Here we go, the Rating Game arc. This is personally one of my favorite places in the story to mess with.
Enjoy the ninth installment of Restoration.
"Hm, a manor. Fancy that." Shoraku mused.
Issei chuckled beside him.
After Shoraku had arrived, Rias had him follow her group up to a manor her family had owned up in the mountains. This was where she wanted to train for her Rating Game against Riser Phenex.
"It's nod bad." The brunette said.
Rias dropped the bags she was carrying, and turned to everybody. "Well, we have little time, so let's get started right away!" She exclaimed.
Shoraku smirked.
"Nose to the grindstone. I like that." Issei said, making Rias smile. However, that was for the wrong reason. She would find out soon enough though.
"Please give us a few minutes to get ready." She said, while the two assassins nodding in understanding.
"By all means." Issei said, as he and Shoraku sat on the grass.
"You know this is completely bonkers, right?" The golden eyed sniper said, gazing into the distance.
"Yeah, but that's what makes it entertaining." Issei replied.
Shoraku scoffed, but his grin never left his face. "True enough."
Rias and the others came out not long after the conversation was finished.
"Sorry, I hope we didn't take to long." The redhead said.
Everyone was dressed in a red jogging suit. Shoraku snorted at the sight.
"We're ready to begin if you are." Issei said.
Rias smiled.
"Alright. Let's-"
"Actually, Rias. My friend and I here have an idea." Issei interrupted her.
"Oh, okay. So what do you have in mind?" She asked.
Shoraku and Issei both shared a look. This just might actually be fun.
"Let's start with hand to hand combat." Issei looked at everyone. He stopped at Koneko, remembering Rias saying she was the Rook of the peerage. This meant she wouldn't be first. The smaller girl already had experience with unarmed combat, but everyone knew the flaw that Rooks had, which was speed.
"Kiba, You'll spar with Shoraku. And Rias, you will spar with me." Issei said with a smile.
"But, I don't have-" Rias stopped when she realized it.
'Oh, this is going to be fun.' Issei thought, seeing her expression.
"Well, it's like you said. No time to waste." He said, smirking devilishly.
Rias swallowed her nerves and stepped up.
"Let's begin. Lesson one: hand to hand combat." Issei began.
Rias took a stance, or at least she tried to. So it became apparent here Rias has never once confronted someone physically. Well, that was going to have to change. She couldn't rely on magic forever.
"Come at me." He said, making Rias gulp.
"Okay." She said, before running at him. Issei waited patiently, and when the redhead was within the right range, he sidestepped.
Rias flew past him, and had to stop herself. Issei simply smirked. Rias rushes towards him and again, and threw a sloppy punch. Issei tilted his head to the right, easily dodging the attack.
Rias aimed with her left hand, and tried to follow up. Issei repeated his previous gesture and continued to do so. Rias would throw sloppy punches as Issei weaved around her and dodged all of her attacks.
The brunette could see sweat beginning to work up on her brow. They had been going on this match for about 10 minutes.
Truthfully, Issei never intended to counter her. He was just testing her. Just before all of this, Issei could see Rias had a lot of work to do. First off, it seemed Rias had some stamina, which was good. He could torture her longer. Second, obviously Rias has never trained her body for combat.
"Alright. That's good enough." Rias stopped, and put her hands on her knees as she panted.
"You never even fought back." She managed to speak.
"I know. I was assessing your skill to see what you need to improve. I can honestly say you've got a lot of work to do." He said.
Rias blinked.
"You have no experience in combat, except with magic. This leaves you with a disadvantage. If you were to use up all of your magic, you would be completely vulnerable to physically stronger opponents. And going with that, you need to know how to fight back, not just make your body stronger." He said.
Issei looked to the right to see Shoraku pulling Kiba up to his feet.
"The speed of a Knight is no joke, Kiba. However, you also rely on your swords. You also need work in hand to hand. And you need to know how to counter attacks, and not just deliver." He said.
"Shoraku, I trust you can oversee this regimen while I assess Akeno and Koneko?" The raven haired assassin nodded as he began to instruct the blond and the redhead.
"So, what will you have us do, Issei?" Akeno smiled, putting her hand to her cheek.
The brunette smiled back.
"Koneko here already has experience with unarmed combat. But you, on the other hand, don't. So, I'm going to start you off with a light regimen. I hope you're ready to work." He said.
The two nodded, as the assassin grinned.
"Good. Koneko, I'm going to have you run around the manor-" The little girl didn't seem excited.
Until Issei fished out something from his bag.
"With all of this armor on." He said, making her blink.
"Okay." She replied.
"I want you to run around the manor until you feel like you're going to pass out." He smirked, seeing her freeze.
Issei clapped her on the shoulders, and sent her towards the armor. "Well, you best get started. We only have 10 days." He said.
He turned back to Akeno who was waiting patiently. Oh, wonderful. Patience was a good trait for someone like her.
"Akeno, you obvious rely on magic like Rias does. So..." He trailed off, grinning wider.
"You'll be getting physical training just like Rias." He said.
Issei took off his bracers and set them down on the ground. He stood confidently, and mouthed for Akeno to pursue.
"Come at me." He said.
...
About 20 minutes later, Issei stood over Akeno smiling. It seemed Akeno had more resilience than Rias did. She could certainly take some punishment, he would give her that, but she was lacking in terms of physical strength, much like her King.
"Well, I think it's obvious what we need to work on." He said as Akeno picked herself up.
"So, what should we start with?" Akeno asked, sitting up.
"Like Rias, you are adept with magic. You're both familiar with ranged attacks, but you can't do anything up close." He said.
"That means I'll train you just like Shoraku is doing with Rias."
Akeno nodded, and tried to make a stable stance.
For the next 2 hours, the peerage had been trained in the places they were lacking. Mainly the physical attributes.
It wasn't until that the sun began to set, that everyone was ready to call it a day, and go inside to eat, and rest.
"Oh...my...maou." Rias groaned as she slumped in her chair.
Koneko, was laying on the floor.
Kiba had to use his sword like a crutch in order to be able to handle the aching in his legs.
Akeno had her hands on her knees, and was panting heavily.
"I've never...felt so...hot before..." Oh, and the amount of punishment from earlier came back to bite her in the ass. The aching she felt brought an angry burn with it.
Shoraku and Issei were the only ones who looked slightly winded.
"Man, if light sparring has you guys this tired, this will be more tedious than I first thought." Issei commented.
True enough, the two assassins only taught them the basics of what they needed to know. Then they made them work those basics for 2 hours, sparring, exercise and all.
"That was light?!" Rias asked, appalled.
Issei just grinned. "You've never had to physically exhaust yourself before, have you?" He asked.
Rias' silence was the answer to that.
"See. You've been taught your whole life that magic is your greatest weapon. But what about the people who don't use magic? We physically work to improve ourselves to strengthen both our minds and bodies." He explained.
Shoraku nodded with agreement.
"Now that that's done, what's for dinner?" He bluntly asked, making the others face-fault. Shoraku chuckled, nudging Issei with his elbow.
"What say we have a kip before eating, hm?" Shoraku said. He got raised eyebrows in response, but Issei laughed.
"Raku, I don't think they're familiar with British vernacular." He said.
Shoraku sighed, and rolled his eyes. It seemed that even the royalty of the underworld wasn't familiar with England customs.
Except for tea. Everywhere he's gone, every person has always had tea.
He smirked, knowing that his father's home country was number one for tea production since the 17th century.
"Right, so does anyone wish to rest first, or eat?" Issei asked.
Surprisingly, everyone chose to eat. It made sense though, food provided nutrition and energy for the body. Rest would restore you, correct, but resting was mainly to recover from fatigue.
For dinner, Rias and Akeno prepared a meal fit for a princess.
Pun intended.
"So Issei, I'd like to know about you a little more." Rias said.
Issei gave her a smile. "As long as it isn't too deep, I don't mind sharing some information with you."
"How long have you been busy with your current profession?"
Issei sighed, knowing that inquiry would be coming.
"Well, I've been working since I was a young boy. My grandfather was the one who taught me everything I know now." He said.
"He sounds like a tough man." Rias said, making Issei chuckle.
Shoraku's eyes darted back and forth between the brunette and the redhead.
"Hehe...yeah, he was..." Issei said, his voice trailing off.
Rias quickly caught on and apologized. "O-Oh, I'm sorry."
Issei just smiled. "It's alright. I'm sure he would appreciate such a thought."
Rias still felt unsure, but she knew that the passing of a loved one was never a desirable topic, so she dropped it.
Her eyes then shifted over to the golden eyed boy. "What about you, Shoraku was it?"
The sniper grinned.
"Well, what would you like to know?" He asked.
"Your voice sounds a little off from the normal Japanese. But your name says otherwise." She said.
Shoraku chuckled. "I'm not completely Japanese." He said, making her and Akeno blink.
"My father was British, while my mom was Japanese." He revealed.
As far as heritage goes, Shoraku got most of his looks for his mother, as well as the calm, analytical trait. But he got the strong snarky sense of humor from his dad. And even though he didn't have his father's accent, he still used the British slang and vernacular on a slightly less than often basis. Whether or not that was a good thing was up for debate.
Shoraku also had a legacy to hold onto. Shoraku was Japanese at heart, but even then, he never tried to bury his British heritage, or deny it. He was also the last living British assassin due to that.
The rest of the night carried on with the devils making conversation with the assassins, before everyone had to turn in for the night. They now only had 9 days left to train, and they would need to put in as much effort as possible.
Yorukaze looked at the supply manifest in his hand a second time just to be sure.
The manifest contained listings of weapons. What got his attention was that these weapons were all imported from Germany.
Now, here's the scoop. Due to Japan being defeated by America in world war 2, they were not allowed to have their own army, just like Germany. But that didn't mean that they couldn't arm their people to defend their country.
That was also why the American 7th naval fleet was in the Sea of Japan.
However, due to not having any army, Japan had no weapons. This was where Germany came in. The weapons company Heckler and Koch, made the weapons often used by their own forces, and the JSDF.
The English army had its own arsenal. So why were German weapons being sent here? Something was not adding up. From the information he got from his last target, Japanese commandos would be using these...
Oh no...
"Now I get it." Yorukaze slumped against a supply crate, palming his face.
Japan and England were at each other's throats back in world war 2. Japan and Germany were both enemies of England in that time.
If armed Japanese people show up with weapons in England, it would start to cause concern, and problems. Then came the weapons. These were German produced weapons, they would also be blamed, for instigating such an action.
This is what the templars were doing. If the assassins didn't stop this, then world war 2 would start all over again.
And then world war 3 would bloom into existence.
"I have to get this back to the others!" Yorukaze got up from his slumped position, and hastily retreated into the shadows before he was seen by someone.
With now only 7 days left to train, Issei and Shoraku had the devil peerage doing endurance training.
Mainly, this training consisted of the common exercise. Running, jumping jacks, stretching, etc.
More light sparring came afterwards to see how long they could hold off an enemy in combat. They were making progress, but the assassins knew that it wasn't enough. For all they knew, when they were done, it may still not be enough. But they had high hopes for this group, and they weren't about to give up.
"You're showing some improvement." Issei commented, seeing Koneko running for much longer than she did two days ago.
"Thanks." The little whitehead replied.
Issei looked up to the roof of the manor, seeing Shoraku gazing out into the distance with his rifle in his hands.
"Raku!" He called. The golden eyed assassin looked down at him, before jumping down and meeting him.
"Do you need something Issei?" He asked.
Issei shook his head. "You looked a lost up there." The brunette said.
...
The slight pause confirmed his assumption. Kuoh was not Shoraku's home. The golden eyed assassin was born in Kyoto, the city that flared with excitement, and historical glamour.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that." Shoraku said after thinking.
Issei put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, don't worry man. I'm sure Kyoto is ready for you to come home too."
Shoraku smiled at that.
"I bet she is." He replied.
The two stood comfortably in silence, watching Rias and her peerage train to their limit.
The hours ticked by, and the routine for the day was coming to a close.
With dusk approaching, the assassins seemed satisfied with how the routine was going. So far, everyone was showing improvement.
Rias and Akeno's hand-to-hand was still mediocre at best, but that was starting to go up some.
Kiba was able to last longer in open combat. He would need this for when he came across opponents that could draw out conflict longer.
Koneko—due to her wearing heavy armor—was now able to move at quicker speeds after getting used to running with heavy weight.
Little does she know, Issei intends to increase her workout, just like everyone else's.
All in all, it seems that this group just might have a chance yet.
Timeskip 2 days
"Tired already?" Issei asked as Rias fell to the ground. It was another round of sparring, and this time, Issei was the redhead's opponent.
"Y-You're a devil! I-I just kn-know it!" Rias grunted as she sat up.
Issei chuckled as he allowed her to take break. "Here, drink." He handed her a bottle of water, and the red haired princess took it greedily.
"Look on the bright side princess. Your whole peerage will be that much better when the time comes for your game." He said.
"Don't call me princess." Rias frowned. Rias was actually proud of her heritage as a Gremory, but she hated the fact that all anyone ever focused on was her social status.
Not Rias, but Rias Gremory, the heiresss to the Gremory clan. They only saw her for her title, not who she really was.
This was why she had asked to prepare. She wanted Issei to see she wasn't just another snobby noble, but someone who wants to understands others on a equal level.
Even if he did doubt it...
But Issei could see where she was coming from. He shared her point of view in that aspect. That all men, and women should be of equal standing. But sadly, that wasn't the case, and people often abused that power.
That was why the assassin order was made. To defend the people, and their rights.
Meanwhile, the Templar's want to control the people.
Both factions wanted peace, but these methods were different, obviously.
"Are you okay?" Issei snapped out of his musings when he saw Rias standing in front of him, her face filled with concern.
He smiled and waved his hand at her.
"I'm fine Rias. I was only sorting out my thoughts." He reassured her.
Rias took it, and got back into a stance.
Issei smirked. "Ready to get your ass handed to you again?"
Rias rushed forward, and met the master assassin with a determined grin.
I'm finally back with an update!
Okay, so first, let me apologize for being away for so long—longer than usual. You guys know how it is, senior responsibilities.
So, I spent a lot of free time, writing and editing this one. I hope it was enjoyable.
Now, I think the modifications for listings has finally arrived.
Just remember that out of all of the assassins, Issei and Indra are the main characters.
Pairs for Issei:
Asia: Asia and Issei know each other from acquaintance. They both met in Rome when they were 10 and 8 respectively. They met in a situation where many poor families were moving to the Vatican to be provided with food and water.
Rias: As far as it is now, the two are just acquaintes, but I plan to have Rias start to take an interest in Issei after the Riser arc.
Venelana: No, Venelana is not going to be a Gremory. This means she's not going to be Rias' mother. I'm using someone else from another house for that role. And yes, Venelana is in charge of the strip club. She will not be seen in the underworld very often, but she will be aware of some of the things that go on down there.
Mittelt: After Issei's reassuring words, Mittelt will start to develop feelings for him. He is going to be her "guardian angel" in a sense.
Pairs for Indra:
Fei: As stated much earlier in the story, Indra and Fei know each other by acquaintance, and then developing an attraction to each other as time went on. She was the first girl that Indra ever felt romantically attached to.
Raynare: Her feelings for Indra start to blossom when they start getting to know each other better. Like Mittelt, he's like a guardian figure to her, and someone she appreciates greatly.
Aki (From Maken-Ki): Aki is the typical school nurse, but she has developed a friendly relationship ship with Indra. On that note, she's always concerned for the well being of not just him, but all students, but him more so than others. Eventually she will find out about his and Issei's work.
Kalawarner: I don't want to keep repeating this, so I'll skip it. Much like Raynare and Mittelt, she's very grateful, and now emotionally attached to Indra. She is also going to be a good character to set the mood for romance when times come.
This is all for now. I plan to explain more in the next chapter when I add more girls to the lists. I hope you all have a good night, and I'll see you next time.