within Purgatory. It is a foul place of fears and horrors. It is where dead souls of the Roman Catholic believers go to be cleansed of their sins before they can go to Heaven. If they do not repent, they are doomed to remain there forever. The Fruit of Penance is a solidification of one's atonement. However, there are a few that grow naturally." The Doctor explained.
"How do we get it?" Sairaorg asked.
"That is the difficult part. Purgatory has a seal placed upon its exit that cannot open normally for living people. The only way to enter is when a soul goes into Purgatory or if the seal is forcefully ripped open. From there, the perils are largely unknown to us. I wanted to let you know so that you could be aware of it. However, we're still trying to find a way to get the Fruit." The Doctor sighed.
"I understand." Sairaorg nodded, his mood dropping all over again.
"I advise you to continue being patient, Lord Sairaorg. I'm sure that a miracle will happen, whether we get the Fruit or not."
"How did you all discover this?" Sairaorg asked.
"It was information that Governor Azazel traded with Lord Sirzechs."
"I see." Sairaorg quietly said.
"As of this moment, your mother hasn't run out of time just yet. In the worst case scenario, be prepared. However, don't lose hope." The Doctor gently smiled before Sairaorg walked out of the room.
Sairaorg continued to walk through the halls of the hospital, thinking to himself. He knew the Doctor was just trying to be nice. There probably wasn't much hope at all. The disease that his mother had was one step above the normal kind that devils faced. Some of them went into comas and woke up. The one that his mother had was fatal. She'd already had it for several years. The last time she'd been awake was when he was still a young boy.
Sairaorg had scoured the world for whatever could cure his mother. It was all just a flop. He felt powerless. Just like he lacked the Power of Destruction, he felt that he lacked the power to do anything when it wasn't a problem that could be fixed with his fists.
What was the point of gaining all this strength and influence if he couldn't save his own mother, the only person who ever truly believed in him?
He decided to pay Sirzechs a visit. If this cure was something that he could obtain, then he'd do whatever it took.
"Come in."
Sirzechs was in his study, going through paperwork and dealing with the realm's affairs. It was a short breath of relief when he could put his pen down. Sairaorg walked inside, having set up an appointment ASAP.
"Ah, Sairaorg, sit down, please." Sirzechs smiled.
Grayfia poured them some tea as they talked.
"What can I do for you?" Sirzechs asked.
"I wanted to talk to you about the Fruit of Penance." Sairaorg cut to the chase.
"I see. You want to know how to get it, don't you?" Sirzechs guessed.
Sairaorg nodded.
"I'm sorry to say, Sairaorg, that this is still a very alien matter. In our Pantheon, there are many locations but Purgatory and the abandoned Hell are barely known to us. Hell was left behind when the malice of that realm grew too volatile for us to live in. As for Purgatory, it was a realm that only the deceased could enter. Some people have managed the venture, but records of those deeds barely exist now. I'm afraid, there's no safe method of passage just yet. Grigori is hard at work trying to find a way in there, but there's still going to be much time." Sirzechs then gave Sairaorg a very serious look.
"I'm sorry, Sairaorg, but we can't rush this matter. There's too little that we know. Purgatory is a land of mysteries. It's where the souls of the sinful dead go to atone before they can enter Heaven or it's where lost souls wander for all time. It's too dangerous for you to go there, since I'm sure that's what you're thinking. I forbid anyone from attempting to enter Purgatory until further notice." Sirzechs declared.
Sairaorg knew that Sirzechs always carried out punishments when he was stern-toned. He also knew that if he considered something too dangerous, it was a matter not to be trifled with.
"I see." Sairaorg nodded in defeat.
Sirzechs gave him a sympathetic look.
"However, if you win the Rating Game, I can guarantee that you'll be the first to receive the Fruit of Penance. This is no blackmail or anything of the sort. It's merely a suggestion Regardless, once we can secure a way into Purgatory, we'll definitely distribute the cure." Sirzechs gently said.
"Thank you, Lord Sirzechs." Sairaorg nodded again.
Now alone, Sirzechs thought to himself.
'I have to win the Rating Game. My mother doesn't have much time left. I have to get that fruit and cure my mother. I've got no other choice. If Sirzechs says it's too dangerous…then realistically, it's probably too dangerous for even me.' Sairaorg relented.
He swore right there and then that he'd win for the sake of his mother and his peerage.
After Sairaorg left the office, Sirzechs was left to talk to his maid, rather, his wife.
"Are you sure that was the best idea?" Grayfia asked.
"I had to be stern with him. Sairaorg is the kind of person who'll do as he plans and says. Purgatory is too dangerous and unpredictable. We don't know enough about it and the knowledge that would've explained it all, is lost. I don't want the future of our race to be bet on an uncertain gamble that barely has any hard evidence. As much as I want to help him, it'd require a strong will and a miracle to make his desires a reality so quickly." Sirzechs sighed.
Grayfia walked over to him and started to massage her husband's tired shoulders. He didn't show it, but every decision and sentence he spoke, weighed on his mind. He was the leader of the Devils now. He had to think far with every decision and consider what could and couldn't happen. Few could scarcely understand him and the weight placed on his shoulders.
Sirzechs gently held Grayfia's hand, kissing the back of it.
"I want to help all of them, I really do, but it's not something reality will let happen. I want to help pardon Vali's parents and restore their family. I want to help Rias grow and mature. I want to help Sona create the fair and indiscriminatory Rating Game school she wants. I want to help Sairaorg eliminate prejudice and heal his mother. But…it's just not as easy as the snap of my fingers." Sirzechs sighed.
Grayfia hugged him close, shedding her cold tone for a tender one and a loving expression.
"I know you try your best. But sometimes…all of that power lies in the hands of another…" Grayfia kissed Sirzechs, understanding just how much he despised his inability to make everyone's dreams come true.
(Hiroyuki Sawano – Flower. End Song.)
And so, the day finally came. It was time for the final match between the Young Devils. The two teams to fight were the Vali Team and Sairaorg Team. Everyone's hopes and dreams were hanging on by this single thread. No one was going to hold back this time.
The stage for this grand finale was in the capital of the Devils, Lilith, named after the mother of devils.
The Charred Stadium, a black stone stadium that was even bigger than the stage of Agares, was where the endgame was to happen. It had circles of seats that were enchanted to expand and let everyone see the match as if they were right in front of the prospecting game.
When the Vali Team and Sairaorg Teams met up at the center of the arena, Vali and Sairaorg smiled at each other. Despite all that was on the line, neither of them bore the other any ill will.
"Welcome everyone to the final match of the Young Devil's Rating Game. My name is Rotuda Gamigin and I shall serve as referee. Today, we will observe the final battle between the Vali Peerage and the Sairaorg Peerage. The theme for the final battle will be as simple as can be: team member elimination. Both peerages will send out one member to face off against each other until one of them is retired or surrenders. Each member can only fight once, with their victory scoring a point for their team. Also, as a special twist, the retirement of the enemy King will not result in an automatic loss. The only losing condition is if the opposing has more victories than you at the end. Simple, right? Now, without further ado, let's begin." Rotuda boomed.
He had a long pompadour of orange hair with grey eyes. He wore a black tux with a green bowtie and sported a thin mustache.
Vali turned to her peerage.
"Well, pre-planned strategies won't work here since it's going to be a straight-up fight for all of us. It'd also be unnecessary stress to try and plan who to send out at the start, so we'll have to test the waters."
When a screen showing different names began spinning before coming to a stop, revealing the first two who would fight.
"And our first duel of this Game is: Bikou vs Gandoma."
Both walked into the Stadium and gave each other nods of respect. Gandoma was huge, standing at nine ft. tall. His arms were large and burly, with a face that was like a human's, but his teeth were sharper. His hair was slightly shaggy, colored grey, and he wore a black vest over a white shirt and black pants.
"Today, we won't be sparring, Bikou. Today, we're going to see who hits harder." Gandoma cracked his knuckles.
"Be careful. Looks can be deceiving." Bikou readied his staff.
"Begin!"
(Bleach OST – Showing Off. Play Song.)
Bikou spun his staff, bashing Gandoma on the shoulder. With a loud clang, the noise echoed around the stadium. Much to Bikou's dismay, Gandoma shrugged off the attack and reared a fist before slamming it into him. Blocking with his golden staff, Bikou was thrown across the stadium.
"I guess that's what I get for messing around." Bikou groaned, though he didn't lose his smile.
He leapt forward, holding his staff above his head and brought it down with a loud smack. Gandoma held up his right arm, blocking the attack before punching Bikou in the stomach. While he had been thrown back again, he spun his staff and tossed it at Gandoma. It hit him square in the stomach, causing him to stagger back.
Gandoma looked down and saw that traces of ki were found where he had been struck.
"You're just like Lord Sairaorg. You can use ki, as well." He remarked.
"Of course. I'm the descendant of Sun Wukong, after all. However, that's not all there is to me." He proudly noted.
"Oh, and it's chi for Chinese people, not ki." Bikou corrected.
He plucked some hairs from his head and blew them into the air, forming five clones. They rushed towards his foe to get his weapon. Gandoma grabbed Ruyi Jingu Bang and spun around, knocking all the clones aside and dispersing them into golden wisps. Throwing Bikou's staff into the air, Gandoma began hammering his fists into the ground, sending out shockwaves like earthquakes.
Bikou leapt into the air but that was a mistake. Gandoma hoisted a giant piece of debris up before flinging it at him. Gathering chi into his palm, Bikou used the one move he didn't think he ever would. It was the very attack that defeated his ancestor, albeit unbelievably weaker.
"[Buddha's Palm]"
With an overwhelming burst of omni-directional chi, the debris was shattered into pebbles. Gandoma couldn't react in time, becoming squashed by the sheer force of the attack.
Bikou wasn't done yet, either, knowing full-well that his opponent was too strong to go down with just that attack. He stabbed his staff into the ground and activated another spell that he'd been working on for the final match.
"[Golden Forestation]."
Golden pillars of metal sprouted from the ground, surrounding him and Gandoma. He snapped his fingers, activating the metal constructs. The pillars protruded more ends, turning malleable as they shot at Gandoma. The force of their attacks was strong enough to push the behemoth of a humanoid back.
Gandoma punched away pillar after pillar as he charged at Bikou like a rhino. He had noticed that the monkey had stayed exactly where he was, holding into his staff. This meant two things: either he was staying at a safe distance, or he had to stay in place and control the spell.
"Got you." Gandoma sprinted forward, moving at a surprising speed for his size. He jumped into the air and prepared to pummel Bikou into the ground. Bikou tried to get out of the way, but Gandoma was already too close.
"[Gale Bullet]" With a punch of his fist, a burst of kinetic energy bombed into Biku.
"Gah!" Bikou cried out in pain as he was throttled into the ground.
"It's over!" Gandoma roared.
Gandoma punched kinetic blasts at Bikou before everyone noticed that fire was wreathing those punches, creating fiery explosions.
(Bleach OST – Showing Off. End Song.)
"The trait of my clan is the ability to create explosions from our body. For that, we've been scorned and used as suicide bombers." He explained.
"Sairaorg always did have a big heart." Bikou noted, wincing.
"It's because of Lord Sairaorg, that I have a home. That is why I fight for him. With him as a Satan, this accursed society can change. Not only that, but Lord Sairaorg's mother, Lady Misla's life depends on this match's outcome. I will not let you win!"
Bikou only smiled.
"I joined Vali because she saved my life when I was banished by the Heavens of my homeland for fatal disobedience. She saw something in me that I never knew that I had. She threw her name down and wagered her honor for my dumb sake. That's why, I can see where you're coming from. In that case, let's go all out."
Bikou hit Gandoma with a second [Buddha's Palm], knocking him away.
Gandoma grinned, excited to pit his will against his opponent's.
Bikou ripped his staff from the ground and brought up his ki to the max. The two Rooks charged and began their attacks. Blocking staff, and parrying fist, the two created a rumbling atmosphere as their battle escalated. Bikou whipped Gandoma on both shoulders before grabbing his staff and alternating blows at his sides. Spinning around, he whammed him in the chest before lunging the tip of Ruyi Jingu Bang into his chest.
Gandoma coughed up blood as he staggered back. Bikou was also quite tired, having used up so much of his stamina to launch a burst of speed that he attempted to use to take down his hulking opponent.
"Guh…N-Not bad." He wheezed.
However, this wasn't enough to bring him down.
Wreathing his right fist in fiery ki, Gandoma began a sprint.
Bikou plucked some hairs from his head and swarmed the charging Gandoma with a small unit of clones. The moment they got close to him, Gandoma punched away, firing blasts of fire and kinetic energy with wild abandon.
Tearing through the clouds of smoke and flames, he punched Bikou in the stomach with all of his might before letting loose a volley of fists that pummeled the Rook, sending him flying into the wall with a painful smack.
Bikou staggered up, using his staff to prop himself up. He had to hold out and let his energy gather. He knew that if he could land this next attack, he'd win this fight. Luckily for him, Gandoma was also exhausted.
Gandoma created a raging fire around his fists, intending to use all his strength to take the win, even if he retired after. With one final move, Bikou used one final [Buddha's Palm] as Gandoma fired a flaming [Gale Bullet], creating an explosion of light and fire that engulfed the both of them.
When the fire and smoke cleared away, only Bikou was standing.
"That's the round! The winner is Bikou!" The Announcer exclaimed.
Cheers erupted across the stadium but stopped when Bikou retired as well.
"Thank you, Bikou." Vali smiled sadly as he retired.
"Next up: Arthur Pendragon vs Liban Crocell!" Rotuda announced.
Arthur walked into the arena, drawing Caliburn. Under most circumstances, he wouldn't be brandishing this sword, but when he saw just how desperately Vali wanted to free her parents from their sentence, he wouldn't hold back more than necessary. It didn't matter who it was, for his king, he'd cut them out of the way.
Liban entered the stage, holding his sword. He had blue eyes, long blonde hair, a muscular build, and wore a suit of armor, with blue robes under them.
"I had a feeling it'd be us two fighting." He drew his sword.
Arthur followed suit.
"It's almost poetic, wouldn't you say? Regardless, I can't let you win."
"You took the words right out of my mouth." Liban smirked.
"Begin!" Rotuda signaled.
(Final Fantasy XV: Volume 2 OST – The Blazing Tactician. Play Song.)
Arthur charged at Liban, who jumped back, dodging Arthur's swing. Countering he swung his blade down, though it was parried by the Pendragon. Liban kicked away another swing before countering.
Sliding his sword along Caliburn's edge, he swung at Arthur's forearm. Spinning out of the way, Arthur elbowed Liban in the face before managing to nick Liban's bicep. With their amazing speed, they swung into a cyclone of slashes, parries, and clanging metal.
The arena trembled as slashes of mana and parried strikes caved into it, cracking and breaking apart. At long last, Liban activated his Sacred Gear after he was unable to keep Arthur's position fixed.
"[Gravity Jail]!"
With a lucky guess, Arthur had strayed onto the targeted path. With a look of his eyes, his Sacred Gear went into action. A clear aura spouted through the air, creating surging rings of gravity that bore down on Arthur, forcing him onto one knee.
"Caliburn!" Arthur echoed, using its dimensional powers to free him.
He slashed in a wide arc, tearing away at the gravity that had pinned him down.
"[Divinity Tempest!]"
He spun in a circle with Caliburn, creating a buzz-saw of holy energy.
Liban backed up. He tried to use Gravity Jail again, but Arthur countered with Caliburn's dimension-warping powers. Since that tactic was no longer useful, Liban used his gravity powers and applied it to his sword.
He threw it at Arthur, who parried it away. Running to catch it, Liban threw it again and again, it was parried. Liban repeated this several times before his goal was reached. Arthur had only noticed just then too.
At that instant, Caliburn dropped to the ground, being too heavy for Arthur to lift. Thanks to constant applications of gravity, whatever his sword hit, had additional gravity placed on it.
"I have you now!" Liban charged.
Dropping his hold, Arthur opened his hand, summoning the True Excalibur from a swirl of gold and blue energy.
"What?!" Liban jumped in shock.
Arthur knew that Liban had been intentionally striking his sword to increase its gravitational weight. The moment Liban got close, was his goal. With one swift strike, Arthur cleaved the True Excalibur across his chest, powering the attack with as much light as possible but without killing Liban to retire him.
(Final Fantasy XV: Volume 2 OST – The Blazing Tactician. End Song.)
"Winner: Arthur Pendragon!" Rotuda announced.
"I knew you would win, Arthur!"
"I love you so much!"
Several girls screamed in glee as they gushed over him. Elaine's brow twitched, clearly unhappy. Arthur was a bit hesitant to look at her, knowing that she wasn't liking all the attention he had gotten.
Even Issei inched away when he felt her irritated aura.
"Elaine may not seem like it, but she's actually quite prone to jealousy when other girls start trying to pull his attention away." Lefay whispered.
"What was that?" Elaine asked, making her cease her talking.
"Nothing!" Lefay yelped.
"And for out next round is: Elaine vs Misteeta!"
The two mages entered the arena. Elaine materialized her magic circles as Misteeta brandished his staff.
He was a young boy, pre-teen, with short light-green hair and purple robes and golden eyes. Elaine wasn't comfortable with the idea of fighting children, but she had to see this through, regardless. In battle, such sentiments could prove detrimental.
"Begin!"
(Final Fantasy XV: Volume 2 OST – The Bladed Tactician. Play Song.)
Misteeta pointed his staff at her, firing a ball of fire. Elaine swatted it away with a magic circle before clapping her hands together, creating a wave of fire and earth magic.
Misteeta planted his staff into the ground, creating a blast of demonic power that countered her attack. Elaine threw a ring of energy made from her magic circle, which grazed Misteeta's shoulder.
Misteeta whirled the top of his staff around the air, forming a magic circle. Dozens of energy bullets came pelting at Elaine.
Elaine tried out a new trick, creating a magic circle to jump on, riding it like a hoverboard. She zoomed around Misteeta, blasting away at him with magic.
"It looks like your magic is of the generic brand." Misteeta commented.
"I have no particular specialty, so I diversify." Elaine admitted.
Snapping her fingers, Elaine fired fire magic mixed with a lightning bolt, forcing Misteeta to put up a barrier.
Elaine layered 12 magic circles in front of each other like a bridge before firing a single ray of mana.
"And in what you lack with specialty, you make up for it with skill." Misteeta noted, impressed.
"I appreciate the compliment." Elaine nodded in gratitude.
Raising her open palm, Elaine was trying to finish this as quickly as possible. She had to keep the pressure up because this was a battle that could hinge on the slightest detail. Creating literal dozens of magic circles, she surrounded Misteeta with them.
The method was rather extreme, but she could only hope that Misteeta would forgive her. All at once, those several dozen magic circles fired a massive hail of magic bullets. There were so many that blitzed so quickly that they started to look like lasers rather than bullets.
Misteets used all his strength to try and hold up his defenses. Since the match began, Elaine had stolen the momentum, taking the initiative to barrage him with attacks and leave him no quarter. He could only resort to one trick now. He had to stick it out first.
Elaine decided to stop her onslaught and opt for a different trick. Creating new magic circles, Elaine used earth magic to erect a pillar of stone, raising Misteeta towards her.
When she attacked again, Misteeta blocked with his staff, deflecting blasts of elemental magic. Elaine decided to go for that instead, it seemingly being the source of his abilities. Combining wind, fire, water, and thunder magic, she fired a massive ray at Misteeta yet again.
Misteeta raised his staff, dispelling the attack with a barrier.
"What?!" Elaine was flabbergasted. The attack was more than enough to retire many kinds of opponents. Yet, Misteeta had dispelled her attack.
"It's my win. [Trick Vanish]" Misteeta said.
A magic circle erupted from his staff, ensnaring Elaine in magic symbols and runes, coiling around her like snakes. At that instant, Elaine felt all of her strength leave her, dropping to her knees. She tried to will her magic to activate. She tried to wrestle and get out of the spell, but it wasn't a physical impediment.
"My Sacred Gear, [Trick Vanish], allows me to temporarily seal the abilities of an opponent. However, the downside is that I have to sacrifice much of my stamina just to use it. Thanks to your constant assault, I wasn't sure I'd be able to pull it off. Much of my energy went to defending against you. I'd have retired earlier, if I hadn't erected that barrier. But, now that you've worn yourself down, it's my win." Misteeta panted.
Circles appeared under his eyes as he visibly trembled with exhaustion.
"I had to put my all into it just to make sure you also lost your stamina and energy. Now, it's time to end this."
Misteeta activated his staff, firing a massive beam of demonic power at her, shattering his staff.
(Final Fantasy XV: Volume 2 OST – The Bladed Tactician. End Song.)
"I'm sorry, Vali." Elaine mumbled as she was blasted away, retiring.
"And the winner of this round is Misteeta!" Rotuda announced.
Issei turned to look at Arthur, who had a look of stoicism on his face. His gaze didn't waver, his lips in a calm line. However, Issei looked at his hands, which were balled into fists. The ground beneath also looked like they'd been damaged, unnoticeable cracks formed beneath him.
"I'm sorry, Arthur." Vali said, not turning around. She already knew that he was feeling frustrated and disappointed.
"It's fine. At least she's not seriously harmed." Arthur shook his head.
"Now, let us begin the next round." Rotuda announced before Vali could respond.
When the roulette spun in the air, it landed on the next pair to fight.
"And the next battle will be between Kuroka and Beluga Furcas."
"Wish me luck." Kuroka winked at the group.
"Good luck, Kuroka. Be careful." Vali said, hopeful.
Kuroka walked into the center of the arena, her sandals classily clicking on the ground. Beluga galloped into the arena on his pale horse, a resident creature of the Underworld. He wore silver knightly armor, hefting a jousting lance. He had ginger hair with
"Well, Beluga, are you afraid to hit a lady?" Kuroka asked.
"If it means securing victory for Lord Sairaorg, then no." Beluga retorted.
"Oh? Acting like that won't get you a lady, you know?" Kuroka smirked challengingly.
Beluga didn't respond. He stood ready, waiting for Kuroka to get serious.
"I forgot how serious you usually are." Kuroka shrugged.
"Begin!" Rotuda bellowed.
(Naruto Shippuden OST – Lightning Speed/Denkousekka. Play Song.)
Beluga ground both his feet into the arena, manifesting a green aura around himself.
"Oh?"
Beluga pointed his lance at Kuroka, wreathing it in his green aura.
"Now, let us begin."
He rushed at her, his horse, Altobrau whinnying.
Kuroka covered the area in mist, obscuring her.
"I know you follow the code of chivalry and all, but I don't." Her voice echoed through the purple mist.
"No matter." Beluga raised his lance, swirling the air around, dispersing the mist.
"Oh? New trick." Kuroka muttered.
"My lance's ability, [Spiral Pillar], allows me to create swirls of air and distort space. However, it is confined to my lance." Beluga explained.
"You know, it's a really bad idea to tell people what your abilities are." Kuroka sighed.
"Of course, however, it's easy to figure out after using it once or twice. Besides, it would be dishonest. Most of all, this isn't a life-or-death battle, so I think I can get a pass." Beluga said.
Kuroka shrugged again.
"Suit yourself."
She fired white flames at Beluga, who dispersed and parried the attacks. Altobrau stomped its hooves into the ground, sending out a green shockwave.
Kuroka jumped, avoiding it as she sent a coiling trail of fire at Beluga. The knight and his horse ran to the side, circling Kuroka. She blazed a streak of senjutsu fire in front of her, causing Altobrau to stop in its tracks.
"Got'cha." Kuroka smirked.
The fire moved, trying to swallow Beluga. He pointed his spear forward, dispersing the fire with [Spiral Pillar] as Altobrau trampled and kicked around alongside him. They raged around as Kuroka kept assaulting them with more and more fire.
Beluga, after spotting an opening, moved to exploit it. He had to take Kuroka out or at least break her concentration or this would never end. He pointed his lance at her and fired a vortex at Kuroka. Caught off-guard, she flew out of the way.
(Naruto Shippuden OST – Lightning Speed/Denkousekka. End Song.)
"What happened to it being confined to your lance?" Kuroka glared.
"I was trying to see if I could extend the lance's reach, but it ended up firing instead." Beluga sheepishly said.
Kuroka opened her hand, creating a black flame. Flicking her hand, she dispersed the flame into 2 orbs. They floated in the air before forming into 2 panthers of black flames with glowing golden eyes.
(Naruto Shippuden OST – My Name. Play Song.)
"[Panther Call], it's a nice little trick I made for today. Have fun." Kuroka smirked.
The two Panthers lunged at Beluga's horse, baring their fangs.
Altobrau reared and kicked its legs, warding off the panthers. Beluga struck away at one as Altobrau fought with him.
Beluga whirled his lance around him once, destroying the panthers before charging at Kuroka. Kuroka knew that if he got close, it was probably over. Even though she'd been training to improve her martial arts, she was not confident with fighting a melee-oriented opponent.
Clapping her hands together to create a mass of fire, she spread her arms to the sides and spun in a circle, creating a tornado of black fire.
"[Panther Dancer]"
The black fire fired off dozens of panther heads that flew at Beluga, snapping their jaws at him. He swung around his weapon and jabbed away, destroying as many panther heads as possible while keeping his weapon's vortex aura active.
"[Spiral Absorption]"
Suddenly, the black flames of senjutsu that Kuroka made were pulled into his lance, creating a black twister around his weapon.
Kuroka had been hoping he'd do that. With a mental command, she spread the fire to his arm. Beluga noticed it and dispersed it with his lance's ability through the intense winds.
Kuroka raised her hand, throttling the ground of the arena into the air. Beluga lost his composure as Altobrau shifted chaotically to try and balance itself and its master.
"[Night Stalker]" Kuroka enveloped herself with black senjutsu fire before volleying it at Beluga.
The black fire immediately took shape, turning into a massive panther of fire that stayed connected to Kuroka's aura.
"It's all or nothing." Beluga stifled.
He equipped a second lance that he kept saddled with Altobrau. Pouring all his strength into his lances, he created a vortex around them, tearing debris from all around him. Altobrau leapt off where it was standing in the debris, charging at Kuroka.
She controlled the [Night Stalker] to zip toward him. Holding both lances in front, he managed to hold off its attack, weakening its power as the twin vortexes blended the fire enveloping him. Despite the burning pain, Beluga forced through. His master's dreams and the health of Misla were on the line.
Kuroka tried to amass more power but it was too late. She had to take a few moments to recuperate after using [Night Stalker] but by that point, Beluga was only a few feet away from her. It was her loss.
Beluga jabbed at her with both his lances, defeating her.
(Naruto Shippuden OST – My Name. End Song.)
When she faded away, Rotuda announced the winner.
"And the victor of this round is Beluga Furcas!"
The crowd roared and cheered as the next match-up began.
"The next battle will be between Lefay and Corianna."
Lefay calmly stepped onto the stage, shoving her more timid tendencies aside. She knew that Corianna was skilled with magic, being capable of using several spells at once like Elaine. However, Corianna specialized in ice magic, which gave Lefay an edge since she was more versatile.
Corianna smiled at her from the other side of the arena.
"Well, Lefay, looks like it'll be us two after all."
"It'll be my win again, Corianna." Lefay stated.
"One loss is enough for me, Lefay. This time, we're playing for keeps." Corianna smirked.
"Now, begin!" Rotuda cut them off.
Lefay summoned Gogmagog, who stomped out of a portal, immediately firing its machine-gun arms at Corianna.
(Final Fantasy XV: Volume 2 OST – Spelldaggers. Play Song.)
Corianna dodged out of the way, opening four books that floated near her.
"What's all that?" Lefay wondered.
"[Archaic Library]. It's a collection of spellbooks that let me a do a lot of things." Corianna explained.
"But…" Lefay was completely at a loss.
"I can't keep throwing snowballs at you forever, little Lefay." Corianna said.
Lefay wrote a magic circle and slammed it onto the ground. Corianna stomped her foot on the ground, stopping the magic circle from forming with her own magic circle.
"What?" Lefay grit her teeth.
"Magic circles and runes are key to your strategies, Lefay. So, I won't let you finish." Corianna swiped her hand through the air, firing beams of magic bullets at her.
Lefay returned fire, narrowly missing Corianna's shoulder. The two kept firing away at each other, with Lefay flying through the air on her broom while Corianna flew with her devil wings. It was almost like a repeat of Elaine and Misteeta's match, as everyone had expected. However, that soon changed.
"Summoning: Dragon Lord!" Lefay said.
Emerging from the magic circle she made, was Vrydlain, Lord of the dragon settlement in Draczal.
"What's he doing here?" Corianna exclaimed.
"I made a contract. I get to summon him from Draczal in exchange for a specific price." Lefay replied.
"That would be a harvest of fruits." Vrydlain smirked.
"Now, Vrydlain, could you help out?" Lefay requested.
"With pleasure." Vrydlain howled as he wreathed Corianna in flame.
She managed to defend herself with a barrier before using her original ice magic.
"[Ivory World]"
A swirl of ice and snowflakes blanketed the arena, canceling out the dragon's fire.
"Ice magic? Strong at that. I may not be a dragon king in title, but my strength is equal to Tannin's. To cancel my flames is no ordinary feat." Vrydlain complimented Corianna.
"Why, thank you."
Vrydlain puffed more fireballs at her before slamming his tail onto the ground. Corianna dodged and weaved back and forth before opening all four spellbooks around her, manifesting magic circles.
"Magic compression." Lefay noted.
"That's right. I can store spells for immediate activation without incantations or drawing circles. Of course, there're limited uses and I have to redo it when I'm done, but the payoff is excellent."
Lefay aimed her wand at one of the tomes, firing a ball of energy at it while Gogmagog aimed at the others. Its shoulder pauldrons opened, exposing a cluster of magic missiles. Rocketing all across the arena, the missiles exploded, trying to break through the enchanted layers of ice.
"As long as the ice covers this area, fire won't work." Lefay explained to Vrydlain.
"Then we'll have to go after her." The Dragon flew at Corianna.
Corianna opened her palm, casting several different spells at Vrydlain.
"Stop!" Lefay pointed her wand at Corianna, stopping her movement.
"What?!" Corianna tried to move, but her body was literally stuck in mid-motion.
"Rupture!" Lefay pointed her wand at the ground, creating a constant series of shockwaves.
This was Lefay's true ability, [Imagination Manifestation].
"And it looks like Lefay's gotten serious. She's pulling out Imagination Manifestation." Vali said.
"What's that?" Issei asked.
"As you know, Lefay is unbelievably talented with magic. At a young age, she's already contracted with several creatures and can summon very powerful ones. However, she's also a quick study with magic analysis and can break down spell formulas fairly easily. With those principles, Lefay has developed her own version of lost ancient magic which allows the materialization of one's words, albeit temporarily." Vali explained.
"So, it's basically what fairies do in old folk tales where they can make what they say happen." Issei realized.
"Yes. While limited in certain aspects, it still makes Lefay a very unpredictable opponent." Vali nodded.
Lefay aimed at Corianna again. However, the limit of [Imagination Manifestation] had already shown itself.
"You stopped my movement, but you didn't stop me from speaking or my mind, Lefay. That was a big mistake." Corianna said.
"[Vacuum Burst]" She followed.
Gathering her four spellbooks in front of her, a magic circle materialized, several beams of navy mana at Lefay.
"What?!"
"What?!"
Lefay and Issei were baffled. How did she copy his attack? Then, Issei looked a bit harder. The beams were smaller and weren't as powerful, outwardly.
"This is the real power of the [Archaic Library]. It lets me analyze and break down spells and attacks and I can replicate them, but to a far lesser degree. I spent weeks without break recording this attack. Still, Issei's attack is enough to retire most of the participants in the tournament with one shot. I'm sure you're no exception." Corianna sadly said.
"Deflection!" Lefay tried to put up barriers over one another but it wasn't enough.
Bahamut's power, despite it being an imitation, was too great for Lefay's lower mana supply as well as being too large for her to dodge in time. As soon as the beams touched her, it was clear that the match was over.
(Final Fantasy XV: Volume 2 OST – Spelldaggers. End Song.)
When the navy explosion faded, Lefay was shown falling from the air, wincing in pain.
"Vali…I'm so sorry." She wept as the light of Retirment took her away.
"Winner: Corianna." Rotuda declared.
This left a bad taste in Issei's mouth. Lefay, who was like a little sister to him, had been retired with his own attack. Sure, he didn't do it himself, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to feel bad about it.
Issei looked at Vali. Despite her calm expression, he saw her drumming her fingers, arms crossed. She had her lips pursed, a sad look in her eyes. She hated watching her team get hurt, even if this was just a Rating Games. Deaths and severe injuries did happen sometimes.
Most of all, Lefay's words rung in her ears.
'I'm sorry.'
Vali scoffed at herself. She felt like she should be the one apologizing for pushing them towards harm's way. Vali was snapped out of her thoughts when Rotuda announced the next round.
"For the next segment, the battle will be between Izalana and Ladora."
Izalana put a comforting hand on Vali's shoulder as she walked into the arena. She wasn't exactly part of the team yet, or rather, didn't feel completely integrated yet, but she did feel sorry for Vali. Losing subordinates wasn't new to her, so she could relate.
Regardless, it was time to focus.
She stood across from Ladora, who was a tall and muscular man with dark hair and grey eyes with leather vest armor and braces.
(Xenoblade Chronicles OST – Zanza the Divine. Play Song.)
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Izalana, Vali's new Rook." Izalana introduced herself.
"I am Ladora, Lord Sairaorg's other Rook." Ladora returned the greeting.
The two didn't exchange any other words, focusing purely on the immediate fight.
"Begin!"
Ladora manifested a yellow aura around himself, growling aggressively before his aura masked his form. It grew larger before it finally dispersed, revealing a dragon.
"Well…that's a first for me." Izalana said.
"My Clan has the ability to tame dragons. An unintentional ability was the power to transform into dragons." Ladora explained.
"Well, too bad for you, I specialize in dealing with giant opponents." Izalana replied.
Leaping into the air with ease, Izalana entered the prime fighting zone for dragoons. Large creatures were easy targets due to the fact that there were so many points to exploit.
Izalana threw her spear at Ladora's left wing. He dodged to the side, breathing fire at her. Izalana stepped on a magic circle, kicking off from it. Taking out a crystal, she threw it at Ladora. When it exploded, Ladora was left stunned still by magic energy. He trembled in pain as Izalana summoned her spear back to her hands.
With careful aim, she threw her spear again, wreathing it in purple mana.
Ladora managed to recover in time, though, whipping it away with his tail.
"Dragon slayer." He realized.
"Dragoon." Izalana corrected.
Izalana caught it as it fell before jumping into the air again. She thrust her spear at him, firing a blast of purple mana that he countered with a fireball. Izalana jumped out of the way of another fireball with a magic circle. Kicking off the walls of the arena, Izalana put a hand on it to balance herself.
Over and over, she jumped back and forth, avoiding all of Ladora's attacks while chipping away at him with swipes of her spear.
"Dragons are often hard targets among bigger creatures. They can fly and have ways of keeping others away. But, the thing is, losing one of their abilities can really screw them over." Izalana pointed out.
Snapping her fingers, magic circles materialized around the arena's walls. Chains hissed out, wrapping around Ladora's limbs, wings, and his maw.
"If you stop a dragon from flying and using their limbs, tail, and breath, then they're nearly helpless."
Revving up her purple aura, Izalana focused all her power into her spear's blade.
"[Drake Bane]"
The fiery and chaotic aura around her blade focused, refining itself into a sharp edge around her weapon.
Izalana jumped into the air, tearing into Ladora's torso with her spear, causing him to retire.
(Xenoblade Chronicles OST – Zanza the Divine. End Song.)
"Winner: Izalana!"
"That girl…she's probably on Arthur's level of skill." Vali said.
Issei had to agree. What made her more dangerous was the fact that she was far more efficient than Arthur. Arthur, despite all his stoicism, enjoyed a good fight. If she saw the opportunity to finish the fight quickly, she was going to take it.
Izalana walked back to their side of the arena, taking a deep breath.
"Well, that it was more nerve-wracking than I thought. It's really different when everyone's watching you for sport." Izalana said.
"You get used to it." Issei said.
Vali was glad that Izalana made it through that match. Now, the two teams were on even ground again. Despite having seen what the other team was capable of, both peerages had kept most of their trump cards hidden for this final match. Vali was anxious, unsure of what to expect.
"The next match will be between Lianshi and Regulus." Rotuda announced.
Lianshi walked into the arena, sizing up Regulus. He was a human with orange hair and golden eyes, with a slightly muscular build, a white jacket, and tan pants with matching boots.
Lianshi was unsure of what to make of him, since he hadn't been shown fighting in any of the Rating Games during the whole tournament. To start, she was going to have to keep her distance.
"Begin." Rotuda echoed.
Regulus materialized a pair of claws from the golden aura around his hands, brandishing 3 blades that were as long as short swords.
(Dragon Ball Kai OST - The Braveheart The Strong. Play Song.)
Regulus didn't say a thing and charged. Lianshi swiped at the air with her jade sword, unleashing a wave of sound at him. Regulus dodged to the side, her soundwave shattered the ground where he used to be.
Lianshi met him in the middle of the arena, locking blades. Regulus tried to push her back but she backflipped instead, kicking him in the chin. Throwing a metal rod at him, Regulus swiped it away. Over and over, she threw metal rods at him and each time, it knocked it to the ground below him.
"[Emperor's Decree]"
Planting her sword into the ground, Lianshi, flicked the rings hooked into her sword, creating a shockwave of soundwaves that reverberated all across the arena, bouncing off everything metal. And each time it traveled, the soundwaves blasted into Regulus.
(Dragon Ball Kai OST - The Braveheart The Strong. End Song.)
He groaned as he was sent rocketing back and forth. He got thrown towards the arena before a blast of sound volleyed him back before hitting him in the side. Regulus was stuck. He was being beaten back and forth without the power to do anything. He was being attacked from all sides, cornered like an animal. It was like being trapped. It was like being stuck between hundreds of enemies with no way out. It was just like that time from long ago.
Regulus felt his rage boiling, growing stronger as his mind replayed memories from the past.
His mind flashed of images. A dead corpse in front of him. Hundreds of assailants all around him. Chaos everywhere. It was all flooding his mind, overwhelming him.
(Bleach: The Hell Verse OST - Lucifers Dance - Part B_Opus1. Play Song.)
"Not again." He growled.
"What?" Lianshi asked.
"I will not allow this any longer." Regulus growled.
Lianshi faltered. That growl just now…it didn't sound human. No, it definitely didn't sound human. It sounded like that of a beast, a lion.
Regulus howled, his voice slowly transforming from a human one to a lion's roar. A golden aura erupted around him, shattering the metal rods that kept him trapped. Lianshi was left stunned by how much his power had increased in just a few seconds. Instead of a human standing in front of her, it was a golden metallic lion with a fiery golden aura. It glared at her with purple eyes, its claws brandished, and fangs bared.
It pounced at her, its claws covered in aura so thick that the air almost looked like it was being cut aside. Lianshi tried to counter with her sword and sound waves but Regulus tore through it all like butter, its claws slicing across Lianshi's stomach.
"Gah!" She screamed, feeling the fiery metal carving at her stomach, blood trickling from her wounds and mouth.
Immediately, the Rating Games Retirement System kicked in, sending Lianshi away before she could be harmed any further.
"Winner: Regulus!"
The crowd went into a massive roar of cheers at the unexpected display of power. Sairaorg, however, didn't look the slightest bit happy about this. Regulus returned to his human form and walked back to his King.
(Bleach: The Hell Verse OST - Lucifers Dance - Part B_Opus1. End Song.)
"I'm sorry, My Lord."
"That was careless, Regulus. You very nearly caused irreversible damage to Lianshi. This is a Rating Game, where it's a competition, not a battle to the death." Sairaorg scolded him.
"I understand. I swear I'll keep myself in check. I won't do this again." Regulus bowed his head in deference to Sairaorg.
Despite their win, Sairaorg felt that it was a tainted victory. Lianshi hadn't been treated as an opponent in competition by Regulus. He treated her like a foe who'd done him wrong. To project something like that on an unsuspecting person wasn't something Sairaorg approved of. Regardless, Regulus couldn't be fully blamed for this.
"For the second-to-last round, we have Vali vs Kuisha!"
The crowd had a mixture of murmurs, but a majority echoed cheers. It was clear that the Underworld loved their princess, but thanks to the news of Rintilr and Ileana, there were obviously issues.
When Vali stepped onto the arena, she found that Kuisha was giving her an odd look. Vali could tell that she wasn't exactly hostile, but she did look pained, bothered.
"Kuisha, what's wrong?" She asked.
"It's nothing, Vali." Kuisha dodged her question as the signal to begin sounded.
"Balance Break!" Vali flew into the air.
Donning her white dragon armor, she levitated in the air as Kuisha flew up to confront her.
(Naruto Shippuden Unreleased Music: Angelic Herald of Death. Play Song.)
(A/N: Anyone wanna tell me why this didn't get released on the soundtrack?)
Vali charged at her but Kuisha opened a vortex in front of her, causing her to pass through it, and out through another vortex.
Kuisha volleyed lightning at her in massive quantity. Dodging left and right, Vali whirled around.
"[Division Slicer.]"
The white slash whistled towards Kuisha, who had a countermeasure ready.
"[Hole!]" Kuisha created another vortex that sucked Vali's attacks in before closing.
Vali took the chance to throw a punch at her, but Kuisha dodged again, going through a [Hole] and emerging out another behind Vali. Vali flapped her wings, pushing her back with a gust of wind. However, Kuisha blasted her with a sphere of demonic energy.
"You've gotten stronger, way stronger." Vali noted.
"I had to, in case I had to fight you. Out of our generation, you, Sairaorg, Lefay, Arthur, and Akeno possess the most power. I'd be stupid to take you lightly." Kuisha smirked.
"I'm flattered."
The two resumed attacking each other, blasting away at each other with magic. Kuisha knew not to let Vali get an attack in or she'd be able to [Divide] her, thus she kept her at a distance.
At first, things were pretty even until Vali changed everything.
"[Transcendence!]" Albion announced.
Teleporting behind Kuisha, Vali punched her in the stomach when she turned around.
"Grah!" Kuisha coughed.
Sending a fist at her, Vali easily blocked it as she sent her armored knee into Kuisha's side, causing her to gasp and groan in pain.
Vali regretted doing this, but dreams were on the line and her parents' fates were also in the balance. She had to win this. She could only hope the others could forgive her.
"[Divide x10]"
Kuisha groaned weakly when she felt her power get sapped away. As her aura transferred to Vali, Kuisha retaliated with a sharp blast to her chest plate, cracking it.
"[White Escalation!]" Albion called out the attack.
A white pillar of demonic power erupted from underneath Kuisha, forcing her to activate her [Hole] ability, absorbing the attack through a vortex.
Vali knew that the Hole ability allowed her to absorb any magical attack or weapon into another dimension, making her aware that it would be wasteful to keep using magical attacks.
Dashing at her, Vali had to get in close to make sure her attacks hit faster than Kuisha could activate her clan's power.
"[Division Slicer.]" Vali covered her hand in the white energy, sharpening it into a blade.
Just as she was within range, Kuisha unveiled the secret function of her powers.
"[Hole!]"
"No!" Vali then realized what was happening as she gazed into the vortex.
She screamed as all of her absorbed attacks came right back at her, shattering her armor and blasting her into the ground. Vali could feel her body burning in pain as her muscles screamed at her in agony.
Coughing some blood out, Vali re-equipped her Scale Mail, flying back up.
She realized that she'd made several mistakes. Kuisha had kept attacking her at a range so that Vali would have to return fire, allowing her to absorb her attacks. Not only that, but she lured her into a false sense of security by getting pushed back. And then, when she started using melee tactics, Kuisha was in prime position to send all her attacks right back at her.
"One more attack, and it would've been my win." Kuisha warned.
"Yeah, noted. I'll make sure to be more careful this time." Vali nodded.
"[Transcendence]"
Vali teleported right in front of Kuisha, landing a punch that knocked out all the air in her stomachs, forcing her to gag and cough. With her fist still on her stomach, Vali fired a blast at her at point-blank range.
"Ah!"
Kuisha yelled as she was throttled into the ground below. Before she could get back up, she was hit with [Division Slicer], blasting her into the ground again, causing a crater.
At this point, the match was going to draw to a close soon. Vali wasn't going to use any other moves since she reserved those specifically for her enemies. Half Dimension wasn't something she'd ever use on someone she was friends with, no matter what. Juggernaut Drive was also out of the question. If Vali hadn't taken such immense damage before, she'd have won this fight already. She was going to make sure to learn from this mistake in the future. Regardless, she needed to win this here and now.
Vali raised her left hand into the sky, gathering her energy into it. Thousands of light-blue particles began clustering together, forming a sparkling sphere.
"[Starfall]"
The sphere flew at Kuisha like a meteor. As it approached, the arena shuddered, even the spectator's seats were trembling. Debris cracked and flew all over the place as the star drew closer.
"I can't lose. I have to win this for Lady Misla and for Sairaorg, and everyone else." Kuisha said to herself.
Kuisha opened the vortex yet again, but this time, instead of just absorbing the attack, Vali felt herself get pulled toward it too. It had gone from a wormhole to a black hole, devouring everything in its path.
Willing the secret function of the Hole power, Vali's [Starfall] attack was now approaching her from the other side.
"[Reflection!]" Albion declared.
Vali moved her wings to blanket her, creating rippling whirls in front of them. As soon as [Starfall] touched her, the attack shined even brighter as streams of particles began dispersing from it.
Opening her wings, the attack was pushed back towards Kuisha, who was unable to do anything else. Having used [Hole] so many times in this time span, she had burnt herself out. It was over for her.
(Naruto Shippuden Unreleased Music: Angelic Herald of Death. End Song.)
"I'm sorry, Sairaorg. I'm so sorry. I tried my best. I tried for the sake of your future and Lady Misla. Like my heart…I'm just too weak." She lamented and cried to herself, her head low.
This entire time, she fought her hardest for her King, who's future was hanging in the balance. She knew of Issei's power and wondered if he'd come out okay, especially after seeing footage of how Issei tore apart the pocket dimension in the Khaos Brigade's attack. She'd seen the destruction that he was capable of. Sairaorg, who relied solely on his martial arts and physique…it didn't look great for him. Most of all, Misla's life had hung on their victory. Now, perhaps she would die without ever seeing her son again. Not only that, but Sairaorg would lose his political backers if he lost, making his desire to be a Satan moot.
"And the winner is Vali!" Rotuda declared.
The crowd cheered in admiration for both sides. Little did they know the cost of this victory. Vali returned to her seat, but was visibly scathed. She'd used up so much mana and took her own attacks head-on.
"And now, the final battle of this intense match will be between Issei and Sairaorg."
Before Issei could head out, Vali gripped his hand warningly.
"Be careful, Issei. Sairaorg is leagues above everything we've fought before. He might not be stronger than an Avitur, but don't count him out. He's at least as dangerous as my parents and probably rivals me, if not outright surpasses me." She weakly warned.
"I'll be fine. I promised you all, didn't I? I'll do everything in my power to make sure that your wishes come true. That's my wish." Issei smiled reassuringly at her.
And on to Part 2.
Also, to clear confusion, I spelled Beruka/Beruca as Beluga due to more recent translations of his name.
