Darksiders DXD

by MysticVegito

The Horsemen of the Apocalypse have expunged all those who would imperil the Balance over the eons. Now humanity is in peril as outside forces plot a premature Endwar that could potentially wipe out the Third Kingdom before it's time. Will the Council's enforcers succeed in rooting out the perpetrators before it's too late?

6. Chapter 6

~Preparations~

Rias Gremory found herself in the ruins of her home in the Underworld. The mansion was completely demolished as fire and brimstone were burning through the rubble and smoke rising ever higher to the skies, corpses and blood of the household's servants littering the ruins. The sky was dark crimson in color, darker than the hue of her own hair. Rias couldn't understand the horror that she was witnessing. Who could have wrought such chaos to her beloved home? But then, her mind was in complete disarray when she saw…

"Mother! Father!" Rias screamed, tears streaming from her eyes as she sprinted towards her dead parents.

Rias covered her mouth with both of her hands as she gasped in shock at the horrifying sight. Her father Zeoticus was cut into pieces, his legs were sliced and his right arm completely cut from the shoulder socket, resulting in a pool of dried blood forming beneath his body. His chest had numerous, long cuts and stabs, with his face bruised, bloodied and beaten. Rias' heart shattered at the sight of her beloved father so ruthlessly killed like this. He clearly tried to fight back and was gutted in the process like a pig in a slaughterhouse.

Her mother was in no better condition as she was cut down mercilessly. Her body may have not been disemboweled, but she too received a brutal end, showing a long cut on her back and a noticeable wide stab on her stomach, with dried blood present on her mouth as at the time she was choking on it. She didn't know who ended up worse, her father or her mother.

Suddenly, she heard a nasty growl echoing from the distance behind the flames.

"Wha… what was that?" Rias said as she checked her surroundings for the source of the growl. Then she noticed a shadow prowling and jumping around the rubble. The creature stopped as it crouched in unnatural pose and glanced at Rias like a beast with glowing red eyes before it leaped its way forward. Rias growled angrily as she chased after the creature. She knew it couldn't possibly be responsible for all this, but its master definitely is.

Then Rias stopped sprinting as she went to the open area of the mansion, the inner courtyard with a circle of pillars constructed in the center or in this case, the ruins of the pillars. There were many corpses surrounding the courtyard, devoured, sliced, pulverized, heads mounted on a pike, all sorts of brutal deaths littering her surroundings. But Rias gasped loudly in shock as she noticed a familiar head mounted on a pike in front of her.

"Big Brother!" Rias shouted in shock.

It was Sirzechs' head that she witnessed being impaled, all that was left of him viciously displayed for all to see. Then she heard the growl again, the same creature she saw walking inside the ring of ruined pillars. Rias frowned angrily while the tears stained her cheeks, anger and fury increased greatly as she sprung her devil wings and flew as fast as she could, determined to make the perpetrator pay for the slaughter of her family.

"WHEN I FIND YOU, I'LL KILL YOU! YOU'RE DEAD!" Rias shouted to the heavens in seething fury, her words echoing in all directions as she stood in the middle of the ring, with the destruction aura violently bursting from her body. Her mind was conflicted with all sorts of emotions: Anger, rage and contempt for whoever had done this, but also grief and hopelessness for the death of her family. Everything she knew, gone. In short, her mind was in a state of chaos from all the horrors she bore witness.

Suddenly, the rage within her was quickly replaced with caution as the flames dissipated from every direction before a perpetual darkness formed everywhere except inside the ring of ruined pillars. Then she gasped in surprise as her servants popped in front of her seemingly out of nowhere: Issei, Kiba, Koneko and Akeno.

"What? What are you all doing here?! What happened here?!" Rias cried out desperately.

=Play music: The lord of the rings OST - The Fellowship of the Ring 0:00 to 1:40 - Weathertop

But to her confusion, neither of them were listening to her as if she was completely ignored, with the four devils focusing in the direction in front of Rias in pure anger. The crimson haired beauty looked in front her curiously to see what they were so focused on. Then out of the darkness, two creatures jumped forward, latching onto the arcs of the pillars and landing on the ground, prowling like werewolves with fire in their eyes. Rias gasped yet again in a greater shock as she discovered who the two vicious ghouls were. They didn't have any noticeable part on their body to recognize the undead creatures, and yet she knew who they were all too well.

"Milicus! Asia!" Rias thought in anger and sorrow as the two former devils, now ghouls grunted and growled like beasts, making Rias' heart hurt immensely as if a thousand knives ran through her heart.

But, the horrors did not stop there as a third figure slowly walked out of the darkness as well. It was a hooded figure covered in a purple shroud reaching his legs, his face covered by the same darkness that surrounds Rias. The figure marched slowly and intently before it stopped, drawing out a familiar pair of scythes, extending the blades to a considerable size. Then the figure attached the dual scythes into one and pointed the blade of the scythe directly at Rias.

"You bastard!" Kiba said angrily.

"I'll fucking kill you!" Issei shouted in fury as both him and Kiba charged at the unknown assailant.

"Issei, Kiba! NO!" Rias shouted out desperately.

It was all too late as all four of the devils attacked, but the enemy detached the scythe into two again and immediately sliced Issei and Kiba in a single blow, blood spraying from their long wounds as their bodies slammed into the ground like ragdolls. Koneko followed suit as she charged right after Issei and Kiba, but a stranger threw a right knee on Koneko's gut before he turned around and decapitated her with his left scythe, her head rolling behind her before her body crumpled on the ground. Then Akeno fired her ball of lightning, but the enemy dodged backwards and immediately grabbed Akeno's head using a purple, transparent, skeletal hand to pull her in the air. As Akeno was falling in his direction, in a swift motion, the stranger impaled his right scythe on Akeno's stomach, gutting her like a pig as she puked out blood. Then the stranger viciously tore out the scythe in a spray of blood, while Akeno's limp, lifeless body fell on the ground, the last spark of life snuffed out of her.

Rias could do nothing but stare silently as this assailant dispatched all four of her devils as they were nothing, tears streaming from her eyes as all of this was too much for her to witness anymore. But even with her eyes closed, the images of their slaughter would not go away. Then the hooded figure turned its gaze towards Rias, its eyes glowing orange for a second or two before purple, soul like aura enveloped him completely. Rias gasped in immense shock and horror as the figure assumed a form of a winged grim reaper. Then it clicked in Rias' mind that this was in fact Death, the pale rider. Only he has the ability to transform into a huge, hooded, skeletal winged reaper with massive scythe, a form she witnessed back at the church when he cleaved a Phantom Champion in two. Now that she knew who he is, all hope left her entire being as she started to step back. But the enemy now known as Death raised his skeletal hand and telekinetically lifted her by the throat in the air until she was on his eye level. Rias could feel an immense pressure on her neck as she struggled to breathe. Horrors didn't seem to stop however, as the corpses of her fallen servants started to rise behind him, their eyes lifelessly fixed on the Gremory princess like zombies, on the process of degrading into ghouls, a fate that befell Milicus and Asia.

"No. No!" Rias shouted as her eyes went wide in horror, while Death raised his massive scythe above his head, shaking her head in denial that she was going to be executed.

"Die!" The Reaper said grimly.

"NOO!" Rias screamed in pure sorrow and hopelessness as Death swung his scythe downward and it was about to cleave Rias in two.

"Rias? Rias!" A voice echoed from the distance as now everything in Rias' eyes went pitch black.

---

"Rias! Rias, wake up! Wake up Rias! Come on, snap out of it!" Akeno shouted as she shook Rias by the shoulders. Rias' eyes shot wide open as she instantly got up in sitting position, sweating profusely and barely finding the capacity to breathe as she panted heavily, her mind numb from all the horrors she witnessed. In the end, her mind started to calm down as the realization that it was all a terrible nightmare dawned on her, much to her immense relief.

"Easy Rias. You had a nightmare again." Akeno frowned slightly in worry while holding a hand on her shoulder.

"Akeno?" Rias said as she looked at her best friend.

"In the flesh. Don't worry, I'm here. We all are." Akeno smiled. Rias' eyes then went glossy before she hugged her friend tightly.

"Thank goodness." Rias said in immense relief while Akeno hugged back, rubbing her back for the low sobs and sniffs to subside. It didn't take long though, considering this wasn't the first time she had this kind of nightmare as she quickly calmed down. The first time it happened it was much worse than this to the point of believing it was all for real. It took both her father and her mother back at the mansion in the Underworld to soothe her nerves the first time around, but now Akeno, her closest friend is enough to calm her down.

"And I thought you had it rough with Riser." Akeno smiled, trying to lighten the mood, while Rias smiled sadly as she now calmed down and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"You can say that again." Rias smiled before she frowned seriously. "At this rate, I'll be thrown into the insane asylum, I really need to pull myself together. All these nightmares are going to affect me real soon and I don't want that to happen." Rias said as she looked at her clenched right fist.

"Your fears are justified Rias, don't blame yourself for that. You are worried what will happen to all of us, and it's not like Death and War are going to make things easy for us." Akeno frowned slightly.

"I'm such an idiot! In my hurry to bring back Issei, I also dragged Death into the mix, now followed by War. Now all we need is the other two horsemen and we have all four of them breathing at our necks!" Rias said seriously as she grabbed her head in frustration.

"Are you saying that you regret saving Issei?" Akeno asked curiously.

"Of course not. I regret the fact that I saved him in front of Death for him to plainly see the resurrection. That's what got us into this mess. It was all my fault." Rias frowned seriously in regret as she looked down at the sheets.

"No, it's not Rias. You simply didn't expect for him to be there at the time. And who knows what he could have done to his body if you didn't do what you did." Akeno frowned seriously before Rias sighed slightly to relax her nerves a bit.

"Either way, we can't afford to be reckless anymore. The warning he gave us at the church was the last one we will receive from him. I understood Issei's motives for standing up to Death and I'm not blaming him, but now we can't even look at them funny, let alone defy them like Issei did." Rias said seriously before she looked at Akeno. "As for Issei, I'm afraid the luxury he had is long gone. If he's not careful, then there is nothing I can do to save him. Neither of us stand a chance against one of the Four, let alone two horsemen."

Akeno said nothing as she silently nodded in agreement. Brave or foolish as he is, Issei will have to learn to choose his words wisely or he might regret his impulsiveness with his own life.

"Well, on the bright side, War is going to fight by our side in the Rating Game. We will win against Riser for sure and your engagement will be broken." Akeno smiled.

"Yes, that is the positive side alright." Rias smiled before her face went serious again. "But there will be a greater price to pay if he wins. All of the devils will no longer be able to set foot on Earth ever again, we will be stuck in the Underworld forever." Rias said, making Akeno's face also turn serious. "There has to be a way to prevent that. Perhaps it's for the best if I just give up during the fight and…"

"No! Don't even think about it Rias." Akeno said seriously.

"What else can I do Akeno? I may have a miserable marriage, but in the end it's for the greater good." Rias frowned slightly.

"Use your head. If you forfeit, then either War or Death will certainly kill you, they would think that the whole fight was a set up." Akeno said seriously. This time Rias had nothing to say as she remained quiet and looked down, knowing that Akeno made a good point. "We will find a way. But like you said, we can't afford to be reckless, so we have to be smart in our approach to the situation." Then Akeno smiled. "But first let's focus on our training. It will benefit us all, especially Issei, since he has a long way to go."

"You're right Akeno. I guess my mind was a total mess lately." Rias smiled as she stood up from her bed completely naked. "But first I need to pay a visit to Sona, then I will come back and we will make the arrangements to depart to the training grounds." She said before she marched to put on her clothes.

---

Meanwhile, Death and War met at the remote location not too far away from Kuoh Town, where the two riders can have a discussion with no interruptions, with both of the riders donning their respective human disguises during daylight to avoid complications.

"You challenged a devil to a fight?" Death said before he sighed slightly in frustration. "And for what purpose, if I may ask?"

"You should know that your pets are not the only ones who traveled to Earth. This devil that I challenged does not belong in Rias Gremory's gathering." War said seriously.

"How so?" Death asked curiously while raising his eyebrow in slight interest.

"This devil named Riser belongs in a different household called the Phenex. Apparently they too are capable of teleporting to Earth at will." War said with folded arms.

"It looks like we have been away from Earth for far too long. If Azrael's words are of any indication, these devils are supposed to be passive." Death said as he turned towards the city.

"You don't believe that all the devils are passive, do you?" War said as he stood next to his eldest brother.

"Of course not." Death said as he turned around and walked forward a few paces. "Even the devil king himself Sirzechs implied that not all the devils are peace lovers. Some among them scheme to overthrow the devils by joining with the demons and conquer the Underworld, turning it into another one of their hellish domains." Death said before he turned around facing War.

"Yes, a devil named Grayfia explained to me that little detail." War said while turning sideways as he looked at Death.

"Grayfia? A devil from Rias Gremory's household?" Death asked curiously.

"Yes." War nodded.

"Curious. I thought she was just a simple housemaid." Death said in blunt and sarcastic tone.

"Her power is far too great for a 'simple housemaid' Death. I know you are far too perceptive to ignore that fact." War frowned slightly before Death chuckled slightly in turn.

"You are right, I did notice." Death smirked darkly before the serious expression quickly returned on his face. "She is something far more than that. A wife of a powerful devil, a warrior in disguise, we do not know. Not yet."

"What about the other devils in Kuoh Town? Any new discoveries?" War asked while folding his arms as he and Death walked back a few paces, where the city was in plain sight again.

"I sent Dust to scout the academy for anymore devils that are not of Gremory's gathering. It would seem that my warning was not ignored." Death smirked slightly.

"So you found no one?" War asked.

"Not a soul. Even beyond the academy across the town, there was not a single devil power to be discovered that is not a stray." Death said.

"A stray devil? What does that mean?" War asked curiously.

"To put it simply, a devil gone rogue that can only be pacified with a blade." Death said bluntly.

"Fair enough." War shrugged as he looked towards the city.

"So, when do you fight this devil?" Death asked after a few moments of silence.

"In ten days. Both the devils requested that time to prepare themselves for the battle ahead." War said.

"And your reward for victory?" Death asked, hoping that it was something useful he chose. But since this is War, it probably is.

"Banishment of all the devils from Earth back into the Underworld, never to set foot again." War said seriously.

"And you believe that every last one of them will leave the Earth after your victory?" Death asked curiously with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, something that War noticed.

"I don't. That's where we come in." War smirked slightly as he glanced towards Death. The Reaper smirked slightly as well for a second before he looked towards the city again.

"Time to go back to the club house, I need to see what their plans are for these next ten days." Death said.

"Agreed. No use in scouring the city of the other powers in broad daylight." War said as both of the horsemen turned around and headed towards the club house.

---

At the same time, Rias used a magic circle to teleport herself in front of Sona's castle far away from Gremory territory in the Underworld. Rias observed her surroundings as she was marching towards the gates. Sona's home had the appearance of a large gothic castle overlooking the massive lake below the hills where the castle itself is nestled. The lake below is where Sona usually goes to practice her water magic, to expand her arsenal with new spells and abilities and increase her proficiency in using it. Within the outer walls are massive gardens and fountains similarly designed like those at her own home, followed by the castle itself, as magnificent as it was all those times in the past when she came here. Rias slowly approached the large double doors and knocked on it, patiently waiting for someone to answer the doors. Soon enough, the doors started to open.

"Welcome, Lady Rias." A beautiful house maid bowed in respect.

"Hello Mirabelle, good to see you again." Rias smiled.

"Likewise, my lady. Come on in." The housemaid now known as Mirabelle gestured.

Rias nodded as she entered the castle, with Mirabelle closing the doors behind her. Mirabelle had known Rias from her childhood and she was always a welcomed sight. Rias used to come here quite often with her father and brother to hang out with Sona, but years later there was no point, considering they see each other all the time at school on Earth. But with the arrival of the two horsemen, that option is no longer possible.

"I assume you came here to visit Lady Sona, correct?" Mirabelle asked.

"Is it that obvious?" Rias smiled.

"Quite." Mirabelle smiled before she looked at Rias with a serious expression. "But you should know that Lady Sona is not in high spirits these couple of days, although the reason for her ill mood is still hard to believe. Is it true that the Horsemen of the Apocalypse reside in your clubhouse?"

"I'm afraid that is true. I assume Lady Serafall is informed of these recent events, considering she is one of the Devil Kings." Rias said seriously.

"Speaking of which…" Mirabelle smiled a bit as she opened the doors leading to the large living room, where Serafall Leviathan herself sat on the sofa drinking her tea.

"Lady Serafall, you have a visitor." Mirabelle bowed as Rias entered the room.

"Oh hi Rias, how wonderful to see you!" Serafall smiled cheerfully and stood up to greet her.

"It's my pleasure to see you as well, Lady Serafall." Rias smiled as she bowed her head in respect.

"Oh hush, no need to be so formal Rias. Make yourself at home, have a cup of tea." Serafall smiled brightly as she gestured to the tea pot on the table.

"I would gladly accept your offer my lady…" Rias smiled before her face went serious. "But I'm afraid I can't linger here for long. I only came here to visit Sona before I have to go back to Earth." She said. Serafall looked at her blankly for a few moments before her face went serious and silently nodded, realizing what she meant with her words.

"Yes. This way." Serafall said in serious voice as she gestured to Rias to follow her. "Sona told me that the Reaper arrived on Earth. The moment I heard the news, I couldn't help but feel uneasy. I mean, of the Four Horsemen, the pale rider has to be the one to enforce the Council's will."

"You know of the Charred Council? What can you tell me about them?" Rias asked curiously.

"Very little." Serafall shook her head before she looked forward. "What I do know about the Council is that they are ancient entities tasked to maintain the Balance between the Three Kingdoms: Heaven, Hell and the Kingdom of Man. And their enforcers are beings that are not an angel or demon, but something else entirely. What they exactly are, I have no idea." She then looked at Rias. "What about you? How do you cope with Death's arrangement?"

"Hanging by a thread, it would seem. Things got much worse when War arrived as well." Rias said seriously.

"War?! Rider of the Red Horse?" Serafall exclaimed in shock and surprise.

"Yes. The situation on Earth must be very grim if he had to come as well. Guess they know something that I don't, other than the whole Endwar scenario." Rias said seriously.

"I don't need to tell you that you have to be very careful with the two riders Rias. One reckless move and your life will be forfeit." Serafall frowned seriously.

"I know." Rias nodded seriously, with Serafall nodding silently in turn.

Rias couldn't help but be surprised by her uncharacteristically serious demeanor during the whole conversation. Usually she was cheerful and upbeat, at least outside the official devil business, to see her on edge like this makes Rias grow uneasy. But then again, she can't blame her, no one is to be blamed for being nervous or even afraid when even one of the Four Horsemen's presence is known, let alone two. She doesn't know herself how she made it this far with her head still attached between her shoulders, but she prayed to the Creator himself that it will remain so till the horsemen's business on Earth is over.

After a few moments of walking, the two devils finally reached the doors leading to Sona's room.

"Well, here we are." Rias said as she looked at the doors.

"Please Rias, cheer up my little sis, will ya? She has been like this ever since she returned home." Serafall frowned sadly. If there was one thing she was certain is that she loves her little sister above all things, which is why even the thought of seeing her sister so depressed was unbearable to her.

"Don't worry Lady Serafall, I'll do my best." Rias smiled as she nodded slightly.

"Thank you Rias." Serafall smiled gently before she left. As soon as she was out of sight, Rias knocked on the doors.

"I said go away! I don't want you or the servants bothering me every minute!" Sona shouted behind the doors in frustration. Rias couldn't help but crack a faint smile. Guess Serafall and their housemaids must have been checking on her constantly during her stay in her own quarters.

"Will you cool your jets? It's me, Rias." She smiled while patiently waiting for Sona to answer the doors. After a few moments, the doors started to unlock and Sona peeked to see who it was.

"Rias?" Sona said in calmer tone.

"Hello Sona." Rias smiled gently. After a few moments of silence, Sona let Rias in before the two devils sat on Sona's large bed.

"How are you feeling?" Rias asked in slight concern.

"Not so great, considering recent events. But I can't say my situation is worse than yours, that's for sure." Sona said as she looked down on the floor with her hands on her knees, while Rias looked at Sona before she too looked down at the floor in thought.

"I know how you fell Sona. The thought of staying in the Underworld with the horsemen on the loose, the visit to Earth an impossibility, especially after we got to get along so well with the students in the academy." Rias said seriously.

"They see you as a sex bomb Rias, I am more of a police department than a visual sensation." Sona smiled slightly.

"Come on Sona, that's not true. You have several fans as well, but you might wanna hide your strict behavior if they ever waltz in and talk with you." Rias smiled. Sona's smile disappeared when she looked down at the floor again.

"You and I both know the real reason of going to Earth in the first place. I too got tired of being known only as the sister of the Devil King or always being named just by my title." Sona said seriously before she smiled gently. "That's why I got to tag along with you to Earth. And before you know it, you became one of the two famous school idols, while I became a Student Council president." Then her face went serious again. "And now… with the pale rider's presence on Earth, everyone's life that is not a human is at risk, including us devils. I knew I had no choice but to take all of my servants and return to the Underworld. Seems the life we knew has forever changed." Sona started to sniff a bit as a single tear dropped on her glasses.

"Sona." Rias frowned sadly, feeling bad when she saw her friend so distraught like this, for the first time apparent for all eyes to see. Sona then took her glasses off and cleaned it with her bottom part of her shirt. Then she wiped the tears from her eyes and stood up, turning her back on Rias.

"I'm sorry Rias. I act as if I'm the victim of these recent events, when it's you who suffers the most. I can only imagine what it's like to have the Reaper breathing at your neck all the time." Sona said seriously.

"Not just Death, but his brother as well." Rias said seriously as she looked down on the floor.

"What do you mean his brother? Another horseman arrived with him?!" Sona exclaimed in shock and surprise.

"Yes. The youngest horseman named War." Rias said seriously.

Sona was now speechless as she looked at Rias, who had a serious, but sad look on her face. She didn't realize up until now that not one, but two of the horsemen are keeping Rias on the short leash. She knew in the first place that Rias had it worse than her the moment Death decided to stay in her club house, but now War as well? Now in all honesty she doesn't know what to say that Rias doesn't already know.

"I see." Sona said as she sat down next to Rias, looking down at the floor again before she glanced at Rias. "Then you should go Rias. You don't want to keep them waiting."

"I'd rather not be there at all Sona. But now with the Rating Game on the horizon, I have to go back and make plans to prepare ourselves for the battle to come." Rias said seriously.

"A Rating Game? Against whom?" Sona asked curiously, though she inwardly knew the answer.

"Riser Phenex." Rias said in utter disgust and contempt.

"So the time has come to decide whether you will go along with the marriage or finally be free of him." Sona said.

"That's not the whole story. War challenged Riser to a single combat, but it was Issei and Grayfia who managed to convince him to join our team for the Rating Game against Riser and end the dispute peacefully." Rias said seriously.

"Issei Hyoudou? One of the Perverted Trio?" Sona said curiously before she smiled slightly. "Fate has a funny sense of humor sometimes."

"Indeed. He's definitely an irredeemable pervert, but his heart is in the right place." Rias smiled before her face went serious again. "And yet he's reckless. Too reckless." She said as she had a flashback of Death slicing Issei's arm off back at the church. That scenario was something Rias has to avoid at all costs from happening again. Death may have shown an unusual amount of leniency so far, probably cause he still has use for them, but it would be for the best not to push her luck any further and made him kill them for real, especially with War keeping an eye on them as well.

Sona was about to ask what Issei did to make Rias say he's reckless, but judging by her serious look, she decided not to go into too much detail in that part.

"About the Rating Game… what will happen if you win? I know you will win for sure since War will enter the fray." Sona asked seriously in curious tone.

"Well, my engagement with Riser will be broken, that's a certainty. But by War's demands, all the devils will be banished from Earth back into the Underworld for good." Rias said seriously.

Sona's eyes went wide in shock at that. Staying in the Underworld forever, not being able to even set foot on Earth ever again? Now that's something that threw Sona off her loop and something that the Devil Kings will not take kindly in the slightest if that information were to reach them.

"So your victory will be both a blessing and a curse." Sona said, with Rias nodding silently. After a few more moments of silence, Sona stood up. "You lingered here for too long. Head back to the club house, you don't want to keep the horsemen waiting."

"What about you?" Rias asked as she too stood up.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Thank you for coming here, your visit means a lot to me." Sona smiled gratefully.

"That's good to hear. Guess my work here is done then." Rias smiled before she departed to the doors. "See you soon." She said as she opened the doors before closing them behind her, leaving Sona alone in the room.

After she left, Sona's smile was replaced with a serious expression again. She may act emotionless from the outside, but from the inside she cares deeply for Rias. Her relationship may not be as strong as Akeno's, but it is a strong bond of friendship nonetheless. To think that Rias has to deal with both Death and War is a scenario that is hard to even think about. For better or worse, it would seem that her fate is in the horsemen's hands.

---

Later that day, Death and War arrived in the clubhouse, where Issei, Asia, Kiba, Koneko and Akeno are waiting for Rias to arrive, still donning their disguises during the day.

"Where did the Gremory go?" Death asked Akeno as he approached her, while War leaned on the wall with folded arms.

"She went to the Underworld on an errand, she should be here soon." Akeno frowned slightly. Almost on cue, a red magic circle formed behind Death, with none other than Rias forming within.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Rias said seriously as she walked towards Akeno.

"No need to worry president, the horsemen arrived moments before you did." Akeno smiled.

"Alright then." Rias said as she sat on the desk.

"What is the plan, president?" Kiba asked curiously.

"We train, of course." Rias said.

"Train?" Issei asked curiously.

"Yes. For these next ten days, we will undergo intense training sessions and hone our skills and powers as high as we can go, so we can stand a better chance against Riser and his peerage when the day of the Rating Game arrives." Rias frowned seriously.

"A waste of time." War said, drawing the attention of everyone in the group. "Since I will be the one who will fight by your side, I will take them all on at once and eliminate them."

"With all due respect War, we're not going to allow ourselves to be reduced as spectators. We are fighters as well, we'll show the house of Phenex that we can handle ourselves even without the help of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse." Rias said with as much respect as she could in her voice without revealing her frustration at his words.

War raised his eyebrow in curiosity at that. Both he and Death have noticed that her words are filled with contempt and thirst for vengeance. Guess this Riser has wronged her more than they thought. Of course, her words could have also meant for them if it was the matter of pride, but from their experience and the time they spent with the devils, especially Death, that wasn't the case, at least not entirely.

"A bold statement Gremory. I hope you can back them up with fists when the time comes." Death said coldly as he folded his arms.

"We will. But first we need to move to another location where we won't be restricted by the city environment or any of the people that might pass by while we train." Rias said before she stood up and smiled. "And to prevent that, we will make our stay in the countryside away from people, so we can cut loose without harming anyone."

"That sounds like fun. Yaay?" Issei chuckled nervously in sarcastic tone.

"Well, with that said, it's time to make preparations before we move out. Pack only what you truly need, for these next ten days…" Rias then smirked. "It's training time."

"Yes president!" Everyone except Death and War said, who merely listened to the whole arrangement.

---

Later that day around 2 PM, the entire group, excluding Death, was nearing the compound where they will commence with their daily training sessions. Although they could have used the magic circle to simply teleport there, Rias insisted that reaching there on foot would be more beneficial to the team, especially Issei, since he had a lot of ground to cover in terms of physical strength.

"You're almost there, just a few more feet." Rias smiled as Issei was trudging up the hill with a large, with a heavy bag strapped on his back, panting heavily and sweating profusely.

"Keep up Issei." Akeno smiled as she was sipping from the small pond streaming with fresh water.

"Rias, should I go and help him out?" Asia asked in slight concern.

"Don't worry, he needs to learn to carry that much on his own." Rias smiled.

"On your right." Kiba said as he went past Issei casually, carrying a bag the same size as Issei's on his back without a problem.

"Seriously?! Did they give you a bag of feathers or something?!" Issei frowned in frustration.

"Move it." Koneko said as she casually went past Issei as well carrying a bag three times her size. That sight threw Issei off the loop as he lost his balance and fell on his back, but he quickly got up on his knees.

"I hate this!" Issei complained childishly. Then War in his human form suddenly grabbed Issei by the bag and threw him in the air without a word spoken, while Issei screamed in panic a bit as he crashed on the ground next to Asia.

"Issei! Are you okay?" Asia exclaimed worryingly as she knelt near him.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Guess I should thank him for that boost." Issei chuckled nervously before he stood up and trudged forward, with Akeno looking at him in slight concern if War didn't do any damage with that casual throw. Rias on the other hand glanced from Issei to War as he casually walked towards the group, lagging behind on purpose to make some distance from the devils. In those moments, flashbacks of his conversation with Death rushed to his mind.

"You are not coming along?" War asked.

"No. There are still a few more stragglers to root out in Kuoh Town. I will join you once my work here is done, for I'm not really fond of this place." Death said as he glanced around the club house room in annoyance.

"Haven't we already taken care of the angels, fallen angels and the devils, along with the demons of Hell?" War asked curiously.

"For the devils we have. The strays have been eliminated and those with the right mind retreated into the Underworld. Azrael pulled back all of his angels from their posts and is on the way of convincing Abaddon to do the same with his troops. But there are still a few more demons and fallen angels to deal with. Expect my arrival in three days." Death said seriously.

"If what Gremory said was true, then a spell of concealment is cast on the training grounds we will go towards. How will you find us once you are finished here?" War asked.

"The answer is simple." Death said as he faced his front from the window to his brother. "Dust will accompany you. The crow will memorize the road you will take and I will follow it." He said as Death's crow flapped it's wings slowly towards War before perching on his right shoulder. "Now go, the devils are waiting for you outside." He said. War nodded silently before he donned his human disguise and left, closing the double doors behind him.

A few minutes later, the group finally reached their destination. War and the other devils noticed a mansion in the woods, with a large pond nestled between the mansion and a stone gazebo next to the building.

"Wow, how beautiful!" Asia said in amazement at the sight in front of her.

"Alright you guys, let's head inside and get ready for today's training." Rias smiled.

"But we just got here! You're such a monster Rias." Issei whined childishly, but Rias only found amusement in his complaint.

"No, I'm a devil." Rias said as a matter of factly with an amused smirk before she went inside the mansion through the gates, followed by Akeno, Koneko, Kiba and Asia, with Issei trudging behind them, leaving only War in his human disguise behind them. The red rider removed his human disguise and reverted back to his normal, bulky form.

"It feels as if I'm choking in this disguise." War grunted a bit before he stomped his way towards the mansion. Then Dust who was perched on War's shoulder flew away from the rider back to his master in Kuoh Town, backtracking the route they took.

Inside the mansion, the devils readied themselves as they changed into their training suits. War didn't bother to wait for the devils as he headed at the wide, grassy field behind the mansion, presumably where the devils will come to commence their training session. After about ten minutes it took to change their clothes, the group of devils walked outside.

"Lesson one." Kiba said as he and Issei held wooden practice swords.

"Yup, bring it blondie bear." Issei said as he charged at Kiba, flailing his sword while the devil swordsman parried his attacks with relative ease. Then after a while, he sidestepped and disarmed Issei's sword.

"I meant to do that." Issei said sarcastically.

"Come you Issei, you have to focus." Kiba said as he punted his sword on Issei's head.

War already had enough of watching this amateur show unfold as he started to stomp towards Issei and Kiba. All of the devils present flinched in fear when War started to draw his Chaoseater and plunged the tip of the sword on the ground.

"You. Kiba Yuuto, is it? Let's put your swordsmanship to the test." War said seriously.

"What do you mean?" Kiba asked curiously.

"You know what I mean. Attack me with everything you got, I want to test the limits of your strength and skill." War said seriously.

Rias and Akeno looked at each other in slight confusion, not sure of what was War up to. Is he trying to solidify his authority over the devils, or is he simply bored and in need of a sparring partner? Kiba then looked at Rias, who was really hesitant and worried of letting him duel with War of all people. But in the end, knowing that this won't be a deathmatch, she nodded in approval and allowed Kiba to proceed.

"Very well sir, I will do my best. I hope I don't disappoint." Kiba smiled, bowing in respect before he formed the Holy Eraser in his hands, the sword he uses often in battles.

"We'll see." War said as he lifted his sword from the ground in firm grip.

Then the duel commenced as Kiba immediately disappeared in a blur.

"Man, that's fast." Issei smiled as he stood next to the other devils, so he wouldn't get in the way of the sword fight.

"A speed devil, is it?" War thought as he glanced left and right, trying to locate the swordsman.

War stood in place like a statue, waiting patiently for Kiba to reveal himself and attack him, with the only sound that can be currently heard is the wind breezing through the trees and grass. Moments later after long silence, War noticed a blur coming from his left and immediately lifted his Chaoseater, parrying Kiba's attack as he moved around the horseman in a blur, with a spark of two metal swords forming during the clash. Kiba continued to use his immense speed to maneuver around the red rider, believing he had the advantage in terms of speed. But much to his surprise, as he continued to blur his way around War, the rider continued to parry his attacks from all directions with his Chaoseater, swinging his massive sword as if it was made of plastic.

"Holy shit." Issei said in amazement.

"Incredible. Kiba's attacking War from all sides with intense speed, and yet the rider continues to parry his attacks easily." Rias said in amazement as she frowned slightly.

"It's as if he's not even trying." Akeno frowned slightly.

Even though Kiba gave his all to even scratch the red rider, War carried on to parry with his massive blade. But after a few moments, he had enough as he used his armored gauntlet to grab Kiba by the head, stopping his movement and pinning him in place. He then lifted the swordsman in the air and sheathed his blade on his back before he punched him in the stomach, sending him flying through the nearby trees.

"Kiba!" Rias shouted worryingly, while the other devils gasped in shock.

"Asia Argento." War said to the blonde girl standing next to Issei, who gasped slightly in fear as she looked at the rider. "Follow me." He said as he stomped towards Kiba. Asia wasn't sure whether she should go with him alone or not, but knowing Kiba was hurt, her Twilight Healing will be certainly needed, which is why she went after War.

"Asia, wait up!" Issei shouted as he ran after her, followed by Rias, Akeno and Koneko.

War stopped in front of Kiba as the swordsman was lying down incapacitated on the ground near a large tree, with Asia standing next to him, gasping in shock at the sight.

"Kiba!" Asia shouted as she ran towards him, kneeling next to him and immediately using her Sacred Gear to heal his agonizing wound.

"What was that about?! What you did was nothing but a display of cruelty when you knew he couldn't beat you! Have you no shame?!" Rias shouted in outrage.

"Rias, calm down." Akeno said as she placed her hand on her shoulder.

War ignored her as he continued to look at Kiba, who was slowly recovering as Asia continued to channel her healing power. After Kiba's wounds were healed, Kiba opened his eyes and his eyes met Asia's.

"Thanks Asia." Kiba smiled, with Asia smiling as well as she silently nodded. Kiba then stood up to find War standing in front of him silently for some reason.

"You rely too much on your speed. As much of a boon as it is, it severely dampens your attacks, making them worthless against stronger foes. Your speed is of no use if you don't have the strength to back it up." War frowned seriously. Moments later, he turned around and left the group, now wanting to be left alone, while all of the devils present were surprised to say the least from War's actions.

"Wait. He was actually… training Kiba?" Rias said, blinking a few times in utter surprise.

"And here I thought he was just being an asshole." Issei said, low enough for the red rider not to hear his words, otherwise off with his head.

"Did he just give Kiba instructions? Huh, how about that?" Akeno said, about as surprised as Rias and the others as she saw War walking away.

"He studied his flaws in seconds, amazing. I bet he would have studied our flaws just as quickly if we were to fight him." Rias thought in caution and surprisingly, a good deal of admiration. She seriously doubts he did it out of the goodness of his heart, but she was still pleasantly surprised by War's instruction. It probably had something to do with the fact that War was a swordsman as well and he couldn't help but give Kiba a pointer or two.

Throughout the next hour, Akeno instructed Issei and Asia on how to manipulate their devil powers, starting with the basics like conjuring a small, green orb of energy. Impressively enough, Asia was the first to conjure the orb of energy and quite easily at that. The next step is learning how to control the elements, as Akeno demonstrated how she formed a small amount of water in the bottle into icy spikes that pierced through the plastic. But with Issei being the pervert that he is, he was more focused on Akeno's large breasts rather than concentrate on forming the orb of energy of his own.

After Akeno's instructions, Issei was assigned to train with Koneko and hone his physical prowess to new levels. But Koneko had that bored expression on her face as she was beating Issei into the ground without even breaking a sweat for a good while.

"That was lame." Koneko said in a bored tone, but Issei didn't give up as he immediately stood up.

"I wasn't finished." Issei said as she charged rather clumsily at Koneko, but a small girl jumped nimbly and kicked Issei behind the head before she used her legs to lock them to a choke point on Issei's neck.

"You gotta aim more towards body's central access and learn to strike with precision at your victim's core." Koneko said as she tightened her legs around Issei's neck. Then she let him go and stood up again.

"Damn it!" Issei cursed as he slowly stood up.

"Pathetic." A familiar voice said, drawing the attention of the two devils to find War leaning on the tree.

"Oh yeah? Are you going to beat us up like you did with Kiba?" Issei frowned slightly, but War ignored the devil pawn as he fixed his gaze on Koneko.

"Are you still bored? Then how about I give you a challenge?" War said as he took a few steps forward, making Koneko frown slightly in caution.

"Let me guess, you want me to attack you with everything I have?" Koneko asked flatly.

"Yes. You and Hyoudou both." War said seriously, making Issei flinch in fear.

"Wait, you're not gonna slice us with that sword of yours, are you?!" Issei asked as he panicked a bit.

"No. You two are unarmed, so I will defend myself without using my weapon." War said, making Issei sigh deeply in relief.

"Well, I guess we're good to go then." Issei said nervously before he frowned in determination while clenching his fists sideways. Koneko did the same as she took her boxing stance, while the red rider merely clenched his fists as he continued to stand upright. War has no interest in Issei whatsoever, he's a recently reincarnated devil, so it only figures he was the weakest of the bunch. Right now, his focus is to gauge Koneko's strength and see if these devils are truly formidable, because he wasn't impressed with Kiba's performance.

Then the two devils charged as they swung their fists at War, while the rider blocked them both at the same time. War then grabbed Issei's fist and tossed him aside, while Koneko attacked with a flurry of punches and kicks, pushing War back. Then Koneko threw a left jab, jumped in the air and threw a right roundhouse kick, followed by reverse left roundhouse kick. When she landed on the ground, she dashed towards War, but the rider tilted his head to the left and punched her in the stomach. War noticed that Issei was charging at him, so he grabbed Koneko by the leg and tossed her at the devil pawn. Issei came to a screeching halt as Koneko was flying towards him, but he didn't had the time to dodge as the rook slammed onto Issei, sending the two devils tumbling like ragdolls on the ground.

"Ouch. That one hurt." Issei said as he rubbed his head.

"You can say that again." Koneko said as she rubbed her stomach for the pain to subside, feeling that punch as if she was run over by a train. Just how powerful is this rider she had no idea, but she had a feeling that wasn't even the tip of the iceberg.

Koneko charge again as War stood perfectly still, followed by Issei as they both threw simultaneous punches at War. But this time the rider stood in place, raising his hands in defense as the two devils threw flurry of punches and kicks again, studying their fighting techniques while fighting. Issei was a complete amateur in close combat. His attacks are wild and clumsy, no focus at all, using only brute force in hope that his attacks would pass through his defenses. Koneko's fighting style on the other hand was far more polished in comparison, but even she had multiple openings in her guard, especially when she attacks.

After a few moments, War had enough of blocking their attacks as he suddenly grabbed Koneko by the head and Issei by his chest with his large, armored gauntlet. As he smashed Issei into the ground, Koneko managed to free herself from his grip and jumped in the air, making a good distance from the red rider. Out of frustration, she uprooted a large tree from the ground and easily lifted it above her head. War then loosened his grip of Issei, leaving him lying on the ground as he stood upright and locked his gaze at Koneko's. The Gremory rook then swung the tree like a bat at War, but the rider clenched his armored gauntlet and backhanded the incoming tree casually, easily shattering half of the tree into multiple sticks and twigs flying like darts in the direction he swung his hand. Koneko did not stop there as she gritted her teeth and threw what's left of the tree at War, with the rider retaliating by lazily throwing a punch with his armored gauntlet again, completely demolishing what's left of the tree, with multiple sticks and twigs flying in every direction, with one of the tree shards darting past Koneko's face, leaving a small cut with a drop of blood freely flowing down her cheek. Then with a speed that surprised even Koneko, War dashed forward and drilled his right fist on her face, sending her flying through multiple trees until a large cloud of dust formed where Koneko crashed.

The rider was now bored as he stood upright. These devils are nowhere near as formidable as Death described. Perhaps the devils the Reaper had in mind were only Rias and Akeno, for he noticed that they possess an enormous amount of devil power. But to his slight surprise, Issei gritted his teeth as he struggled to get back on his feet.

"The fuck with this. Boosted Gear!" Issei shouted as he clenched his left fist forward and his signature red gauntlet formed in his hand.

[BOOST!]

War frowned slightly as he sensed his power got doubled, apparently this boy has more power in him than he thought. Then almost on cue, Koneko jumped high in the air and landed to War's right, breathing heavily and looking battered and beaten after that last attack.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed by your tenacity and determination to fight to the end. But at the rate you two are going, you won't be able to fight for long." War said without a hint of malice in his voice as he looked in front of him, not glancing to either Koneko or Issei.

However his words struck a nerve on Issei and Koneko as the two devils rushed at him again. Although War was true to his statement, he was now getting really bored and decided to end the bout. As the two devils got close, he grabbed them by their heads and slammed them together, knocking both of the devils out unconscious and leaving them on the ground.

"That's enough for today." War said as he left the two devils where they are.

Just like with Kiba, War counted on Asia's healing ability, so that's why every time Death's devil pets are injured, he would task her with recuperating them back to full strength so they could carry on with their training. There are several reasons why he even bothered to involve himself with their training sessions. One of the reasons is that he didn't come all this way to just be a babysitter, so he might as well have a little workout for these next three days until Death arrives. The other reason is that since these devils will fight by his side in the Rating Game, he might as well test the limits of their strength and see if they will even survive the battle to come. Sure War can handle Riser and his devils all by himself quite handily, but training these devils and making them stronger will hasten his victory. Not only that, if they do betray them by any chance, if they are that foolish, then he will know their strengths and weaknesses and give him a decent challenge in turn, since currently they can't hold a candle to his might, both his and Death's, combined or otherwise.

---

Five hours later in the afternoon, after the beating War gave them, Koneko and Issei were a lot more motivated to get stronger and push themselves beyond their limitations. Not only to beat Riser and his devils, but also to at least stand a decent chance against War and his brother Death if fists do the talking again, or blades in their case. Not only them, but Kiba also, along with Akeno and Rias. After the exhausting physical training was over, Issei and Asia were tasked to cook dinner for them, which they eventually did using their devil magic, Asia being more proficient in that area. Not long after that, all of the devils were eating several delicious meals, mostly made out of potatoes, but they were filling nonetheless.

"So, how was it today? Did you learn anything new?" Rias smiled as she glanced towards Issei.

"Yeah. I learned that I was a damn punching bag for the big gloved horseman." Issei frowned in frustration as he continued to eat a plate of mesh potatoes.

"Speaking of which, just what is War up to? Why would he decide to train us? Akeno asked Rias curiously.

"I have no idea. It is a little unorthodox from his part." Rias frowned slightly in thought.

"Well, he is a warrior, he probably couldn't bear the thought of just standing around for these next ten days, while we train to increase our strength." Kiba smiled light-heartedly.

"Could be." Rias said seriously before he smiled. "But on the bright side, we might take advantage of that and get exponentially stronger in turn. It's not every day we get a Horseman of the Apocalypse to train us, right?"

"Well, since you put it that way, it is kinda beneficial." Akeno smiled cutely.

"But it will be a brutal ordeal." Koneko said with a passive face as she continued to eat potato soup.

"Indeed it will." Rias thought as she continued to eat her own plate of soup.

---

For the next two days, the devils continued with their training. Just like on day one, War wasn't gonna stand around and just watch, so he trained mostly with Kiba, Koneko and Issei and occasionally with Rias and Akeno. And on the day three, Death finally arrived to the training grounds like he said he would, having finally finished with his hunt in Kuoh Town. Striding his phantom steed Despair, Death rode towards the gates leading inside the mansion and jumped from his horse above the gates, while the steed submerged into the ground, disappearing from sight as Death landed to the other side.

"So this is the place?" Death asked his crow, with Dust squawking once in response.

With that said, Death slowly made his way inside the mansion. It looks pretty fancy, similar architecture like Rias' home in the Underworld when he visited the king of the devils. As he approached the doors, he heard the sound of the clashing of steel from behind the mansion. As he slowly made his way on foot, he noticed something he didn't expect. It was his brother War having a sword fight with Kiba, who dashed from all directions in a blur, trying to land a blow on the red rider. But just like before, War clearly had the upper hand before he used the flat of his sword and struck on Kiba's stomach, much like he did with the young angel Uriel in the White City ages ago, thus knocking the breath out of him. The young devil swordsman coughed out blood as he fell on his knees and crumpled on the ground, but this time the other devils present weren't nearly as shocked as they were on the first day, considering the routine is for Asia to heal the incapacitated devils when War goes too far. Doesn't mean they are not shocked at all though.

"You seem to be having fun." Death suddenly said in sarcastic tone with folded arms as he stood near his brother.

"What?! Where did he come from?" Issei exclaimed in shock.

"I guess he's done with his business in Kuoh Town." Rias said seriously.

"Apparently so." Akeno said seriously as well. As for War, he silently looked at his elder brother, immediately recognizing that look he has in his eyes, silently telling him they need to talk in private.

A few minutes later, War followed Death in the woods, far away from the devils.

"What do you think you're doing?" Death asked.

"Sparring with the devils?" War said casually.

"Training them to get stronger." Death said as a matter of factly.

"I have no contribution in them honing their fighting skills." War said.

"What's your game War? I doubt that today was the precise day you decided to get involved with their training sessions. You have been 'sparring' with them since the beginning, weren't you?" Death said after a brief moment or two of silence.

"Yes." War nodded, with nothing else to add to that question, much to Death's increased frustration in the matter.

"And why, if I may ask?" Death sighed in frustration.

"Because if I babysit your pets standing around like a statue while they fight in front of me, then i would quite possibly lash out at the devils without holding anything back." War said.

Death couldn't really argue with his brother on that one, given his tendencies into consideration. Even at the sight of battle, be it sparring or the real deal, War's blood would boil almost instantly and would join in without even a second of hesitation and fight till his heart's content, sometimes completely losing himself in the chaos of the battle while swinging his sword like a whirlwind. That is, in battles he deems it would give him at least a decent workout, if word 'decent' even exists in War's vocabulary.

"Fair enough." Death shrugged, not knowing how the answer any other way.

"Besides, sparring with them presented to me an opportunity to study their strengths and weaknesses. As powerful as they are, they have major drawbacks that could be easily exploited by enemies that are… less lenient than we are." War added.

"Is that so? Then what do you think of Issei Hyoudou?" Death asked curiously.

"The weakest of the group. He simply has no fighting talent whatsoever, nor the power to back it up." War said.

"Well… you're half right." Death said, emphasizing the half word deliberately.

"You know something that I don't, brother?" War asked curiously as he turned sideways, his eyes meeting with Death's.

"Yes. From what Rias Gremory told me when we were leaving the altar after the fight with the demons, I asked her of the boy's weapon. She explained to me that his Sacred Gear was named 'Boosted Gear', a potent gauntlet that repeatedly doubles the power of the wielder depending on their overall strength. Sounds familiar?" Death explained.

After his words, War had a flashback of Issei using his gauntlet to double his power when they were sparring. Now that he thought about it, the boy's ability does seem so familiar, as if he faced that kind of power in the past. Then his eyes went slightly wide at the realization of who else had that kind of power.

"Don't be ridiculous Death! It's impossible that boy has the power of the red dragon that we fought centuries ago!" War said in outrage.

"Actually, it is." Death said in his usual, calm tone, not surprised by his brother's outburst. War had a lot more to say, but with curiosity quickly overtaking him, he remained silent, allowing Death to continue.

"Don't you remember? After we killed the two dragons back then, the red and the white, we took their souls to the Charred Council where they were to be judged and sentenced to Oblivion. But the Council had a greater purpose in mind for the dragons, despite our protest on the matter. With the concept of Sacred Gears becoming a trend in the human race, the Council fused their souls into these potential tools and they too became the human's weapons." Death said.

"Sacred Gears?" War asked curiously.

"An innate power hidden in certain human beings, waiting to be unlocked and manifested as weapons of war. I think that's what the Council meant when they foretold that someday they would be integral to the Balance. With those tools they might one day actually present a challenge for both angels and demons." Death said in contemplation.

"Perhaps. If what you say is true and this boy indeed has the power of the Red Dragon Emperor, then what about the wielder of the white dragon?" War asked.

"Not sure. I have yet to discover its wielder. But for now, we know who wields the power of the red. And putting that into consideration, he might be able to surpass even us if given the chance." Death said.

"How do you know that? We still don't have a concrete proof that he can boost himself as many times as the dragon could." War said, still finding it hard to believe that boy has that kind of power.

"You don't, but I do. The boy managed to boost himself three times that night at the church and he could have possibly boosted himself further than that. But given the fact that his body was too weak to handle anything further than the current power provided by his gauntlet, he never got that luxury to push his power to greater heights." Death said.

He knew himself he left out the part where Issei tried to 'attack' him before he sliced his arm, but that's something that War doesn't need to know, otherwise he might berate him for being too soft for sparing his life. But then again that wouldn't be the first time and given the fact of all the trials and tribulations the two horsemen had to endure since the time their race came to be into Creation, the scenario with Issei was nothing whatsoever by comparison.

"Now it makes sense why the Gremory girl was so insistent on bringing him back to life as her servant. That boy has the potential to be this generation's greatest champion against the angels, demons and fallen angels. Even the devils." Death frowned slightly beneath his mask.

"Be that as it may, that still doesn't excuse the fact that he is an insufferable pervert. Even with the power of the red dragon, he is an easy target for even the fleas, let alone stronger demons." War frowned in disgust. Death couldn't help but chuckle darkly at the thought of the fleas dancing on Issei's corpse.

"You're not wrong. He barely stood his own against the simplest of soldiers of Hell. But given time and training, along with his Sacred Gear, he would one day be a formidable opponent to face." Death said.

"I still don't understand why don't you just kill them and be done with it." War frowned slightly.

"Because we are not demons War. We may partially share their blood, but we are not like them." Death said in serious tone as his stern gaze connected with War's own stern gaze.

"That didn't stop you before. Why are you so insistent on keeping these devils alive? What value could they possibly have for you to stay your hand as long as you did?" War asked curiously.

"Her slaves none, but Rias Gremory is the only devil valuable to me and killing her would be wasteful, considering she is the sister of Sirzechs, the ruler of the devils. If I were to kill her pets, she would go on a rampage and force my hand in turn. Then a whole pandemonium would ensue, something that we don't need, considering we still didn't manage to find these perpetrators that are plotting the Endwar." Death said in slight frustration at the last sentence.

"All that hunting in these three days and you didn't find a slightest clue on who it might be?" War asked curiously.

"No. Even when I killed the stragglers hiding in Kuoh Town and interrogated their souls, I discovered nothing." Death said in slight disappointment.

"So it's back to square one." War said, also slightly frustrated that they made no progress other than purging one measly city of who knows how many on this planet.

"Apparently." Death said as he walked a few paces towards the mansion before he stopped and glanced behind him to his brother. "Let's go back. Your 'sparring partners' are waiting for you."

"A waste of time." War said simply as he stopped next to his older brother. "You will prove to be far more of a challenge than those devils." He smirked slightly.

Death huffed silently as he knew this was coming. In all honesty, with nothing better to do on this planet, sparring with his brother might not be such a bad idea after all. Besides, it's not like it would be the first time War came up with this idea. In rare cases, Death would spar not only with War, but with Fury as well. Strife not so much, considering his weapons of choice are a pair of pistols.

"Fine. But we wait until nightfall, where we can spar in peace." Death said while continuing to walk towards the mansion, followed by War.

---

A whole week has passed and the devils continued with their intense training sessions, this time without War's display of fighting prowess and martial guidance, changing his mind after Death finally arrived. And in all honesty, none of them gave voice from his absence as the devils can continue with their training in relative peace, increasing their strength and honing their fighting abilities at their own pace. While the devils trained until afternoon, the two riders sparred with each other a good distance away from the mansion deep into the wilderness where they fight all night, all the while restraining themselves as much as they can so they wouldn't cause unnecessary destruction with their abnormal powers, which is a difficult task for War during combat. They spar like this until dawn, a time when they both return to the mansion to keep an eye on the devils, regardless of the fact that they are far away from civilization.

Currently, its night before the Rating Game and the devils are now having a well-deserved slumber, gathering their strength for the battle to come. The only devil that was awake this time of night was Rias, as she went outside the mansion wearing nothing but her panties and a see through nightgown. Not feeling sleepy, with her mind occupied with the upcoming battle, she decided to stroll on this beautiful night, where stars and a full moon decorate the skies, with a bright moonlight illuminating her surroundings and a cool breeze caressing her face and hair. Then she proceeded to take a walk in the woods, not knowing that Death was lying on the roof of the mansion, his attention fixed on the devil.

"Where could she be going this time of night?" Death thought curiously.

But then he shrugged as he knew in what direction she was going, where certain someone will be there as well, his attention now returned to the wilderness and the moon in the skies. While the sight to anyone else would have been blissful to gaze upon, he would much rather prefer the sight of the ash and dust covered wastelands of his home, the very sight where he also guards the Abomination Vault. Thank the Creator he got rid of all the Ravaiim blood into Oblivion, the only source that can fuel the Grand Abominations for extended periods of time, along with its many weapons like the shards of Affliction and Black Mercy, a gun that managed to kill War during the Abomination crisis. He still felt ashamed that he allowed his brother to die, a shame reinforced by the fact that War stood up to the Charred Council to stop them from executing his brother. He still couldn't help but a feel a slight pain in the gut from the memory. Despite of what he did to his own brother, War still put his trust in him and was even willing to die with him. But then again, War was ignorant to the truth of the matter, even though his inner conscience constantly voiced in his mind to tell his brother the truth, even though it might end up with War hating his guts, probably for all eternity.

But as always, he didn't linger on those memories for long as he quickly dismissed them, returning to his constant vigil of his surroundings.

Meanwhile, Rias reached the wide grassy field overlooking the forest valley in the distance. What surprised her when she arrived is that War was standing there was well, seemingly in thought. She didn't know whether she should go there and greet him or leave, but with keen senses of the two riders, he already knew of her presence even with his back turned, so she continued to walk towards the red rider.

"It's a little late to have a stroll in the woods, don't you think?" War asked, not even bothering to glance behind him.

"I couldn't sleep, my mind was preoccupied of coming up with a battle plan for the Rating Game." Rias said while holding a notebook in her hands, with War being intrigued enough to glance at the crimson-haired devil.

"A battle plan?" War asked.

"Yes. Wanna see it? With your combat experience, you might have a better strategy for us." Rias smiled slightly as she gestured the notebook for the rider to take. She didn't know why, but she wasn't afraid of War at all at the moment. It probably had something to do with the fact that she was tired of being afraid of the riders, or maybe because it was around midnight and she was too tired to even process that emotion. Either way, she was looking for no trouble and she wanted a decent conversation with War if that's even possible. As for the red rider, he didn't really see the problem as he silently nodded. It's not like the night would pass by any quicker just by standing around in silence.

It didn't take really long as War sat down on the grass and reviewed her battle plan in a few minutes, with Rias sitting next to him, waiting patiently for him to finish.

"So, what do you think?" Rias asked.

"A feeble strategy, or rather suicidal." War said strictly as he returned the notebook to Rias. This was something that didn't surprise Rias at all she expected that kind of answer.

"I know it is. But it's the best one I could come up with, even with you by our side." Rias said.

"You would be a fool to underestimate my fighting prowess Gremory." War frowned slightly as he looked away from Rias and back into the valley.

"It's not that." Rias said seriously, with War glancing at her again. "Riser Phenex is not simply a powerful individual. If his last name is of any indication, his ability is the same as that of the beast his family bears the name after: Immortality, more specifically regeneration." She said as she glanced at War. It goes without saying that War already knew that from the beating he gave to Riser back then, but nonetheless the rider said nothing as he decided to hear the whole story before he says anything.

"As you might expect, he regenerates his wounds or lost limbs immediately following the attack from his opponent." Rias said seriously as she glanced at War before she looked at the valley in front of her. "Riser's win ratio is eight to two. However, those two losses were accepted out of respect for a family he is close to. He lost on purpose. Ever since the Rating Game was put into effect, the House of Phenex has dominated the playing field." Then she smiled slightly and closed her eyes. "Can't say I'm surprised. I mean, how do you beat an opponent with that kind of power?"

"Just because they have that kind of ability, doesn't mean they are invincible." War said simply, making Rias glance at him with eyes slightly wide in curiosity. "It wouldn't be the first time for us to face an adversary with regenerative capabilities. All of them died due to their sheer arrogance and reliance on that ability alone to win their battles." He then glanced at Rias again. "If I'm not wrong, that is the same mistake that Riser will make on the battlefield tomorrow."

"Perhaps. But it's not like we have the luxury of having the massive power possessed by the Four Horsemen. It might seem easy to you, but I doubt it will be the same for us." Rias frowned slightly as she looked at the valley again. War couldn't help but chuckle slightly, making Rias glance at him in slight surprise and curiosity. It's not like she was telling a joke or something to make him chuckle so casually.

"In our line of work, it's anything but 'easy' Gremory. Even with the power granted to me and my brothers, it's no easy task maintaining the pact enforced by the Charred Council. Angels and Demons both have tried to resume the war over countless centuries, along with several fallen angels before mankind was strong enough to defend itself. All of those battles were anything but easy. And in truth, I wouldn't have it any other way." War explained in rather calm tone, much to Rias' surprise. Turns out she can have a normal conversation with the riders after all, which is something that wouldn't even cross her mind in her past encounters with the two.

"Well, at least your battles were not set up by the Charred Council." Rias said seriously as she looked down, making War glance at her curiously. "Because this Rating Game certainly was." Then she got up and stood sideways, her blue eyes connecting with War's own blue eyes. "I say it because it's the truth. They all anticipate me losing because Riser can regenerate no matter how potent his opponent's attacks are. But that doesn't mean I'm going to lie down and let him trample over me, i'm going to prove them all wrong in the battle to come."

"So your parents are no better than the demons of Hell." War said bluntly.

"No! They are nothing like those monsters!" Rias shouted in outrage, which didn't even faze War as he looked at her rather annoyingly now as if she was a mosquito. After a few moments, Rias sighed as she quickly calmed down. "Sorry about that. It's just… this whole proposal I was given was not really to me per se, but to the heiress of the house of Gremory. No matter what I do, I'm stuck with my name and it's baggage." She said as she slowly stood up, followed by War.

"You make it sound like your name is a curse." War said.

"Not entirely. I do take some pride in it, but it also robs me of my individuality." Rias said before she leaned on the nearby tree, looked up absentmindedly at the moon and sighed sadly a bit. "It also robs me of my belief that my life partner would love me as plain old Rias, not as 'Rias of the House of Gremory'. That's why living in the human world is so refreshing, despite the enormous risks of receiving punishment from you horsemen. Over the centuries, the existence of the supernatural became a myth to humanity, which made it all the more relieving and easy to blend in. They all see me as me, the point of view that Riser doesn't share in the slightest, and I hate that." She then smiled gently. "I simply want to be with people who love me for who I am. That is my dream, small as it may be."

After a moment or two of bliss, she snapped out and glanced at War, who still had that stern look on his face. She got used to it overtime, but she can clearly see he was not interested at all at what she was saying, which for some reason sent a sharp pain in her heart.

"I'm sorry. These kinds of stories are probably foreign for you. Wouldn't be surprised, considering your duties. But…" Then she smiled sadly. "I guess I needed someone to talk with to relieve myself of this burden in my heart, even if it is a Horseman of the Apocalypse."

After she was done, War was more fascinated by the devil herself rather than her heartfelt speech. If it was anyone else other than War, he would probably shower her with words of support. But not War for reasons obvious only to the ancient beings across Creation. He along with the other fellow horsemen are the Nephilim, members of the extinct warrior race made from the union of angel and demon, bred for battle. They did procreate overtime when their race came to be, but the concept of love was so foreign that none of the Nephilim bothered to even think about it, especially the Firstborns like Death. However, that doesn't necessarily mean it's entirely foreign, at least in the case with the Four Horsemen after the battle at Eden. Of course they would never, ever say it out loud, or at least in front of one another, but War, Death and Fury care about each other, some more than the others, even Strife, despite his flaws and tendencies. After the Abomination Crisis, the brotherly bond between War and Death strengthened, even though the two riders are so different from each other.

And now, looking at Rias, he didn't notice a sliver of deception or manipulation in her words, all of them came from the heart. It is indeed a fascinating discovery to say the least.

"You devils are really intriguing." War said in neutral tone as he marched a few steps forward and stopped next to Rias, looking at the forest valley in front of him. "Despite being the descendants of demons, your society couldn't be more different. Although me and my brother still cling to belief that not all the devils are passive, most of them are exactly that: peace lovers." He then glanced at Rias with his usual, stern look on his face. "Or at least from what Azrael told us." He thought as he looked at the valley again in front of him in a few moments of silence. "The time for talk is over. Go back to sleep, for tomorrow the Rating Game awaits for both of us." He said seriously.

"Right." Rias nodded before she turned around, but after taking two paces she stopped, much to War's slight confusion. "Oh and… before I leave…" She said as she turned sideways and looked down in shyness and embarrassment. "I want to apologize for my blunt behavior that night. I know it must have been immensely embarrassing for you of my out of the blue request. I hope you can forgive me."

"Don't mention it, it's an incident best left forgotten. Now go." War said in slight annoyance, not even bothering to glance behind him.

After a moment or two of silence, Rias nodded silently as she went back to the mansion through the woods. As she departed, intentionally or not, War glanced back at the crimson-haired devil as she went through the trees into the darkness. He didn't know why though. Was it to make sure she was going in the right direction and not sidetrack on purpose? Or was there another reason for it? Not bothering to ponder on it, he glanced back at the valley in front him, while the cool breeze caressed his crimson hood and threads of white hair, his mind switching from the conversation he had with Rias to the Rating Game tomorrow. Why did he had a feeling that the battle will not go as intended? That the outcome of the fight will not be as obvious as he believes it to be? It's not the first time he has this feeling, but it doesn't matter in the long run. He will defeat Riser and his servants in combat and banish all the devils from Earth into the Underworld in turn, making his and Death's quest to find the schemers for the premature Endwar much easier.

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A/N: Hey guys, finally chapter six is here. Sorry it took so long, had alot of stuff going on, between managing documents for the upcoming summer job and posting Darksiders 2 videos on Youtube, it took a while before i was fully focused on writing the chapters again. I had a lot of fun in the past month or so replaying Darksiders 2 with a new challenge that i call The Reaper's Challenge. It's basically killing every boss in the game only with level 1 scythes. Be sure to check out those videos if you are interested in trying out the challenge yourself :)

-Gamelover41592 Thanks man. Uhh... i dont know about Fury, two of the Four Horsemen hanging around is more than enough. If Fury or Strife come to mind later on in the story, they would probably only make a brief appearance, but we'll get to that :)

-Wacko12 And with gusto, in the right place and the right time :)

-The Lone Swordswolf Thank you, good to hear :)

-Sovereign2808 No, Death didn't go soft, he's merely being resourceful as much as War was in the first game, where he literally used the souls of the dead as money to buy stuff lol. And nothing to worry about, they got the message after Death sliced Issei's arm, especially the pervert himself. Death tolerated him solely because he was robbed of his humanity, but now he is just as expendable as the other devils.

Well, that won't happen because, as you may notice in this chapter, Sona picked up her servants and fled home, not wanting to take any chances with Death.

And no, Azrael isnt blind. Call it the convenience of the crossovers, but in this story most of the devils are inclined towards peace indeed. Of course the likes of Shalba Beelzebub, Katarea Leviathan and the other baddies are out there, but they are yet to be introduced into the story as in this point of time, the Khaos Brigade is not much of a threat to draw the attention of the two horsemen.

-Super Kamehameha Haha, thanks bro, yeah i feel the same way after reading your story :D

-TheFirstHorseman Well, Death isn't any better, so War was a somewhat suitable option. Rias caught Death's interest purely because the Reaper sensed an abnormal power from her, he didnt come to Earth to find a girlfriend. Sorry do disappoint you, but there will be no Death pairing with anyone, cause he is literally the last person in Creation to even think of having special someone. I have plans for Rias, but will people like it or not, dont know :D

P.S Probably not, depending if Death and War will find the schemers who plot a premature Endwar or not.

-me well, if i made mistake about their size, then sorry. Didn't really bother to accurately estimate their height, i only made wild assumption comparing Death's size with Crowfather's assuming War's disguise. Can't really tell if fake War is the same size as real War, but hey, it's more or less a nitpick.

And no, Death will still be a loner, as its proper for someone like the Reaper. Uriel has a hate boner at best for War solely because she believes War was responsible for killing Abaddon, they have no mushy emotions between them whatsoever. Besides, in this story, War couldn't care less for Uriel, other than amusing himself by fighting her again.

-balvionstormhoof Nah it's okay and thank you for the extensive review, i appreciate your opinion. About Death's strength, here's the deal of why i said it in previous responses: There are alot of changes in this story considering it is a crossover and so the strength of the Four Horsemen also changed. In this story, the devils, as powerful are they are, their subfaction existed for several millenia, while the horsemen existed for millions of years ever since their race came to be (if eons are translated into millions of years, could be wrong), so they had ALOT of time to develop their strength, power and fighting skills, especially during their servitude to the Charred Council, where the entities granted them immense power. Honestly, i never read the novels of DXD, so yeah, i am more or less focused on the anime version, considering i dont want this story to drag out and for the horsemen to never find the conspirators of the premature Endwar, that would eventually be boring from narrative and reader's point of view, at least in my opinion. I might end the story after season 3, but considering that DXD Hero is on it's way, i might cover that season too before i finally end the story on a high note.

Now, about Death's fight with Samael, you could argue that Death was holding back a lot as well for several reasons. One, he didnt use his Reaper Form to kill Samael like he did with basically every opponent before the demon prince and he even used that form on Absalom, who was no pushover at all. Two, Death didn't travel to the past intending to kill Samael, but to get the Demon Key from him. Now did Samael keep the key in a pocket dimension or probably due to the fact that he was the only one who could access the vaults of the Black Stone, its definitely one of the two, but in both cases he needed Samael alive and couldn't afford to kill him.

-Guest thank you :)

-Abhinav Chhetri Okay dude where do i start? TLDR? Seriously, read the entire chapter first and THEN post a review. I appreciate your thoughts and reviews and that you like this story, but one is enough per chapter. And yes, i played both games, read novel and comics, watched entire anime of DXD. Enough said. Their disguises are mere plot devices. Besides, they are half angels as well, so it only figures they have handsome disguises so to say, which is a complete contrast to their normal forms which is far more imposing and a complete shocker for those who didn't see them in person.

-DeathBigFan Thank a lot, i appreciate your reviews. Well, when i reach the part where angels will have a part to play, ill see will i change them or not. And dont worry, there will be no Death pairing, i'm glad you noticed that line in the first chapter, that's a clear indication that Death is the last person in Creation for such a thing to cross his mind. Sorry to disappoint those who hoped for such a thing, but there will be none of that.

Thank you all for the constructive reviews, faves and follows so far. Five chapters into the story (well, six from now :D) and already over a hundred faves and follows, nice. I made a few edits on the previous chapters here and there, so the story itself and the chapters that will follow will flow better. Hopefully the story will be just as entertaining as it was up until this point. Again, thanks a lot and ill see you in the next chapter :)