First off, I'm very sorry I took so long for this update guys. I want to say more, but I'll save that for the notes at the end. Right now, I'm sure that you all want to get to reading. So without further ado...
Enjoy.
With only just one day left, Issei and Shoraku were working Rias and her peerage into the ground.
There was a claim that the master assassin was a bigger sadist than Akeno. No one denied or confirmed it, but it was an amusing thought.
Right now, Issei and Shoraku had the whole peerage sparring with each other until they dropped. The training they were putting them through was rough, much like their own.
And it was no secret that Rias didn't like it, but it would help her in the long run. She was just having a difficult time accepting it.
"I think they might be ready." Shoraku said beside him.
"You think?" Issei raised an eyebrow, watching as Koneko nearly pummeled Kiba into the ground.
The sniper assassin nodded. "They may have small numbers, but it's the amount of skill that makes the difference." He said.
Issei couldn't argue with that. He had taken on many foes on his own before, but just know that he was a master in training back then. He was in training, but a master nonetheless.
When Issei saw that everyone was starting to get slower, he smiled. The day was close to ending, and tomorrow would be their last free day. So he would give them this, and let them relax their most likely, very sore bodies.
"Alright everyone, that's enough." He said, and everyone instantly fell to the ground.
Shoraku chuckled while Issei sweatdropped.
"Honestly...it's only been ten days. We went through rougher training for 6 years." He said.
"You forget that they weren't aware of our existence until recently. They know nothing of us apart from provided personal information." Shoraku said.
Issei grimaced. Rias was nice, but devils had many enemies, even among themselves. If assassin info gets into the wrong hands, it could prove to be a lot more trouble than intended.
"Come on uncle Haru!" A little girl giggled as she pulled a robed young man with her. She wanted to show him the river that ran through her family's large garden.
The Japanese assassin looked out of place in a country like Spain, but his presence wasn't unwelcome.
"Haha, I'm coming Nadya." He said. "You're full of energy today."
The little girl named Nadya was 7 years old. She had long brown hair—long for her age—tied into a ponytail. Her eyes were a wonder filled golden brown.
Komiharu smiled as he watched the little girl twirl in the grass. The smile on her face more than enough of a message to show her feelings.
"Nadya, Komiharu, come inside! Lunch is ready!" Nadya's mother called.
The assassin and the little girl turned back to the house. It was a single story house made with dark oak wood. It almost looked like a cozy cabin this far out with its large amount of land.
"We're coming momma!" Nadya grabbed Komiharu's hand and tried to run. Komiharu humored her and ran with her, letting her think she was pulling him along.
Up on the back porch of the large backyard, Nadya's mother smiled at the sight of her daughter's mile wide smile. They didn't get visitors often, especially since they liked the quiet of the country. Komiharu had actually gotten interested in the family's gardening business. This led to how they knew each other, and the assassin spent a good two weeks helping them with their business while keeping up with his own agenda.
"I swear, you're like the father she's always wanted." Nadya's mother said, making the assassin chuckle.
"Come now Stella, you know I'm still too young for parenting. Besides, my work would take up most if not all of my time." He replied.
Stella giggled as Nadya ran inside, and she gently gave the assassin a push on his chest. "I know Komiharu, but the thought is just too entertaining." She said.
"Now come inside, I tried making Yatsuhashi. I hope you like it." She ushered him inside, and went to the dining room.
Nadya was already sitting at the table. The table was a clean and shining mahogany, with a smooth oval shape. The table had three plates sitting on top of it. They were covered with the Japanese goody known as Yatsuhashi. Komiharu smiled at the sight, and sat down next to Nadya.
"Did you wash your hands, Nadya?" He asked. Nadya smiled and showed him her hands. There was a lingering moisture, showing she had indeed.
"I've never had Yatsuhashi before!" She exclaimed, turning to Komiharu. "Is it good?"
Komiharu smirked at her. "Good? It's a wonderful thing to have in your stomach!" He said, tickling her stomach as he spoke. Nadya was giggling happily before she reached for her plate.
"I see you're already starting. Well, did I do good?" Stella asked as she sat down with the two.
"I don't know, I haven't had a taste yet." Komiharu purposefully made her panic internally.
The assassin grabbed a piece, feeling that it was still warm. He smiled, and brought it to his lips, before opening his mouth and dropping the sweet inside. He chewed, and boy did he love the taste, the taste of home.
"Mmmm, now that's a good way to make someone happy." He said, making Stella sigh with relief. Nadya had already wolfed down her plate.
"Well, do you feel ready?" Issei asked Rias as the group sat outside and ate lunch together.
"Not exactly, but I'm more confident with what you've been teaching us." She replied with a slight smile.
Issei chuckled, before bringing a piece of meat up to his mouth.
"Hey Issei." He swallowed and turned his head to Rias.
"Yes?" He saw the redhead give another one of her inquisitive looks. He knew very well what she was going to say.
"Rias, you know I can't tell you more than what I already have. The safety of my friends is much too important." He said. Rias deflated some after that, but it was expected.
"Well, it was worth it." She sighed.
"So tell me more about this fellow we're helping you with. Riser, was it?" He asked.
Rias nodded. "Riser is the second son of the Phenex family. The Phenex family is part of the original 72 pillars. That means, much like my family, thery're of high status and pure blood."
"Pure blood... Sounds a lot like how they tried to keep England's royal family line pure back in the day." Shoraku mused.
"Yeah, but that was due to inbreeding. The devils have 72 completely different families that are pure blooded on their own." Issei said, with Shoraku nodding along with him.
Rias shuddered as she thought about having that close of a relation with a family member.
"Okay, can we change topics please?" Rias asked.
Issei and Shoraku both chuckled. "Sorry, let's get back on it. Is there any sort of advantages we might have against Riser?"
Rias shook her head. "There isn't much to work with. The Phenex family is known for two things. Their flames, and their legendary ability to regenerate." She explained.
Issei thought for a moment. "That will be a difficult factor to work with, but..." The brunette shared a look with his golden eyed companion. "We might be able to work with it." He finished with a knowing look.
Shoraku silently chuckled. He knew well enough what Issei was alluding to.
...
Dinner had been pleasant, and now, everyone was deep in slumber—save for the two assassins.
Shoraku was sitting on the roof of the manor, gazing out into the forest through the scope of his rifle. Issei stood behind him, his arms crossed over his chest.
"You really think they have a chance?" The raven haired of the two asked.
Issei chose not to reply, he knew it was rhetorical. The brunette looked up at the stars, as if they had the answer, but found nothing. He sat down with his brother and spoke, "This conflict is rather pointless."
Shoraku rolled his golden eyes. "That's an understatement." He replied.
Issei chuckled with his raven haired friend.
"How are the others?" He asked after a few seconds had passed.
"Indra's holding the fort down, if you're worried." The sniper said as he looked into the distance.
"Hayato and Ichika?" Issei inquired further.
"They adapt easily, you know that." Shoraku said, turning his eyes towards Issei.
"You're more worried than usual." He stated.
Issei couldn't help but nod. "With good reason Raku, we've been exposed. Maybe not to the templars, but we're on the radar now." He said.
Shoraku couldn't argue with that, nodding in agreement. He absentmindedly pushed a cartridge into his rifle and pushed the bolt forward.
"I guess it's time we sleep then. It'd be wise to be rested before we have to put our bodies to use again." The golden eyed assassin commented.
Issei nodded, taking a step forward before gracefully leaping from the roof. Shoraku watched him with a slight smirk as he disappeared into the manor.
The following morning, everyone was sitting in the ORC clubroom. There was a solid silence filling the air. Issei and Shoraku both sat next to each other, quietly drinking tea served by Akeno. The two assassins were completely calm, already used to having the odds stacked against them.
Issei flicked his eyes over to Rias and saw she was still looking anxious, despite her reserved facade. Issei could tell. Shoraku blankly fingered his karambit knife, setting his empty cup down on the table.
"Well Rias, are you confident? Don't bother lying either." Issei said, breaking the silence.
The redhead swallowed before speaking. "A little bit." Was her reply.
The two assassin managed small smirks under their shadowed hoods. "Just a little? We must have not done our job correctly then. What say you Raku?" He asked his golden eyed friend.
"I think I should've had Kiba run for three hours straight instead of one." The sniper said, inwardly grinning at how he noticed the blond grow noticeably paler at the mention.
'They're devils in disguise.' The whole club thought.
Suddenly, a white flash got their attention, and Grayfia appeared in the room. The maid turned her gaze towards Rias.
"It's time lady Rias. Are you prepared?" She asked.
Rias took a deep breath and sighed. "As prepared as I could ever be Grayfia." She replied.
The silver haired maid nodded and turned her attention to Issei and Shoraku. "If you would, please step into the circle with the rest of the group. You will be transported to the arena via magic." She said.
The two nodded and did as instructed, stepping in with the rest of the club.
"I wish you luck lady Rias." Grayfia said before they were transported.
The redhead managed a smile at her before they all disappeared in a flash.
...
Issei looked around the room, getting the sense that he was still in the same place, but the atmosphere did feel different somewhat.
"It may look the same, but the arena is actually based off of the school's premises. It's essentially a pocket dimension so that we don't damage anything in the human world. This way, we can use our magic as much as we want without worry." Akeno explained.
Issei nodded, taking in the information. It was good to know, he wouldn't have to worry about the minor collateral damage that he was definitely expecting.
"The Rating Game between Lady Rias and Lord Riser will now begin." Grayfia's voice boomed over an invisible intercom.
"Time to get to work." He whispered to himself. The two assassins disappeared into the shadows before Rias could notice them.
"Is everyone ready?" The redhead asked as she finished explaining her plan.
"Issei, Shoraku?" She looked around the room and noticed neither of them were there. Sighing, Rias had everyone move put of the club building and get to their positions.
...
Ile and Nel waited very impatiently. Lord Riser positioned them, along with Xuelan and Mira at the gym. Lazy as he may be, Riser could still make tactical decisions, he just didn't make very many good ones.
"How long do we have to wait? I'm bored." Nel complained.
Xuelan rolled her eyes but could understand that despite being devils, the two were children, and children were often impatient.
"The enemy is supposed to be arriving here. We'll wait for as long as need be." The Chinese Rook said.
Mira however didn't bother trying to say anything. Her eyes roamed around, a feeling of uneasiness working its way into her stomach. It almost felt like she was being judged.
"You okay Mira?" Xuelan asked. The Rook felt bad for the blue haired girl. Despite being a loyal servant, Mira was still the weakest one in the peerage.
"I just...feel uneasy." The Pawn replied.
Xuelan nodded. For some reason, she felt the same way. She perked up quickly when she detected a magic signature.
"Come out servant of Gremory!" She called.
From behind the stage curtains, Koneko Toujou appeared. The white haired nekomata put on some fingerless gloves and went straight for Xuelan.
"Ah! Ow!" The Rook heard the cries of the twins and saw two brief flashes of blue. All that remained were two crossbow bolts on the floor.
Her eyes widened. Where were the others?! She hadn't been aware that Rias had more servants.
She quickly refocused as she felt Koneko land a kick into her side.
She took a Kung Fu stance and held her arms in front of her chest. It wouldn't do well to ponder right now. She saw koneko charge at her like a battering ram and braced her legs. But out of the void itself, she felt a phantom pain, and dared to look at the source.
In her calf, she found that a crossbow bolt had somehow found its way into her flesh.
That little moment of distraction was all Koneko needed to complete her attack, and slam the Chinese girl into the wall.
With Kiba, he had just finished setting his traps, but it seemed that the Pawns sent towards him had discovered them, and the illusion had broke. But the blond still felt confident, afterall, it was made to look like the clubroom, so they couldn't promote themselves.
Had the blond been more alert, he would have almost caught a glimpse of the color amber in his peripheral vision, a stark silhouette watching him.
"Aw, you're definitely my type. But orders are orders." He heard a voice break the silence.
Kiba held his sword in hand with a calm smile.
"I'm flattered, but I'm afraid I can't let you passed this point. I must protect my president afterall." He replied.
Shuriya, Marion, and Burent were the names of the three dispatched towards him.
Burent wore a smile while Shuriya smirked. Marion had but a humble grin on her features.
"Let's get to it, shall we?" Kiba asked, holding his sowrd in front of his body.
"Hn."
Shuriya and Burent both looked at Marion, hearing the sound come from her. Her grin had somewhat fell, and she took a step forward.
Before she fell flat on her face.
The girls looked horrified to find that a curved knife was embedded into her back, and even Kiba looked surprised. They had even sensed anyone else in proximity.
Marion disappeared in a flash of blue light, snapping them out of their stupor. Kiba made the first move in a dash, and easily slashed through Shuriya.
Burent jumped away as her peerage sisters were taken out. Who had taken down Marion? Where did they come from? She didn't even sense their presence!
"Focus on me for now!" Kiba taunted before he threw himslf at her in a burst of speed.
After the blond got rid of the Pawns, he looked up to the sky. A smile graced his lips as her spoke. "I don't know if it was you Issei, or Shoraku, but thank you for the asstance." He said, before moving up to the next position Rias had organized for him.
As the blond Knight left an amber colored silhouette watched him leave from the trees.
"Hm, kids these days." The sniper chuckled to himself.
...
Kiba managed to meet up with Koneko at the courtyard. The Knight and Rook were well aware of the trap set up for them. Most, if not the rest of Riser's peerage should be located here.
"Let's do this Koneko." Kiba said, changing his sword.
Koneko nodded in reply and walked with the blond.
When they reached the middle of the yard, they stopped and Kiba called out the pieces in hiding. "We know you're there! Come out now and face us!"
It wasn't long when in a swirl of dust and dirst, that a Knight appeared. It was a young lady dressed in armor, a mix between a European templar and a Japanese samurai.
"You must be quite insane to request a larger number of enemies to meet you head on." She said, holding a European longsword in her hands.
"On the contrary, I just want a fair fight. What is your name?" Kiba asked, taking his stance.
The girl smiled. "My name is Karlamine, Knight in service to Lord Riser." She claimed.
"My name is Kiba Yuuto, Knight in service to Lady Rias Gremory. Let us duel." He replied.
The two smiled at slashed at each other in a cloud of dust and clanging metal.
Koneko meanwhile was locked into a boxing match with Riser's remaining Rook.
Riser's last two Pawns, Ni and Li tried to sneak up on her, but before Koneko could even notice their presence, they both felt a brief sharp pain in their backs before their vision blurred blue.
The two Rooks noticed the flash, but quickly regined their compusure as Koneko used a headbutt to send Isabela back.
"All of Riser's Pawns have been retired."
Grayfia's voice boomed over the communication.
Koneko and Kiba both mentally smiled, knowing very well who could have been behind the sudden event.
Kiba broke away from Karlamine when he heard a roar directed at him, and saw Riser's other Knight, Siris, swinging her massive blade at him.
Before she made contact with a blade, there was brief sound of air being pierced, and Kiba could hear the faint familiar whiz of a bullet. Siris staggered as she felt the impact and fell forward.
"One of Riser's Knights has been retired."
Kiba took advantage of Karlamine's surprise, and charged. Karlamine thrusted her sword forward, but Kiba parried, and swung to the side, where he hit an open spot on her body.
"All of Riser's Knights have been retired."
"What? But how?" Isabela asked as she ducked underneath a deadly left hook.
Koneko simply smiled a small smile and kept throwing her punches. While she was distracted Kiba used his speed to flank the Rook and swung his sword into her shoulder.
"All of Riser's Rooks have been retired."
Kiba and Koneko both shared a fist bump. "Let's meet up with the President."
"Oh, I don't believe you'll get very far." A feminine voice said from above.
They looked up to see Yubelluna, Riser's Queen. She looked roughed up, Akeno had clearly done a number on her. They became concerned when they thought of their companion. They had yet to hear if she was retired, so she was obviously still in the game. But they didn't know for how much longer.
"But first..." Yubelluna pulled out a vial from her cleavage and was about to open it. As she uncorked the vial, a familiar phenomenon occurred and the vial shattered in her hand.
"W-What?! Who!" Yubelluna whirled her head around, seeing no one but Kiba and Koneko. It wasn't until she felt something sharp and multiple phantom pains, that she looked to see that she had an arrow in her abdomen and what looked like bullet wounds in her left arm and stomach.
"Riser's Queen has been retired."
As Kiba and Koneko hurried away to help Rias, Issei and Shoraku both watched with mysterious smiles on their faces.
"You're such a lousy shot." Issei commented.
"Oh? Tell me, who missed the heart by four inches?" The sniper retorted.
They both chuckled, before tossing their smiles to the side. There was only one target left. Riser was not going to go down without any sort of struggle, that much they knew.
But with the help of Rias and the others, it should be more likely to win and get this game over with.
They followed the sound of Rias' furious voice agruing with the Phenex heir. They were on the rooftop, with Riser standing with his blazing wings out proudly.
"I will only repeat myself one last time Rias. Simply surrender, and this will all be over with!" He said, holding something in his hand. As it turns out, that something was Kiba. the Knight looked more worn out than he did before, and Riser was holding him by the collar of his shirt.
"Perhaps I must burn your servant here to get my point across?" The blond suggested.
"Riser, no I-"
"We don't have much time. Do you have it Raku?" Issei asked, as the two listened to the interaction.
The raven haired boy nodded, and handed Issei a small glass bottle filled with water. "You only have one shot. Don't miss it." He said.
The brunette nodded thankfully before pulling himself through the window of the building and began to scale his way up, behind Riser's standing point.
It seemed that no one was aware of his approach, because the two heirs kept on yelling at each other, one angry and the other conflicted.
Issei slowed his pace as he steadily peaked over the edge, just right behind the Phenex heir. He peeked to see Akeno and Rias both panting very hard, as Asia tried healing Koneko as best as she could. Kiba was still within Riser's grasp.
"This is your last warning Rias!" He heard Riser's voice boom.
'Almost.' Issei thought.
"I won't ever surrender to you! I hate you more than anything!" Was the redhead's reply.
Riser growled as his flames flared up. "That's it! Say goodbye to your Knight!"
'Now!'
Issei used his trained upper body strength to throw himself over the ledge and rolled by his feet.
"What?!" Riser exclaimed, not expecting the assassin's approach.
Issei brought the little glass bottle to his mouth and ripped the cork out with his teeth. He quickly aimed for the upper body and threw the bottle.
'Come on!' Issei thought, hoping his plan would work.
Before the bottle even hit the Phenex heir's body, an unseen projectile impacted it, causing it to shatter and release its contents. The second the water touched Riser's body, his skin began to burn.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
Riser let out a scream and let go of Kiba.
"UUURRRGH! WHA-WHERE DID YOU GET HOLY WATER?! DEVILS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO TOUCH IT!" He screamed.
Issei let loose his usual elusive smirk.
"I'm no devil." He said so low that Riser had to really focus to hear him.
Riser continued to scream while Issei got to his feet and slowly walked towards him. Riser suddenly got the sense of dread, as if Death himself was now in his very presence. Issei's ghostly figure struck a certain fear into him, keeping him paralyzed.
The master assasin tensed up his lower body muscles, and delivered a straight left kick into Riser's chest, sending him screaming until he hit the ground below.
A bright blue glow flared for a few seconds before Grayfia spoke over the intercom for the last time.
"Lord Riser has been defeated. Lady Rias wins the game."
...
Rias hugged Issei with happy tears running down her cheeks.
"I can't thank you enough." She said. Stepping back, she wiped her tears away and smiled. She turned her head towards Akeno and said, "Bring out the tea and cake. We need to celebrate our victory."
Issei gave Shoraku a brotherly pat on the back. "I knew you wouldn't let me down." He said.
The golden eyed sniper mocked offense. "Issei, you make it sound like I wanted you to die." He replied with a smirk on his lips.
"I'm just pulling your chain, Raku." The brunette said.
"And you know I always play along." Shoraku responded.
"You two should stay and have some of the cake." Rias said, catching the two of them.
The two assassins shared an unseen look. "Uh, we don't want to intrude on anything." Issei said.
"Yeah, this is your shindig, not ours." Shoraku added.
Rias scoffed and waved her hand at them. "You two aren't being a bother. Come on, at least have some tea before you decide to leave." She reasoned.
Issei sighed, reluctantly accepting her offer.
"Alright, we'll stay for a little." He said.
"Excellent. Akeno makes some of the best green tea." The redhead decided to brag a little, feeling high spirited from her-their victory.
The two assassins raised an eyebrow, but the gesture was hidden along with their shadowed faces. Issei smirked and said, "Well, let's see if that statement proves true."
Issei felt the warm sense of content drape its loving arms over his shoulders as he entered the hideout. Shoraku went over to where his cushions were strewn about in a random pattern. he laid his rilfe agasint the wall and set himself down on a particular blue colored cushion shaped like a bullet.
Issei smiled and headed over to his own resting area by the small library that they had. As he passed, he could see Indra already asleep with Fei lying on top of him, with her fuffly tail waving once every few seconds.
The master assasin felt his mood move up some before he took off his weapons from his person, and placed them neatly on the stand by his set of cushions. In the safety of his home, Issei pulled his hood down and settled his head into the softness of the cushions below his body. finding a comfortable position, he closed his eyes and welcomed slumber's motherly embrace.
Before he lost himself completely to the darkness of sleep, he was left with one thought.
'Our work has only started.'
And it's finally done.
As I said before uptop, I'm very late on this update, and I apologize very deeply for that. I've just recently graduated high school, so I've had some time to settle into my new schedule. I now have more free time than I did normally, so I should be able to update just a little bit better.
And as compensation for making the wait so long, I made sure to increase the length of this chapter, I hope it was satisfactory.
Now with all of that being said, we end this chapter here. Thank you all for being patient with me, and I hope to see you in the next one. Enjoy the rest of your day!