Chapter Ten

He Is Fearsome

Nine more days. They passed quickly as Heathcliff focused his attention on developing his skills and new control over magic. He had mostly avoided everyone since he kissed Rias that night. And when Raynare decided to pleasure him the night before. He did not want his personal turmoil to undermine his training. He was doing it not only to face an impossible foe but to make certain he did right by Rias.

"Heathcliff," Rias's voice broke his thoughts. He glanced at her and she gestured to the open plain before him. "You've improved, right? Show me." She said. She then stepped back with everyone else who awaited the results of Heathcliff's training. As for Asia, the other newcomer to the peerage, her magical prowess had expanded and she was the main healer for the peerage. Heathcliff was the simple and only pawn. He needed to be twice that. A brutish beast that demolished his foes.

I've been molded into the very thing I swore not to be.

[But for good reason.]

Yeah, a very good reason. If what I'm expecting for my future is anywhere near the level of insanity I'm imagining, I'm going to need to be a lot stronger. Ah, well here goes. Nine days of physical exertion and Cryomancy training on display.

"Step back a bit more." Heathcliff said to his friends. Everyone took a few more steps away from him as he pulled on the well of magical power in his body. It has swelled alongside his new strength beautifully over the past nine days. And now he was to see if it was worth anything.

"Gotta make it look good. They haven't seen me in nine days…" Heathcliff sighed as he built magic in his hand and the air around him grew frosty. The wind spun around the power he exerted from his body and the water in the air froze. He kicked up an icy gale that frosted over the ground around him.

"Huh… what should I call this? Hmm… Oh, I got it. Winter Empire." Heathcliff breathed out as he slammed his hand on the ground before him. His magic expanded outward and blasted forwards into the mountainside, which turned into a wintry wasteland as the spell connected. Dagger-like ice spires rose from the ground, ripping and shredding everything in their path. A large area of the forest was now covered in ice and snow. Heathcliff sighed, his breath visible on the snowy air as he stepped out of the large snow circle that encompassed where he cast the spell.

"Wow… that's a powerful version of ice magic. I wonder if it might be unique to Heathcliff himself…" Akeno mumbled to herself as he approached. Rias heeded her queen's words and caught Heathcliff as he approached. She looked him over and eyed the small amount of ice left on Heathcliff. The cold did little to agitate him. One of Kiva's mutations left him nearly immune to extreme temperatures. Though his body did produce heat on a larger scale than most.

"I'll have to have you examined at some point. I'm very curious as to how you mastered your own version of ice magic in such a short period of time. But, that's beside the point. I think we're ready to face Riser… What about you?" Rias asked, curing her fingers around Heathcliff's hand. He smiled at her and produced ice throwing knives in his free hand.

"Oh yeah. I'm going to freeze his flames. Can't grow back if you don't get killed."

The Next Day…

Heathcliff had been given one day to relax and prepare himself. The Rating Game was later in the night. Just after the sun went down was when he would be brought to the dimension to fight in. He sat on his bed, staring down at his hands. His conversations being conducted inside his mind.

So what do you think? Can I beat them?

[Probably. But we've never faced supernatural beings in combat before. Hell, we've never been in a battle before. But just as always, I'll remove regular communication and go on standby for any and all problems. You're in control and just tell me when we're going to morph.]

Say, do you think I could use magic in the Morph?

[I'm not sure. I think the magic is connected to you, not me. Think of me as third party software, and all I do is give you a boost. So the magic might not even apply to me. I can only do things to your physical body. None of this magic mumbo jumbo. But you can apply magic to me, remember?]

Ah, that's right. I have to call upon the magic to force a small transformation. You can't. So you can manipulate me and my physical body with biological control, but I can manipulate you with my magic control. What a fuckin disaster we are.

[You got that right. Two parallels and nothing we can do about it. Good news though, I'm almost fully integrated into your body. Couple more weeks and I'll be a part of your spine and nervous system.]

Oh, did you finally stop being an ugly mole on my back?

[Sure did. Mostly.]

Alright… Well, don't let me die little buddy.

[I'll make sure to keep that in mind.] Kiva's laughter faded away as Heathcliff's door opened. The person behind it stood motionless in the doorway and stared at Heathcliff with teary eyes.

"Asia… what's wrong?" He asked, standing up to face her. Asia suddenly ran into him and hugged him tightly. She buried her face in his uniform's shirt and sobbed.

"I'm scared Heathcliff…" Asia mumbled. Heathcliff hugged her and did his best to calm her. She settled down after a bit and sat down with him on his bed. Heathcliff held her close and smiled at her.

"Rias knows what she's doing. Just listen to her and everything should work out. Plus, I'll be there. All the way." Heathcliff said quietly. Asia nodded somberly and tightened her grip on him. Soon enough there were two more figures in the doorway. Heathcliff sighed.

"Heath…" Raynare whined, also teary eyed. Kala stood next to her and was equally upset. He waved them in and found his bed crowded by them as they pinned him between each other. Nobody said a word more. Heathcliff enjoyed the warmth of being surrounded by girls who cared for him. Why they did was a question he continually asked himself, but with no answer in sight. Soon enough the maid Grayfia appeared in his room. She was purely stoic as she bade him and Asia to come with her.

"Come. It starts soon. I will bring you to the battle ground." Grayfia said. Heathcliff set Asia on her feet and stood up. Asia simply joined Grayfia, but Heathcliff had an ambition in his mind. Something caught hold of his rationality.

"Say… Grayfia…" Heathcliff started. The maid of the Underworld narrowed her eyes at him. "I got an idea of what happens when we lose… but what if I'm determined not to?" he asked, a flare of determination found its way into his eyes. Into his soul. Grayfia was silent at the open-ended question.

"Do your best not to lose, then."

"Koneko, Akeno, Kiba, I need you three to go out and set up traps. Kiba, you'll await any of Riser's peerage who wander out into said traps and engage them. Akeno, you'll be our support from the sky. Koneko, you'll be with Heathcliff after you return from setting the traps." Rias explained, looking over a map of the academy grounds. Heathcliff tried to ignore the fact that not only did he have to learn at this accursed place, but now fight demons within a replica of it.

What a fuckin joke. Heathcliff thought as he practiced small cryomancy spells. Rias kept explaining her plan of attack. The old school house was their base. Riser's was the main hall.

"Koneko, you'll take Heathcliff and take out any of Riser's peerage that tries to flank us through the gym. After that, get outside and Akeno will level the place with a thunder spell. Then you two will help Kiba if he gets outnumbered. Asia, you'll be with me. Everyone got that?" Rias said to the group. Heathcliff simply watched as everyone took in their objectives and began reviewing the plan. Heathcliff walked over to a window and glanced out. The sky was the mysterious psychedelic mess that had haunted him before when he was a target of Fallen Angels. He looked to the icy knife in his hand. How the tables have turned.

"Heathcliff." Rias's voice said behind him. He turned to be met with Rias trying desperately to reach his face for some reason. He leaned down and let her pull his head close, kissing his cheek. Surprised but not opposed, Heathcliff allowed her to continue as long as she pleased. After all, it was a day where his true strength would be tested. While his life may not depend on the outcome of the battle ahead of him, Heathcliff still enjoyed what little pleasures he could. Rias released him and hugged him, dangling from his neck as he stood back up. Heathcliff held her close. She reached up and poked his ear.

"Please… do your best. For me." Rias whispered. Heathcliff chuckled.

"I plan on it." He said, setting her down. A loud bell rang outside. The starting alarm.

"Go, meet Koneko by the gym." Rias said. Heathcliff steeled himself and jumped out the window behind him, a small salute to his king as he fell.

"Let's have a blue."

Heathcliff raced across the school ground and found Koneko easily enough with his sixth sense. He could feel the whole school yard and knew where everything and everybody was. He suddenly heard Rias's voice in his ear.

"Heathcliff, can you hear me? I put a communication earpiece on you. I need you to tell me everything you can pick up with that sixth sense of yours." Rias said into his ear. Heathcliff smiled. And here he thought that she had forgotten his main powers.

"Three are heading for Kiba. Riser sent his queen out into the air above the main hall. Watch out for air to ground attacks. Riser is hold up on the roof of his base. Koneko and I have four guests to deal with." Heathcliff said. Koneko gave him an incredulous look as he arrived on scene.

"Everyone got that? On your guards. And Heathcliff, remember, once you're in enemy territory, you can promote yourself to a more powerful piece. This is kind of a chess match. Just more violent." Rias explained over the earpiece. Heathcliff grinned, proud of himself.

"I'm surprised. I didn't think your senses were that good." Koneko commented as she kicked open the gymnasium doors. Heathcliff followed her in as the lights all came on at once.

"Better. Duck." Heathcliff said, pushing Koneko down and dodging a staff that was whirled at them from the side. He eyed his new foes as Koneko got up and glared at him.

"My, aren't you quick…" a girl said as her staff whirled back to her. It was Mira, one of Riser's peerage. Heathcliff remembered how she attempted to attack him over a week ago. Three other girls appeared from behind the stage in the gym.

"Oh… Riser didn't mention he was handsome." The one girl said. The other two twin girls pulled chainsaws out and revved them up.

"Hi big man! I'm Ile!" one of the twins exclaimed.

"And I'm Nel!" the other said.

"And I'm Xuelan, a Rook. These other girls are pawns. And we're your executioners." Xuelan said as they all jumped off the stage to face off with Koneko and Heathcliff. Heathcliff scoffed at all four of them and even had to keep himself from laughing. They glared at him.

"Sorry… I'm just amused that you think you can kill me. Frost Realm." Heathcliff immediately casted a spell that engulfed the entire gym in a cold frost.

"I'll take the Rook. You get the Pawns." Koneko said as she dug her foot into the frosty ground. Heathcliff grinned and whipped two ice daggers out of his belt.

"I'm cool with that…" Heathcliff joked. Koneko sighed at his pun and rushed Xuelan. Heathcliff tossed his daggers into the air and conducted a spell.

"Riser didn't mention you were a Cryomancer!" Mira exclaimed as she rushed Heathcliff, followed by the twins. He smiled.

"You don't know the half of what I am. Hailstorm!" Heathcliff called as the daggers split into razor pieces of ice and descended on the area around him. He caught the three Pawns in the attack. He reformed his daggers as Mira came out of the fog, covered in cuts, and attacked him. Heathcliff dodged her onslaught of attacks with ease and ducked in close as she overstepped on a thrust. Mira screamed as he planted an icy knife in her shoulder and pinned her to the floor with it.

One down… He thought, giving her a knockout kick. The fog from his attack had yet to clear, but he could still hear the grumble of chainsaw engines through the fog, and the crunch of ice beneath small feet. And he felt the two presences charging him from either side. They burst through the fog, chainsaws running.

"We're gonna-"

"Split you in two!" The twins yelled, one finishing the sentence for the other. Heathcliff simply jumped above their heads and they nearly slammed into each other. As he descended, he whipped out several more ice knifes and threw them into the ground to form a circle. He landed outside of the circle and slapped his hands together.

"Three meters thick, ten high. Have fun. Snow Globe." Heathcliff said, and the ice was commanded. The two girls were trapped in a dome of ice, shivering from the cold. They tried to break it, but the ice did not relent. He noticed Mira waking up behind him and promptly fired a web out of his wrist that glued her to the floor.

"Huh, she recovered faster than I thought… Hey Koneko! Almost done!?" Heathcliff called, casually leaning on his ice dome. He spotted Koneko still battling Riser's rook in the fog and just simply watched. He dared not interfere with her fight. Koneko might not ever like him if he interrupted her. She eventually dealt a finishing blow that knocked Xuelan to the floor and out cold. Heathcliff approached and patted her on the back. She was bruised but still capable of fighting.

"Good work. Lemme just tie her down and we'll go." Heathcliff said, shooting webbing at Xuelan's wrists. Koneko noticed his handiwork with the ice.

"Did you even exert yourself?" Koneko asked. Heathcliff shook his head and laughed as he walked out of the building. Koneko followed with a sigh and rubbed the pain away from some of her bruises. Heathcliff looked up to the sky as they exited the building and spotted Akeno floating overhead.

"Hey Akeno, we're clear down here." Heathcliff said, poking the magic button on his earpiece. He heard a giggle over the communication device and backed away from the gym. He watched as Akeno brought down a powerful lightning bolt on the building and obliterated it. Koneko ducked behind him for cover as the shockwave hit. Heathcliff endured the blast and was impressed with Akeno's ability. The air was electrified and he saw his icy creations fall under her power. The static tickled his nostrils.

Well fuck. Remind me not to piss her off. Heathcliff thought as the explosion died down. Koneko came out from behind him and fixed her frizzled hair.

"The gym is leveled. Let's head towards Kiba." Koneko said. Heathcliff waved to Akeno and followed after Koneko as she started off towards Kiba's location. But Heathcliff's senses did not lie to him. He got his danger close ping from hundreds of meters away when a spell was cast. It was Riser's queen. And she was gunning for them.

"KONEKO! GET DOWN!" Heathcliff shouted to her. Koneko stopped and turned to face him. Heathcliff dove in front of her and created a huge wall of ice before them as a spell connected with it and blew it apart. He tried creating another but the second attack flew past him and hit Koneko. All in under five seconds.

FUCK! Where is she!? Heathcliff checked the dust and saw Koneko falling to the ground. She disappeared in a flash of light and Heathcliff felt his conscience kick him in the crotch. He even saw it coming, yet he could not stop Koneko from being knocked out.

"GOD FUCKING DAMNIT, THEY GOT KONEKO!" Heathcliff shouted, turning to face the direction of the attacker. Riser's queen, Yubelluna, fired off another attack at Heathcliff. The amount of power in her attacks dwarfed any he had encountered before and his best defense was creating an ice wall and dodging back.

"Heathcliff! Do not engage Yubelluna! Akeno will take care of her! Go help Kiba!" Rias yelled into his ear. His ice wall exploded as her attack struck and lightning flared in the sky at the same time. His instincts told him to run, Rias told him to fall back, so he did. The fog of his wall shattering was enough cover for him to run off towards the edge of the school grounds. He prayed Akeno could take Riser's queen in combat.

Fucking hell in a hand basket! If that bitch hurts Akeno I might just break a fuckin blood vessel! Heathcliff thought as he bolted through the school grounds. He picked Kiba's presence out from the other three around him. As Heathcliff approached, he saw Kiba fending three women off who were all armed.

"Kiba… can you hear me?"

"Yeah!"

"Throw me a fuckin sword in three… two… one!"

Heathcliff caught a long sword in his hand as he slid under Kiba's sword clash with Riser's knight. His sudden appearance caught Riser's ladies by surprise, allowing Heathcliff to jump out of his slide and drop kick the other Knight away from Kiba.

"Whose asses we kicking today, bud?" Heathcliff asked as the two boy went back to back, surrounded by Riser's peerage.

"Two Knights, Karlamine and Siris. Two bishops, Mihae and Ravel. Isabela, a rook, and Ni and Li, twin Pawns." Kiba said, listing off their opponents. Heathcliff scanned over their foes and sighed. He was in for a hard haul.

"I think Riser has a thing for twins. This is the second pair I've had to fight… I'll take the rook and the pawns if you take the knights." Heathcliff said to Kiba. His friend nodded and charged his foes while Heathcliff's enemies lined up before him. He smiled and started running his tongue up one side of the sword.

"Ew… what are you doing!?" Ravel, the little blonde bishop shouted at Heathcliff. He smiled as the sword lit on fire and he ran his hand across the other side. It frosted over and contained the flames opposite it. The girls arrayed against him were shocked.

"What? Never seen a guy who spits fire and controls ice? Come at me already!" Heathcliff shouted. Isabela charged him and he bobbed and weaved between her attacks. He smiled as he dodged past her and left a large gash on her side. Her legs froze to the ground as the ice on his sword expanded and overtook her. Heathcliff jumped back to meet with Kiba, who dispatched one of the Knights with his sword. He was tired and weary from fighting. Heathcliff sighed.

"Hey bud, when I say duck. Do it." Heathcliff whispered to Kiba as they became surrounded. Heathcliff started building up saliva in his mouth. Kiba held off Siris as Heathcliff started freezing the ground beneath both of them. He then tossed the sword back to Kiba and his friend took it as his signal to duck. And duck he did. Heathcliff grinned as he breathed in and aimed at his foes. He roared and a gout of fire burst forth from his mouth as he spun around on the ice, engulfing their opponents and setting them ablaze. As the last of his fiery spit left his mouth, Heathcliff wiped his lips and helped Kiba up.

"Heath!" Kiba exclaimed as Siris came rushing out of the smoke at them. Heathcliff had hoped his attack knocked them all out, but he reacted before Kiba even spoke. He spun on his heel and engaged her.

"Hellfiend's Hands!" Heathcliff shouted as he caught Siris' sword in the entanglement of his obsidian arm blades. The stone cracked under the pressure of her sword.

"You're full of surprises… big boy…" Siris said as she struggled against Heathcliff. He gritted his teeth and grinned. Kiba rushed out from behind him and put Siris down with an expertly aimed slash of his sword.

"Now that is what I call teamwork…" Heathcliff sighed as he retracted his blades. The pair shared a smiled and Kiba finally sat down to rest. Heathcliff checked the others he roasted. His flames did enough damage to take them all out. Isabela was still frozen to the ground, though. He walked over and slugged her in the jaw, knocking her out. Soon she vanished in a flash of light. Ravel stood not too far away, having avoided his attack, but one glare from Heathcliff made her run off.

"These hands are fuckin gender neutral." Heathcliff said. He checked his senses and noticed the huge clash in the sky behind them. He turned just in time to see Akeno get knocked out of the game by Yubelluna. The smoke from their battle revealed a battered Akeno falling from the sky. She vanished in a flash of light. And Heathcliff lost his temper.

Akeno…

A memory flashed through his mind. The time he first kissed her.

Akeno…!

He saw when she let him sleep on her lap. Kiba's voice reached his ears.

"Heath, are you alright? Heath? We have to help Rias!" Kiba called. Heathcliff did not heed his call. He merely wanted to bring down she who hurt Akeno. Yubelluna turned her attention to them as an explosion went off on the main building's roof top. Heathcliff growled, a bestial hum erupting from his throat.

"Kiva. Combat Morph."

Rias blocked another fiery blast from Riser's hands. Asia healed her again as her foe's flames overcame her power again. Riser laughed as he simply stood unscathed just across from her.

"Come now Rias, Riser thought you were a Princess of Destruction? Where is your destructive power?" Riser taunted as he fired off another blast. Rias blocked it with her magic and waited for Asia to heal her fully. Their clash was interrupted as something crashed into the roof between them. The shingles erupted like a volcano and dust was sent sky high. Another figure landed just atop the other, only its shadow was visible through the dust cloud.

"What happened?" Asia asked as she finished healing Rias. Rias peered into the dust and noticed something horrifyingly familiar standing amongst the debris.

"It's Heathcliff."

Heathcliff rose from the hole he created in the rooftop and watched as Yubelluna vanished beneath him. She had been a thorn in his side that he ripped free and crushed. His senses told him Rias and Asia were behind him, indicating that the powerful one before him was Riser. The man faltered as the dust cleared.

"What… is that…?" Riser asked quietly. Heathcliff roared at him and dropped on all fours. He prepared to attack. Rias laughed behind him.

"That… my dear Fiancé, is my Pawn." Rias said with a laugh. She seemed to have banking on the fact that he would change into his Morph. Heathcliff cared little for whatever plan that was now shattered. He wanted Riser's blood in his hands. He felt disconnected from his magic, but completely connected to his primal desires of brutal murder and destruction.

"That monstrosity is your Pawn!?" Riser exclaimed, fear gripping him as Heathcliff's flammable spit leaked onto the roof and caught fire. He licked his sharp teeth and growled.

"Yes. Heathcliff, dear," Rias called to him. Heathcliff glanced back at her with his reptilian eye. "Please dispatch Riser." She said. Heathcliff nodded and wasted not a moment longer. He leapt forward and tackled Riser into the clock tower. The man screamed as Heathcliff smashed his body through the other side, shattering his bones and ripping him in two as they broke though the other side. He waited as the man's legs went up in flames and the same flames repaired his body, adding a new pair. Riser got up and shook off the initial shock and faced Heathcliff down.

"Riser will- AGH!" Heathcliff interrupted him by webbing his hands and ripping off his feet. Riser screamed as Heathcliff spun him around until his hands ripped off and flames consumed his web. He released the web as Riser landed across from him again. He tried speaking to Heathcliff again, but still failed to realize he was speaking with an angry monster and Heathcliff charged him again. Riser fired off a blast of fire, which Heathcliff simply charged through as it blew up behind him. His skin seared in pain but started healing quickly. Riser panicked and jumped away from Heathcliff. A move that cost him dearly as Heathcliff webbed him in midair and pulled them together. Riser screamed as Heathcliff bit down on his neck with his maw and ripped his head clean off. He roared, spitting Riser's head out and started ramming his clawed hands into the man's torso. The more he ripped and tore away at him, the more Riser regenerated. But his power slowed slightly as it had to continuously fight back. His head returned and Riser exploded with fire, forcing Heathcliff off of him.

"What in the hell are you!?" Riser screamed, keeping Heathcliff at bay with a wall of flames. Heathcliff rose to his feet and roared at him. Riser yelped.

"Scared yet?" Heathcliff asked, his voice bestial and gravelly. Riser glared at him and blasted flames at him. Heathcliff jumped high over his attack and planted webs on the ground next to Riser. He pulled himself down and collided with Riser, slamming him into the ground and dug his claws into his sternum. Riser screamed as Heathcliff crushed his chest cavity and pulled a blade from his back, using it to sever Riser's head again. He put the blade back and started ripping away at his neck as it was being rebuilt. Another explosion of fire forced him to retreat. It seemed that Riser could still fight even when headless. The Phenex returned again and was visibly angry.

"Riser will end you… beast." Riser said, building a larger blast of flames. Heathcliff thought to charge him, but the attack Riser was building up to was too big to dodge. He charged him anyway and was hit directly with the blast. It threw him back across the roof and through the ruined clock tower. He rolled to a stop and felt his skin melting.

Kiva! Revert form! NOW! Heathcliff felt himself slowly return to normal, his skin no longer melting off his body. His Combat Morph was powerful, but without his ice magic, he could not counter Riser's flames.

"Dammit… at least I did some damage to him." Heathcliff sighed as he got up. He spotted Riser through the smoke. His bishop Ravel appeared next to him. He checked his senses and picked up on magic being applied to Riser.

She's healing him! Frost Realm!" Heathcliff casted his ice across the entire building, the heat from Riser's attack turned it into fog. Fog he used as cover as he formed an ice sword and charged Riser while his bishop healed him.

"Thank you, dear sister…" Riser said as Heathcliff burst from the fog before him. He reacted, pushing Ravel away and swung a flaming fist at Heathcliff. Heathcliff ducked and brought his sword around, ramming it through Riser's stomach. He froze him to the ground and reached up, freezing over his head with more magic. Riser fought back as his flames became intense and licked at Heathcliff's coat. He continued forcing his ice onto Riser, fighting against his flames. He picked up on Ravel moving off to the side and spotted her charging him with a knife. She yelled and tried to stab him. Heathcliff reacted, moving his hand from Riser's head to Ravel's and froze the poor girl solid. But removing his power from Riser's head allowed him to thaw.

"Ah! You cannot freeze…" Riser trailed off, seeing his sister frozen in place. "YOU BASTARD!" Riser shouted, his flames burst forth and melted Heathcliff's ice. Heathcliff jumped back and readied himself as Riser slowly thawed his sister out. She vanished after he thawed her. She was out of the Rating Game.

"Well… Riser is glad Yubelluna at least took out Rias's queen… the one you're so fond of. Because Riser wants to destroy you for himself." Riser growled, building up his fire in his hands. Heathcliff was annoyed with Riser. He built up magic in his hands and prepared himself. Riser's next move put him on the defensive. There was too much fire to dodge. Heathcliff sighed and prepared himself for the worst. He exploded with icy power and fired a beam of icy wind back at the flames, dampening them and ultimately turning it into a power struggle. He felt his magic power running dangerously low as he fought against Riser's intense flames. But soon the fire prevailed over him and Heathcliff caught the brunt of an explosion with his body. He skidded back and dropped to one knee. His skin burned and his clothes charred.

"It seems you're not as powerful as Riser was led to believe. It's time you die, monster!" Riser shouted, stalking forward with a powerful attack readied. Heathcliff checked his magic reserves. He was out. He was wounded, his skin healing slowly. He was tired, his energy being consumed between morphing back and forth. But he still had fight left in him. Heathcliff fired webs off towards trees in the distance and pulled as hard as he could, letting his weight off the roof. Riser jumped to the side as Heathcliff flew towards the other end of the roof, landing with his boots on the edge. He smiled as he twisted around and started pulling even harder.

"I'm not done yet, asshole!" Heathcliff shouted as he felt the trees rip from the ground. Riser charged him just as he brought his new melee weapons up to fight. Riser was caught under the brunt of Heathcliff's attack, two trees landing on top of him, propelled by Heathcliff's monstrous strength. Heathcliff pulled his weapons back and shortened their leashes. Riser burst forth from the roof and shook off his shock. Heathcliff began spinning the trees around like morning stars, swinging targeted attacks at Riser. Riser dodged and parried some of Heathcliff's attacks with blasts of fire. The flames consumed the trees and Heathcliff left them to fly off and crash into the ground as a smoldering mess. Riser took a moment to breathe as he readied another attack. Heathcliff was running low on options. He slowly fell to his knees.

Well fuck… Never thought I'd be in this position. What do I have left? I've no more tricks up my sleeve. Out of magic… and fuckin tired. I can't lure him into the forest. He'd stay back and attack Rias… Fuck me… Heathcliff thought. He could only watch as Riser approached and stopped before him.

"Any last words, monster?" Riser asked, raising his flaming fist. Heathcliff smiled.

"Go fuck yourself." Heathcliff said and promptly tackled Riser to the ground. He produced a wrist blade and rammed it into Riser's heart, snapping it off as Riser kicked him off. Heathcliff landed on his feet as Riser got up and pulled at the blade in his chest.

"Ah, you bastard… Riser is not amused with your tricks!" Riser said, trying desperately to pull the blade from his heart but to no avail.

"I put some of my webbing on it. That blade is glued to your bones." Heathcliff said with a chuckle. He then fired webbing into Riser's eyes, blinding him and allowing him a chance to strike. Heathcliff shot forward and planted a devastatingly powerful uppercut in Riser's stomach, knocking the wind out of him and pushing him back. Heathcliff continued his onslaught, railing Riser with a flurry of punches and kicks. He broke Riser's jaw with a hook, shattered his knee with a kick, and then fired off his favorite Spartan kick into Riser's chest which drove the blade deeper into him and knocked him over. Heathcliff grappled atop him and started unleashing one devastating punch after the other into Riser's face. He produced another obsidian blade and rammed it through Riser's neck, pinning him to the rooftop before a blast of fire knocked Heathcliff off of him. Heathcliff landed on the side of the roof, toasted from the flames again. He sighed and rolled over to face the sky, his nerves screaming at him.

"You are annoying…" Riser said as he pulled himself free of the roof. The obsidian daggers were still glued to his flesh, but they were slowly melting as his flames increased in intensity. Heathcliff watched as Riser removed the skin that his webbing was stuck to around his eyes and it grew back.

"If I could kill you… you'd be fucking dead right now, asshole." Heathcliff groaned through bated breaths. Riser approached and kicked Heathcliff further down the rooftop. Heathcliff rolled down and jumped up onto his feet. He would not let Riser kick him around like a helpless animal. Riser went to kick him again and Heathcliff caught his leg, his grip shattered Riser's shin and bone. But the fire devil ignored his pain and raised his fist to strike.

"Prepare yourself, beast. As this is the last time you will look upon Riser, next head of the Phenex family line. And husband to your precious King." Riser said, swinging on Heathcliff. But his fist met only the solidity of Heathcliff's head. The flames burned on his face, but Heathcliff gritted his teeth and endured the pain. He growled and started pulling Riser's leg joint apart. Riser screamed as Heathcliff snapped his femur and ripped his leg off with his brute strength.

"Go… fuck… yourself…" Heathcliff cursed as his strength finally gave out and Riser managed to punch him off and knock him off the roof. He took the man's leg with him, which soon burned up into ashes. Heathcliff slammed into the ground and felt the pain streak through his body. Heathcliff heard a scream. It sounded familiar.

"Rias my dear… settle down. He's not dead. Wait, he hasn't been knocked out?" Riser's voice sounded from above. Heathcliff rolled over and flipped the man off from his pathetic position. Rias was near the edge, crying as she looked down at Heathcliff.

"Heathcliff!" Asia yelled as she approached on the ground. She came to his side and immediately began healing him. Heathcliff smiled and put his hand on her cheek.

"Ah, it's no use. He's just gonna come back again and again…" Heathcliff sighed. Asia's power fixed his burns and alleviated his pain. But Riser landed next to them and threw Asia off of Heathcliff. She yelped and could do nothing as Riser grabbed Heathcliff by the collar and lifted him to eye level.

"Ah… shouldn't have done that Riser. I happen to like Asia quite a bit. Gonna cost you an arm…" Heathcliff said, extending a blade from his arm. He sliced Riser's arm off before the man could stop him. He punched Heathcliff. "And your fuckin nads…" Heathcliff added as he grabbed Riser and rammed his knee into the man's crotch. Riser keeled over in pain, holding his crotch as he dropped to one knee. Heathcliff towered over him as he recovered some of his strength. He retracted his blade and Riser's arm grew back albeit slowly.

"You're a fool… a scoundrel…" Riser muttered as he stood back up. As soon as he rose his head, Heathcliff jabbed him in the face. Riser held his broken nose and glared at Heathcliff who grinned halfheartedly.

"C'mon you son of a bitch… put those fists up. Let's have a blue." Heathcliff said tiredly. Riser wiped the blood from his face as his nose fixed itself. He narrowed his eyes at Heathcliff.

"Riser is no fool. Riser knows your physical prowess outweighs your magical powers. While Riser can regenerate… you're far more durable, no?" Riser said, slowly getting into a fighting stance. Heathcliff smiled and egged him on with a wiggly finger.

"Let's find out." Heathcliff said and stepped forward. Riser swung for his stomach and Heathcliff flexed, taking the blow with ease and countered by cracking Riser across the jaw. Riser stumbled at the powerful blow but persevered. He threw punches which were blocked and kicked at Heathcliff's ribs. Heathcliff slid over and caught his leg, bringing his elbow down on Riser's knee. The man screamed as Heathcliff snapped his leg sideways and then proceeded to start kicking him in the stomach over and over again. Riser dislodged his leg and let it heal as he blocked Heathcliff's powerful blows. He stepped to the side and tried to crack Heathcliff across the jaw, only for it to miss as Heathcliff ducked and slugged Riser in the kidney with a hook. Riser coughed up blood and stumbled back as flames started healing his bruises and broken body parts. Heathcliff pursued him and swung for his head. Riser ducked and tried to upper cut him, Heathcliff leaned back and kicked Riser in the chest which sent him sprawling across the ground. Heathcliff pounced and topped him to start an onslaught of punches, each shaking the ground as they connected with either Riser's head or his torso.

But Riser was a coward. He had said before he knew better than to allow Heathcliff the pleasure of a fair fight. So it came as no surprise when a powerful blast of fire knocked Heathcliff into the air and off of his opponent. He slammed against the wall and slumped to the ground. As soon as his head hit dirt, everything went black.

Heathcliff awoke with a start. He glanced about to see darkness around him. But by the feeling of his sixth sense he was in his room. He felt shirtless. And someone was standing by his bedside. He recognized the signature. Sitting up and turning to face them, he sighed.

"Grayfia…" Heathcliff mumbled, his voice dry and gravelly. She turned on the small lamp on his desk and handed him a cup of water. He nodded and downed it. She took it back and put a hand against his forehead.

"You're temperature is normal. Everything is reading normally… You've made a full recovery. And in no less than twenty four hours. Impressive. Does your symbiotic creature have anything to do with your extraordinary healing factor?" Grayfia asked as Heathcliff positioned himself on the edge of his bed. He rubbed his temples trying to alleviate a headache from the sudden exposure to light.

"Yeah. How did you know about him?" Heathcliff responded. Grayfia lifted his head so he looked into her eyes. She seemed to still be examining him.

"Rias explained everything and asked me to care for you. It is my job as maid and queen to Sirzechs Lucifer. Did she not mention that Lord Lucifer is her brother?" Grayfia wondered. Heathcliff was certainly surprised by that. But he shook his head and sighed.

"No… but I don't doubt it. I did just kick the shit out of a phoenix demon. And he was a fuckin coward. Easily could've solved that with our fists. Where is that bastard? Wait, did we lose?" Heathcliff wondered. His last memory was of Riser knocking him into a wall. Grayfia nodded solemnly and handed him a small piece of paper.

"Yes. Rias threw the match so Riser would spare you. But please, try not to blame yourself. Riser is immortal, after all." Grayfia said monotonously. Heathcliff rolled his eyes at the attempted consoling by the stoic maid. She sighed and made him take the paper.

"But, in lieu of such a defeat, Sirzechs offers you a chance to redeem yourself. Use this and it will bring you to the engagement party. It is tonight. The wedding is tomorrow afternoon. Be swift." Grayfia explained before vanishing in a portal. Heathcliff stared at the spot where she vanished. A vacuum remained where she once stood, sucking in magic before popping out of existence. Heathcliff turned his attention to the paper in his hand. It had a transport magic circle on it. Highly reminiscent of the one Rias gave him that ultimately led to her saving his life. Now it was his turn.

"Asia." His door immediately burst open and Asia jumped onto him. She cried and held him close. Heathcliff smiled and he held her. She had been standing there since he awoke.

"Heath… I was so worried about you! But Miss Grayfia didn't let me see you! I'm so glad you're okay!" Asia sobbed. Heathcliff shushed her and tucked her head under his chin. They stayed together for a while. Silently holding one another. He would give her the comfort of being with him. He himself needed it.

[Hey… you alright?]

Yeah, just peachy. I can't believe she gave in just because I got a bit beat up.

[Heath, are you an idiot? Didn't you forget that she cares for you deeply?]

No, you fuckin Dr. Phil acting motherfucker! Just… but what do I do now?

[You mean what Grayfia said? I'm not sure. You can't beat Riser with your magic or your Morph. He's too strong and just keeps coming back.]

I know, it was really damn annoying. I don't know if I can save Rias…

[What if you stopped him from coming back in the first place? Like… hitting him in the soul or something.]

Kiva, you've had some shit ideas before. But this one's a real stinker. How do I hit him in the soul?

[I don't know. You're smart. Figure it out. Like kicking a guy in the nuts, but worse!]

"How the hell do I hit him in the soul?" Heathcliff wondered aloud. Asia perked up as he started talking. She looked curious. Heathcliff sighed and patted her head.

"Kiva and I were trying to figure out how to beat Riser… Grayfia gave me this paper which'll take me to the engagement party for Rias and Riser… but I don't know how to beat him!" Heathcliff grew upset and slammed his fist on his headboard cabinet. He suddenly felt a searing sensation under his hand. He lifted his fist and saw his silver cross lying under his hand.

"Wait a second. I had to stop wearing my cross because it burned the hell out of me… Asia, are devils vulnerable to holy objects like crosses?" Heathcliff asked. Asia inspected the cross on his dresser and nodded. She pointed to the cross she wore, made of silver but over her clothes.

"Mine does bother me sometimes. But crosses, holy water, and holy magic hurt Devils a lot. Why do you ask?" Asia wondered. Heathcliff grew a wicked grin as an idea formed in his head.

"Asia, you were a nun… perchance, do you have any holy water?"

"Lots. Why?"

"I'd like to… repurpose some."

Rias sighed as she walked out onto the stage among the residents of her engagement party. She felt uncomfortable in such a bulky wedding dress. Sirzechs approached her and smiled. She had been anticipating a conversation with him.

"Dear sister, you look wonderful. But do tell me, where did you get such a wild and powerful Pawn? It has been bothering me nonstop since your Rating Game with Riser." Sirzechs said. But the way he spoke, Rias picked up on something hidden in her brother's words. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Dear brother… please tell me you didn't do anything rash." Rias said in a sickly-sweet tone. Sirzechs smiled wryly and shrugged.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"DING DONG MOTHERFUCKERS!" Rias looked across the room where the doors to the ballroom had been knocked off their hinges. Sirzechs giggled madly as he slinked off and Riser grew furious in the middle of the crowd.

"What is the meaning of this!? Who dares interrupt Riser's wonderful party!? GUARDS!" Riser yelled. Several armored men approached the doorway, only to be frozen solid a moment later. Rias sighed.

"I've come here to kick ass and drink beer! But y'all don't have any fucking beer from the looks of it! What kinda half-assed engagement party is this!?" the ever-familiar and unforgettably Australian voice bellowed into the room. From the fog revealed the one, the only man Rias had been silently praying would arrive.

"Hey, you look a wee bit mad there, Riser. Miss me?" Heathcliff King asked as he waltz into the ballroom in jeans, boots, and a tank top. Rias was almost upset that he didn't dress up to come crash her party. In one hand he held a sword made of ice, in the other, a huge can of beer. He grinned and raised his can to her. Rias waved and smiled.

"As I should've expected…"

"You… how dare you intrude on our engagement!? Was the thrashing I gave you before not enough for you!? Shall I execute you this time!?" Riser shouted, throwing his white suit top off. He was now shirtless and blazing with flames.

"Whoa, what's with throwing your shirt off? I came here to kick your ass, not make love to you." Heathcliff taunted, taking a sip of his beer. He finished the can and shrugged as he crushed it against his head. He brandished his ice sword at Riser, who promptly melted it. Heathcliff pouted.

"Well, if that ain't a good analogy for how my dick feels right now, I don't know what is." Heathcliff joked. Riser bristled with rage at his nonchalant attitude. Heathcliff did remember that he might have had several beers before he came to the underworld.

"Stop playing around, monster! Riser will cut you down, here and now!" Riser shouted. Heathcliff smiled as a tall, red haired man stepped between them. Several important looking men took positions around Riser and Heathcliff.

"Ah, you must be Sirzechs… Thanks for the invite. Nice place." Heathcliff said to Sirzechs. One of the men glared at Sirzechs.

"Sirzechs Lucifer, I do hope you have a good explanation for letting this… man… crash my son's engagement party." The man said. Heathcliff turned his attention to him and grinned.

"You're Mister Phenex? That guy? Who fathered that- no offense- arrogant, self-centered, cocky, cowardly fuck head over there?" Heathcliff asked. Lord Phenex turned to address Heathcliff. He did not appear amused, nor angry. Simply curious.

"I am Lord Phenex, head of the Phenex Clan of Devils. You're Rias Gremory's Pawn, no? What brings you here?" Lord Phenex asked. Heathcliff gestured to Sirzechs and grinned.

"Why not ask your gracious King? He's the good old fella that let me in. Gave me free reign of the place. I eventually found my way down here." Heathcliff said with an exasperated sigh. He crossed his arms and waited as all eyes were on Sirzechs. The King of Hell smiled.

"Lord Phenex… Rias, Father… everybody… I was, disappointed by the result of Rias and Riser's match. Our wonderful friend Heathcliff here still had some fight left in him, yet Rias ended the match abruptly. I only wish to see who will win. With Rias's hand in marriage as the bet." Sirzechs explained with a sly smile. Gossip and murmurs erupted in the crowd. Heathcliff watched in awe as an excited smile found its way onto Lord Phenex's face.

"Entertainment, you say? With a bet?" Lord Phenex wondered. Sirzechs nodded and gestured to the enormous courtyard arena outside.

"Entertainment." Sirzechs confirmed. The lords shook hands and it seemed Heathcliff's chance to beat Riser's head in came once again. Heathcliff smiled wildly as Riser's face fell into a terrified musing. Heathcliff licked his lips, and spat a fireball on the ground before Riser.

"C'mon bud. Let's have a blue."

Heathcliff walked around the arena for a moment, taking in the view and stretching himself out a bit as he did so. His image appeared on a huge screen just opposite the crowd of partygoers. Riser stared him down from the opposite corner of the arena. Heathcliff smiled and waved at him. The countdown started.

"FIVE."

"Hey Riser."

"FOUR."

"WHAT!?"

"THREE."

"Let's have us a blue."

"TWO."

"I will kill you!"

"ONE."

"Let's find out." Heathcliff rushed forward, his speed startling to the crowd. Riser intercepted him and tried to strike him with melee attacks, all of which he dodged with ease. Riser fired off blast after blast of fire which Heathcliff dodged, jumped, and rolled away from. He threw an ice spear at Riser who melted it before it reached him. Heathcliff smiled as he slapped his hands on the ground.

"You like snow? Blizzard!" Heathcliff shouted, conjuring a snowstorm where he was standing. The ground frosted over for hundreds of meters and Riser melted all of the snow around him as the storm whirled around him. It was enough cover for Heathcliff to hide from him as he casted another spell and pulled something from his back pocket. Soon enough Riser dispersed the snow storm with a huge blast of fire and found Heathcliff tapping on his shoulder. He whirled around, only to be punched in the face by something much colder and harder than Heathcliff's fist.

"AGH!" Riser screamed, holding his face as it burned. He looked at Heathcliff's right arm to see not a man's appendage. But a beast's. Wrapped around Heathcliff's fist were a few silver cross necklaces. But his fist was not his own. It was white and the skin was pocked in places. A black stripe ran up until his shoulder, and his fingers were clawed. His arm had been transformed into his Morph's arm.

"Devils can't use holy objects, let alone let them touch their bare skin. But a monster… well, monsters aren't exactly Devils, are they?" Heathcliff said as his partial transformation spread onto his chest and neck.

"WHAT!? Are those crosses!? What have you done!? My word… You…" Riser trailed off, shocked by Heathcliff's partial transformation. Heathcliff ignored him and focused on casting ice magic in his left hand. Riser recovered and prepared another spell. Cross-shaped burns were left in his cheek. Heathcliff smiled as he rushed Riser again and ducked beneath his fireball. Heathcliff froze the ground as he ran and dropped into a slide as he approached Riser, who fired his blast of flames right over him. Heathcliff tripped him with a blast of ice, holding him in place as he jumped up and pinned Riser to the floor and started punching his bare spine with his right hand. Riser screamed as the crosses dug into his skin and burned him. Heathcliff shattered a few bones before he jumped out of the way as Riser exploded with flames again. Riser stood and went wild with blasts of fire, trying his best to hit Heathcliff with one who simply dodged them with ease. One was too big to dodge and Heathcliff slammed his hand on the ground to bring up a huge wall of ice. The blast connected and cast an eerie fog over the entire arena.

"Silly Riser…" Heathcliff's partially bestial voice cackled from the fog. He pulled another object from his pocket and gripped it in his beastly hand. A small flask made of glass, with a cross on it. Riser cast his flames to disperse the fog, only for Heathcliff to appear directly next to him as it dispersed. His face half morphed into his bestial state. His right eye red, half his mouth sporting sharp fangs, and half of his head covered in spikes. Heathcliff shattered the flask in his hand, spilling water on his arm which he then froze into a spear of ice on his arm. Riser screamed as he tried to fight Heathcliff off, but he was too late as Heathcliff caught his arm, froze him half solid, and rammed the icy arm spear into his abdomen.

Had Heathcliff not dulled his hearing on purpose, Riser's scream would have ruined his hearing. When the man was finished screaming in pure agony, Heathcliff slowly started freezing the rest of his body. He twisted his arm and Riser screamed again.

"W-What… trickery is… this?" Riser grunted, his eyes bulged with torment in them. His anguish continued as Heathcliff dug deeper into his body with the ice. He smiled and grabbed Riser by the neck.

"I froze some holy water around my monster arm. Doesn't hurt me. Sure fucking hurts you, though." Heathcliff said with a sadistic smile. He twisted his arm and pushed into Riser's chest cavity. The man screeched as the pain seared through his very being into his soul. Just as Heathcliff had wanted. Riser whimpered and screamed as Heathcliff adjusted the ice to form tiny daggers on his fingers and he gripped Riser's beating heart with it. The man's screams were more childlike cries as he did so. He cried, sobbed, and begged Heathcliff to stop. Heathcliff did not stop.

"You hurt not only my friends, but my girlfriend… How does it feel? Having your heart ripped to shreds? Now yield to me. Surrender! SUBMIT YOU BASTARD!" Heathcliff shouted, twisting the ice into Riser's heart. Riser cried out in pure anguish.

"I SUBMIT!" Riser whined, finally giving in. Heathcliff broke him out of the ice and threw him to the ground. He pulled his arm out of his chest and let the holy water melt off into a puddle in the hole he left behind. Riser continued to scream as Heathcliff worked on reversing his partial transformation. He managed to get his face back to normal, but his arm remained the mutated mess of alien DNA he made it into. But all at once, the ground underneath him collapsed and he was sent sprawling into a freefall.

"AH, SHIT!" Heathcliff shouted, firing a web at the wall and hanging off of it. He watched as Riser vanished from the arena and he was left hanging on his web. He noticed the huge presence heading for him with Rias attached to it. He looked to the side and yelled as a huge griffin overtook him and he was ripped from his web.

"Heath!" Rias exclaimed as she caught him in her arms. Heathcliff oriented himself and saw that he was now soaring high above the castle and grounds of the Underworld. He turned to face Rias and shook off the initial shock of it all.

"Holy shit! Rias, hey I kicked his ass for you-MUH!" Heathcliff could not finish his sentence as Rias kissed him intensely, silencing him and lulling him into pure relaxation. She broke away after a moment and Heathcliff soon found himself returning the favor. Rias accepted his lips and they continued to kiss as the griffin kept soaring. After a moment they broke away and let each other breathe.

"Shall we… continue later? We've a pretty big mess to clean up. You know, with how you won me in that fight and screwed up the engagement." Rias said with a laugh. Heathcliff grinned and kicked back on the flying beast.

"Yeah. But if that's the worst thing I'll be known for, then I'm sitting pretty…" Heathcliff trailed off, his eyes noticing how gorgeous Rias looked in a moonlit gown. He grinned and leaned close to her. She blushed and cupped his face.

"Heath…"

"Eh, not as pretty as you." And again they locked lips. If it were wrong to love more than one woman, then Heathcliff did not want to be right. Soon enough the griffin landed outside the enormous mansion and Heathcliff helped Rias off of the beast. She took hold of his mutated arm and refused to let go after dismounting.

"Heath… is this permanent?" Rias asked with concern. She blatantly refused to release his hand even when he tried to pull it from her. Heathcliff sighed.

"I don't think so. Kiva can't technically fix it, since he has no control over the magic that forced the mutation. But I think I can reverse it. Maybe. I might have caused a very volatile reaction when I mixed magic with alien DNA to make this. It kind of hurt." Heathcliff admitted, remembering the details of his wild plan. Kiva had attempted to convince him not to force mutations on his body. Though, clearly, the alien's efforts were a waste.

"You big dummy." Rias sighed as she pulled him into a hug. But she was soon pulled off of him by a very upset Akeno. Heathcliff sighed, having seen the situation unfolding before it even escalated with his sixth sense. Rias pouted as she glared at Akeno.

"Rias, did I see you kissing Heathcliff!?" Akeno exclaimed, sparking with lightning. Rias stuck her tongue out at Akeno and flared her own magic power. Heathcliff sighed but admired both girls. Despite the look of pure murderous intent in their eyes, they were both quite beautiful in their dresses. He took a step back from the scene and bumped into a tuxedo wearing Kiba with Koneko in tow.

"What have you done, Heathcliff?" Koneko asked monotonously. Heathcliff shrugged and took a step behind Kiba as the two girls started arguing about who was better at kissing and caring for Heathcliff.

"Not sure. All I know is that it's riding along like a derailed train." Heathcliff responded. Kiba laughed.

"You're not sure? It looks like a clash of the lovers to me." Kiba commented. Heathcliff grumbled and started backing away from the scene as the air grew heavy with magic. His life had quite literally flipped onto its head. From a man whom very few knew, and fewer cared for, to the very point of interest in the quarrel between two women he had inexplicably gotten to fall for him. The partygoers started to gather in the courtyard, making Heathcliff's escape that much harder.

Two girls arguing over me. But I'm still just a fuckin dickhead who can turn into a monster…

[Ahem, a dickhead and a half, thank you very much.]

"Heathcliff…" The man directly behind Heathcliff said. Heathcliff turned to see it was Sirzechs who blocked his escape from the scene. The demon lord looked him over and smiled. Heathcliff's danger close alarm peaked in the back of his mind. Something was heading his way.

"Hey, no time to talk mister Lucifer! You might wanna duck!" Heathcliff said quickly and promptly rolled to the side as a tendril of magic flew over his head and smacked into Sirzechs. He was carted off into the air by Rias's power with a yell. Heathcliff cringed as the poor man was sent sprawling through the bushes. Rias and Akeno were glaring at Heathcliff.

"Heathcliff…" Akeno growled.
"Oh Heath…" Rias called in a sickly sweet tone. Heathcliff felt a nervous sweat drip off the back of his head. It was a reaction associated with danger in connection to his sixth sense. The pair was releasing a large quantity of dangerous magic. Caution was necessary in danger close situations. Adrenaline kicked in and Heathcliff narrowly avoided a very well-aimed lightning bolt.

"Trying to run before explaining why Rias says you kissed her first?" Akeno asked in a cold tone. The hairs on Heathcliff's neck stood on end, and not because of the lightning. He smiled nervously as he stood up and faced the enraged women.

"Now… there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for this. I'm not being a piece of shit… lemme just say that right now- AH!" Heathcliff yelped as he ducked a powerful blast of red magic. He stared in shock at Rias.

"Heathcliff…" Rias growled. Heathcliff stood up and held his hands in surrender.

"Now Rias… I just helped you with Riser! Why the hostility?" Heathcliff asked. Rias jabbed a finger into Akeno's heavy breast.

"When did you let Akeno take you out A SECOND TIME!?" Rias yelled. Heathcliff was stumped by her question at first until he remembered the guitar store he visited with Akeno. The realization hit too late as another blast nearly took his skull away from its post. They started throwing spells at random intervals.

"AH, OKAY! I'M SORRY, JUST STOP TRYING TO HURT ME!" Heathcliff yelled as he jumped and weaved between attacks. The onslaught suddenly stopped and he noticed the two had calmed down somewhat. Heathcliff took a moment to catch his breath and leaned on a statue. He had jumped and dodged away from them at least a hundred meters. They covered that distance in a matter of seconds with a teleport. He tensed as they approached. But Rias took to holding onto his right arm and Akeno slid herself under his other and they held him. Heathcliff released his bated breath.

"Sorry… I shouldn't blame you. You're just too sweet." Akeno said, reaching up to kiss his cheek. Heathcliff sat back on the stone wall and let her do so. Rias tugged on his shirt and he leaned his head to the right. Rias kissed his other cheek, leaving a lipstick mark. Heathcliff grinned a giddy, stupid grin. He liked nothing more than two beautiful girls he cared for to be showing him affection. But he felt a pit of darkness sharpen a stake and pierce his heart deep inside.

"I should apologize as well. I just wish I could split myself in half… I can't ask you to share… that's not right." Heathcliff said quietly. Melancholy overcame him and he suddenly felt the gravity of his position.

Damn… I was so caught up in this past week I didn't even notice. What the fuck am I going to do about this? Heathcliff wondered. He felt Rias tug on his ear and brought himself out of his thoughts.

"Heath, you needn't blame yourself. I'm almost certain this all can work out for the best." Rias said with a smile. Heathcliff admired her optimism. But deep in the back of his mind something made him doubt such an outcome. He sighed and settled for enjoying the moment. As he was now, Heathcliff felt as though everything was just fine.

I guess I'll deal with it as it comes.

There you are. Hopefully this gave you all the action-packed thrash-fest that Heathcliff can conjure up. I realized this entire chapter was done and just sitting on my computer with 5000+ words of another chapter latched to the bottom.

Thanks guys.

See you next time with the King of Symbiosis.