Chapter 29: Adrians' Return
Several days later...
It had been fivr days since the ORC left Kuoh Academy for the training camp, and Katrina and Damon were locked in combat. With Soul Reaver clashing against the Green Knight, Katrina was leading the assault, and even parried the Green Knight out of Damons' grasp, making it soar a good distance away and sticking into the ground. Damon smirked, and drew out Rebellion, activating his Devil Trigger, and encasing himself in the green armor as well as summoning the matching red spirit. He charged at Katrina, and now the Goddess of War had to go on the defensive, and when they locked blades, Damon stomped on Katrinas' foot, making her lose focus, and landed a sucker punch to her face, breaking the blade lock and forcing her back. Both of their team mates shouted at him for his dirty tactics, but Katrina herself waved it off, knowing what he is doing.
"You're not fighting fair," said Katrina.
"Because I know House Phoenix won't," replied Damon.
"Good," she said with a smirk, and charged again, using her pain like Kratos and co. taught her to, landing stronger strikes against Rebellion, managed to knock that sword out of Damons' hand as well. The Devil Trigger wore out, and Damon returned ro normal. "Surrender?" Damon held his smirk, and drew out Black Dahlia,
"Nope!" He fired several rounds, only for Katrina to block and deflect every single shot with Soul Reaver, and used her free hand to knock the gun out of his grasp. She had Soul Reaver pointed at his throat.
"How about now?" She asked coyfully. Damon laughed, and effortlessly spun around and judo flipped Katrina onto the grass, twisting Soul Reaver out of her grip so he could use it himself. Katrina leaned her shoulder up, spun her legs around and rolled back onto her feet, kicking away Damon in the process. She drew out her Blades of Exhile once she saw Damon had Soul Reaver.
"Let's see how well you do without your favorite sword!" Said Damon, and the two charged each other again, this time with Katrinas' sjorter but wider blades clashing with her own Soul Reaver. They soon locked blades again, and Damon was smiling smugly, "Not doing too good without Soul Cleaver, huh?" Katrina first glared at him, and slowly forced her blades forward, and pushing Damon back, giving him a look of surprise, and herself a smile,
"It's not the blade that matters..." said Katrina, and to the shock of everyone, she kneed Damon in the crotch, making him squeak, used her blades to launch Soul Reaver into the air, threw her blades onto the ground, and landed a right hook to Damons' face, then a left, then a punch to the abdomen, and followed by an uppercut. She saw where Soul Reaver was, and did nothing as Damon slowly started to lean back from the uppercut, only for Soul Reaver to land right in the middle of his chest, making him cough up blood. She walked up to Damon, grabbing the hilt of Soul Reaver, "...it's the wielder." She then tore Soul Reaver from Damons' chest, and he fell to the ground, coughing and sputtering blood as Koneko and Asia rushed to help him. Koneko helped him into a seated position while Asia healed his chest wound, and despite the damage done to him, he was smiling.
"She's got this rating game in the fucking bag," he said with a laugh. Katrina was then greeted with applause from her peers, with Calvin actually running up to her and lifting her up by her hips, hugging her tightly before kissing her. The applause didn't cease until they finally realized that an extra clap was heard. They all turned to the source, and saw a hooded man clapping in the nearby gazebo.
"Way to go Katrina!" He called, stepping out from the shadow and removing his hood, "Couldn't have done it better myself." All eyes widened, and Asia was the first to run to him, tears of joy being shed as she ran and hugged him in front of everyone, even laying a quick but firm kiss on his mouth, much to the surprise of everyone else.
"I missed you Adrian!" She cried into his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her, keeping the devil nun close to him as she wept with joy.
"I missed you too Asia," he said, and looked up to see the rest of the ORC approaching him. Calvin and Katrina both hugged him, he shook hands with Kiba and Wesker, gave Issei a fist bump, a quick ruffle of the hair to Koneko, a kiss on the cheek from Akeno to his surprise, and finally approached by Rias, who wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply, gaining a whoop from Damon as he stumbled over to the group. Adrian stared hard at Damon, and punched his shoulder, "That was for the weed thing," he said, and then offered a handshake, "and this is for holding your own in that fight just now. Well done." Damon accepted the handshake, and was helped by Koneko back to the benches.
"So, Adrian," began Issei, "where have you been?"
"I've been stratagizing," said Adrian. "Studying the rules of the rating game and creating scenarios for us to win the fight that's just right up ahead." The ORC showed their unanimous agreement, and Adrian shook his head, "Also, while I wasn't here, I took some time to practice with my Sacred Gear, who now has a name." He summoned it forth, and the gauntlet spoke,
"Hello everyone!" The research club was startled at Penglogs' voice rumbling from Adrians' Gear. "I am Penglog! The Bone Dragon! It is a pleasure to meet you all officially." The ORC was in shock, needless to say, but Rias kept her composure,
"It is an honor to speak with you," she said. Penglog laughed,
"Yeah yeah, now I believe Adrian needed to borrow a handsome shithead named Damon for an hour or two?" The former devil hunter gave a sound of affection,
"Awe, he called me handsome," he said, fluttering his eyelashes.
"He also called you a shithead," said Koneko blandly. He titled his head to the side,
"Eh, I've been called worse."
Those remaining five days were then spent training, and training hard, as now that Adrian was there, he was showing off his new techniques. He was fighting against Katrina, and used his Sacred Gear,
"Devour!" It shouted, absorbing some of her energy, making the gemstones in the Gear shine, until...
"Consume!" The glow dissappeared, and Adrian was encased in a red energy, making him shout into the air from the surge of power, and shot towards the Goddess, striking faster and harder than ever before, and even knocked her back and on her rear. She rose up, not caring as he snatched Soul Reaver from her grasp, throwing it a good distance away, and planted both of her baldes into a nearby tree. She charged at him, but that proved to be a huge mistake as Adrian lifted his Sacred Gear again, absorbing more of her energy,
"Devour!" He aimed his Gear at her chest,
"Discharge!" The massive red blast nailed Katrina, and she didn't stand a chance against it. She was sent skidding across the grass, with Adrian being the victor. He walked to the Goddess and helped her up,
"Sorry if I over did it," he apologized. The Goddess only smiled,
"I actually find it reassuring that there is someone stronger than me. It gives me a reason to keep training."
It was their tenth and final night at the training camp, and true to his word, Damon made a large bonfire for everyone to sit around, roast marshmallows and talk.
"Okay," said Damon, taking a drag from a blunt (much to the detest of his friends), "so how much of a chance at beating Riser do you guys think we got?" More than a few unsure glances shot around, even from Rias, but Adrian was the only one who stood up,
"I know we can beat him," said Adrian, "It won't be easy, but it's not impossible. I didn't spend the first five days researching and browsing through the rulebook for nothing. I also found a loophole in the rules that could work to our advantage." Everyone was leaning in to listen to him better, "The battle will take place in a part of the dimensional gap, modeled after Kuoh Academy, meaning we already have the home field advantage." It was now Weskers' turn to stand,
"What difference would that make?" He asked, trying to keep his calculating façade up, "Do you honestly think Riser is simply sitting around at home with his cock in his hand?"
"No I thought he was pumping it into his sister," cracked Damon, now taking a swig from his flask. Adrian and Wesker gave him an eyebrow and a glare, and returned to their discussion.
"The model will be exact, almost to a fault. If I, for say, leave a hand grenade, on the desk in the clubhouse, theorectically, there would be a grenade in the dimensional gap clubhouse."
"Wait, you're seriously going to use a fucking grenade in the rating game?" Asked Calvin in disbeleif. Adrian laughed,
"No...I got something better in mind."
"Well it is getting late, so I think it is time we all went to the baths," said Rias, standing up.
"Wait, you're all going together?!" Asked Issei, drooling over the thought.
"That would be the plan," said Rias, "So silly of you Issei." She casts a smoldering look to Adrian, "Would you like to come with us?" Adrian blinked, and earned a glare from most of his male compadres.
"I'm sorry what?"
"I wouldn't mind if you joined me and the girls. Unless the rest of you have something to say."
"I think it will be fun," said Akeno with a flirtatious glance.
"I wouldn't mind!" Said Asia.
"Hold on!" Said Katrina, "If you're going to invite one boy, you may as well invite my boyfriend too," she gave Calvin a wink, making him blush. The remaining girls turned to Koneko, who has yet to say anything. She looked away with a blush,
"Damon comes too," she muttered, and the former devil hunter fell backwards off the log he was seated on.
