The Underworld, or rather the Abrahamic side of it, was a desolate and dreary place. The sky was dark but Shin could see hints of purple. The Moon was smaller than that of the Earth's, but it gave off enough luminosity to brighten the entire sky. There were no stars in this world, signifying its bleakness to those who were sent here. The land was lush yet there were no indications of major water sources. Shin surmised it was made this way due to magic. However, amidst this rustic scenery, he saw nothing that indicated the screams of the damned nor an eruption of fire and brimstone. It was as if he landed in the outback of Australia but without the dangerous animals.

"You know, I thought I'd hear the screams of damned souls but it's surprisingly quiet. A bit rustic too," Shin said.

"Nah, no, those souls are in the lower part with the Gods of Hell. We're at the upper part. You know Hell wasn't always in control of the Devils and the Gods of Hell. It used to be ruled by one God," Sophia said as they walked down the street.

"One god ruled all this?" Shin asked.

"Yeah, a long time ago. Most devils don't know this since it's been a long long time but there was a time when all the Gods of Hell were crushed under the heel of one God. She ruled this land with an iron fist and no one could challenge her lest they get destroyed. Ereshkigal led a rebellion against her at one point and it ended in her husband's execution," Sophia explained.

"Wow, that's brutal. Is this god still here?" Shin asked.

"Oh yeah, she's still alive. She was ousted from her throne by Dad with the help of the Coiled Serpent and the other Gods of Hell. Though, to be fair, Dad said that she was locked in a three-way war at that point so it was either keep Hell or continue fighting the war above," she replied.

"Who was this god by the way?" Shin asked.

"Mot, the God of Death. Come on. We need to get there before the game starts," Sophia said.

"We have an hour though?" Shin said as he and the others followed her.

"I know. I just don't want to run into certain people while I'm here. I'm supposed to be subbing in for Sirzechs with my brother while he's on official business," she replied.

"Brother?" Vivi asked.

"Yeah, my oldest brother, Rizevim. He's supposed to watch over this game with me since he wants me to take on more official duties," Sophia answered.

"And who are these certain people you don't want to run into?" Shin asked.

"Runeas. She's the clingiest of my siblings. She's supposed to be with Marquis Phenex and Duke Gremory," she said.

"So she's kinda like Onee then?" Shin asked.

"If your sister was a devil that looked like a short Rias, then yes, she would be." She turned to Asia. "By the way, Asia, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. A bit nauseous from teleportation but I feel fine. Holding Ran is really helping me calm my nerves. I'm an angel in the Underworld so I sort of feel out of place," Asia said.

"That's good. I'm kind of surprised Shin isn't nauseous," Sophia said.

"I'm good. My cousin's gate talismans got me used to teleportation, especially when we were first learning them," he replied.

"Your cousins? From the Furude family?"

"Yeah, Akemi. She's an onmyouji and a damn good one at that. She stopped using a hakkero before me. People back in Serikawa call her the One Week Priestess because she can use all the cycles of the Godai," Shin said.

"What's a hakkero?" Asia asked.

"It's a-"

"You two can talk later. We're here at the venue," Sophia said. "Make yourselves presentable. My mother is here too. My brother might be a soulless ass but my mom is a stickler for manners and appearances."

"Lilith? A stickler for manners?" Vivi asked.

"You know her?" she asked.

"I know of her. Woman is the reason why the English channel exists," Vivi said.

"Quiet guys, she's here."

The group stopped talking and slowed to a stop. Almost immediately, Shin felt an overwhelming presence. He looked up at the top of the steps and saw a woman with a regal gaze looking down upon them. Her eyes resembled that of molten gold and had an intense pressure about them. She had long flowing pinkish-red hair and wore a long-sleeved dress with a white top and a black skirt. The dress perfectly hugged her figure which had perfect proportions that would make any man drool. However, rather than feeling lust, Shin's immediate reaction was to suppress the urge to run.

"Sophia. Are these your guests?" the woman said. Her voice was soft yet commanded absolute obedience from everyone around her.

Shin's eyes drifted to Grayfia, who stood next to the woman unflinchingly.

"Yes, Mother. I have. Allow me to introduce them. This man next to me is a Contractor like me from Kuoh Town. The floating spirit next to him is his Sponsor-"

"Vivian. You've grown since I last saw you," the woman said.

"It has been a long time, Lady Lilith. I am honored to meet you under better circumstances," Vivi said, performing a curtsy.

"I see your manners have improved greatly since the Great War. I am sorry to hear about what happened to Arthur. But, it seems that the centuries have been kind to you," Lilith said.

"You praise me too much, My Lady," Vivi said.

This woman… she can even force Vivi to be polite, Shin gulped.

"What is your name, Child of Man?" Lilith asked, turning her imperious gaze to Shin.

"Shinku Faulkner. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Your Highness," Shin said. He wondered if that was polite enough for the former Devil Queen. His eyes moved slowly to face her molten gaze to find no hint of annoyance, nor emotion in general. She looked like a doll. A doll that could kill you in mere seconds if it was offended.

"Ahem. And this is the Angel I told you and Father about. The one created by Grandmother, Asia Argento. She's under Shin's protection," Sophia said.

"I- It's a p-pleasure to m-make your a-acquaintance, Y-Your Highness!" Asia performed a curtsy after putting Ran down on the ground.

"You're the first Angel born in nearly five hundred years. Welcome to the Underworld. I hope my daughter has not been causing trouble in your home," Lilith said.

"No! Not at all. She's been a treat to have. Your Highness," Shin added at the end. He looked back between Sophia and Lilith. The two… did not resemble the other in the slightest. There was no trace of the woman on Sophia.

"Sophia, your booth has been prepared by Grayfia. I shall be overseeing the barrier to the Rating Game Field. Runeas will be accompanying you in Rizevim's place for the game," Lilith said.

"Understood, Mother," she said.

"And Sophia?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Fix your clothes and straighten your posture. You are the Princess of the Underworld. It would be best for you to look like one instead of a member of the common rabble," Lilith said. "Grayfia."

"Y- Yes, Milady," Grayfia said.

"Escort my daughter and her guests to her room. And inform Runeas to meet her there," Lilith said. Without another word, Lilith turned towards the door and disappeared in a shower of petals.

"Sophia, your mom is… Sophia?" Shin looked at her with some worry.

Sophia's fist was clenched tightly and her body trembled. The girl had an uncomfortable look on her face as she stared ahead blankly. Shin reached up and touched her shoulder, causing her to jolt in surprise.

"Huh?"

"Hey, you okay?" Shin asked.

"I'm fine. It's just… Mother can be like this sometimes," Sophia said. "Lady Grayfia, can you escort us to my booth?"

"Please do not refer to me as Lady. Today, you are of higher standing than I am, your Highness," Grayfia said. She opened the door for them and gestured for them to go inside.

The inside of the Rating Game Hall resembled that of a stadium in the human world. The closest Shin could think of was Yokohama Arena or Madison Square Garden, only much larger. It took them several minutes of walking to get to Sophia… or rather, the booth Sirzechs would have used to oversee the game. Grayfia opened the door, revealing a suite that looked far more comfortable than a five-star suite in a world-class hotel. There were black leather couches arranged in a u-shaped formation facing the window. There was a small bar with alcohol and a charging dock for a Nintendo Switch. On the left were a refrigerator and a pantry. The floor was made of the most luxurious-looking carpet Shin had ever seen in his life.

"I feel like the President," Shin said, walking in.

"This booth was outfitted according to Lord Sirzechs's preferences. I hope you don't mind," Grayfia said.

"It's fine. Sirzechs's taste is better than anything I could ever come up with," Sophia said.

"Please make yourselves comfortable. Lady Runeas will be here in several minutes and the Rating Game will begin in half an hour. In that time, please relax," Grayfia said. She closed the door, leaving the group alone.

"Woah! Let's see what kinda booze Sirzechs is rocking in his mini bar!" Vivi said.

"Don't steal anything," Shin said, watching her fly to the bar.

"Well, make yourselves comfortable guys. We might as well boot up Sirzechs's Switch and play some Smash or whatever he has on," Sophia said.

"You're right," Shin said, sitting next to her. "Your mom's really scary."

"Right? Sometimes, I wonder if I'm doing enough," Sophia said, turning on Sirzechs' switch.

Shin remained silent and chose to focus on the holographic screen that appeared.

"Um, Sophia? I have a question," Asia said. Ran slept soundly in her lap, having fallen asleep to Asia's angelic fingers.

"Shoot," Sophia said. She booted up Smash.

"How do Rating Games work?" she asked.

Sophia placed her joycon down and began to think. "Well, in a way, it's like Chess. The goal of the game is to take down the King in order to win. The field is divided in half between the two fighting parties. Most rating games take a while to finish but there are times when it becomes a blitz, where the other party aims to finish the game as quickly as possible. There are special rules but there are none for this one so you don't need to worry about them. What you need to worry about is if Rias can pull this off and win.

"Issei only has about 10 to 15 seconds of Balance Breaker due to his body being too weak to handle any longer time period. Which means that…"

"Issei is her trump card," Shin finished.

"Exactly. Oh, by the way, Shin. Pay attention," she said with a grin on her face.

"Huh?" He turned back to the screen and saw that her King Dididi had knocked him off the platform, leaving him down a stock. He was too distracted to even think of recovering.

A knock on the door could be heard, causing Sophia to put her joycon down and sigh.

"What?" Shin asked.

"It's… her. It's Runi-nee," Sophia said.

There were three more knocks before the door swung open violently.

A red blur darted into the room and slammed into Sophia, sending them both to the floor. Shin and Asia stood up, backing away from the redhead who was rubbing her face against Sophia's cheek. She was a diminutive woman with large breasts. She had flowing red hair styled in a loose drill and she wore a black dress. Her eyes were red like that of an apple and were upturned. Her gaze was the complete opposite of Rias's. It held a strong will inside of them yet they weren't as imperious as her mother's.

"SOPHIE! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH! WHY DO YOU NEVER COME TO VISIT ME ANYMORE?" Runeas wailed, shoving Sophia's face into her bodacious breasts.

"Mphh mpphffhwh mpppphhhhh!" Sophia screamed.

"Duchess. Your sister appears to be suffocating," Grayfia said, walking through the door.

"Um, Your… uh Grace? Sophia can't breath," Shin said.

"Huh?" she looked up at the two then down to Sophia. Her ears were turning blue due to cyanosis. She pulled her out.

Sophia inhaled large amounts of air and pushed her sister away. "Dear Grandma in Heaven, I thought was going to become past tense!" she panted. "Thanks for saving me."

"No problem," Shin said. He walked over and extended his hand, only for it to be slapped away by Runeas. Shin gulped when he felt an immense power radiating off her. She was worth at least 10 or more Rias Gremory's.

"Who are you and what are you doing near my sister?" the smaller Devil demanded, glaring at him fiercely.

"Runi-nee, stop it. He's my friend," Sophia said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "This is Shin. Shin, say hi."

"Um, hi?" he said.

Runeas didn't say anything and instead tried to kill Shin with her glare. Sophia sighed and slapped her upside the head.

"O-Ow! Sophia! Why did you hit your big sis? That weally huwt!" Runeas said, holding the back of her head and giving Sophia a teary-eyed look.

"Don't speak uwu language to me. Say hi to my friend!" Sophia scolded.

"F- Fine. Hello, I'm Runeas Gremory. Humans call me Gremory. I like camels," she said, shaking Shin's hand.

"Does it hurt?" Shin asked.

"Huh?"

"Your head. My sister does that sometimes when I don't listen to her," Shin said.

"I'm fine. Sorry for overreacting. It's just that, Sophia has no friends and all the boys try to take advantage of her fertile, child-bearing bo-"

"SHUT UP YOU SENILE OLDER SISTER OF MINE!" Sophia yelled, slamming Runeas's head onto the floor. She had a bright red blush covering her entire face.

Shin had a small blush as well. As far as sisters went, Runeas seemed to be on the extreme end of things.

After calming down, the four sat on the couch. Vivi was drinking at the bar, only barely acknowledging the fact that Runeas had arrived. Runeas smiled, cuddling with Sophia's arm much to the girl's ire.

"Why are you here instead of Brother?" Sophia asked.

"Oh? Rizevim? He's out visiting that Grandson of his. You know how it is," Runeas said. "Besides, I should be the one here! Why did mother only call me after Rizevim bail?"

"Because you're an irresponsible sack of flesh according to Mom," Sophia said.

"That's so mean!"

Shin and Asia remained silent as they watched their interaction. Asia had a small smile on her face while Shin had a grimace.

Is this how people see me and Onee? Shin thought.

"Nope. People are too afraid of Akane to even bat an eyelash in your direction. Your sister's not called the Most Terrifying Female Existence for nothing," Vivi replied.

"You're not drunk yet, are you Vivi? There's a reception after this you know," Shin said.

"You're asking a water spirit if they can get drunk, dumbass!" Vivi said with a slight slur in their speech.

"Runi-nee! Can you get off!?" Sophia pushed her sister off her.

Runeas had a dark cloud appear over her head as she began to draw depressing circles on the couch. "Sophie doesn't want to hang out with her big sis anymore," she lamented.

"Stop that, Runi-nee. I have a guest. Besides, the Rating Game starts in like…" Sophia glanced down at her watch. "Five minutes. They're gonna announce it soon so we have to get ready."

"Five minutes? Have we been playing Smash for that long?" Shin asked.

Sophia put her feet up on the coffee table and leaned back. "We've been here for like… an hour. Rias should be here by now. Grayfia should've gone to go pick them up."

"Ehhh? Rias? She's the one in this game?" Runeas asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"You senile old goat. Yes, she is. Didn't Duke Gremory tell you this?" she scolded.

"Now now, no need to get testy. Zeo probably did tell me but I wasn't paying attention. Besides, I heard that Raeli's descendant doesn't want this marriage either. I thought it was weird when he decided to go for it. Raeli should really keep her descendants' greed in check," Runeas said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Descendants' greed?" Shin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Raeliana Phenex and her descendants are known for their famed Phenex Tears. It's sort of like Phoenix Tears but a Devil version. It is capable of healing all manner of wounds… except fatal ones of course. Can't fix what's already dead you know," Runeas said, popping a chip in her mouth. "But ever since Raeliana ceded the position of Marquis to her son, I guess her son and his kids decided to use their tears as a way to control the economy. Look at them now, trying to claim the power of Zekky and mine for themselves."

"Z- Zekky?" Asia asked.

"Zekram Bael, my other older brother," Sophia said. "Looks like the match is about to start."

Shin and Asia nodded and turned their attention to the screen.

Issei clenched his fist as he opened his eyes and noticed that he was… in the clubroom? He looked around, confused as to why Grayfia had decided to ditch them. He looked towards the others, who had their game faces ready. Rias pulled a rolled-up piece of paper out of a magic circle and began to lay it across her desk.

"Um, Buchou? Did Grayfia-sama just ditch us?" he asked.

"Huh? No, she-"

Rias was interrupted by an announcement through the school's PA system.

"Welcome everyone. I am Grayfia, a servant and vassal of House Gremory. I shall serve as the arbiter and referee for today's Rating Game. Unfortunately, Lord Sirzechs Lucifer is unable to attend. As such, this Rating Game shall be overseen by Princess Lucifer and former Queen of Hell, Lilith Lucifer," Grayfia announced.

"We've taken into account the opinions of both participants and have created this simulacrum of the school that Lady Rias attends in the human world.

"The locations that both teams have been transported to shall serve as their base. For Lady Rias, it will be the Occult Research Club's Clubroom which is located in the Old School Building while Lord Riser's base is located in the Student Council's Room located in the New School Building. Each King has been provided maps with layouts and a territory grid. Please send your pawns into the enemy's base in order to promote.

"Each team is allowed one outside item. The game shall conclude when the enemy King can no longer fight or if one side surrenders. With the conclusion of these announcements, I hereby announce the start of this game," Grayfia's voice cuts off.

"Hey, Buchou. Who is… the Princess?" Issei asked.

"Well, I've never met her before but there are rumors about her circulating around. They say she's this white-haired Angel of Death who is destined to take my brother's place one day. People who encountered her say that she wields this dark destructive power that can make one wither away," Rias described.

Wait… Angel of Death? Dark power that makes things wither? Issei thought.

[That girl… how dense can she be?] Ddraig noted.

Issei gulped. It's… Sophia isn't it?

"Anyway, let's focus on the game." Rias unrolled the map across her desk.

"Kuoh? That's an interesting choice. Riser must really be generous," Sophia said, leaning against her older sister's shoulder.

"Yeah, why would he fight in a field where Rias has home-field advantage?" Shin asked.

"Maybe he wants to humor her or he's underestimating how absolutely cool and awesome my descendant is! KICK HIS ASS RIAS!" Runeas cheered.

Shin smiled. "KICK THEIR ASSES ISSEI! DON'T LET TEN DAYS WORTH OF TRAINING GO TO WASTE!"

"Okay soccer mom, they can't hear you," Sophia said, patting Shin on the back.

"That's not fair!"

The two jumped and turned to see Asia. She had her wings out and her halo was glowing brightly. She had a look of jealousy on her face as she focused on the screen. "No fair! Giving Issei a lap pillow! That's cheating!"

"A-Asia, do you even know what a lap pillow means?" Sophia asked.

"Huh? No… but I know that Issei-san wants one! He always goes on about how nice it would feel to get a lap pillow from a pretty girl," Asia pouted.

"Are you… jealous?" Shin teased.

"N-No!" Asia now had a bright red blush on her face. She looked away, burying her face in Ran's fur.

"Looks like they're getting ready to move out," Shin said, seeing that Kiba and Koneko had just returned from their task. "I still think this is weird. Why did Riser pick a field where Rias had home-field advantage?"

"Who knows. It is kind of weird. From what people say about Riser, he's not reckless. He has a brilliant tactical mind and only lost Rating Games because the Phenex Family owed those families some favors. From a strategic point of view, this looks like a horrible decision. And from what we've seen, Riser's not arrogant," Sophia said.

"He gave us ten days to whip Issei into shape," he replied.

"That's mostly to give Rias an edge but that won't really mean anything because the experience gap between them is the size of the Grand Canyon," Sophia said.

"You have a point there," Shin said. He turned his attention back to the screen and continued watching the game. He grabbed his soda can and took a sip, watching as Issei and Koneko encountered their first opponents.

"Hey, do you know which pieces are which?" Shin asked.

"Those are… hang on a sec. Lemme grab the roster that Grayfia gave me," Sophia said. She removed Runeas's arms from around her and grabbed the small tablet on the table. Sophia pressed a few buttons and projected a screen of Riser's pieces.

"Is this real-time?" Asia asked.

"Yeah, it's both sides," Sophia replied.

"Haha, look there's a health bar at the top of each team," Shin said.

"Oh wow. I didn't know Ajuka was such an RPG nerd," Runeas commented.

"Who's Issei fighting?" Shin asked.

"What do they look li- Oh the green lolis," Sophia said. She looked down at the roster. "Ile and Nel."

"OI! WHAT THE HELL! ARE YOU TWO TEXAS CHAINSAW LOLIS!?" Issei's voice could be heard from the screen.

The four looked up and saw Issei dodging a pair of chainsaws.

"Is that legal?" Shin asked.

"I have no clue. Never watched one of these things. Runi-nee, are these legal?" Sophia asked.

"Yeah. Chainsaws though. That's pretty cool," Runeas said.

Issei dodged a swipe from one of the twins. He gritted his teeth and brought his hand up to his cheek. He brought his finger up to his face. He was bleeding. Every instinct in Issei's body told him to dodge. And he did just that. Issei took a step back as a chainsaw began sawing away at the floor in front of him.

"DDRAIG!" Issei yelled.

[Boost!]

"Split him apart!" the other twin said.

The twin in front of Issei removed her chainsaw from the ground and swiped it at him. Issei dodged to the right and tightened his fist. He threw a vicious haymaker forward and heard a sick crack when he hit the girl. The girl's eyes grew wide as she coughed up blood and was sent crashing into the bleachers.

"WOOH! YEAH ISSEI! KICK HER ASS!"

The four turned to see Vivi raising an entire bottle of vodka.

Shin shrugged and cupped his hands. "Issei! Beat her ass! Don't be afraid to drop kick a woman!"

As if Issei had heard Shin, he jumped into the air and performed a heel drop on the girl's head. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she fell face-first to the floor unconscious.

"Gee- Oh shit!" Issei twisted his body out of the way as a chainsaw nearly bisected him. The other girl he had punched away was fast. She had crossed the gymnasium in such a short time.

"You jerk! You'll pay for hitting Onee!" she swung her saw, trying to slice Issei to pieces.

"Heh," Issei said. "I've gathered enough power. You've activated my trap card!"

Shin watched as Issei raised his fingers up into the air. "Oh god," Shin said.

"What? What is it?" Sophia asked.

"Just watch."

She focused her attention back on the screen. Her eyes grew wide when Issei snapped his fingers and shredded the clothes off the three girls within the gym. Every single article of clothing was completely shredded to pieces, even their underwear. Their naked curvy bodies were exposed to the entire field and all the spectators.

Sophia raised her hand and covered Shin's eyes. "Don't look!"

"Kinda hard not to when the screen's right in front of me! Besides, the girl in the qipao had a nice pair of-"

"Shut up!" Sophia yelled with a blush on her face as she slammed Shin's head onto the table.

"Ow! What the hell!? I'm a guy! Of course, I'd appreciate a nice pair of tits whenever I see them!" Shin said, gripping his head.

"Jeez, calm down, Sophie. He's right. She does have a nice rack on her," Runeas said.

"Ugh, you two are the worst. I feel like I'm at the Grigori again," Sophia said, burying her face in her arms.

"Hey, I don't know why you're getting so flustered. I mean, are you jealous? You have a nice rack yourse-" Shin never finished his sentence as a bottle collided with his face.

"Jeez, you really can't handle being teased." Runeas had a wide toothy grin as she watched the two interact.

"Take."

Shin and Sophia stopped talking when they heard Akeno's voice. They turned their eyes to the screen when they saw Akeno with her hand raised into the air. She was wearing her priestess outfit. A smile that Shin could only describe as a smile that promised suffering was plastered on her face. Golden lightning crackled on her hand and the sky turned dark. The camera focused on Issei and Koneko running and ducking for cover.

A golden bolt of lightning illuminated the field and impacted the building, completely leveling it.

"Three Pawns of Riser Phenex have been retired."

"One Rook of Riser Phenex has been retired."

"Woah, remind me to never piss Akeno off," Sophia said, getting off Shin. "That Priestess of Lightning title isn't for show."

"Yeah. She really leveled that entire gym by herself," Shin said.

"Bravo! As expected of my descendant! Luring those pieces into a trap and BAM!" Runeas slammed her hand into the table, causing the three to jump. Her nose had grown five inches due to her immense pride in Rias.

"As if you could've come up with that strategy. You might have commanded legions back then but Rizevim said that you were still a dunderhead," Sophia said, flicking her older sister's forehead.

"Ow! And fuck you Rizevim! I can be smart!" the First Gremory wailed.

"Rook of Rias Gremory has been retired."

Just that mere announcement made Shin's blood run cold. His eyes grew wide when he saw Issei clutching a fading Koneko. Above him was a woman with violet hair. She wore a rather revealing dress and had a staff raised above her head.

"That's Riser's Queen, Yubelluna. She's called the Bomb Queen because she can-"

An explosion rocked the screen.

"This battle just got a lot more hectic," Shin said.

Issei clenched his fist and directed his glare towards the cold gaze of the opposing Queen. Her violet eyes softened as she looked down at him. That gaze quickly vanished as she began charging demonic power. However, she was interrupted. A bolt of lightning quickly made its way towards her, forcing her to throw up a magic shield to block the attack.

"Ara ara. That boy won't be your fight, Queen of Phenex, Yubelluna-san. Your fight's with me."

Akeno descended a little and hovered above Issei. She had a strained smile on her face. The loss of Koneko had affected her and she was not allowing this to go on without paying this woman in front of her in kind.

Yubelluna narrowed her eyes. "The Priestess of Lightning? You're one of Rias-sama's most valuable pieces. You're wasting your effort fighting me instead of assisting your King with Lord Riser"

Akeno merely smiled and projected a magic circle before her. A bow manifested in her hand and she gripped it tightly. Watch over me today, Okaa-san. She turned her gaze to Issei.

"Go."

"But I can help! I've been training for this for ten days! Please let me-"

"Issei. You'll get in the way if I go all out. And besides, Buchou gave you your own role yes? Don't let her down. Especially after making such a bold promise in front of her," Akeno said.

Issei closed his eyes and nodded.

"Don't worry about little ol' me. I have a promise to keep too," Akeno said with a smile on her face.

"Priestess of Lightning. You're really going to do this?" Yubelluna asked.

"Priestess?" Akeno let out a hollow laugh. That title left a bitter taste in her mouth. "Don't call me that." Her eyes lost their violet luster and a small white light radiated inside of them.

"..." Yubelluna said nothing as she hovered in the air. An orange hue surrounded her body as she began to power up.

In response to the immense power building up in front of her, Akeno did the same. A golden aura surrounded her body as she ascended to meet her opposing Queen face to face.

And without any words exchanged between them, the world erupted in a cacophony of explosions and thunder.

The Underworld

A nether realm ruled by the Gods of Hell, Fallen Angels, and Demons.

It wasn't always this way. In the distant past, long before the current age, the Underworld was known as Sheol.

A lightless realm far from the graces of the Divine. A realm ruled by Mot (Death) herself.

However, her reign ended after a divine upheaval led by Lucifer, who rallied the Coiled Serpent to his side alongside the Gods of Hell.

Yet even with the cruel reign of Death having been ended, peace amongst the factions of Hell has yet to be realized.

[]

Runeas Gremory

Gremory, the 56th of the 72 Pillars

Unlike the rest of her siblings, she displays a childlike and clingy personality. She is as fleeting as the morning dew and as fickle as a cat

Yet her personality deceives those around her from the immense power underneath. She wears a crown atop her head to shackle her immense power.

In a sense, her persona and crown serve as shackles.

"But everything comes at a price doesn't it, dear Runeas?"

Even with that warning from her mother, Runeas did not care. For she knew that the power she forcefully shackles shall one day aid her to protect the one most precious to her.

[]

Lilith

The Former Queen of Hell and Origin Mother of all Devils.

She has lived and tired of a life that has spanned thousands of years. Her personality has all but been eroded by time.

In the distant past, Lilith once experienced paradise but her disagreements with the White God and Adam led her into the arms of the Adversary. But all of these, she has locked away into the vaults of time and memory.

Her faded red hair is the only memento of her origin from the red clay of the Earth.

Her daughter constantly seeks the warmth and love of her mother.

"I wish to love you, my dear Child. Yet I keep you at arms' length for the moment I pour my love into you, I would be accepting the mistake that brought you into my arms."

But Lilith knew that this was naught but denial. For that child had already claimed a place in her heart long ago.

Review Replies:

Another_Jojo: I've said it once, I've said it twice, and I'll keep saying it every time; Azure keeps surprising me in the best ways possible. Each and every time this fic updates, it comes more and more into itself, and it's simply magical to watch.

Once again, I feel like I may repeat points, but the character work on this story is nothing short of phenomenal. Each and every character, no matter how much you change or add to them, still feel perfectly in line with their canon-counterparts, because you seem to have a really good grasp on what makes each character at their very core. The only characters who, at the moment, seem to not have a lot going on with them are maybe Kiba and Koneko, but knowing that we have the Holy Sword arc, and the entire nekomata sub-plot on the horizon, I imagine that the lack of anything too special to them yet is simply a byproduct of them not being thrust into the spotlight quite yet; they'll have their time eventually. By that same token, the interactions are spectacular as always, the ways you're showing some remaining emotional hang-ups in Akeno, the sweet, tender, and heart-warming relationship between Issei and Irina... It's all sublime.

I can't wait to see how you eventually bring more and more characters into the fold, you're depictions are such a treat to read. This story is incredible, and I can't wait to see how you tackle the unique effort of depicting an entire rating game from the perspective of spectators. There's a lot of potential in that idea, and I can't wait to see how you pull it off!

Keep up the great work as always!

First off, thanks for your continued support man! It really means a lot to me. Writing these interactions and relationships has been a blast and is one of my favorite parts of writing this fic. About Kiba and Koneko... well more Kiba since the Holy Sword Arc is coming up, I'm in the process of planning some things regarding... Vivi and Kiba cuz you know, Vivi's the Lady of the Lake and Kiba hates Excalibur because of what it represents to him. I feel like that will be an interesting process to flesh out. The Holy Swords Arc will be by far one of the most challenging and interesting arcs to write for me so I hope I do it justice!

Ashzaroth: One thing I like your story, that both the original and various fanfics lack, is your sense of realism.

Like the fact that they live in the 21st century and can communicate with each other across the world. That small fact is interesting.
One thing I'd like to see is how strong rías is. You've mentioned that shin is potentially slightly stronger than Rías, but I've always felt like rías is one of the weakest chafe tees in her own peerage. A one trick pony, and not a very good one at that. Do you mean raw power?
The various bits and romances you have going on are well done. Organic and not rushed.
My first take on the queen of conquest is trihexa. A Being that represents the concept of pure conquest, that represents the epitome of survival. A being that actively hunts and eliminates all other life before it could ever become a true threat.
This is always what I throughly of trihexa, in juxtaposition to Ophis and great red, the concepts of a perfect rule of law and knowledge made paramount respectively.
I have other guesses, but this seemed like the best answer.

I'm curious as to who the horned women that 'god' spoke to was. Satan herself?

That is one thing I see in a lot of fics but to me, I always attributed that to them opting to use magic instead of modern technology. I know a few fics that do emphasize that they live in the 21st century rather than some arbitrary year within the 2000s. As for how strong Shin is, it is more in terms of raw power. As you know, Rias's level of skill at the beginning is a bit lackluster until the series progresses. I think this is best emphasized in the first major fights at the beginning of the series. I know that she's called a genius with natural talent and raw demonic power but that can only get you so far and if you lack combat skill, you're basically hucking blobs of energy at everyone. Especially since all of her opponents were like... bugs to her, she's never really had a chance to flex her wings completely. That's why she's only equal to Shin in terms of raw power. In a fight without any magic or PoD, Shin would win that fight 10/10. As for who the Queen of Conquest is... well, she is connected to Trihexa in terms of concept but isn't Trihexa itself. The woman "God" spoke to wasn't Satan but I have mentioned her once in a profile by her title.

Well well, I left you all on a cliffhangy. Yubelluna vs Akeno. I hope I did do a good job of writing their commentary. I watched some football this weekend to see how play-by-play and colour commentators talk. And we got to meet Runeas and Lilith! Woo! The conclusion of the Phenex Rating Game and this arc will be the next chapter. I told y'all this arc was going to be short. Shorter than the first arc at least. The Holy Sword Arc will definitely be longer than this one. I left you guys some little subtle details. Let's see if you can spot them. I'll give you a hint. One of them is the identity of Sophia's Sponsor. Now, please leave a review! Give me a super chat. I'm kidding. And remember to have a great day/night or not, the choice is yours!