A/N: This is the last one.
The last one I have completely gone over and rewritten all, if not large parts of it.
Now that I have released all twelve of these chapters I will now go through the rest of the story. I won't be rewriting whole swathes of chapters but I will be adapting, adding and changing certain parts of the story to fit the narrative direction I have come up with during these rewrites (nothing too extreme to completely change the overall story).
Again, this will take some time but not nearly as much as these chapters, and once I'm done with these little changes I can move on to the next chapter.
Once again, I apologise for taking so long with everything but I have had some difficulty balancing my writing with work (recently had to work a few week of night shifts), general life and the fact that I had to send my writing PC away to be repaired when an issue arose with it.
(Disclaimer: I own neither Highschool DxD nor Ben 10. Both of these belong to their respective owners who own all rights to them.)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Flames surrounded Ben once more. However, unlike the brilliant green flames that engulfed him in the previous times he had been here to speak to Azmuth 'face-to-face', these flames were similar to normal flames though with a tinge of scarlet red mixed into it.
"Where am I this time?" he wondered as he took in his new surroundings.
[You are not yet used to having ultimate power,] a voice that definitely wasn't Azmuth's spoke out, their powerful voice ringing in Ben's head and forcing him to clutch his head in surprise at its intensity.
"Who's there?"
[I must commend you though, kid. For a human who has only been part of the supernatural world for barely a few months, you have already proven the latent potential within you. Time is against you though. You must keep going and not succumb to weakness otherwise the White One will laugh and destroy you,] the strange voice continued, ignoring Ben's previous question.
"'Latent potential'? 'White One'? Who is that?!" Ben demanded this time.
[It is I!]
Suddenly the flames parted before him and a huge silhouette emerged from the flames and revealed itself to Ben as a hulking crimson dragon. Ben had to arc his neck backwards in order to look up at the dragon's large, crimson-scaled head. Despite the creature being significantly smaller than Azmuth, Ben still marvelled that such a large, majestic creature existed.
As he looked up to meet the large dragon's eyes, Ben realised he had seen it somewhere before…during his journey through one of Azmuth's memories. Once his brain finally made that connection, he recalled the name of the dragon that dwelled inside his right arm.
"Wait a second. You're Ddraig, aren't you?" Ben asked as he looked up at the towering creature.
The large dragon chuckled richly, a low tremor emanating from deep within its stomach as it arced his head back to highlight its intimidating presence.
[Indeed. I am the Welsh Dragon, Ddraig. I am also known as one of the Two Heavenly Dragons or the Red Dragon Emperor! It's a pleasure to finally meet you, kid. I have been keen to meet you for a while now. I have never had a host that had such interesting abilities before. Before now, all my previous hosts have been normal humans without any notable powers before I awoke in them.]
"Uh, thank you," Ben muttered, unable to think of anything else to say in response to Ddraig's compliment.
[So tell me. How did you acquire that transforming power of yours? I never encountered anything like that before in all my centuries. We are bonded together now for the rest of your life so I am interested in learning more about my new partner.]
"Uh well…it's kinda hard," Ben mumbled, unsure as to how Ddraig would react to the news of his other draconic partner, particularly with his other partner being the reason that Ddraig had been sealed within his Sacred gear in the first place.
[There's no reason to keep it hidden from me, kid. If we are to be partners from now on, we need to trust each other.]
Unable to think of any other way to explain it, Ben simply decided on the truth and hoping for the best.
"The truth is, Ddraig, that that power didn't come from me. I received it from someone else."
Ddraig tilted his large head slightly, intrigued by Ben's admittance.
[Hmm, is that so? So where did you get such a unique power? Who gave it to you?]
[I did,] Azmuth's voice boomed out around the fiery space they were speaking in, the brilliant flames of which parted as emerald flames replaced them as the hulking dragon made its presence known, his head emerging from the darkness beyond the flames and stopping opposite Ddraig who looked up at him in something which looked very close to shock. The size difference between the two dragons was immediately noticeable with Azmuth's head alone being the same size as Ddraig.
As his shock wore off, Ddraig glared at Azmuth.
[You? What are you doing here?!] the crimson dragon roared hotly, a deep growl forming in the pit of his stomach as the memories of his last encounter with the titanic dragon filled his mind. The crimson flames around them grew in size and intensity as Ddraig growled at his 'father', baring his teeth at him. [You dare show yourself to me after what you did to me?!]
Azmuth growled back at Ddraig, baring his own razor-sharp teeth back at his offspring. [I did what was necessary to stop your destructive rampage!]
The two powerful dragons glared at each other for several tense seconds before Ddraig relented and hid his teeth again though he still growled at Azmuth. [So what are you doing here?I thought you were off exploring other dimensions.]
Completely unfazed by Ddraig's attempt to be intimidating, Azmuth responded to his question. [Because you are not the only one who dwells within this child. I am also his eternal partner, dwelling in the Sacred Gear in his left arm.]
[Wait, you're saying that you lost your physical body and your soul has been sealed within a Sacred Gear?] Ddraig asked, taken completely by surprise at Azmuth's answer to his question.
[I am.]
Silence filled the fiery void that the two huge dragons and uncomfortable former human occupied for a few seconds before Ddraig reared back his head and bellowed out a roar of laughter that reverberated around them with such intensity that it caused the flames around them all to flicker and waver from it.
[Hahahaha! That is priceless! To think that the almighty Dragon God, Azmuth, himself has fallen so far as to let himself be sealed inside one of God's tools. So who was it that defeated you and ripped your soul out of your body? Did you and Great Red fall out again or, perhaps, did God get the better of you and use you for one of His experiments?]
Azmuth sighed heavily at his offspring's tirade. [Neither, you insufferable pup! Not that I ever need to explain myself to you but, in the name of cooperation between the three of us, I'll have you know that I chose this fate willingly.]
This was not the answer that Ddraig expected and threw him through a loop.
[Wait, you…choose to be sealed within a Sacred Gear? Why?]
[The short story: I was tired with existing the way I had since the dawn of this universe. I had done and seen so much and even exploring different dimensions had lost its magic for me. Being sealed within a Sacred Gear allows me to experience life in a new completely unique way.]
[How long was it since you were sealed away?] Ddraig asked, the hostility in his voice draining away as curiosity got the better of him.
[I'm not sure exactly how long ago it was now but I do know that the Great War between the Three Factions was still raging on.]
[So long ago? If that's true then how come your Gear has never been seen before? The Great War ended nearly two millennia ago and I've never heard about your Gear before.]
Azmuth didn't reply at first as he thought about his answer.
[I don't know why. This is the first time I awoke bonded to someone. Why it happened after so long, I don't know. There was no reason for God to keep me hidden until now. The next time I see Him, I'll find out why this happened.]
[That's something for another time though,] Azmuth continued, changing the subject and turning his attention back down on Ben. [You lost to that Phenex brat because, to put it simply, you are still weak. It's true that you have improved immensely since you were reborn as a devil but it still pales in comparison to both what you are capable of and the sort of foes that you WILL face throughout your life purely because you possess both my and Ddraig's Sacred Gears.]
[As much as I'd like to disagree with this old fossil,] Ddraig added, nodding his head to Azmuth who growled lowly. [I find myself in the uncomfortable position of agreeing with him. You are not yet used to having such power and that is something we will need to address in future. Until then, though, are you going to take this loss lying down?]
"Huh?" Ben muttered, caught off guard at the sudden conversation change.
[You are a dragon now! It's time you show your enemies what it means to anger one! Now, awaken!]
. . . . .
Ben's room, Tennyson household
Ben's eyes opened and he sat bolt upright to see that he had somehow ended up back in his bedroom and he was in near complete darkness.
'How long was I out for?' he thought as he blinked the last of the tiredness away from his eyes and looked at his alarm clock to see that it was the very early hours of the morning. He looked out of his window to see the moon, the only thing providing light in his room, hanging fairly low in the sky. He quickly uncovered himself from his duvet and swung his legs over the edge of his bed and pressed his head in his hands as the headache he felt slowly subsided.
"I'm glad to see that you've awakened," a familiar voice said as a small flash of white light entered his vision as a result from the small magic circle which quickly vanished from sight.
Ben took his hands away from his face and looked up to see Grayfia standing before him.
"What happened? Did we lose the match?" he asked, already knowing the answer but dreading Grayfia's answer all the same.
"I'm afraid so," the Gremory maid answered with a polite nod of her head. "Lady Rias forfeited the match to Lord Riser in order to save your life."
Ben brought his hand up to cover his face as the memories of the match played through his mind for a second time, even more vivid than before. "Fuck. I remember what happened but I still didn't want to believe it. Rias should've continued fighting. She shouldn't have been concerned for me with what was at stake for her.
"He did nearly kill you," Grayfia reminded him, her expression unchanged.
Ben just shook his head in response. "That doesn't matter. Rias was the one who was fighting to break off her engagement with that bastard."
He brought his hand away from his face and looked up at Grayfia again. "How long was I asleep for?" he asked quietly, casting another quick glance out of his window.
"Around two days," she replied instantly and without any change in her facial expressions.
Ben's head snapped back to look at Grayfia, shocked at her answer.
'Two days! I was unconscious for two days?' he thought with dread. Was he too late? Had Rias already been forced to go through with the marriage?
He looked around his dark room and finally noticed that they were the only two people in his room.
"Where is everybody?" he asked.
"Apart from Asia, who was ordered by Lady Rias to stay behind and tend to your numerous wounds, the others joined her when they went to the Underworld to attend the engagement party which will be starting momentarily."
Ben couldn't help but release a sigh of relief at this piece of news and looked out of his window again.
"Good, then I'm not too late."
Grayfia looked at him curiously and tilted her head slightly. "You don't agree with the outcome? Even though the outcome of the battle was always known?"
"No, I don't," Ben replied firmly and stood up from his bed to meet Grayfia at eye level. "How could I? Even if her family agrees with it, I can't. I can't let her sacrifice her own happiness just so she could save me. She saved my life when I was left dying by myself in a pool of my own blood. I will never be able to repay her for that but this is a start! It's plain to see that she can't stand that Phenex bastard. I don't care if her family is content to consign her to a miserable life, even if it's her brother, Lucifer, I won't sit back and accept it!"
At the end of his speech, Ben was startled at the unexpected sound of soft chuckling originating from by Grayfia. It was undoubtedly a cute sound but it seemed…wrong coming from someone like her, someone who gave of a serious demeanour virtually all the time.
"You really are a fascinating person, Benjamin Tennyson. I've met a lot of devils over the years, but never one quite like you. Once you've made your mind up, there's no stopping you, is there?"
Ben didn't have chance to answer Grayfia's rhetorical question before she rummaged through her pockets in search of something.
"And I'm not the only one who thinks so," the silver-haired continued as she pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket with a familiar magic circle scrawled on it. "Sirzechs is fascinated by you too."
"He is?" Ben asked as he took the piece of paper from her hand as she offered it to him and examined it.
Grayfia merely nodded her head in response and gestured to the piece of paper in his hand.
"This is your ticket to the Underworld. If you are serious in your desire to rescue Lady Rias, this is what you need to get to there in time. Sirzechs also gave me a message to give to you along with it."
Ben waited patiently for her to continue, which she did after a moment of silence.
"He asked me to tell you, "If you want my sister back, young dragon, then you'd better make an entrance.""
"Good luck," she added at the end before a white magic circle materialised beneath her and teleported her back to the Underworld and leaving Ben alone in his room.
This didn't last for very long though as, a mere three seconds later, the door opened and Asia entered his room carrying a bowl of water and a towel draped over her arm. Upon seeing him finally awake and standing before her, she dropped the bowl of water and rushed towards him, tackling him back onto the bed as she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him fiercely, burying her face into his chest.
It happened so quickly that Ben didn't react in time and let it happen. Smiling warmly, he slowly wrapped his own arms around her and returned the hug in an attempt to comfort her and assure her that he was fine and everything else was going to be okay.
After a quiet moment between them, he pushed himself back up again though Asia remained glued to him and now found herself straddling him as she continued to hug him tightly, as if frightened he would disappear if she let go. "It's alright, Asia. I'm fine now. Thank you for looking after me."
She pulled her head back a little and looked up at him, revealing her watery eyes and the teary streaks running down her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I-I was just so worried about you. You were unconscious for so long and I was starting to…." She had to stop for a second to catch her breath and calm herself down. "…to think that you'd never wake up again. I was so scared!"
Ben brought up his left hand and patted her on the back of her head gently in a comforting manner. "I'm sorry I made you worry, Asia, but I'm okay now; see?" he said gesturing to himself in the hopes of cheering her up.
"Yeah…I guess you're right," Asia said as she drew away from Ben and wiped the tears from her eyes. "That's all that matters to me."
Ben smiled momentarily before his expression turned serious. "Asia, there's something I need to tell you; I'm going to the Underworld to rescue Rias and bring her back."
"A-Are you sure?" she asked with worry. "You still haven't fully recovered from what that monster, Riser, did to you."
"I have to, Asia. Rias would do it if I were in trouble; it's only right I be able to do the same," Ben replied as he rested his hands on her shoulders.
"Well then, I'm going with you," Asia said firmly but Ben shook his head at her.
"No, I need you to stay here where I know you'll be safe. Don't worry about me, Asia; I promise I won't come back without Rias and the others."
"Don't make a promise you can't keep!" she retorted tearfully. "I don't know what I would do if something were to happen to you."
Ben smiled warmly at her and cupped her cheek tenderly, using his thumb to wipe away the stray tear trickling down her cheek. She leaned into his hand fondly, enjoying the warmth it provided and sighed deeply. "I don't think I could handle seeing you get hurt so badly again," she whispered with fear clearly heard in her voice.
"Hey, I'll be back," he said reassuringly before a sudden thought entered his head. "But before I go, I need you to do something for me…."
. . . . .
Underworld, Gremory territory
(Half an hour later)
Of all the various deities, pantheons and civilisations that call the Underworld home, Devils were completely unmatched when it came to hosting the most lavish parties and the most spectacular celebrations of them all. They didn't need much reason to host such parties but when they did they pulled out all the stops and strove to ensure that each one was an unforgettable event.
Tonight was one such spectacular event as a great deal of highborn devil nobles from noble houses had been invited to the gathering to celebrate the eventual union between the noble houses of Gremory and Phenex. Even several dignitaries from demon clans that had ties and good relations with devils had been invited though these were few and far between compared to the number of devils in attendance.
Nothing was considered too much for such a joyful event and the Gremory family was especially known for their hospitality and took pride in their reputation. The chosen venue for the event was a huge, beautifully ornate hall that was just one of many owned by the Gremory clan and had been completely transformed for the occasion, from beautiful ornaments and decorations to tables full of beverages for the guests and party goers.
While it was still a few more minutes before the betrothed couple made their appearance, the party had already begun with the guests already having split up into various groups to discuss and gossip everything and nothing; from serious chats about the upcoming wedding and its social implications for devil nobility to idle chatter with those that someone might not have seen for several decades for one reason or another.
As you made your way into the grand hall and through the crowd, a particular voice made itself heard louder than was necessary for a room full of audibly enhanced beings though that didn't stop Ravel Phenex. Surrounded from several members of Riser's victorious peerage, Ravel loudly recounted her brother's victory in the recent Rating Game to anyone within earshot.
"But of course, it was only natural that we'd win the match. Riser has one of the best Rating Game records there amongst young devils.
"Congratulations, Lady Ravel. Once again, the Phenex clan has emerged victorious and shown that it is no mistake that they share their name with the eternal bird," the Pyronite ambassador proclaimed happily, clapping her hands together with a clear smile forming on her rocky face, the only part of her body that wasn't consumed by flames. She then placed her hand over her fiery chest and made the Pyronite symbol for fire. "May your spark be ever eternal."
Unlike their cousins, the isolationist clan, who keep to themselves in the fiery lands of their homeland, Pyros, whose bodies are mostly rock/magma based to match their static way of thinking, the ambassador and her clan, the spiritualists, had left Pyros due to their belief that, like fire, their species should be free spirits, to go wherever they wish and develop relations with whoever they felt was worthy of it.
"Thank you, ambassador Fuego," Ravel replied politely before returning the sign that the ambassador had just made. "Your words mean a lot to my family. May your spark be ever eternal."
Unlike most of the other demonic species and clans that devils had limited interactions with, the Pyronite Spiritualist clan was among one of the only ones that the Phenex clan treated with respect and not just with open hostility as they did with so many other species.
Ravel then returned back to the other guests and continued her story. "Not only did my brother win yet another battle, but he also won a bride as well." She laughed at her own humorous statement and was joined with a polite chuckle by most of the guests who had been listening to the tale. "I mean, it's true that it seemed it was a little closer than we expected but we did have to win by a close margin though otherwise it wouldn't have been so entertaining, would it?"
On the other side of the hall, though not out of earshot, stood Akeno, Koneko, and Kiba; all dressed up in evening wear and unable to tune out the young Phenex's boastful words no matter how much they wished they didn't have to hear her. As representatives of Rias, all they could do was put on a convincing smile and ignore the piercing words spoken about them.
"She sure does like to talk doesn't she?" Kiba noted dryly as he drank the drink he held in his hand that he'd been nursing since the party started.
"Mhm," Koneko nodded her head slightly in agreement at Kiba's observation while Akeno stifled a soft chuckle behind her hand.
"I agree. She sure has a mouth on her, doesn't she?"
The three of them turned around at the new voice to see Sona Sitri approaching them through the crowd with her Queen and vice-president of the student council, Tsubaki, standing at her side.
Akeno bowed her head politely. "Lady Sitri. What a lovely surprise seeing you here," she said sweetly and respectfully to the Sitri heiress.
Sona smiled and returned the gesture. "Good evening, Akeno. I just came by to compliment you on how you handled your first Rating Game…though I certainly wouldn't have complained if the outcome was a little different," she said with a small smile.
Kiba chuckled lightly at Sona's words. "Don't be so quick to assume it's over," he said with a smile.
"I'm certain something will happen to make this an event to remember," Akeno smiled confidently with a large smirk on her face.
Sona didn't say anything in response to their statements but she saw from the look in their eyes that they meant what they said.
'Perhaps it isn't over after all,' she mused privately as they enjoyed the rest of the party.
. . . . .
(Ten minutes later)
As the party continued on with gossip flowing as fast as the beverages were replenished, both came to a stop when the raised platform at the far end of the hall suddenly burst into flames as Riser finally appeared. He had changed his attire for the party celebrating his triumph and now wore a beautifully made white suit, unbuttoned halfway to show off his muscular chest.
He smiled a brilliant, gloating smile as everyone turned their attention towards the stage and spread his arms out theatrically as all eyes fell on him.
"Greetings, renowned devils of the Underworld and honoured guests who have gathered here today," he announced loudly so as to allow his pompous voice to carry across the entire length of the hall. "On behalf of the noble house of Phenex, please allow me to thank you all for being able to be here today on this momentous occasion. Today, we celebrate the union of two noble houses; the distinguished House of Phenex and the illustrious House of Gremory."
He stopped speaking momentarily to allow the hall to be filled with the sound of polite clapping with echoed throughout the spacious room. Once the light applause had died down he gestured to the empty space right next to him.
"And now, may I present to you…."
An orange magic circle bearing the Phenex family crest suddenly appeared beside him, revealing Rias who was now wearing a stunningly beautiful snow-white wedding gown with a set of matching gloves. She even had an eye-catching veil dangling down the back of her head.
"…my beautiful bride, Rias Gremory. May we have many joyful years to…."
*Boom!*
The giant hall shuddered ever so slightly, the four huge, ornate chandeliers hanging from the ceiling above them tinkled slightly as the priceless crystals vibrated from the sudden tremor. Heads turned as they looked for whatever had caused it.
*Boom!*
The chandeliers tinkled again as another shudder shook the large hall. The guests started talking amongst themselves and wondering just what was causing it.
Unhappy that the centre of attention was being taken away from him, Riser growled angrily and boomed out loudly, drowning out the voices of the other guests though still asking what they all wanted to know.
"What is going on?! We're trying to celebrate a joyous occasion here!"
When nobody came forth with a response, Riser glanced over at two guards standing at the edge of the hall as part of the security detail, though more of a traditional role than a necessary one.
*Boom!*
He pointed at them. "You two! Go and find out what is causing that racket!"
The two guards quickly nodded and made their way around the edge of the hall towards the huge double doors which resided at the other end of the hall from where Riser stood.
*Boom!*
"I do believe that that's our cue to get ready," Kiba declared to his companions who nodded in agreement with his assessment. Downing the last remnants of the drink in his hand, the Gremory knight took off his jacket, folded it neatly, and placed it over the back of a nearby chair. He ignored Sona's look of confusion as she stared at the three of them and their complete lack of confusion or concern as to what was happening.
*BOOM!*
"Took long enough," Koneko muttered as she also downed her drink and placed it on the table beside her.
*BOOM!*
"He's definitely getting closer. I wonder what he came as; it certainly sounds big, doesn't it?" Akeno smiled, excitement filling her at the spectacle that was to come.
"What are you talking about? Who's coming?" Sona asked, her curiosity finally getting the better of her.
Akeno giggled lightly. "It's a surprise. You'll see in a few seconds though."
*BOOM!*
The tremors had grown decisively stronger since they started and the room was shaking pretty violently now from the intensity of each shudder.
The guards that Riser had sent to investigate the noise had finally made it to the other end of the room and opened up the huge door slightly, just enough to slip through where they then closed it behind them.
As the door closed behind them, the loudest tremor yet reverberated around the hall.
*BOOM!*
As the chandeliers appeared close to snapping free of their tethers and crashing to the floor, Riser grew livid from the lack of answers as to what was spoiling the celebration of his greatest victory to date.
"I demand to know what is going– !"
*CRRAASSHH!*
Riser was interrupted from his rant as the huge doors to the grand hall suddenly broke apart violently, the two guards that had been sent to investigate flying backwards back into the room they had just left and crashing down at the base of the raised platform, right by Riser's feet.
Large chunks of the wall fell to the floor as a humongous, tan-brown coloured creature pushed its way into the hall, an act which proved pretty difficult as it was larger than the large doorframe it was trying to pass through. After dislodging a good portion of the frame and wall in its way, the creature finally managed to force its way into the spacious hall.
The guests backed away from the intimidating 40ft tall creature as it towered over them all. It was so tall in fact that, while it managed to fit into the hall, its head still grazed against the chandelier hanging near its head.
While the devils and guests who knew little to nothing against most demon species – which was, frankly, most of them – the older, more knowledgeable among them looked up at the demon before them with recognition and caution in their eyes. They instantly recognised the demon which had gate-crashed the party as one of the largest, certainly one of the most powerful, demons in the Underworld.
A Vaxasaurian.
Protected by an impenetrable thick, brown and leathery hide, the towering demon was also protected by the numerous metallic plates which protruded out of its back and the spike which adorned the end of its tail behind it, Vaxasaurians had an appearance which humans would compare to that of a Stegosaurus (though, unknown to them, the Vaxasaurian appeared first). One thing that caught the eye of some devils was the strange circular device that seemed to be implanted into the creature's chest.
The reason Vaxasaurians are treated with so much caution is that they've been the cause of death for many brash young devil, both low and highborn. Extraordinarily tough and strong even during their youth, an adult Vaxasaurian, particularly an elder, was on par with an Ultimate-class devil in terms of protective strength and endurance.
Many a young highborn devil had tried to claim glory in hunting such a powerful demon down and bringing its head back as a trophy. So far, however, all such hunts have all ended the same way, with a noble family mourning over the loss of a child.
Despite the demon before them clearly not being big enough to be an adult, caution was still held by the crowd as it was still capable of contending with a High-class devil.
The huge demon took a step further into the hall, its eyes scanning around the room until it's gaze fell upon the raised platform where Riser and Rias were stood, staring back at him.
Its eyes narrowed at Riser and it unleashed a powerful at the young Phenex, forcing both him and many other party patrons to cover their ears at the noise while all the windows adorning the sides of the hall shattered from it.
As the roar ended, silence filled the room as everybody stared up at the large demon standing before them.
"Good, it looks like I have everybody's attention," the hulking monster growled as he took another step into the room.
As he did so, though, the spell he had over the guests broke and the room was filled with indignant cries.
"What is going on here?!"
"How did that demon get in here?!"
"What is a Vaxasaurian doing so far from Terradino?"
"This is outrageous! How did it get past security?!"
While all this was going on, back on the platform, Rias stared up at the Vaxasaurian with complete shock on her face. Of course, she knew instantly who it was when she saw the dial on its chest yet she still couldn't believe that he was so foolish as to crash the party at all, let alone doing it in such a dramatic fashion.
She pressed her hand over her heart which was beating rapidly, both in trepidation for the tense scene that was playing out around them, and in pure joy for him turning up for her.
'You're such a fool,' she thought to herself with a small blush and smile on her face.
One noble who had remained cool throughout the whole ordeal so far (though he had been shocked initially when the demon arrived) took another sip from the drink in his hand and gestured towards the huge demon. "Will somebody just kill this thing already? It's ruining the party."
"Sure, I'll give it a go," a young man stated as he made his way through the crowd. The Vaxasaurian gazed down at the young man and saw that, even though hidden underneath the suit he wore, the young man was bristling with bulging muscles which hid the immense power within him.
"That won't be necessary, Sairaorg," a voice announced from the raised platform. Everyone looked back to see a crimson-haired man approaching the centre of the stage, coming to a stop next to Rias. His hand was raised a little as he stopped the man called Sairaorg from attacking the monster.
The newcomer looked exactly like the male version of Rias. He had shoulder-length crimson hair and brilliant blue-green eyes, just like Rias. He wore exquisitely decorative robes with spikes that protruded from his shoulders.
This man was Sirzechs, former heir to the Gremory household and current leader of the Four Great Satans as Lucifer.
The room exploded into further chaos upon Sirzechs arrival. So much so that a lot of them completely forgot the fact that a 40ft demon was standing before them.
"Sirzechs?"
"It's Sirzechs!"
"The Great Devil Lucifer is here?!"
As Sairaorg nodded his head in understanding and returned back into the crowd, another noble devil broke from the crowd and appeared on the other side of the raised platform from Sirzechs.
"What do you mean, 'it won't be necessary', my lord?" they asked with confusion clear on their face.
Sirzechs smiled and looked towards the noble who had spoken.
"I mean that this is just some entertainment that I arranged to make this party more interesting," Sirzechs explained.
"What is the meaning of this, Lord Lucifer?" a crimson haired man who appeared to be middle-aged demanded as diplomatically as he could considering he was addressing his king. "You thought it would be amusing to bring a dangerous demon into our territory and scare our guests?"
Sirzechs shook his head and turned his attention to the crimson haired man who had emerged from the crowd onto the platform and now stood on Sirzechs' right.
"Of course not, Lord Gremory. When I invited him to join us here tonight I had absolutely no idea that he would appear so theatrically."
"What are you talking about? Who did you invite?" Zeoticus Gremory asked, unsure what Sirzechs was talking about.
Sirzechs returned his attention back to the towering demon who had been silent throughout the entire conversation.
"I would introduce you to everyone but I find myself unsure as to what title you prefer to go by. Do you prefer 'Red Dragon Emperor' or would you prefer 'Dragon Allfather'?"
At the mention of these two titles, the room exploded once again into a chorus of surprise and shock as the party patrons went beside themselves as he listed off the two titles.
"What did he say?!"
"He said it was the 'Red Dragon Emperor'! since when could a demon take a Sacred Gear?!"
"It isn't possible!"
"What was that other name he said?"
"He said 'Dragon Allfather'."
"But that's impossible! The only one who ever had that title was the dragon god, Azmuth!"
"Yeah, and he disappeared before the end of the Great War, didn't he?"
"The last time I heard about him, yeah."
"So, which is it?" Sirzechs asked again, louder this time so as to be heard above the noise of numerous conversations.
The Vaxasaurian stared back at Sirzechs in silence for a moment before it reached up and tapped the centre of the dial on its chest and disappeared in a large flash of red light. When the light died away, it revealed Ben standing in its place.
"If it's all the same to you, I prefer 'Ben'," Ben announced as he started walking towards the platform, ignoring the shocked expressions on everyone's faces.
"Tennyson?!"
Riser stepped forward, the shock on his face being replaced by fury as he glared down at Ben. He then turned his attention towards Sirzechs. "Lord Sirzechs, what is the meaning of this?"
"If I'm being perfectly honest, Riser, I was completely underwhelmed by your performance in the Rating Game. I'm sure your family is also less than pleased with how close the outcome was."
"What do you mean?" Riser replied, doing his utmost to ensure he remained polite and courteous to the powerful devil before him.
"Despite your experience and power, you came very close to losing against my little sister, a virgin to the Rating Game, despite the overwhelming advantage you held. I think a rematch between the two of you is in order, don't you? Think of it as a way to regain some of your family's lost pride. I'm also doing it for myself to see if my investment has been worth it."
"Your investment?" a nearby noble asked curiously.
"Indeed. This boy was reincarnated using my Satan Piece," Sirzechs explained, ignoring the gasps of shock. "I need to make sure that it wasn't wasted. If it has been then I will be sure to rectify that mistake and take the Piece back myself."
Ben stopped his approach and couldn't help but gulp at the intense stare he was receiving from Sirzechs as he said the last part.
"Besides…," Sirzechs added, his attitude completely changing as he cast a quick glance across the hall with a bright smile on his face. "It's not every day that my little sister gets to have an engagement party. I wanted to add a little spice to it and make this event even more special."
"If that is what you wish, my lord, then I shall ensure to make it a spectacle worthy of your attention, my king," Riser bowed his head reluctantly, unable to disobey Sirzechs' will.
"As for you, Ben Tennyson…," Sirzechs went on, gesturing to Ben with his hand. "Would be kind enough to show the power you possess? I'm sure I've piqued the interest of many nobles here tonight who wish to know what you're capable of."
Despite Sirzechs' warning ringing in the back of his head, Ben still didn't hesitate as he answered, casting a quick glare at Riser as he did so.
"If it means getting another shot at that asshole then hell yeah!" he declared.
"No, Ben!" Rias cried out in concern, the image of Ben's broken and battered body from the last time he fought Riser entering her head. "Don't do this!"
"It's perfectly fine, my dear," Riser stated confidently as he stood in front of Rias, a dark smile on his face at the prospect of finally teaching the lowborn a lesson he wouldn't forget. "Tennyson's a big boy. I'm sure he's capable of making his own decisions."
"What reward would you like should you win?" Sirzechs went on to ask. "Ask anything and, if it's within my considerable power to do so, I shall grant it."
This proved to be a step too far for some noble devils as the room erupted with the sound of disgruntled devils voicing their disapproval for Sirzechs' announcement.
"You cannot be serious, my lord!"
"To give a reward to a mere low-born? It's unthinkable!"
"Enough!" Sirzechs declared firmly, instantly silencing the hall as all attention was focused on him. "I have spoken. Low-born or not, I am still his king as much as I am yours. I have requested this of him and, despite my warning, he still agreed to it. So, what is it you want in return? A title perhaps? Or some land to call your own? Perhaps even women of great beauty to be yours forever? All you have to do is ask and I shall make it so."
"I came here for only one reason," Ben replied, pointing towards Rias. "Rias Gremory! If I win then I want this whole engagement cancelled."
As he said this, Ben could've sworn he caught a glimpse of a smile in the corner of Sirzechs' mouth though it disappeared so fast that he wasn't sure he saw it at all.
"If that is all you wish for then it shall be done. Now, prepare yourselves for the battle then," Sirzechs declared as he snapped his fingers and two magic circles, one beneath Ben and the other beneath Riser, materialised and quickly spirited the two of them away to the battlefield.
. . . . .
Unknown location, Underworld
(Several minutes later)
Ben stared out across the large arena that was to serve as the battlefield. It reminded him of the images of the ancient Roman Coliseum that he learnt about in school. Just like the coliseum that saw gladiators fight for the amusement of emperors and consuls, this arena looked as though thousands of people could be held here from the looks of it.
For the upcoming battle, however, only the small number of people from the party were in attendance. He looked to his left up to the main viewing box where the most important observers were sat where he spotted Rias, Sirzechs and Grayfia sat down in their seats and waiting for the fight to commence. Even at the distance he was standing from her, he could clearly see the fearful look on Rias' face and wanted nothing more than to shout out to her and tell her that everything would be alright; he would make sure of it.
Turning his attention away from the viewing box, Ben looked back across to the opposite side of the arena to see Riser standing opposite him, waiting with anticipation for the fight to finally start so that he could put Ben in his 'proper place' once and for all…or just kill him; whichever came first. He had discarded his formal dress attire from the party and had replaced it with a set of arm guards which covered the entirety of his arms, leaving his chest exposed, and a set of tattered robes which covered below his waist.
"For this match, the pawn has been granted permission to promote himself," Sirzechs declared as magic was used to carry his voice across the entire arena so everyone could hear him.
Ben nodded his head in understanding though his gaze never left Riser.
"If both parties are ready then…," Sirzechs' voice announced again, "…the match will start."
Ben took up a combat stance and summoned his Sacred Gears to his arms and cast a quick glance down at them with a look of determination on his face.
"Are you ready for this guys?" he asked his two draconic partners in his head through their mental link.
[We are ready!]Azmuth declared with his deep booming voice.
[Remind this pitiful being why the world fears dragons!] Ddraig's booming voice echoed in Ben's head before releasing a roaring battle cry.
"Wait until I give the signal," Ben reminded them as he rolled his shoulders and popped his neck in anticipation.
Sirzechs brought his arm up. "Let the match begin!" he declared as he swiftly brought his arm back down with a sharp motion.
"Promotion: Queen!" Ben bellowed, gasping as he suddenly felt a large surge of power flow through his body.
Riser chuckled darkly as brilliant flames engulfed his entire body. "Riser will show you once and for all where you truly stand in this world, lowborn scum! I will make you regret the disgrace you have caused me." Large wings made of flames appeared out of his back as he quickly took to the air and hovered above the ground.
"Now come and meet your end, Tennyson!" he bellowed as he propelled himself towards Ben.
"Bring it on, Riser!" Ben retorted hotly as he threw himself forward into a sprint, bringing up Azmuth's Gear as he charged headlong towards Riser and slammed his palm down on the dial on the transformation he had chosen and disappeared in a flash of emerald green light.
[Transform: Methanosian!]
Riser laughed snidely as he shot across the field, rapidly closing the gap between himself and Ben. "No demonic form you take can save you from me, Tennyson!" He then increased the heat and intensity of the flames which surrounded him and reared his fist back as he dove down at his prey. "Now DIE!"
As he thrust his fist forwards, a vine-like fist suddenly emerged from the green light, catching Riser by surprise and punched Riser in the face hard, knocking the Phenex lord off balance and sending him crashing into the ground and causing him to slide along the dirt for a few feet before he came to a stop.
"What the fuck?" Riser growled as he quickly rose back up to his feet and turned back to glare at Ben with a furious expression on his face as he noted Ben's new form.
The form which Ben had turned into this time was humanoid in shape like many of his other transformations though this one differed from the others in that it appeared to be some sort of plant-like demon. His body was now dark green in colour with black roots adding a contrast to the green colour with a red flame-patterned head and root-like feet. Several red petals now sprouted from his shoulders while green frills protruded from his elbows and legs.
"Weren't expecting that were you?" Ben said in a nasally voice as he smirked at Riser's surprised expression.
Riser's shock was quickly replaced as he began to laugh darkly and triumphantly at Ben. "Hahahaha! You really are a stupid lowborn aren't you? Do you really think that a plant will stand up against me, the flame bird?!"
His eyes narrowed as he scrunched up his nose as the rotten stench that Ben's form emitted reached his nose.
"Urgh! Such a disgusting stench. You now smell just like the base lowborn you are, bastard!"
Ben wasn't fazed at all by Riser's taunts. "What's the matter, Riser? You too delicate to handle a smell of the real world?" he countered cockily, bringing up his arm and giving Riser a 'come and get me' gesture, a large smile on his face.
Riser's smirk instantly disappeared and was replaced by his familiar snarl. "Why you little…!"
He surrounded himself with even hotter flames and charged towards Ben again with a murderous glare in his eyes. He lunged at Ben, his fist aflame and struck at Ben's head. Ben was expecting this and dodged the blow and, as Riser soared past him, tore off several of the seeds protruding from his shoulders and threw them towards Riser. They landed at his feet and Ben quickly sent a telepathic command to them to start growing. As he did so, vines exploded out of the ground and grew to about thirty feet in less than five seconds. Without waiting for Riser to react to the vines, Ben sent another command to the vines to thrust towards Riser which they did without any hesitation and securely latched themselves around Riser's feet, stopping him dead in his tracks and holding him in place.
With Riser now in his grasp, Ben gestured with his arms like a conductor leading an orchestra and the vines obeyed his will, slamming Riser down into the ground after swinging him over Ben's head. Now that he had the bastard right where he wanted him, Ben threw even more seeds around the young Phenex and watched as they, too, sprouted out of the ground instantly, growing to the same size as the first vines. When they were all fully grown, Ben commanded them to start attacking Riser…and they did so without hesitation or mercy. They had Riser completely surrounded and began to smash and pound him into the dirt with great speed and power, stirring up a large dust cloud which hid him from the view of the spectators.
Though that didn't stop them from hearing his grunts and yells of indignation.
From the viewing box, Rias was staring in amazement at the way Ben was fighting Riser. She had never seen this side of Ben and didn't know that he was capable of being this merciless to opponents…not that she minded all that much considering it was Riser after all.
'He could win this,' she thought with barely contained joy as she held her hand to her chest. 'No. He WILL win this. I know he will. I believe in him.'
"He seems to be doing well, doesn't he?" Grayfia observed from her place beside Sirzechs.
"It would seem so," Sirzechs mused as he watched the battle with interest. "Don't think it's anywhere near over though."
Ben's attacks continued for a few more brutal seconds before a large, fiery explosion suddenly erupted from the epicentre of the vines, burning them all to a cinder and sending Ben skidding back across the field; his feet creating deep grooves in the dirt as he protected himself from the intense flames of Riser's counterattack.
"ENOUGH!" Riser bellowed with fury as he shot up into the air, above the dust cloud. "I've had just about enough of your little tricks, Tennyson! It's time for you to die!"
His arms were engulfed with flames which burned with such intensity they were nearly white-hot. He shot through the air at blinding speeds that Ben struggled to keep up with. He darted all around Ben before suddenly streaking towards him from behind. Ben spun around and made to punch Riser in the face again but Riser had expected it this time and wouldn't be caught out by it again.
He dodged Ben's vine-like fist with ease and sharply brought his arm down on top of it, his intense flames cutting clean through Ben's arm, severing it below his elbow and sending it falling to the floor.
"Nnnrgh!" Ben ground out in pain as he clutched the stump where his arm had just been.
Riser wasn't done with him, though. Far from it. Almost immediately after slicing Ben's arm clean off and burning it with a sadistic smirk, he landed directly behind Ben and spun around with his flame-engulfed arm, his fingers extended, and sliced clean through Ben's torso like butter and cleaved him in half. Ben let out a small gasp of pain and surprise before his torso fell back at the waist and landed on the ground with his waist and legs landing a few inches away from him.
"NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Rias cried despairingly as she watched, with tears flowing down her cheeks, Ben get split in half and fall to the floor in a limp pile. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She didn't want to believe.
She clasped her hands over her mouth to stifle the sob which almost escaped her mouth while she started to shake slightly.
"Please wait, lady Rias," Grayfia said calmly, placing her hand on Rias' shoulder to comfort her.
"She's right," Sirzechs added from where he sat. "This is far from over."
"What are you talking about?!" Rias retorted angrily, turning towards her brother as tears continued to streak down her face, completely forgetting all decorum as she spoke to him. she wasn't speaking to her king right now, she was speaking to her brother. "You coerced him into doing this stupid fight and it got him killed! I would have gladly gone through with the engagement if this was the alternative!
Sirzechs looked at her with a calm expression. "Peace, sister. Do you remember our dear mother's extensive lessons about Underworld Demons?" he asked calmly.
"What has that got to do with anything?!" the Gremory heiress retorted tearfully. Why was he talking about such unimportant things?
Sirzechs nodded back towards the arena. "Just watch and see. Methanosians are a particularly unique species for one reason alone."
Fighting back the tears that continued to attempt to break free, Rias reluctantly did as he suggested and took her seat again before forcing herself to look back down in the arena where the two halves of Ben lay, completely lifeless, while Riser strutted around him with his arms outstretched as he laughed triumphantly at his victory.
"Hahaha! Riser has won! Riser has conquered a dragon! This was yet another outcome that was always to be expected! I mean, how could such a filthy lowborn scumbag possibly hope to ever defeat me…even if he did possess the Boosted Gear. Now, I believe we all have a par–." Riser was cut off from his speech at the abrupt sound of laughter…nasally laughter coming from behind him. He spun around quickly to see Ben laughing as he stared up at the dark sky of the Underworld above them.
"How the hell are you still alive?!" Riser snarled manically as he backed away from the plant demon, his eyes wide with shock at the 'corpse' laughing at him.
Instead of answering him, Ben just continued to laugh as vines suddenly sprouted from where his waist lay broken on the floor and quickly snaked their way across the dirt until they reached his severed waist and latched themselves onto it. The exact same thing could be seen happening to his stump which had reached his severed arm. Having expected the match to be over and the upstart lowborn finally being taken care of, there were several shocked gasps from the, now transfixed, audience as the vines suddenly went taut and began to pull the severed waist and arm back to the main body. They reached each other after a second or two and, once they were re-joined with the main body, Ben's body began fusing itself back together.
Once this process was completed, Ben quickly sprang up to his feet and rolled the shoulder of his formerly severed arm to check whether it had been impacted from being severed. Once he was sure that everything was working well, another grin formed on his face.
He looked up to see Riser's look of shock at what he had just done. "What?" he asked innocently before his smirk came back. "You never seen a Methanosian before?"
Rias blinked several times in rapid succession, appearing to be in shock, just like Riser. However her surprise was heavily dwarfed by the elation she felt at seeing Ben standing up and still breathing; her heart was still beating rapidly at the quick sequence of events.
She looked over at her brother who was doing his best to hide the small smile forming on his face. "What just happened?" she asked.
"That…," Sirzechs said as he leaned back in his seat and pressed his hands together. "…is a mere glimpse into the remarkable regenerative capabilities of the Methanosian species. I must admit though that it's one thing to read it in grandfather's journal but it's an entirely different thing to see the effect of it in person."
Back with the two combatants, it wasn't just Rias and Sirzechs who were taken aback by what they just saw. As Ben twisted his waist and arm to continue checking they had been restored properly, which they had been, he couldn't help but laugh a little. "Huh, I knew that would happen but I doubt I'll ever get used to that." He turned back to his opponent and chuckled as Riser seemed to finally grasp the point that Ben had hoped to send him with that transformation. "Looks like someone's finally levelled the playing field against you, dickhead. You've just lost your one and only advantage over me. Your regenerative ability isn't quite so unique when there's a demon species that can do it too."
"I-Impossible!" Riser spluttered with shock, backing away from Ben slightly. "Only my family possesses regeneration and immortality…."
"Perhaps amongst Devils…," Ben interjected as he slowly walked towards the noble devil. "…but you forget, Riser…I'm not a Devil right now, am I? I'm a demon of the Underworld and I believe it's finally time that I end this fight!"
"Azmuth. It's time," he announced to the ancient draconic god as they went ahead with the plan they had come up with.
. . . . .
*Flashback*
"Wait a second. Are you saying that there's a way to temporarily boost my power beyond my current limit?" Ben asked Azmuth from his spot on his bed.
He had just explained to Asia what it was he needed from her and, while she was confused as to why he had asked her for these things, she still agreed to help him and hurried off to find what Ben had asked for.
This left Ben alone to explain his plan to Azmuth and Ddraig who were intrigued by his strange plan as neither of them had ever heard of a devil doing such a thing before.
It was at this point that Azmuth revealed to Ben that there may be another way to ensure his success against Riser.
[I am,] Azmuth replied deeply.
"Why haven't you mentioned it before then?"
[For two reasons, kid. Firstly, I wasn't sure until now whether my Sacred Gear possessed the ability at all; it being a completely unknown Gear and all. Upon closer inspection of my Gear's capabilities though, I found out that I, too, possess this ability.]
"What was the other reason?"
[Because it's a very dangerous ability…,] Ddraig interjected. […and you're not strong enough for it yet. The only way you can access this power as you are is to make some sort of sacrifice in order to receive the boon it offers.]
"It might be the only way I can defeat Riser right now, though," Ben stated, unhappy at having to admit this.
[In that case, if you offer up something as a sacrifice then you will be able to temporarily bypass the threshold needed to otherwise be able to use the ability,] Azmuth continued. [I must warn you though that this action will have long lasting effects on your–.]
"I don't care about that right now. All I care about is saving Rias. What would I need to sacrifice?"
[Well….]
*End of Flashback*
. . . . .
[Transformation Gear: Balance Breaker!]
Ben's body began to pulsate rapidly as an emerald green aura surrounded him and hid from view for a few seconds. When the light vanished again, there were several gasps from the spectators at the sight before their eyes.
Even Sirzechs' eyes widened ever so slightly at the unexpected turn of events. "Well, I wasn't expecting that," he muttered quietly as he watched the fight even closer than before.
Ben's features had changed so completely that he was now completely unrecognizable from before. He had grown in height and now stood at around nine feet tall, easily towering over Riser. His body had changed from the dark green vine-like appearance that his body was composed of to that of petrified wood instead. His bark-composed body was now dark brown in colour and he now had three blue gooey balls protruding along his arms with a single, larger one protruding from his back. His face was contained in a smaller gooey blob with his eyes glowing with power.
"What's going on?!" Riser demanded, unsure how to react to yet another surprise from the troublesome lowborn bastard.
"You're about to be defeated by this demon's ultimate form!" Ben declared in his nasally voice as he clenched and unclenched his fist as he adapted to the sudden surge in power and information on this new form's capabilities flowed into his head.
[You've been given the power, kid. Just remember that it will only last ten seconds,] Azmuth warned Ben from the back of his mind. [Any longer and your body will rip itself apart.]
"Don't worry. I'll beat him by then," Ben replied, confidently.
[10!]
"Let's get the real party started then, shall we?" Ben shouted out as he ripped off one of the blue orbs on his shoulder, another one instantly growing in its place, and launched it at Riser.
The orb exploded a few feet in front of Riser and released a torrent of brilliant bright blue flames which blasted Riser back and knocked him onto the ground from the intense heat of the blue flames.
Everyone gasped in both shock and awe as they saw that Riser had actually been visibly burned by the blue flames with several scorch marks covering his exposed skin before his regenerative abilities sprang into action and healed the burns. Despite hiding the evidence that a member of the Phenex clan was actually burned by fire, the fact that it still happened caused a stir among the spectators…and none so much as Riser who'd had the experience burned into his mind.
"What the fuck was that?!" Riser cried out with a mixture of anger, confusion…and fear. "How can I be burned?! Me, a member of the House of Phenex?! How is it possible?!"
"Before this match is over, I'm going to show everyone here that even the almighty Phoenix can be burned," Ben retorted with determination in his tone as he charged towards Riser with great speed.
[9!]
"You don't deserve Rias, you arrogant bastard!" Ben bellowed angrily as his fist connected with Riser's face, sending him flying back across the field until he crashed into one of the surrounding towers running along the rim of the arena and creating a large hole in it from the sheer force of his impact.
"Gargh!" Riser gasped as parts of the damaged tower fell on top of him, crushing parts of his body before they were quickly healed again.
[8!]
"You think you're better than me simply because of a title you got when you were born? Well, I hate to break it to you, Riser, but that's not how the world really works. As all devils know, power is absolutely everything. There's always someone stronger than you…," Ben explained as Riser emerged from the hole. "…and today, that person is me!"
"Grr. Damn you!" Riser bellowed with fury as he engulfed himself in flames again, these flames hotter and more intense than anything he'd ever manifested before now. The main reason for the dramatic rise in intensity was mainly due to the uncontrollable rage he felt towards the devil standing before him.
Riser then lunged towards Ben with his fist reared back but his opponent saw this coming and reared his own fist back before releasing it to collide with Riser's.
[Boost!]
Their fists collided with such power that both devils were briefly consumed by a bright light from the large explosion of power from their collision, sending both combatants back a few feet from the force of it.
[7!]
"What are you?!" Riser seethed as his fist, which had been shattered from the impact, quickly repaired itself. "I've never seen such power before! I demand you tell me what you are, Tennyson!"
"I've told you before, Riser. I am Rias Gremory's Pawn," Ben replied simply as he launched another blue orb at Riser which released another blast of brilliant blue flames at Riser. Determined not to suffer the humiliation of being burned a second time, Riser dodged the attack at the last second and managed to avoid the intense flames as they consumed the tower, melting a good portion of the brick and stone and causing the tall structure to collapse a second later under its own weight as the intense flames melted a good amount of its base.
[6!]
"You can't beat me! You are nothing compared to Riser! You hear me, Tennyson?! Nothing!" Riser roared manically from his position in the air above the arena before he dove down towards Ben at a blinding speed. Ben sidestepped the attack at the last moment and brought his fist up at the same time to meet with Riser's before crashing it down on top of him and knocking him to the ground, creating a shallow yet sizable crater from Riser's hard impact with the ground.
"Rias deserves better than you! I will do whatever it takes to make sure she's happy and nothing will get in my way of making sure Rias is happy with whoever she chooses to be with! She clearly doesn't want you so I'll see to it that you never get close to her ever again! Got it?!" Ben roared at the top of his lungs as he removed his hand from
On the far side of the arena, his words reached Rias who covered her mouth with her hand to hide her quiet gasp, a blush forming on her face as her other hand remained over her breast where she both felt and heard her heartbeat start to quicken at Ben's heartfelt words.
[5!]
"No! Riser will have what he was promised…!" Riser shouted as loud as he could before gathering together all his fire into the largest fireball that he had ever created, easily the biggest fireball that Ben had ever seen in his life and threw it towards him. "…and nothing will stand in his way!"
"Time for the endgame," Ben muttered to himself as the gigantic fireball flew across the arena towards him, a trail of fie and scorch marks following behind it.
Taking up a strong stance, Ben brought his hands together, palms facing towards Riser, and ignited the napalm in his hands and released a huge plume of brilliant blue fire, twice the size as Riser's fireball, from his palms. The torrent of blue flames intercepted Riser's fireball and consumed it entirely before continuing on its destructive path until it reached Riser and completely engulfed the noble devil, the only sound heard above the roar of the flames were Riser Phenex's cries of agonising pain.
Ben stopped his attack after a few seconds to see the results of his attack. He separated his hands again and the fire quickly dissipated to reveal Riser lying on the floor, horribly scorched and burnt but still very much alive as the healing wounds attested to.
[4!]
"How…are you…doing this?" Riser demanded through ragged breathing as he slowly picked himself off the floor and to his feet, his skin slowly knitting itself back together as his strength returned to him. "How are…your flames…able to burn…me?"
"I can't take all the credit," Ben replied as he approached Riser. "I had a little help from our Bishop."
He held up his left hand as he said this to reveal a small, silver cross. The chain it was dangling from was wrapped around his fingers as he clutched it tightly.
"Is-Is that a Cross?!" Riser exclaimed fearfully.
"You're damn right it's a cross!" Ben replied with a smirk on his face as he continued to walk towards the weakened devil. "No matter how strong you think you are, Riser, you are nothing compared to the power of the Cross and your fire is nothing more than a candle compared the heat of Holy Fire!"
[3!]
"It's impossible for Devils to hold such holy artifacts! Even if you possess the power of the dragon god, Azmuth, you are still a devil! Simply touching the chain alone should be causing you unimaginable pain!" Riser stated loudly, his wounds now almost completely healed again, as he tried to back away from Ben who slowly starting walking towards him again.
"That would be true…if this arm still belonged to me, that is," Ben replied cryptically.
"What are you talking abou–," Riser started to ask before his eyes widened in sudden realisation. "Wait. You offered that dragon your own arm, didn't you?!"
Ben continued to walk towards Riser, his eyes glaring right into Riser's soul. "Yes I did, and I would gladly do it again. It's time to put out your flames, little bird."
"You're insane, you're completely insane," Riser muttered, fear beginning to consume as he finally realised what sort of person he was fighting right now.
Ben didn't respond to Riser's words. He just continued to approach the wavering devil. As he got closer to him, Riser tried to back away from Ben but just couldn't find the strength to do so as his fear continued to grow inside him.
"N-No! You-You have no idea how important this union is! The purity of devils must be protected at all–." Riser was cut off mid-sentence when Ben reached him and punched him in the chest, sending him back to the floor again.
[2!]
Ben then reached down with his right arm and picked Riser up by his throat until he was dangling off the floor and pulled him close to the petrified wood that was his face.
"Do you submit?" he asked Riser dangerously, his eyes narrowing with fiery determination.
"Never! Riser will never submit to lowborn scum like you,!" Riser gasped as he tried in vain to prise Ben's fingers from his throat to no success.
"If that's what you want," Ben replied darkly as he brought up his left hand, the cross lying flat against his wooden palm, and pressed it down hard on top of Riser's forehead and held it there.
As soon as the purified metal made contact with his bare skin, Riser immediately began emitting a cry of pure, unbridled agony, a cry more intense than ever before to match the most indescribable pain that the cross forced Riser to experience.
When Ben finally took his hand away from Riser, the young Phenex lord could still feel the pain coursing through his entire being. When he pulled his hand away, Ben looked at the scorched imprint of the cross which had been burnt into Riser's skin like a brand, forever marking him.
[1!]
"Do. You. Submit?" Ben repeated, slower and with more power behind his voice than before.
Riser couldn't find the voice to answer him and simply went limp in Ben's iron grip, unable to remain conscious any longer from Ben's brutal attack. The Methanosian let go of Riser and let him fall to the floor in an unconscious heap as he stood over him.
"I win," he declared quietly as he looked down at his beaten opponent.
[0!]
Ben reverted back to his normal form after briefly being consumed by a flash of red light.
He had been expecting the resulting wave of fatigue to hit him but it still almost sent him to his knees as it struck without warning. It took everything he had left to remain standing on his feet.
A flash of flame sparked up between Riser and himself and Ravel materialised in the middle of them and spread out her arms wide in a protective manner.
"Please! Don't hurt him anymore!" she pleaded with a fearful expression on her face.
"I've done what I needed to do." Ben pointed at Ravel. "Don't let him forget this!"
"I-I won't," Ravel promised him before backing away from him and tending to her fallen brother.
"The match is over! The winner is Benjamin Tennyson!" Sirzechs declared, rising from his seat, with a wave of his hand to signify the end of the match.
As soon as these words were uttered the spectators were teleported away and the arena started to crumble away and the floor beneath Ben fell away beneath him. Too weak to summon his own wings to stop his descent, and unlike Riser who had Ravel to grab hold of him as she flew away, Ben was unable to stop himself as he began tumbling out of the sky where the floating arena had been.
"Shit!" Ben cursed as the ground beneath him started to rapidly rise up to meet him.
Just as quickly as a he began his plummet towards the ground, it was brought to a sudden stop when Rias appeared out of nowhere and intercepted his fall, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace so as to both stop his fall and show her happiness at his victory.
"Oh, hey, Rias," he muttered weakly. "Looks like you're engagement's over."
Rias laughed softly and held Ben in her arms tighter. "Thank you, Ben! You've saved me! Thank you so much!"
. . . . .
Once they had finally returned back to the grounds outside the large hall where the engagement party had been held Ben had regained some of his strength back and was able to stand on his own two feet again…though he was still a bit wobbly. They were met by Sona, Tsubaki and the rest of Rias' peerage, bar Asia, who approached them as they landed and praised Ben, congratulating him on his win.
Eager for all of them to return home and so he could rest after what he went through tonight, Ben pulled out the piece of paper he had been given by Grayfia in the hopes of using the magic circle on it to take them back.
To his, and everyone else's, surprise though, as he held up the paper it glowed brightly and a griffin suddenly appeared before them where it squawked and flapped its large wings to loosen them up before crouching down.
"Woah, I wasn't expecting that," Ben murmured, surprised at the magical beast standing before him. "It's beautiful," he added, admiring its impeccably well-kept plumage.
"Looks like somebody is letting you leave with style," Akeno stated sweetly.
It was as she said this that Ben noticed the saddle strapped onto the griffin's back.
"Looks like it, doesn't it?"
"In that case, seeing as you saved the day, Ben, I think it's only fair that you fly back home with Rias on it.
Ben turned to Rias who was stood beside him.
"Are you okay with that?"
Rias nodded her head. "I am." She then glanced towards him shyly, a small blush forming in her cheeks. "Unless you don't want to."
"What? Of course I do," Ben replied quickly, unsure that anyone would mis such a moment.
Rias' blush intensified a little before the two of them climbed up the griffin and into its saddle. Once they were secured, Ben snaked his arms around Rias' waist and picked up the reins.
"See you guys later then," he said to the others who had backed away to give the griffin some space and tugged on them, giving the griffin the signal to take off.
. . . . .
Watching from a balcony high above the grounds, Sirzechs watched as the griffin spread its large wings and took flight, quickly gaining altitude before heading off into the distance.
A small smile could be seen on his lips as he watched them shrink into the distance. Even though he was confident that this was how things would turn out in the end, he was still impressed with just how well his plan had worked out.
He sensed his Queen stepping out onto the balcony and approach him until she stood by his side and joined him in watching the griffin soar through the night sky.
"Tonight was quite eventful, wasn't it?" he noted cheerfully.
Grayfia nodded her head slightly, silently agreeing with his assessment.
"I'm glad that we didn't have to use that griffin as it was originally intended for," he noted as he continued to look out across the dark sky.
"Thank goodness it didn't come to that," Grayfia agreed, imitating her King and master and looking out where the two young devils had headed.
"Thankfully, my father and Lord Phenex were able to end things amicably. Believe it or not, he actually wanted to thank the Dragon Allfather for showing his son defeat for the first time in his life. Apparently he had become quite arrogant over the years and needed to be taught some humility," he said with a smile.
"Still…it's such a shame the wedding now has to be cancelled," he sighed a little too theatrically.
Grayfia heard the poorly hidden sarcasm in his voice and shared a smile with him, turning her head to glance at him. "Indeed. It is a shame, truly. You look so torn up because of it," she said, noting his smile.
The two of them stared out at the dark purple Underworld sky in silence for a moment before Sirzechs eventually broke it.
"I never would've thought it possible."
"What?" Grayfia asked curiously.
"It's nothing short of a miracle that the Red Dragon Emperor would join our side, but it's an entirely different thing for the Dragon Allfather himself to return to the world after everyone thought he had completely abandoned this dimension…or that, somehow he had been killed during the Great War. Despite never having met him myself, I always admired Azmuth for what he stood for. I can only imagine what he must've been like in his prime."
"With the awakening of the Red Dragon, I can't imagine that it will be too long before the White Dragon makes itself known," Grayfia noted as the thought came to her.
"I believe you're right, Grayfia," Sirzechs nodded in agreement before he chuckled lightly. "I wish I could be there when all three of them are brought together once again like one big happy family."
"I imagine it will be quite…explosive," Grayfia said, unable to think of any other way to describe it.
"If only Zennith were still alive. From the stories about her, she was the only one capable of keeping those three in line," Sirzechs sighed sadly. He remembered how the two Heavenly Dragons had reacted when they learnt about her death.
Who knew how Azmuth would react when he found out.
Sirzechs turned his back to the balcony and started to make his way back inside, Grayfia following in his wake. "Big changes are on the horizon, Grayfia," he said confidently. "I can feel it. Who knows what the future will bring."
. . . . .
As the griffin slowly made its way across the Underworld sky, Ben was enamoured in the sights around him. He had never been to the Underworld before and was intrigued to see more of the land where Rias came from and where his demonic forms called home.
He was brought out of taking in the multitude of sights around him when he felt Rias gently place a hand on his cheek. He turned to look at her and saw that she had a sad smile on her face as she placed her other hand on his left arm.
As he had been warned when he made the deal, Ben's left arm now belonged to Azmuth. As such, it had been replaced by his Sacred Gear which couldn't be hidden away anymore. As well as this, just above his elbow where the Gear ended and his arm began, instead of a distinctive split between arm and Gear, the two were now fused together with rough, green scales replacing his arm for a few inches before returning back to skin on his upper arm.
"Such a silly boy," she chided him softly as she stroked his arm. "You gave up your arm just for me. You shouldn't have done that." Despite being annoyed that he made such a brash decision without thinking about the consequences, Rias couldn't find it in herself to be truly angry with after what he had just done for her.
"Hey," he said softly, attracting her attention as she looked back up at him. "I made a promise that I would protect you from that asshole, didn't I? I stick to my promises," he told her with a soft, comforting smile.
"I still don't think it was worth your arm. You may have stopped this engagement but there will, undoubtedly, be more in the future," Rias said sadly, looking back down at the gauntlet fused to his skin.
"So?" Ben replied simply. She looked up at him as he stared at her. "I'm going to keep getting stronger to stop that from happening. If you're forced to marry someone else that you don't want, I'll gladly do this all over again. And if I'm not strong enough for the next guy then I'll just have to give up something else instead. I've got enough limbs to give up. I don't care if it's a leg or my other arm, I will do whatever it takes to make you happy. It's not much considering you've saved my life so many times but I promise I'll help you make your dream come tru–."
Ben was abruptly cut off mid-sentence when Rias took hold of the sides of face in her hands and pulled it towards her where she then kissed him softly.
Ben was caught completely off guard by her sudden action and felt his face heat up at the feel of her lips against his. All he could think about at that moment was how soft they were and while the kiss wasn't a passionate one, it still caused steam to escape from his ears as he felt his mind go blank.
When she eventually broke apart from their kiss she kept hold of his face in her hands and chuckled at the blank stare on his face and the blush that formed in his cheeks from their kiss.
She thought it was adorable.
"You know, that was my first kiss. It's something that's very important for a young woman."
"Uh, is that right?" Ben muttered dumbly as his brain struggled to restart again.
It took a few seconds before Ben could speak again.
"Was it any good?" he muttered, immediately kicking himself for his moronic choice of words.
Rias put a finger to the corner of her mouth, appearing deep in thought for a moment before her smile turned sly and she snaked her arms around his neck and held his face close to hers.
"I don't know. I don't have anything to compare it to, after all."
Ben was silent for a moment before he quickly spotted his mistake. "Oh yeah, that's right," he mumbled quietly, embarrassing himself further.
Rias giggled at his nervousness. "I liked it though," she teased, placing a hand against his chest.
They fell into a comfortable silence in each other's arms for a moment, simply enjoying the view and each other, before Rias broke the silence.
"I've made a decision," she declared with a bright smile.
"What decision?" Ben asked warily.
"I have decided to move in with you and your parents…unless you don't want me to, that is?" she said with a cute pout.
Ben was stunned for a moment before he could put words into his mouth. "No…no, I don't have a problem with that," he told her quickly.
"Excellent" Rias said cheerfully as she tightened her hold on him and rested her head against his.
'I wonder how Asia will react to this,' Ben couldn't help but think as they enjoyed the rest of the journey home.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .