Chapter 12: 'Latia vs Rias.'
"So this place is where the Rating Game will be?" Rias asked after she and her peerage teleported to what was apparently a grassy field.
Ajuka's voice then stated, "The Rating Game between Latia Astaroth and Rias Gremory will begin in ten minutes on this replica of a Mongolian steppe. The Gremory base is on top of a grassy plateau while the Astaroth base is in the middle of a rocky ridge."
"I don't like this." Sky said looking at the Arena.
"Why Sky?" Sona asks.
"I feel something from the Latia girl, and not in a good way." Sky stated.
"Could it be because she's part of the same clan as Diodora?" Ravel wondered.
"Maybe." Sky thought looking at the battlefield.
"Okay, so Gasper has already turned into bats to scout the area. Latia told me the day before that this time, she plans on using her actual peerage and not what Diodora left behind. This will be our first battle against her and that Knight of hers, so we'll have to be careful." Rias spoke.
"I hear you. I guess that I shouldn't hold back against her even though she is a pretty girl." Issei replied.
They were about to glare until Issei said. "But not beautiful to you girls." Issei smiled, earning each a kill from them.
Meanwhile at Latia's base, she along with Reiko and two hooded figures were planning out their strategy for the game.
"I wonder how the Hyoudou boy will react to us revealing ourselves. I mean, I was discarded by the Sitri clan for refusing a marriage with the 'defective' Sairaorg Bael." one of the hooded figures said in a feminine voice.
The other one replied in a feminine voice, "Relax, all of us are women. In theory, we can use our bodies to fluster him and take him out while he's distracted." Fringes of pink hair could be seen under the figure's hood.
"The Battle will start soon." Ajuka announced.
"Well let's do this everyone." Rias said.
"Yes, ma'am!" everyone in her peerage replied.
Latia and her peerage also heard the annoucement and said, "We have about sixty seconds before it begins for real. Does everyone know what they need to do?"
Reiko and the hooded figures nodded in approval, prompting Latia to say, "Alright then, let's try to win this!"
1 minute in battle issei was against 2 pawns and a Rook.
"C'mon let's see what you got." Issei stated.
Unusually, the Pawns and Rook were literal chess pieces made larger and given the power of Evil Pieces. The two pawns drew swords and tried to slash at Issei while the Rook grew a pair of muscular arms.
"Unholy Satans. Latia is using sentient chess pieces as placeholders for her unused Evil Pieces." Ravel stated.
"Yeah, but it is perfectly within the rules to use them. They are just static in how much power that they can use though. The sentient pieces that Latia is using are only as powerful as an average Middle-Class Devil." Sona replied.
"C'mon issei kick their ass!" Sky yelled, making Issei smirk.
"Alright, how about this new move?" Issei said, grabbing a double barrel and shooting their legs, making them scream in pain.
With latia.
"What!?" Latia yelled.
"That must have been a technique he learned while in the Wasteland. While good against anything not used to it, it is not very effective against an experienced foe." Reiko spoke.
"Yeah, you're right. Even then, these sentient chess pieces are very slow to learn from battlefield experience." Latia replied after calming down.
Meanwhile with Akeno
Akeno panted as she stared at the Queen and Bishop pieces in front of her. "These things are tough. They tanked my Thunder powers like it was nothing."
The pieces charged up for a large Tornado spell that blew Akeno away.
"Rias Gremory's Queen has retired." Ajuka's voice called out.
"Ok I can tell some things off." Sky said.
"Was it how those Bishops and Queen pooled their power together to create that tornado that retired Akeno?" Sona asked.
"Yea, I sensed their power levels earlier but now they have raised up somehow." Sky stated.
"He's right, how are they strong...unless." Ravel said.
15 minutes passed by and Latia's sentient chess pieces were retired. However, Gasper had also been defeated along with Kiba and Koneko.
"You've certainly caused a bit more trouble than I thought, Latia." Rias spoke.
"It's part of my own climb up. I am not as respected amongst the Astaroth clan as you think I am. Before I can even think of getting married, I have to improve my own standing with them. Ladies, it's time." Latia spoke.
Both hooded figures tossed off their cloaks, revealing a girl with long black hair, a purple right eye, and a green left eye as one of them while the other figure was Katase.
"WHAT-" Issei.
"THE-" Sky.
"FUCK?!" Both Issei and Sky said.
Issei blushed after the sudden curse as both Katase and the mystery girl were wearing revealing armor that resembled bikinis. Katase's armor was baby blue in color while the mystery girl wore orange armor.
"Surprised to see us, Issei-kun? You already know Katase, but I guess you need to know my name too. I am Sophia Sitri, an illegitimate child of Lord Sitri." the mystery girl spoke.
"Uhhh Sona? Who's Sophia?" Sky asked.
"You should ask my father that question, my boyfriend. Serafall and I don't know anything about Sophia and my mother probably won't tell you anything about her." Sona replied.
"Sophia? Another child of Lord Sitri? I thought it was only Sona and Serafall Hunny." Issei asked Rias.
"About that... Sona and Serafall are the only official children of Lord Sitri, darling. I am not completely surprised that there was a possibility of him having at least one love child with a mistress or two." Rias answered.
"You speak correctly, Rias. I was born about six months after Serafall was, but spent my time hibernating during the Devil Civil War. Afterwards, Lord Sitri I guess largely forgot that he had me and I ended up having to live on the outskirts of the Sitri clan territory." Sophia stated.
"Please don't tell me you're gonna do something bad..." Issei asked.
"Well of course, first take my rightful title of heiress of the Sitri clan, then marry the One person who deserves only me." Sophia said.
Sophia then shook her head and said, "No no no, that isn't what I plan."
Issei sensed something off and focused before he then said, "No way... there's some foreign magic affecting Sophia's head. It's faintly present on Latia, but she seems to be resisting it well. Same for Reiko, but not Katase."
"Ok I'm definitely going to talk to your dad about her." Sky said.
"Agree." Sona and Ravel said at the same time.
"Do you know who or what could have set that foreign magic on them, Issei-kun?" Asia asked.
"No I don't Asia, We'll discuss it later." Issei said.
"Let's finish then shall we, my love?" Rias asked, making Issei smile.
"I swear by my sword that I will fight you to the best I can as Latia's second Knight, Issei-kun!" Katase declared as she drew a Katana and pointed it at him before running towards him.
Issei brings out a Wasteland made blade that made contact but didn't shatter, shocking Everyone except Sky. "OK I'm definitely going to thank Sky for this sword instead of the one Michael-sama gave me." Issei said with glee.
Katase's eyes panicked for a moment, but then she steeled herself and said, "Well then, looks like that sword of yours is stronger than I expected it. Planning to use it along with..."
"That honestly sounds like a good idea." Issei said as he also drew Ascalon, holding it in his Boosted Gear's hand while his other hand held the Wasteland made blade.
"THAT'S RIGHT ISSEI LIKE WHEN WE ACTED LIKE PIRATES AGAINST METELLUS!" Sky shouted in cheer.
"As Latia's Rook, don't expect me to be some feeble maiden, Rias." Sophia spoke as she punched the ground, cracking it and making a small crater just from the impact alone.
Issei proceeds to do a few cuts on Katase while Rias manages to bruise up Sophia a bit.
"Seems like my 'Sister' is hiding something." Sona said.
"Yea, what do you think Sky?" Ravel asked turning to see him but instead he's gone. "Ummm Sona? Where's Sky?"
She looked around and said, "He must have gone to see my father."
Meanwhile with Lord Sitri
Sirius was watering several plants in a garden when Sky arrived via teleport circle and said, "Fantastic, we're back here."
"Hey there, Sky." Sirius spoke.
"Lord Sirius, what are you watering?" Sky asked.
"Pot." Sirius answered.
"Pots of what?"
"Pot. I'm not getting rid of it."
"Oh, well anyways I have something to ask you about something Sirius." Sky asked, annoyed.
"Alright, state it please." Sirius spoke.
"Who's Sophia?" Sky asks, making Sirius widen his eyes.
"Um n-no one, and shouldn't you be with my dau-" Sirius was interrupted by a gunshot near the head.
"DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT. Now, who. Is. Sophia?" Sky asked.
Sirius let out a sigh and then said, "The cat's out of the bag. She is an illegitimate daughter I had with a mistress six months after I had Serafall with my wife Sarah. I had forgotten about Sophia because of injuries that I sustained during the Devil Civil War. Sarah... she saw Sophia's mother die during the fighting and the sad part? Sarah had approved of me having Sophia with that mistress, but now she is trying to forget about her because of what happened to her mom."
"Oh damn, but right now she's a Rook in Latias peerage." Sky said.
"What how?!" Sirius asked.
"I don't know but right now you have to see it." Sky said.
Teleporting to the viewing room, Sky and Sirius saw that the game was still ongoing. Issei had beaten Katase to the point of retiring and was now fighting Reiko while Rias and Sophia were still fighting each other.
"SOPHIA!" Sirius yelled.
FATHER?!" Sophia said.
The momentary distraction almost resulted in Sophia taking a blast of destruction, but she dodged it at the last second and said, "Rias, we should pause for now."
Rias nodded in agreement and Asia immediately started healing the red-haired girl.
"Sophia..." Sirius said.
"F-father..." Sophia starts tearing up.
"Do you know what happened to your mom, Sophia?" Sirius asked.
"Vaguely. I only remember coming across her grave after I woke up from hibernation." Sophia said as tears fell from her eyes.
"I'm so sorry Sophie...please forgive me." Sirius asked her to run to him, jumping into him hugging him, making her cry more.
After a few minutes passed, Sophia stopped crying and said, "I'm in no mood or condition to fight further. I retire."
A blue light engulfed Sophia as Ajuka announced, "Latia Astaroth, Rook retired." even as Sirius returned to the viewing room.
"Well, that was something now where was I Oh yes, prep-" Latia was interrupted by Issei punching her really hard.
Latia then got up and said while rubbing where she had been hit, "Ooof, that was a good punch, Issei."
"Thanks, now can you just retire please? I want to take my Fiances to a nice movie dinner with My friend and his finances." Issei said.
"I would be a fool to continue fighting, but here's a real treat for you." Latia said as she stripped off her dress and revealed her underwear.
Issei blushed and said, "You look very lovely, but my girls are just as lovely if not more so."
"I understand. At any rate, I retire." Latia said before disappearing in blue light.
"Winner Rias Gremory." Ajuka announced making everyone cheer.
"Ara Ara, that's my Issei~" Akeno said then rubs her belly. "And your daddy little one."