Hello people I will probably never meet in real life, unless I have without realizing it, and welcome to another chapter of A Simple Mission Rebirth, a fic where I'll piss everyone off eventually despite everything happening for a reason. God, I'm gonna lose a lot of time next year because I'll be attending university to study being a game dev, which is a dream of mine since I started really getting into games. Of course, with the whole state of the industry right now, I'm just hoping things improve when I'm out of school. Anyway, onto the reviews. To col. reader: Well, too late now for the sacrificial contract. Unless you meant that Issei did it beforehand in secret then… uh… thinking about it? Team JNPR is gonna appear in this fic eventually and Jaune is not having a harem… but he will have fangirls when they gets to Kuoh. And I have been thinking about the whole Sun Wukong situation and if they should meet. It's probably going to happen but I have to state Sun from RWBY isn't gonna join the peerage, mostly because I actually have the peerage list locked down apart from two Pawns. Actually, three Pawns now that think about it. Also, if you haven't read my PM: IBLS will probably show up as a cameo, but that's about it. Though… those three Pawns do need owners soon… To Taijutsu: Okay, there is a very good reason why Yang lost early, which is gonna be explained after the Rating Game. But the whole "steamroll" thing… I might take you up on that this chapter. But I am really sick of people complaining about Team RWBY being weak in this fic and I'm expecting angry reviews at all times about it. It sucks, and I am aware of the problems but I keep it in because I firmly believe it's important or it makes sense or adds dramatic tension.
Especially when we get to the final fight for the Rating Game. That's when things get… complicated.
To Nightstalker33: Uh… the Queen spot is reserved, man. To someone very special. Plus, I see Jaune having Knight Piece potential more than anything else especially with the plans I have for him and his team. To MEleeSmasher: Soon. Very, very soon.
Okay, people! That's it! Time for more ass-kicking to the best of my ability!
Load Game… Start!
Chapter 18: A Simple Rating Game 3
The Knights clashed at the blink of an eye, all of them unflinching as sparks flew between from their blades and their eyes, before pushing off each other for another strike. Issei couldn't help but be stunned at the sight of the fight; to him, they were different coloured blurs with sounds of metal being scratched against each other. He only got more confused as more and more black blurs were joining in on the fray, and the armoured blur was taking them down like it was nothing while fending off the yellow blur.
Issei was now rather glad that he didn't participate in this duel of Knights. He would've been destroyed in the blink of an eye.
Ruby, from a distance and through her scope, could barely keep up with what's happening. The display of speed was astonishing, even for her. She couldn't help but feel proud; Blake's training had paid off big time. Blake's speed was comparable to her Semblance and her reaction time and reflexes were on point. Sure, Blake didn't have the stamina to last as long as her but having two speedsters on the team opened up a myriad of possible team attacks and strategies.
She absently wondered if they could create a hurricane if she and Blake ran fast enough before focusing back on the action… then freezing as she saw a rather troubling sight.
"Issei, don't freak out but uh… look to your right." Ruby informed over the radio.
"What?" Issei got out, looking confused.
"You seem bored."
"Huh?" Issei turned his head to the direction of the voice… only to see two girls standing right next to him, casually watching the Knights fight each other.
Issei promptly freaked out.
"WHAT THE SHIT!?" Issei exclaimed as he jumped away from the two. "When the Hell did you two get here!?"
"A while ago." The girl with a mask covering half her face answered in a flat tone. Issei and Ruby quickly recognized her as the remaining Rook they needed to take down. "Neither of you noticed us for like ten minutes. You and that gothic Red Riding Hood cosplayer camping out in the trees over there."
"WHAT!?" Ruby shouted out, causing Issei to wince. "Says the girl from a harem of cosplayers!"
The other girl with twin drill hair and dressed like a medieval princess only shook her head at the duel occurring right in front of them. "Geez. She only thinks about swords, swords and swords and the occasional use of the word 'blade' to mix it up. This match looks like a mud fight." She said, not even giving a sign that Issei exists. "You know, Carlamaine was making a bitter face when the Pawns were being sacrificed. Does she hate the battle strategy of her master, the King? But when I thought I found a cute boy, he was also a sword freak. Geez, what bad luck."
"Hey, that's my friend!" Ruby called out, appearing in a flurry of red petals next Issei. There was no point in hiding now. "And who do you think you are, Ms. Bishop?" She finally paid attention to the two and gave them a weird look.
"Hm. So this boy is the Pawn Rias Gremory adores, and girl, the Human King, everyone has been talking about." The blonde princess noted. "You know, you two aren't what I expected to look like. You two look like you were dragged out of the gutter."
"Excuse me?" Ruby growled as she got out Death Rose while Issei clenched his fists.
"Boosted Gear! Standby!" Issei declared, the crystal on the gauntlet glowing once again.
BOOST!
"Bring it on! We'll take you both down before you can even blink!" Ruby called out. The Phoenix Bishop only shook her head and sighed.
"I'm not going to fight. Isabella, be their opponent." The Bishop ordered. "And try not to hurt them too much. It looks like they bruise easily." Isabella nodded and stepped forward as the princess stepped away from the area, surprising and confusing Ruby and Issei.
"I was planning to in the first place. Let's fight since we are both bored." Isabella said in a dull tone.
"Huh!? What do you mean you're not gonna fight!?" Issei exclaimed as he pointed at the princess.
"Exactly what I just said, idiot." The Bishop deadpanned. "I'm just going to watch this little scuffle."
"You… I can't… WHAT!?" Ruby shouted out. "You're just going to watch!?"
"Yes, now stop repeating what Ravel-sama says." Isabella stated. "She's special to Raiser-sama so she won't be participating unless ne-"
Ruby didn't let her finish as she appeared behind Ravel, scythe at the ready. Ravel didn't even have to look as she raised her hand. "Nope." She said before a wall of flames appeared behind her, causing Ruby to flip away. Before she could act, the wall of flames was balled up into Ravel's hand before she turned around and blasted Ruby away back to Issei. "Don't mess with your betters next time."
"Urgh…" Ruby groaned as she was helped up by Issei as she quickly put out the fire on her skirt. "What the… Who are you?"
"Don't you know?" Isabella said, a little angry at Ruby trying to get a cheap shot. "Her name is Ravel Phoenix, Raiser-sama's little sister!"
There was a moment of silence after that, the only sounds being the clashing of swords in the background.
"What." Ruby and Issei got out, their brains not quite getting what they just heard.
"Y-You mean like in friendly sense or adopted or…" Ruby tried to logically find a reason why Raiser had his sister in his harem as Ruby refused to acknowledge his peerage as anything more.
"No, I mean she's his actual little sister. She became Raiser-sama's servant through a special method but all in all, she is his Bishop." Isabella informed. Ruby and Issei couldn't help but imagine Raiser standing next to Ravel and trying to see if there was any similarity between them.
They failed. Hard.
Ruby started gagging while Issei just stared at Ravel.
"WWWWWHHHHHAAAAATTTTTT!?" Ruby shouted to the heavens as she comprehended that this was happening and that they were telling the truth.
"Ruby! Radio!" Weiss scolded over the radio just before Ruby heard an explosion. Ruby blushed before turning it off.
"Y-You mean he… and she…" Issei couldn't even form complete sentences. He wasn't sure what he should feel. Little sisters were awesome, there was no doubt about it but this… was kinda on the next level.
"Oh, ew…! Get that mind of yours out of the gutter!" Ravel shouted out. "We haven't done anything normal siblings shouldn't do!"
"It's more about symbolism than sexual attraction," Isabella stated. "Raiser-sama said, and I quote: Having your sister in your harem has a significant meaning. You know the significant view of having your close relatives? You know how there are people who look up to and also get jealous of it? Well, I'm not a sister-moe type, so I have her in my group as fashion. Plus, I also needed a tsundere and she fit the bill quite well, along with being my little sister. Covering all the types, you know?"
Ruby and Issei just continued to stare at the two in silence.
"…That's what he said." Isabella said, wondering why they weren't getting it.
"…Dude, your King's a perv and a dumbass." Issei deadpanned.
"And this is coming from the biggest perv in the world," Ruby added in. "And I'm getting the feeling his dumbass-ery is rubbing off on you guys…"
"Don't insult him! Only I get to! You're destined to lose this Game anyhow!" Ravel called out. "Show them what you've got, Isabella!"
"Okay." That was all the warning Issei and Ruby got as they narrowly dodged a straight punch, the air from the punch lightly brushing against their cheeks.
"Whoa!" Issei shouted out before Ruby grabbed his collar then ran a few feet away from their opponent. "That was close."
"She's fast." Ruby breathed out she put away Death Rose. "Way too fast for a Rook."
"Hmph! So you two can dodge a punch like this." Isabella smirked. "Sorry I looked down on you two. But now I can hold back a little less. See if you can keep up."
"This is gonna suck," Issei grumbled.
"C'mon Issei! We can d-LEFT!" Ruby shouted out as they started dodging flurries of punches. They didn't even have time to counter or even think, sweating as they saw small shockwaves every time Isabella extended her fist. Every punch thrown was a game ender, they knew that, and that was enough motivation to push their bodies to the limit.
Suddenly, Isabella switched her focus to Issei, giving Ruby an opening. Knowing taking her weapon would take too long, Ruby went to kick Isabella's hip only for her leg to get caught as she hit her in the face with the back of her hand.
Ruby then realized in that .01 second that she fell into the Rook's trap.
Without a second of hesitation, Isabella swung Ruby at Issei's stomach before the hit, taking a step back before she kicked them away from her.
"GARGH!" Issei let out as they were sent rolling away from their opponent. They both coughed and groaned as they slowly got up. Issei was glad he clenched his stomach before he got hit. That would've hurt a lot more. "You okay?" He asked.
"I'm fine…" Ruby panted out. "I just feel sore in my everything..."
"Snark later, fight now!" Issei called out as he fired up his Boosted Gear.
BOOST! BOOST!
"Bring it on!" Ruby shouted out as she pulled out Death Rose once again. They both charged at Isabella and started their counter-attack. Issei got to the Rook first and threw a few punches. Isabella dodged them with ease and even threw Ruby away when she tried to go for a swing at her chest before grabbing Issei arm, pulled him towards her before palming his face. However, she didn't expect Ruby to recover from her throw so quickly as Ruby landed on her feet, using a small burst of her Semblance to gain enough momentum in that short distance to slide past her, using her scythe to trip her up into the air before settling into a crouched position and unleashing a heavy barrage of bullets on her and sending her away.
Isabella couldn't stop the next hit a she was still in the air as Issei used Ruby's back as a platform and leaped into the air, then smashing her head into the ground, landing on her back before pushing off her to land near Ruby.
"How do you like that!?" Issei smirked as Isabella got up, almost collapsing back onto the ground. That hurt a lot more than she expected. Especially those bullets.
She smiled at that.
"It seems I have taken your two too lightly…" Isabella breathed out, causing the two to look confused. "To tell you the truth I thought I got you when my kick hit you... Looks like Rias Gremory has been training you well. Especially your stamina, it's magnificent."
"What about our stamina?" Ruby panted out.
"In a serious battle, the most important thing is the stamina. Even idiots can fight. But you need stamina to continue, if only for a few minutes. Battles consume lots of stamina and concentration." Isabella said. "Just dodging the attack requires quite an amount of effort. So being able to do it up till now means that you have been training your body a lot."
"We're a lot better than you think, you know," Ruby said. "We've been training for this like our lives depended on it." 'With mine being a literal case.' She added mentally. Isabella only chuckled at Ruby's statement.
"Training can only get you so far," Isabella stated. "We have ten Rating Games under our belt, while this is your first Rating Game for all of you. So tell me, Human King, who do you think would win? Someone with years of experience in battle, facing hardships that either breaks or strengthens them? Or someone who trained for battle their entire life, who can theoretically win every fight?"
Ruby frowned. She honestly wanted to give it some thought. Well, she would've thought deeper if Issei hadn't started talking.
"Who cares!?" The Pawn shouted out as he went into a battle stance. "If you have the drive to win, sometimes it's enough to take down anyone and everyone in your path! And I don't intend to lose to the likes of Raiser, or to any Human, Devil, Angel or Fallen on this planet! If it means making Buchou happy, I'll gladly destroy every god in existence if I have to!"
He then cracked his knuckles.
"And I definitely won't lose to you."
Ruby looked at Issei, her eyes wide before shaking her head and settling into her battle stance. "I won't lose, not in your lifetime," Ruby said seriously. Isabella only laughed.
"Naïve and foolhardy… You never really see them these days." Isabella said. "Well, I'm having a lot of fun fighting you two." She admitted before her tone became serious. "But now it's time to show you how wrong you are, and why those who think like that are the first ones to die."
"We're still standing," Issei smirked. "Come on! Show me your boobs-ack! I mean moves! Moves… yeah, I-I definitely said moves…"
"Really? Now of all times…" Ruby grumbled before glaring back at Isabella.
"Hm, seems I only fired you two up," Isabella said with a frown. "But it doesn't matter."
"As if!" Issei shouted out. "My name is Issei Hyoudou! I am the weakest and the least experienced member of Rias Gremory-sama's group. But still, I will defeat you!"
"And my name is Ruby Rose," Ruby spoke up. "I may not be deserving of my King Piece… but I will fight Raiser, I will make him regret everything he's done and I will win this Rating Game once and for all!"
Suddenly, they heard a thud and the sound of something shattering.
Ruby and Issei turned their heads back to the duel of Knights and saw Blake on her knees, covered in scratches and burns while her chain for Shrouded Plague was in pieces and one of Kiba's swords' blade, the Holy Eraser, disappearing in a flash of light while Carlamaine pointed her flaming sword at Kiba's forehead.
"Unfortunately, your Sacred Gear won't work on me." Carlamaine taunted with a smirk.
"Blake! Kiba!" Ruby called out. She went to go help them but was stopped by Isabella.
"Don't turn your back on your enemy," Isabella said. "Your fight is with me."
"Ruby, we're fine," Blake called back as she caught her breath. "Just focus on your own fight. We can take care of her."
"Besides," Kiba said with a smile as he looked Carlamaine dead in the eye. "There's more to my Sacred Gear than it meets the eye."
"What? Nonsense, Knight of Gremory." Carlamaine said with a frown. "It's unsightly for a Knight to..."
"Freeze." Kiba interrupted. Carlamaine's eyes widened as she jumped back just in time as a spike of icicles erupted from the ground, the area suddenly becoming colder, causing Ruby to shiver a little. Kiba just smirked as he stood up and put the hilt of his sword on the longest icicle before pulling it out, the icicle becoming a sort of makeshift blade to replace what was there before.
Then with a flick of the wrist, the icicle shattered revealing a perfectly sharp, glowing light blue blade. It didn't even look like ice anymore, but pure metal.
Ruby couldn't help but squeal at the sight as everyone stared in awe. "Wha-What is that? What did you do?" Ruby couldn't help but ask.
"This is nothing more than a simple change of blades." Kiba answered before pointing his new sword at Carlamaine. "Give up now and retire peacefully, Knight of Phoenix. Flame Delete negates all fire it touches."
"…You could've mentioned this during training you know?" Blake deadpanned as she got up and joined back with Kiba.
"But that would ruin the surprise," Kiba replied with a grin.
"I… I don't believe it…" Carlamaine muttered out. "T-That's absurd! You're telling me you possess two Sacred Gears!?" She growled under her breath before charging at the two, abandoning any sense of chivalry she had.
Blake quickly engaged with the knight, blocking the oncoming attack with Shrouded Plague. Firing a few bullets into the ground to make her opponent backstep, the Knight of RWBY swung at Carlamaine at blinding speed, making her guard against her attacks. When they pressed their blades together, Blake just gave the knight a smile.
"Smell you later." Blake couldn't help but make a pun as she pressed a button on the handle of one of her swords before quickly pushing each other away.
Suddenly, Carlamaine started to gag as she realized that the cat girl's weapon had produced a smell that couldn't be described. She almost vomited on the spot, but swallowed it quickly as she saw Kiba casually walk up to her. Her eyes still burning, she just managed to raise up her flaming sword only for Kiba to break it in half with his. She kept fighting with the broken blade, however, and pathetically swung at him only to be easily dodged before having a pommel stuffed into her gut and pushed away. The Knight of Phoenix groaned before managing to get up while throwing away her useless weapon.
"Y… You dishonor the way of swords…" Carlamaine coughed as she wiped her eyes as she pulled out her dagger. "I cannot be defeated by such cowardly tactics! Phoenixes rule over fire and wind! As a member of the House of Phoenix, they will come to my beck and call! Come, wind of eternal life! Come, fire of my passionate soul! Allow me to wield you to destroy all who stain the way of the sword! Let them see that-"
"Get on with it! We don't have all Game!" Ravel heckled from the sidelines before turning to the King, Pawn and Rook. "And why aren't you fighting?"
"…I call for a temporary ceasefire." Isabella casually said; a bit more interested in what's going on with the Knights than her actual opponents.
"Er… okay?" Issei muttered with a shrug.
"As one of the Kings, we accept," Ruby said, causing Ravel to sigh.
"R-Right," Carlamaine said with a blush. "Whirlwind of flame!"
Ruby and Issei quickly put up their arms to guard against the tornado of fire that surrounded the Knights, they even stumbled back from the display of power. The heat was close to unbearable; it felt like it was burning their skin.
Blake didn't lose her cool in the slightest, only taking off her bow to use it to replace her chain as Kiba only looked at the knight with a serious gaze as Flame Delete melted, leaving only the handle. He wasn't even fazed by the intense heat and, admittingly, the wind and lighting made him look like he was modeling for a photo.
Issei felt a little confused why he thought that.
"If we fight like this, we won't last long." Blake pointed out, the air becoming stuffy and hot sweat dripping down their faces. "We have to finish this quick. Unless you have more swords you can pull out of your ass."
"Maybe," Kiba said as he held up his bladeless sword. "Stop."
And then the whirlwind died.
Ruby and Issei held their ground as they felt Kiba's sword vacuum the air around them. He was literally stealing their breath away as a new green blade formed from the air it sucked until he stopped. Sucking in a few breaths, Ruby could only stare in awe at Kiba. How types of swords could he make!?
"Replenish Calm," Kiba said with a grin. "It's been a while since I use more than two demonic swords."
"How many swords do you have, man!?" Issei exclaimed.
"Yes… I wonder…" Carlamaine said as she looked at the blonde Knight. "...Multiple Sacred Gears. Do you possess the power to take the weapons of other Sacred Gear users and make it your own?" Kiba couldn't help but laugh gently as he shook his head.
"I don't have multiple Sacred Gears." He answered. "I also don't take the Sacred Gears of others and make them my own. I create them."
"What the… You make swords out of thin air?" Ruby gasped. "That's so cool!"
"Yes. My Sacred Gear, Sword Birth." Kiba said with a confident smile on his face. "You may pride yourself on your ability to wield a blade, Carlamaine." Then, as demonic energy flared around him, as more swords burst from the ground around him of differing styles and lengths, he gave Carlamaine a devious smile. "Too bad you only brought two to this fight. I always bring all of them."
"…End the ceasefire?" Ruby asked, the Knights engaged in battle once again.
"End the ceasefire!" Issei shouted out as his Sacred Gear glowed as Isabella got ready for more.
BOOST! BOOST!
"Issei, wanna do RxD?" Ruby whispered as she got out Death Rose.
"Hm… Not yet." Issei replied as he started focusing his Devil energy into the palm of his hand. "Just keep her occupied while I charge up. You may wanna stand back when I say so."
"Got it," Ruby nodded before charging at Isabella. Just as the Rook went to guard her front, Ruby sidestepped and tried to go for her right side but Isabella managed to block the attack and grab her scythe. Ruby glared at her and pulled out Crescent Rose and fired a shot, but was forced to aim at the ground.
But Ruby, thinking quickly, grabbed Death Rose as Isabella tried to plant the blade into the ground, spun around and managed to slash at Isabella's mask with Death Rose before firing a bullet in the Rook's stomach using Crescent Rose then kicking her in the solar plexus, but got her leg grabbed again.
Ruby tried to turn Death Rose into its Rifle form so she could fire both of them in Isabella's face, but ended up getting pulled towards her as she grabbed her other leg and putting it under her armpit. Ruby quickly braced herself as Isabella slammed her fists down on Ruby's chest and throat, creating a crater around them.
Blake couldn't help but let a flash of worry run down her spine but kept focusing on Carlamaine. She couldn't stop fighting until either Rias or Ruby lost their will to fight.
Ruby groaned as she was lifted up by her collar, still gripping onto her scythes as hard as she could. Most of her Aura took that attack but it still hurt a lot and left her in a daze. Just as Isabella was about to land a heavy right hook and end the Rating Game, Issei managed to snap Ruby out of it.
"RUBY! NOW!" Issei shouted out, the energy in his hand becoming more and more unstable by the second. Ruby's silver eyes regained focus in an instant as she kicked off the Rook and dived out of the way with her Semblance. "Boosted Gear! Dragon Shot!"
Isabella's eyes widened before just barely getting out of the way of the shot as well, the sound of it just like a dragon's roar, causing it miss and hit the tennis court. She winced in pain before looking at her shoulder, seeing that it grazed her and left a burn mark on her skin. Then the ground began to rumble underneath.
"HIT THE DECK!" Ruby managed to shout out before the tennis court exploded, flinging two girls away from the baseball field from the shockwave alone as the Knights' battle stopped to guard themselves against the blast. "WHOA!"
"AAHH!" Issei screamed out as he was blown off his feet by his own attack. When he opened his eyes and got up, he saw the amount of destruction he caused. He had completely obliterated the majority of the sports courts. The only surviving one was the baseball field. Everything else was a crater. "And I was holding back…" Issei admitted as he looked at his gauntlet before tightening it into a fist. "I love this thing!" He declared with a confident smile on his face.
"Next time, you should use it at a longer range…" Ruby groaned as she slowly got up. "You kinda almost killed us all…"
"Er… whoops?" Issei replied with a shrug before they both focused back on Isabella, who looked a little worse for wear.
"Isabella! Defeat that Pawn!" Carlamaine called out as she re-engaged with Blake and Kiba. "That Sacred Gear has the power to change the outcome of the battle! Save the Human King for Raiser-sama!"
"I have a name!" Ruby shouted out indigently as she rolled her neck a little, preparing to use both Death Rose and Crescent Rose for the rest of the fight.
"Affirmative," Isabella said, no longer sounding bored. Ruby and Issei stepped back as her Devil energy flared, her power as a High-Class Devil becoming apparent. "He'll become a real threat if we allow him to Promote to Queen. You must be destroyed, Issei Hyoudou! I will gladly end this Game now if I can't!"
"And… now you made yourself a target." Ruby sighed. "Great."
"Says the Failure Condition to this Game," Issei mumbled under his breath.
"I heard that!" Ruby said as she used her Semblance to reload her scy-ifles as quick as possible. "Let's end this quick."
"If you want this to end this quickly, let me do my ultimate move again," Issei suggested.
"You have an ultim-" Ruby then paused as she realized what Issei meant. "Really? Again?" She whispered through gritted teeth.
"What? It's super effective against girls and Raiser's entire freaking peerage-"
"You know what, fuck it." Ruby sighed out as she face-palmed just knowing there was no stopping him. "Go nuts. We'll talk about this later."
"Sweet!" Issei cheered out before they both started running at Isabella. Ruby jumped into the air and turned herself into buzzsaw before slashing at the Rook when she landed on the ground. As Isabella dodged and blocked as much as she could, Ruby jumped into the air.
Isabella thought it was going to be an aerial assault and quickly raised her hands above her head… leaving her open for an uppercut.
"EAT THIS!" Issei called out as he hit her jaw as hard as he could before punching her flat in the chest, blowing her away and leaving a special mark on her. "It's over! Dress Break!"
"What!?" Isabella managed to get out before her clothes exploded, leaving her in nothing but her birthday suit. "Wh-What!? Who would do such a thing!?" She cried out as she covered her breasts and squeezed her thighs together, trying to gain a little sense of modesty.
"It's called playing dirty," Ruby whispered into her ear from behind. She didn't even hear her get up behind her. "If you have the drive to win, you'll do anything."
"Huh?"
"Good-bye." Isabella only had enough time to look down and see that the Human King had crossed her scythes at the ready, the blades ready to bisect her from the stomach. She looked up just in time to see the Pawn pull back his fist.
"Oh, this is going to hurt."
CRACK!
[Raiser Phoenix-sama's final Rook has been retired.] Grayfia announced as soon as Isabella left the battlefield.
"We… We did it…" Ruby panted out as she collapsed to her knees, putting away Death Rose for now.
"Y-Yeah… W-We did…" Issei said, laughing a little as he looked up at the dark sky, finally seeing that night had fallen. "Buchou… I can fight… I can fight for you… because of you…! Hell yeah!"
"You two did well." A voice from behind congratulated. Issei and Ruby turned their heads to see Kiba and Blake looking at them, one of them chuckling while the other glared, and Carlamaine walking up to them and clapping. They had stopped their fight to watch them. "We shouldn't have taken you two so lightly. I guess next time we meet, we'll stop treating you like lowly Pawns."
"I don't know if I should be glad or worried." Issei admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"What makes you think there's going to be a next time?" Ruby threatened, her eyes flashing red, as she aimed at Carlamaine's armoured chest. "I can take you out right here."
"But wouldn't you like a more honorable fight? Our groups may be fighting each other but it doesn't mean we should act hostile around each other at all times." Carlamaine asked as she pointed the gun away. "Besides, you may have taken out a Rook but so far you have used rather… underhanded tactics such as b-blowing women's clothes off…"
"Yeah, I'm truly sorry," Kiba said as he walked up to the group. "I will apologize as well. I'm sorry for our Issei-kun being a lecher."
"Yes, we'll be having a long talk about his actions," Blake spoke up as she wrapped her arm around Issei's neck.
"A-A-A little ti-tight there, B-B-Bl-Blake-san…" Issei got out, only for the grip on his neck to tighten. "B-Blake?"
"Be glad Yang isn't here to kill you again," Blake told him. Issei started sweating and just nodded as Blake let go of his neck as Carlamaine turned to Kiba.
"But a demonic sword wielder and someone with such a strange pair of blades... what fortune," Carlamaine said. "I may have a destiny of meeting fellow sword-wielders who use special blades."
"Well, in my world, it's kinda required you make stuff like this if you want to survive," Blake explained as she held up her weapon. "This is just one in a million."
"While your weapon is rather unique to us, I'm talking about you and your swords," Carlamaine said as she turned to Kiba, who only looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Hm? What is it?" Kiba asked. "Is there someone else that uses demonic swords you know of?"
"No… not at all," Carlamaine replied before smirking. "You possess the ability to wield holy swords."
Suddenly, the air dropped a few degrees.
Ruby couldn't help but be shocked at the amount of hate and killing intent coming off of Kiba at the moment. It was overwhelming. He almost had the same amount of hate as Rias when she became hostile. Her Power of Suffering even started to act up as she tried to keep it under control.
Whatever it was that involved the holy sword he wields, it most definitely caused a lot of suffering for him.
"K-Kiba…" Ruby whispered out.
"Tell me about that holy sword wielder," Kiba demanded; his tone low and threatening. This was a major change between Kiba the school prince and Kiba the (apparently raged-filled and vengeful) Devil. "Tell me everything you know."
"Huh, a strong connection indeed," Carlamaine noted. "But since we are wielders of blades, we should stop right now and fight. Let our swords do the talking for us!"
"Hmph! Fine." Kiba said as he settled into a battle stance. "I guess leaving you to die won't be a problem, as long as your mouth still moves."
Ruby, Blake, and Issei all simultaneously took a step back away from the blonde-haired swordsman and the knight.
"I'm getting the feeling he has issues…" Issei muttered.
"Yeah, no kidding…" Ruby mumbled before looking at Blake. "Uh… are you gonna…"
"I think this is something he should do alone," Blake said, just knowing from his body language that he wanted to do this without interference from anyone but the knight. "She really does say the word 'sword' a lot…" The former Faunus muttered to herself.
"How about you deal with her for a week, and then we'll talk," Ravel said as she walked up to the three.
"Huh? Oh, you're still here?" Ruby said with a small gasp. "I honestly forgot you were here. So… um… are we gonna fight sooner or later or…?" The Phoenix Bishop only scoffed.
"Oh please, we still have plenty of other Pieces until I'm necessary," Ravel replied before looked past the group. "Actually, here they come right now."
"What?" Issei let out before they all looked where Ravel was looking at.
"So it's here, huh?" A woman dressed up as a belly dancer, or that slave woman Issei has an old photo of underneath his bed from some movie, said as she looked around. Ruby realized she must've been the last surviving Pawn in Raiser's peerage.
'Her name was… Shuriya?' Ruby tried to remember her name as she looked at them.
"Hm… They don't seem very strong…" Shuriya noted.
"Hey, wait a minute, where's Isabella-chan?" the woman in a kimono asked, wondering where the Knight was. Issei instantly recognized her as the other Bishop, Mihae.
"Didn't you listen? She was defeated earlier." A woman with a Zweihänder on her back answered as she looked at the group. Issei also remembered her name, Siris.
'She has to be the last Knight.' Blake thought with a frown as she looked around. Every last member of Raiser's peerage was here. It then hit her.
They were winning.
Well, in terms of numbers but they only lost four members while Raiser's peerage was reduced to six members left. Of course, it was mainly due to his sacrifice play strategy but… they were winning.
They could actually do this.
"Hey, you two. The Pawn-kun and King-chan, over here." Ravel spoke up. Issei and Ruby looked at each other before shrugging and walked up to the Phoenix Bishop. "Raiser-sama said he's going to fight your princess. Look."
"What?" Ruby said before they both looked up. Their eyes widened as they saw a shadow with large wings in the air, crimson hair glistening in the false night sky. "What the… Rias!"
"Buchou!" Issei exclaimed just as his and Ruby's transceiver got an incoming message.
"Issei-san? Ruby-san? Anyone! Can someone hear me!?" Asia cried over the radio. She sounded like she was suffering a panic attack.
"Asia! Calm down! We can hear you loud and clear." Ruby quickly responded. "What's wrong?"
"Is it something about Buchou!?" Issei had to ask. He was extremely worried about his King.
"It is. I'm with Buchou-san on the school rooftop. Raiser-san challenged Buchou to a duel and Buchou-san accepted it! We were able to get into the school building without any problem, but…" Asia explained as best as she could.
"Are you somewhere safe, Asia?" Issei asked. "Do you still have your shield? Are you hurt?"
"Yes, yes and no. Hurry, I don't think Buchou-san can beat him alone." Asia said before cutting the connection.
"…Shit." Ruby swore as Ravel smiled at their worried expressions.
"Seems like Onii-sama challenged Rias-sama. Not surprising since you've been doing unexpectedly well…" Ravel stated. "We were holding back this entire time, but it seems like the kiddie gloves have come off. At this rate, she will be defeated before you even see him." Ruby and Issei clenched their fists as she chuckled at them.
"I'm sorry, but look who's winning!" Issei called out. "We will take you down, each and every last one of you! As soon as Akeno and Weiss are done, you're finished! Hell, I bet Kiba can take care of all you alone! Step aside! We have an asshole to teach!"
"You still think you can win?" Ravel taunted. "The Crimson Ruin Princess, the Priestess of Lightning, Sword Birth, the Red Dragon Emperor, the Red Reaper King… Such names actually send shivers down my spine." She then smirked. "However, you are facing Immortal Birds. No matter how much power you have, it means nothing against an immortal."
"Immortal doesn't mean invincible," Blake stated as she joined up with Issei and Ruby. "So you can heal, it doesn't mean you can't die. You can be beaten, one way or another."
"What, are you seriously going to try and fight him until he loses his will?" Ravel said. "Or are you going to defeat him with a strike that rivals a god? Are you still thinking you can still win!? Sorry, but that deserves a laugh."
"Don't you even know what's at stake here!?" Issei called out. "We have to win at all costs! No matter what!"
"Hmph, even if we wanted to lose, Onii-chan wouldn't allow it," Ravel stated. "There's so much riding on this that we can't fail."
"Right, continuing the Pureblood Devil legacy bullshit," Ruby said mockingly. "You realize your brother doesn't even love Rias! She just a prize to him, something to flaunt around on the street! Why do you think I'm here in the first place!? I'm going to die if I lose!" Ravel's eyes widened before shaking her head.
"You're overreacting! Since you still cannot comprehend our power, I'll make sure you never see Raiser-oniichan!" Ravel declared. "Carlamaine, take care of the Sword Birth user. Leave the rest to us."
"With pleasure," Carlamaine said as Kiba glared at her.
"Siris. Shuriya." Ravel called for two other servants. "Step forward."
"Yes, Phoenix-sama." They both said as they approached.
"As you may have already guessed, the one with the over-sized sword is Onii-sama's other Knight." Ravel introduced. "Unlike Carlamaine over there, however, she lacks chivalry. She will do anything to defeat her opponent. No way around it."
"And the belly dancer?" Issei spoke up.
"Oh, she may not be one of our most powerful Pawns but she will provide more than enough of a challenge for you," Ravel answered before mentally adding. 'Too bad she constantly underestimates her opponents.'
"Oh." Ruby said… before using her Semblance to shoot Shuriya in the head in the blink of an eye. Blake looked at her leader in disbelief before shrugging and took a couple of potshots at the enemy peerage.
"WHAT THE HELL!?" Ravel exclaimed as she dived for cover with Siris making sure she was safe.
"You said she doesn't care about chivalry, right?" Issei chuckled out before going into a battle stance. "Then we shouldn't either!"
[…Raiser Pheonix-sama is out of Pawns.] Grayfia announced. They swore she was sweatdropping from wherever she was. [I repeat; all of Raiser-sama's Pawns have been retired.]
"Grr…! That's it!" Ravel shouted out as flame wings appeared on her back. "Carlamaine, keep that Knight distracted! Everyone else, on me!"
"I think we made 'em angry," Ruby said with a smile on her face as she pulled out both her scythes.
"You made them angry." Blake deadpanned as she pulled out her weapons.
"You know, this is a lot more fun than I imagined!" Issei admitted as he activated his gauntlet once again. "Let's make them weep, people!"
BOOST!
"The Human King is useless without her weapon, try and disarm her first! And that Nekomata is looking rather weak so finish her off as soon as possible!" Ravel informed her side. "And most importantly, watch the Pawn's hands! Not only his Boosted Gear, he has a technique that destroys all clothing! Don't let him touch you! Go for his legs! No, wait, GO FOR HIS CROTCH!"
"What is everyone's problem with me reproducing!?" Issei exclaimed.
"Is that really a question?" Blake couldn't help but joke.
"Just go!" Ruby shouted out as they charged at each other. "Issei, Knight! Blake, Bishop! I got Ravel! Go!"
"Got it!" Issei and Blake called out as they went ahead. They all clashed with their respective opponents, glaring at each other.
"Don't hold back!" Ruby said, her eyes flashing red.
"Wasn't counting on it!" Ravel said with a smirk before they all pushed off each other.
(Meanwhile…)
"ARGH!" Weiss shouted in pain as she was blown back by another explosion. She and Akeno were still fighting Yubelluna at the ruins of the gym and they were running out of options. Her outfit was in ruins, even exposing one of her breasts, her hair was burnt in places and she felt drained.
She was out of Dust, out of magic, out of ammo, out of Aura and out of time. It was only through sheer willpower that she was still able to stand. And even then, she wanted to collapse and sleep. Even breathing hurt.
Akeno was faring much better than her, but was still suffering a lot of damage. Blow after blow, explosion after explosion, it was like the Queen had an endless reserve of magic at her disposal. At this rate, they would be retired and that much closer to losing.
"You… You can do this…" Weiss told herself, just so her legs wouldn't give out, as she picked up Myrtenaster and Hungersnot. "You… can't… lose…" Just as she spoke, Akeno was blasted away, landing right next to her. "G-Get up…"
"H-How is she… How has she lasted this long…?" Akeno groaned as Weiss helped her up. "Sh-She shouldn't have lasted this long…"
"Well, considering you won't be lasting very much longer, I guess I should tell you," Yubelluna said as she landed in front of them. Weiss couldn't even lift up her weapons to even attempt to defend herself. She was just so tired. "You see… This Game was decided as soon as you faced us." The Queen said as she held up a small bottle. Weiss almost thought it was holy water, but narrowed her eyes as she looked closer.
"That isn't holy water." Weiss stated. "Devils can't even touch a bottle of holy water… so what is that?"
"Hmph. It's nothing special." Yubelluna said with a smirk. "You see while you can heal your wounds with that Twilight Healing user, your stamina won't. This, a bottle of Phoenix Tears from the Phoenix clan itself, does both and in record time. While you threw yourselves at me, draining your energy and breaking your bodies, I kept myself healthy and strong throughout this entire fight. I'm sorry, but it's checkmate from the first move."
Akeno and Weiss glared at her as she waved the bottle in front of them. "That's… That's unfair! You're cheating!" Weiss shouted out.
"Oh please, not many peerages would have a dedicated medic on their side." Yubelluna pointed out. "And they certainly wouldn't have two peerages against one. All we did was even the playing field."
"Y-You bitch…" Akeno growled.
"Oh, look it up in the rules." Yubelluna scoffed.
"I did," Weiss spoke up. "Only two users of Twilight Healing could be allowed in a Rating Game… it would be too overpowered otherwise… but says nothing about your tears…"
"That's because no one but the House of Phoenix has access to it. If such a nuance rule were to exist for just one peerage, there would be an outrage." Yubelluna explained before looking at Weiss' disheveled state. "Plus, these are sold to Devils for a very high price. That's why the House of Phoenix is so wealthy. Though, I doubt you would know such things, you filthy peasant." Weiss scoffed at that.
"I do know…" Weiss said with a frown. "I'm an Heiress to a very important company from where I'm from."
"Well, you certainly don't look like it right now," Yubelluna said with a chuckle. "Look at yourself. You dress up like a princess just to keep your fragile self-image up, acting all high and mighty. Hmph, I bet you never fought in battle like this."
"Well, you're wrong. I have." Weiss replied. "You don't know anything about me so stop acting like you do!"
"Really? Because I can tell you everything just by looking at you. You're such a boring read, by the way. No twists, no substance, no heart." Yubelluna said as Weiss gritted her teeth. "That's how I imagine your life. A caged princess trying to break free that should know that is useless to even attempt to do so. You should have stayed off the battlefield and confided yourself to those above you."
"Sh-Shut up…" Weiss muttered out.
"I mean look at you. You were never meant for battle." Yubelluna continued. "You may wield such a unique power, none of it even matters in the face of a Phoenix. Those toys you call weapons are nothing more than sticks, and the way you fight is like watching a child flail their arms around thinking they could save the world. But you're in reality now, princess, and the world doesn't work that way. I'm guessing daddy keeps giving everything since you were born, right?"
"Shut up!" Weiss shouted as she grew angrier and angrier.
"You never earned a damn thing in your life, have you?" Yubelluna said with an evil smile. "All of it was given to you, from your weapon to your wins. You've never worked for anything in your life! Such a waste of time for me to even meet you, a pathetic excuse for a Devil! For a human even!"
Weiss held herself back from saying anything. She was baiting her, trying to make her lose all of her senses and eliminate her from the Rating Game. She wouldn't let her get into her head! She wouldn't! She-
"And once your weak King falls, it will be over for your house!" Yubelluna declared. "Does it hurt? Are you going to cry? Face the truth; you are not worth anything and you never will be!"
Suddenly, something in Weiss snapped.
"The Phoenix was handed everything on a platter…" Weiss said through gritted teeth. "From chance, from the blood they were born in… they were set for life…"
"Can you blame them? The House of Phoenix was born to never lose." Yubelluna smirked as Akeno grew unnerved by Weiss' heavy breathing. "Especially against such pitiful opponents."
"…Everything…" Weiss growled quietly. "Everything… was given to you… You never earned anything… You were lucky…"
"Hm? What are you saying?" Yubelluna asked. She frowned as she saw Weiss settle into a battle stance, both her rapiers in her hands.
"You never cared… You never tried… You never did anything…" Weiss said, her hair covering her eyes. She wasn't even talking to Yubelluna anymore, Akeno noticed, but to… someone else. "You lied… You hurt people… You destroy anything in your path…"
"W-Weiss? Weiss?" Akeno tried to snap the Heiress out of it, but she knew that she wasn't listening. This was clearly about something else and that what made Akeno crawl away as Weiss' Aura started to flare.
"You… ruined lives…" Weiss said darkly as she finally looked up with nothing but hate in her eyes. "You ruined my life…! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING…!"
With a roar, Weiss' eyes turned bright purple as pure, white-coloured energy flared around her body as the air grew colder and colder. Akeno's eyes widened as she saw white, feathery wings on Weiss' back for a second before disappearing, being replaced by her Devil wings the next second.
"Weiss…" Akeno whispered out. She had no idea what was happening but… she had the feeling Weiss wasn't entirely human before her rebirth.
Yubelluna gasped at the display of power before cursing to herself. She just made an opponent a little bit more lethal. It was going to waste more time to take care of, but she could still finish this up quickly and get to Raiser just in time to end this Rating Game once and for all.
Weiss appeared in front of Yubelluna and tried to thrust her rapiers into her stomach. Not expecting the Teleport Glyph, the magician barely managed to dodge the attack as she flew back into the air. Pocketing her bottle of Phoenix Tears, she quickly created another explosion at Weiss' position.
The Heiress disappeared in a flash as she cast a few more Teleport Glyphs on the ground and in the air. Yubelluna couldn't create another explosion fast enough as Weiss teleported around the battlefield. This was a tactic meant to confuse and disorient her. That would mean…
"Got you," Yubelluna said as she targeted an explosion from behind her back.
"Not quite!" Weiss called out, standing on a Platform Glyph as she cast another glyph in front of her. The glyph absorbed the explosion as it shattered. Before Yubelluna realized what Weiss was doing, the Heiress created another glyph underneath of the Queen.
Next thing Yubelluna knew, she was blown high into the air by one of her own explosions.
Weiss didn't relent on her assault. Drawing from their ultimate team attack, Weiss quickly created a globe around the Queen before she turned her Platform Glyph into a Teleport Glyph. Yubelluna cried out in pain as she was stabbed and slashed at from all sides as Weiss burned through all her energy to cast replacement glyphs to keep the attack up. When she couldn't keep it up any longer, Weiss shoved Yubelluna through the last Teleport Glyph she could muster before going through it herself. Before Yubelluna had the chance to retaliate, Weiss stabbed Hungersnot through the Phoenix Queen's stomach and Myrtenaster through her chest.
"I-It's… over…" Weiss panted out, having thoroughly drained herself of everything. She could feel unconsciousness approaching quickly.
"Y-You think… that is enough… to stop me…?" Yubelluna coughed out. She had to admit, this girl was good but such an attack wouldn't take her down so easily.
"Who said… that I was referring to only you…?" Weiss smirked as she felt the hair on her back stick up. "Akeno… Do it!"
"What?" Yubelluna managed to get out before seeing Akeno, weak but flowing with electricity, charging up one last attack. The Phoenix Queen couldn't help by laugh.
Weiss wasn't trying to defeat her. She was only stalling for time.
"Good-bye," Akeno whispered out before casting down the most powerful thunderbolt she could muster. She kept it up for as long as she could before collapsing on the ground.
Finally, this fight was over.
[Raiser Phoenix-sama's Queen has been retired, along with Ruby Rose-sama's other Bishop.] Grayfia announced. [I repeat, Raiser-sama's Queen and Ruby-sama's other Bishop have been retired.]
'Get ready… for… another announcement…' Akeno thought as her eyes started to close, her consciousness fading rapidly.
That is, until something cold touched her cheek.
Drawing upon the last of her strength, she turned her head to the side… and laughed.
"Raiser… doesn't stand a chance…" Akeno said before grabbing the bottle of Phoenix Tears.
(Meanwhile…)
[Raiser-sama's Queen has been retired, along with Ruby-sama's other Bishop.] Grayfia announced. [I repeat, Raiser-sama's Queen and Ruby-sama's other Bishop have been retired!]
"WHAT!?" Ruby and Ravel exclaimed at the same time. Both sides looked worse for wear, but they were still going strong in their fight. Ruby was the first to snap out of it and slashed at Ravel, cutting her across her stomach, then up her torso before spinning around with both her scythes out as a finisher.
"Had enough!?" Ruby panted out. She was really tired; her body was aching for rest.
"Not in your lifetime!" Ravel called back with a smile. She was honestly enjoying this fight. She would make a great friend and rival after this.
"We're not gonna win anytime soon!" Blake called out as she dodged another attack from Mihae. "We're running out of options here!"
"Issei, you think you have something!?" Ruby shouted out as she slashed through a fireball.
"Maybe!" Issei replied as he blocked an overhead swing from Siris. "Come on, Boosted Gear! Give me something! Anything! Give me strength, Sekiryutei!"
At those words, Issei's Sacred Gear glowed red as he felt a massive power boost go through his body. It was just like the power he felt back in that church.
"Dragon Booster!" Issei called out as he threw off Siris' sword. "No… No! It's not enough! That was for Asia! This is for Buchou! This is for Ruby! This is for everyone here! Give me more! Give me everything you have and beyond!" Suddenly, his eyes widened as he felt a different type of power flow through his body as his gauntlet started to transform.
"He's powering up! Someone stop him!" Ravel commanded, only for Ruby to tackle her to the ground.
"NO WAY IN HELL!" Ruby yelled out. "Issei! Give it all you got!"
"RRRRRAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHH!" The Pawn roared out as his gauntlet took up his half of his arm, his energy covering the entire field. "Dragon Booster! Second Liberation!"
"That's what I'm talking about!" Ruby cheered out before getting a fiery slap in the face. Meanwhile, Issei smirked as he looked at the new version of his Sacred Gear.
"Okay… I think I get it… I know what to do!" Issei said before running towards the duel between Knights. "Kiba!"
"Hey! Don't you run aw-" Siris called out, only for Blake to interrupt her with a dive kick to the face.
"Issei! We'll keep them off you! Go for it!" Blake shouted out as she engaged with both Siris and Mihae.
"Thanks!" Issei called back as he blindsided Carlamaine and shoved her to the ground. "Kiba, unleash your Sacred Gear! Now!" The blonde Knight looked confused before nodding, trusting the Pawn.
"Sword Birth!" He declared as he stabbed the ground, causing swords to erupt from it around them. Issei cackled evilly as more and more swords appeared.
"Issei, what are you doing!?" Ruby had to ask as she fended of Ravel onslaught of attacks. "What's with your Sacred Gear!?"
"Nothing! Just a little gift from the Sekiryutei itself!" Issei answered as he raised his armoured fist into the air. "Booster Gear Gift! Transfer!"
As soon as Issei said those words, the entire field became a sea of swords, their designs becoming more and more twisted and demonic the further they were from the center. Issei couldn't help but let out a roar at the sight.
"Whoa…" Ruby said in awe as the swords started to rise from the ground. The pervert had come a long way since she first met him. "Way to go, Issei!"
"You know it!" Issei replied with a smirk before looking at the enemy, all of them gaping in awe.
"…Impossible!" Siris cried out in anguish.
"I-Is this the power of a dragon…?" Mihae said, knowing there was no way any of them could stop this attack.
"Not even half of it!" Issei called out as the swords were held up in the air, ready to rain down death. "Now penetrate their bodies and into their souls! Execute!" He ordered as he threw his fist down. Ruby and Blake just stared in awe as it rained swords around them, not even touching them in the slightest as their enemies fell around them. "Ha ha! And that's what you call a finale!"
[…Raiser Phoenix-sama has just lost one Pawn, two Knights and one Bishop.] Grayfia announced. They could almost hear the awe in her voice. At least, Issei thought it was awe. It was still in her usual tone. [I repeat, one Pawn, two Knights and one Bishop from Raiser-sama's peerage have been retired.]
"…Really, Issei-san? Penetrate their souls?" Kiba couldn't help but chuckle at the innuendo. Issei only blushed and joined in the laughter with him.
"…That's everyone." Ruby realized was her eyes widened. "That's everyone! All that's left is Raiser!"
"Wait a minute…" Blake said as she stopped from jumping around in celebration. "It's not all of them. Where's the other Bishop?"
"Huh?" Ruby said before looking around, to see that Ravel had put up a flame shield around herself. After letting it drop, she collapsed to her knees. "You survived…?"
"Yes…" Ravel panted out as she slowly stood up. "You think… you've won? You can defeat me too, but you still have to face Raiser-oniichan. You don't stand a chance."
"I wouldn't count on it." A voice from above called out before landing in front of them.
"Akeno!" They all called out as the Lightning Priestess smiled at them, her beauty barely tarnished. Issei couldn't help but get a slight nosebleed when he saw the state of Akeno's clothes. It was barely holding together.
"Took you long enough," Ruby said happily.
"How did you defeat Yubelluna?" Ravel had to ask. "We had an advantage over you!"
"Oh, you mean this?" Akeno said with a smirk as she pulled out a near-empty bottle. Ravel's eyes widened as the sight. "Weiss managed to steal and give this to me before she was retired. By her own choice, in fact."
"Weiss…" Ruby mumbled to herself, a small tear running down her cheek. "Thanks."
"Come on! We have to help Buchou and Asia before it's too late!" Issei called out. "Let's go!"
"Get ready to eat your words, Raiser," Ruby said with a smirk.
"H-Hey! Wait!" Ravel exclaimed as they all turned away from her and started walking towards the main school building. "Don't ignore me! Even with all of you, you don't stand a chance against Onii-chan! You hear me! You will lo-"
"Shut up, you piece of fried chicken," Issei said in a serious tone before looking at her, scaring her slightly with the gaze he was giving her. "Say one more word and I strip you naked."
Ravel logically shut up and let them on their way to certain doom.
"Seriously, what is up with you?" Blake had to ask. "You seriously invented a move that strips off clothing!?"
"Well, it's been pretty useful so-GACK!"
To their surprise, it was not Blake kicking him in the gonads, it was him tripping and collapsing on his face. It seemed that he was unable to move anymore. "D-Damn it, I… I pushed myself too far…" The Pawn cursed. "Too much… Sacred Gear…"
"Well, you're lucky I have this," Akeno said as she flipped him over and poured the last of the Phoenix Tears into his mouth. Suddenly, with a burst of energy, he flipped himself back on his feet. "There, you should be good to go."
"Thanks, Akeno-san," Issei said before he and Ruby looked at the top of the school, still hearing the battle between Rias and Raiser take place.
"This is it," Ruby whispered out. "Is everyone ready?" They all nodded in response, causing Ruby to smile.
"We're ready for anything, King Ruby," Issei said with a thumbs-up.
"Okay then. Let's finish this once and for all." Ruby stated as they walked into the school and up to the rooftop.
They had entered the endgame… and after there would only be two Kings left standing.
Save Game… Quit!
Whew! Done! Really proud of this though I am anticipating mistakes from the reviews. But still, next chapter is gonna be… probably not as long as this. My back hurts and summer is approaching Australia so… shit.
UknownHero signing off, my friends!