The Battle Never Ends

by Arthain

The Tyrant had surpassed death once before. This time wouldn't have been any different save for the determination of one young man and his desire to protect all that he cared for. But what should have been the end instead became a new beginning. A beginning somewhere else. A beginning where Night Raid was still needed.

44. Nightmare

Author's Note: Sona's game is this chapter, don't expect a lot of detail on the games/matches themselves, as they're not the important bits of the chapter. They're just a backdrop for everything else. That, and there's a lot to cover.

Oh, and brace yourselves, it's gonna be a fun ride.

Chapter 42: Nightmare

"Are you ready, Xenovia?" Gabriel asked as she stepped into the girl's room. "They're waiting for us in the lobby. They're being most patient."

"Almost!" Xenovia said excitedly as she finished pulling up her skin-tight latex battle suit. "Even if he is a pervert, Azazel-san can be useful at times!" She grabbed her white cloak and paused before throwing it over her shoulders. "I wonder where Tatsumi-san is."

That did concern Gabriel, but only a little. Tatsumi's devotion to his duty was as genuine as Gabriel's to her own. It was something they had in common and she wouldn't ever think of changing it. She had brought his disappearance up in idle passing around Najenda and Akame earlier and while they hadn't revealed anything, the looks on their faces and the aura they gave off was enough.

Where ever he was, it was planned and didn't worry the only two women in this organization with their heads on straight. That was enough for her.

"We can't always have what we want," Gabriel said simply.

"I know he'd want to watch Sona's Rating Game. He probably accepted the mission not knowing we'd get invitations."

A strangely genuine gift from Azazel. Gabriel could attend with little problem, what with her being a prominent member of Heaven and if for no other reason than to give the devils in attendance something to ogle at. Night Raid was something different entirely. Gabriel would have to thank the man later, discreetly, in a way that he wouldn't misinterpret it.

He had a tendency to do that if he felt there was something to gain.

"We will simply have to let Tatsumi know how it went afterwards," Gabriel said to Xenovia, giving her a gentle smile. "We should…" she trailed off as a familiar warmth appeared behind her.

"I'm sorry, sister," Michael said softly. Gabriel turned around to regard her older brother. Michael looked weary as if a great weight rested on his shoulders. Was his responsibility becoming too much? With so many changes happening so quickly, the Great System was straining to keep up, and Michael was suffering as a result. But, no, this felt a bit different. Why was this aura of regret hanging about him? "You and the little one won't be able to attend."

"What's going on?" Gabriel asked, concerned.

Michael nodded and gestured westwards. "The Chaos Brigade is moving. Word came this morning that the Hero Faction struck the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome." His eyes hardened ever so slightly. "It's burning as we speak."

All thoughts of Sona's Rating Game flew from her mind. This was far more important than some minor match between two children. "Michael, this is unacceptable! We need to mobilize our forces and stop them from attacking any of the other three."

"We are," Michael said. He gave her a warm smile. For some reason it didn't seem as bright as she remembered. "I've got some Angels scouting already, but I'm sending you and Xenovia there, now. You're both known elements in the human world. I can't ask anyone but you two to do this."

"Of course," Gabriel said without hesitation. The Vatican was the core of their religion, their faith, in the Human world. Both it, and the major religious structures in Rome were beyond valuable. An attack on them was equivalent to an attack on Heaven itself. "Change of plans, Xenovia, Duty calls."

"Yes, Gabriel-sama," Xenovia said, crossing her hand across her heart. If she was disappointed about not seeing Sona's Rating Game, it didn't show.

Just how it should be. Personal desires should never come above one's duty to Heaven and the Teachings of Father.

x~X~x

It was raining outside.

The pitter-patter of rain drumming against the roof of the stadium muted somewhat the din of the awaiting crowd. It would be a large crowd this time. While neither Sona nor Sairaorg were part of the official Rating Game system yet, the two of them were heirs of respected families.

That and everyone would want to see in person what they expected to be a quick, one-sided slaughter.

"I don't think I need to remind everyone how important today's game is," Sona said to her peerage assembled around her. "I don't expect us to win, not with the ridiculous rules I expect to see them impose upon us, but—"

"No offense, kaichou," Hikaru cut her off. "But I fully intend to win."

Momo slammed her fist through the hardened, reinforced wall of the entrance way. "I'll show them! I'll show all them! I'll burn the blood in their veins and drown them in a sea of agony!"

A long sigh escaped Sona's lips. Her onee-sama's peerage was just as eccentric as she was, Lilian was the sole exception. Rita was possibly even more so. The improvement Momo had shown was nothing short of miraculous but…

There had been consequences.

"Yura."

"Yes kaichou," Yura said as she injected something a vial of white liquid into Momo's neck. The girl let out a sharp spasm before blinking rapidly like she was just waking up from a dream.

"What was I saying?" Momo asked.

"Don't worry about it," Sona said, "it's not your fault."

She glanced at the wall and jumped in surprise. "Did I do that?"

"I'll take down at least one of them," Tomoe promised as she appeared from seemingly thin air. Sona almost jumped out of her skin when she appeared beside her. Whatever it was Akame had taught the girl had rendered her imperceptible. "They may be able to restrict Hikaru, but they can't restrict what they don't know about."

"Kaichou has faith in us," Tsubaki said. "Just don't do anything too reckless."

"Exactly," Sona agreed. "Win if you can, of course, but we don't know what tricks they have in store for us. We know they don't want us to win. They won't take any chances."

"Any chance of them playing fair?" Yura asked.

"None," Sona said. She trusted Sairaorg to play fair, there wasn't any problem on that end. It was everything else she was concerned about. The Elders had already gone out of their way to rig their opponent and the type of game they'd play. They were not going to stop there.

[Now! The great slaughter is about to begin! Let's all welcome the butchers that will devour their opponents! From the east is Sairaorg Bael and his peerage!]

The stadium rocked from the shouts of excitement that roared forth from the spectators in the crowd. The noise reverberated down the hallway, deafening them all with its sheer ferocity. A wave of nervousness rippled through her peerage and uncertainty crept into their eyes.

All except one.

Hikaru simply rolled her eyes, pushing off the stone wall with her foot. "Show offs. They're deliberately amplifying the noise. Saw this tactic back when Gregorious was first starting to gain some steam." Her words seemed to snap her peerage form the nerves. She stretched her arms high above her head and let out a little grunt as a kink was worked out. "And just like back then, it seems the rules won't be all we have to fight against."

"It doesn't matter who they bring! I won't let anyone trample on kaichou's dream!" Saji declared passionately. His eyes glowered with a fevered passion.

His words served to inflame the others. Sona could only smile as a Saji's burning drive to succeed infected the rest of her peerage. She was usually the one to encourage them, but sometimes Saji's simple honesty was stronger than any speech she could give. They were all ready to give it their all to prove the Elders wrong.

"Thank you, everyone," Sona said, genuinely touched by their devotion to her and her dream. "Just don't do anything to reckless." Tatsumi came to mind when she said that. That man didn't know the meaning of restraint. "There will be other chances to prove ourselves, but…" a little smile quirked the edges of her lips. "Let's go out there and prove them wrong."

"Yes!" Everyone shouted at the same time.

[And from the west, we have the prey! Sona Sitri and her peerage of misfits!]

"I'll show him, misfit," Hikaru muttered under her breath. "I'll show him while grinding Sairaorg's face into the mud!"

"Don't be too harsh on Rias' cousin," Sona told her, although there wasn't much force behind those words. Blame or not, she fully intended to see him beaten. That required being at least a little harsh. "He's not to blame for any of this." She beckoned them to follow. "It's time to make our appearance."

Sona Sitri led her peerage through the tunnel and out through the gate and into an enormous, spacious arena filled with enormous rocks the size of miniature islands floating above it. Only two landmasses floated at the same height and long, serpentine staircases wound their way up to each. On the eastern most one Bael's team had already assembled.

[Not that it'll matter much, but you may proceed to your base, Sona Sitri.] The voice was dripping with so much vitriol that Sona was glad her onee-sama wasn't here. The announcer may very well be picking up his teeth right then if she had.

It was a much quieter arena Sona and her peerage found themselves in. There were cheers and shouts of excitement of course, they could see the excitement themselves, but they were muted. Deliberately, Sona noted. They all noticed it with Hikaru bringing the tactic to their attention and it only served to fuel their determination ever higher.

That all changed the moment Sona took her first step onto the long, serpentine staircase.

The air shattered with clarion horns and melodic harps even as the ground reverberated with the deep thrumming of powerful drums. A powerful, epic musical composition boomed around the stadium, consuming everything. An ever-increasing roar of excitement grew in crescendo around it until it made the thunderous applause that had greeted Sairaorg Bael seem little more than a gentle greeting. And above all that, beautiful voices as light as feathers combined with deep, vibrant baritones to create a beautiful orchestral piece.

The sudden advent of the orchestral introduction came as much of a shock to Sona as it did to everyone else.

Then her eyes found the source. An entire section of the stadium was overrun with individuals from other pantheons. There was an entire orchestra of Greek toga wearing men and women played a wide range of musical instruments. Beside them was a choir of Valkyries and Einherjars, their voices raised to the heavens as they sung beautiful lyrics.

And standing at the forefront of it all was Bennia holding a conductor's baton with the largest shit-eating grin Sona had ever seen on her face. When she noticed Sona looking, she winked.

It was quite possibly the first time Sona ever truly appreciated just how much Bennia could get on people's nerves. She could be a massive pain in the neck when she wanted to annoy you, but when she was on your side…

Sona didn't even try to hold back the smile that came to her face. That announcer was not happy. Bennia was pushing all of his buttons. She could hear his teeth grinding beneath all the noise.

"Well, I suppose she's not entirely bad," Tsubaki said from the side, unconcerned about her words being overheard on account of Bennia's trolling of the Announcer.

"Yes, I do suppose she has her uses," Sona said. "I still have my doubts about her being good for Tatsumi, but she has improved my opinion of her a little."

It had certainly helped her peerage. Their backs were a little straighter and their steps a little more confident as they made their way up the serpentine staircase.

They weren't here alone. There was an entire section of the crowd that was rooting for them.

The floating island at the top of the staircase wasn't fancy. There were chairs equal to the number of individuals in her peerage, a stand from which she and Sairaorg would roll their dice and declare who would fight, and at the far edge a teleportation platform.

The thunderous chorus accompanying their arrival at the stage slowly died away. With the quiet came the announcer, popping up on an enormous monitor positioned high above the stadium. A devil dressed with such gaudy clothes it hurt just to look at him.

[Now that the disturbance is—] *BLARRR!* a loud horn interrupted the man. [–over,] The announcer said slowly through clenched teeth. There was a look of undisguised hatred as he glared at Bennia who only grinned ever wider. [I would like introduce myself! I am Nuad Gamigin from the house of Gamigin, formerly of the 72 pillars. I will be broadcasting this wonderful slaughter for you all!]

More cheers erupted all around the stadium but from her vantage point it was obvious that most of the noise was coming from large, strategically placed speakers and not the actual crowd itself.

[The Arbiter for this game will be the Archduke, Lady Agares, Ruler of Agreas!]

The thunderous roar of applause was genuine this time as a green magical circle appeared and out from it stepped the Archduke. Tall and proud, with long green hair, she looked very much like an older, more mature version of her daughter, Seekvaira.

That was a comforting sight. She was known to be impartial. Her reputation was built upon it. She wouldn't risk it for such, in her eyes, a minor game. She would go out of her way to maintain that impartiality. If she was the Arbiter of this game then, whatever the rules were, they would be followed fairly.

[And we have a very special guest gracing us today! I would like to introduce the 1st Ranker of the Rating Game! The current Champion! 'Emperor' Diehauser Belial!]

The stadium shook in response to the roar of excitement from the crowd as the Emperor himself appeared beside Lady Agares.

[How is everyone? I'm Diehauser Belial and I'll be doing commentary today on the match between Sitri and Bael. Will might triumphant or will cunning and wit seize victory? Today we shall find out first hand.]

How would Diehauser Belial lean in this game? Sona honestly didn't know. He had been fairly vocal against her proposition during the Young Devil Gathering, but at the same gathering Sairaorg had called him out, calling him a coward. That wasn't something Diehauser's pride would allow him to accept so easily.

[We have another special guest joining us today!] The announcer said excitedly. [We have one of the Great Satans with us! Everyone let's hear it for the Leviathan!]

The stadium shook once more as Sona's onee-sama stepped out of a blue summoning circle. No, not her sister. Sona realized that right away. There was no playfulness in those eyes, and no magical girl cosplay to be found anywhere. She was dressed in a long, sparkling blue dress covered with countless little snowflakes. It was utterly beautiful and no one but Sona seemed to care that her normally cheerful sister was nowhere to be found.

No one but her peerage, at least. They weren't used to this side of her.

[The Leviathan will ensure that all rules as detailed in the official document are adhered to the letter.] The Leviathan said in a voice as cold as the arctic north. [Any deviation from it will be dealt with swiftly and with finality.]

There was definitely something going on here. Her onee-sama had been worked up enough before when she had worked out the training with Tatsumi. This was on a whole new level.

The announcer didn't even seem to notice as he excitedly approached Diehauser and the Leviathan, on screen.

[I might be over stepping my bounds, but I would like to ask you, Diehauser Belial, the advisor for the Bael team.] Wait, he was what? Sona hadn't been aware of that! There was no doubt then who the Emperor was here to cheer for. [What do you think we should all look forward to?]

[Sona Sitri-dono has a good peerage, and in most other game types, would excel. However, this game plays to her greatest weakness, the lack of raw power. It will come down to how she intends to manage Sairaorg Bael as none on her team save Hikaru has the strength to challenge him.]

It was a cold, hard truth. Or at least that was what everyone out there assumed. The two weeks she'd been in training had done wonders for her peerage. Hikaru may be the only one that could stand toe-to-toe with Sairaorg, but she didn't need to do that to beat him. There were other ways of bringing him down.

Her sister said as much as well.

[I think Sona Sitri may surprise everyone,] the Leviathan said in a clear, cold voice. [Sairaorg Bael may be strong, but he is not invincible. He tires like anyone else. He feels pain like anyone else, and like anyone else, he has a limit. Hikaru may be a sure bet against him, but she is not Sona Sitri's only option. Still, Sairaorg Bael is strong. Victory will not come easily. It may not even come at all. But regardless of who comes out the victor, I hope to see a good match.]

Yes, her onee-sama was right. This wasn't so much about winning or losing as it was about proving herself. If she were to defeat all but Sairaorg himself and pushed him to his limits that would be enough. Despite the loss she would have proven herself and her peerage close to his equal.

"We're going to win this," Hikaru said beneath her breath. "I won't settle for anything less."

A little smile flittered across Sona's lips. "Of course." She was right. She was having foolish thoughts again. If she went into this battle thinking her loss was already predetermined, then she would lose, no matter what. To think after all the confidence, she'd expressed earlier would falter at the starting line. "Let's win this everyone."

"Yes!"

[Now, as for the rules of this game,] the announcer said, moving on after the comments. [Each team is allowed to use up to three Phoenix Tears. However, since we are in a tight spot right now, each team is required to provide their own.]

Sona frowned worriedly, especially when one of the members of Sairaorg's peerage brought out a case with three Phoenix Tears. They didn't have any. The tears were usually provided by those that administrate the game. That was the first Sona heard of this. Vials had always been provided by the administration to ensure fairness.

She could see her sister gripping her arms tightly when that little tidbit of information was unveiled. Neither Sona nor her sister had been made aware of that rule. It was ludicrous to expect them to know to provide their own tears if they weren't told beforehand.

Sairaorg Bael was getting preferential treatment both on and off the field of battle. It wasn't sitting well with him either.

"I want a fair match between myself and Sona Sitri!" Sairaorg bellowed across the stadium. There was an audible sound as he snapped the case with the three Phoenix Vails in it. "It appears that Sona Sitri was not informed of the need to provide her own tears, so I will not use them either. I hear by declare that if anyone in my peerage is found using a tear to recover, I will throw them out myself!"

She gave Rias' cousin a grateful look to which he simply nodded in return. His pride wouldn't allow for anything less than a fair competition. Still, it was a bit strange. Why bring them if only to declare he wasn't going to use them?

[Moving on,] the announcer said, looking as annoyed as Sona's sister looked pleased, [before explaining the special rules I would like to announce the style of game that will be played! Unlike the games before where everyone was on the field at once, this game will be done in a match-style! Only a select number of individuals will be on the field at any given time, and who those individuals are, are dictated by the special rules!]

Dice Figure. That was what this would be. Sona already knew to expect that much. Her entire peerage knew already. She and Najenda had spent the better part of the last week devising various strategies and pairings based on the number rolled.

[Would each King proceed to their personal stand?]

Sona stepped forward and across the way she saw Sairaorg do the same. When they both came to a stop in front of the stand a small, six-sided dice popped up. The large monitor hanging above the arena blew up the image allowing for everyone to see.

[Today's game is Dice Figure! A type of Rating Game sometimes seen with the Pros! Fitting for the two most promising peerages of their generation! The dice has six sides, numbered one through six. By rolling it, it will determine which pieces can be sent for that match! The chess pieces our peerages are based on have a set value. Pawns are valued at one, Knights and Bishops at three, Rooks at five, and the Queen equals nine. These standard values will be used in this game and adjustments have been made in the case of mutation pieces.]

Beside her Hikaru simply rolled her eyes. "I wonder if I'll be a thirteen or something."

An impossible number to reach. "Let's hope not."

[For this game, each King will roll their dice. The combined value of each dice will be the value that determines who can be sent to battle. If Sona Sitri rolls a three, and Sairaorg Bael rolls a five, the total value is eight, and thus one bishop and one knight could go to the field. Any combination can be sent provided the total value of the pieces does not exceed the total value rolled. Also, members of a peerage who consumed multiple pieces will have a value equal to the combined value of all pieces consumed.] Which meant someone like Saji wasn't just a one, but four, since it had required four pawns to reincarnate him. [In addition, a piece cannot be used twice in a row except in the situation where it is the last piece and it is the King.]

"They haven't mentioned the King's value yet," Tsubaki said quietly.

"There will probably be some special rule attached to it."

That special run was spelled out as the announcer continued. [Kings have no set value, but instead will be raised and lowered based on performance during the match. As for their initial value, it was pre-determined beforehand by a special committee.]

Special, right.

The smile on the announcer's face was positively wicked as he continued. [Now then, the chess-piece value the committee choose for each King is this!]

The moment his words finished her name appeared up on the large screen beside Sairaorg's. Below each of their names numbers started spin rapidly like a slot machine until they finally settled on two different and, surprisingly, fair numbers.

[Nuan Gamigin?] Lady Agares asked politely. [What is the matter?]

[A-Ah, no, it's…] the announcer roughly cleared his throat, looking absolutely confused at the same time. [Combatant Sairaorg Bael is a twelve and Sona Sitri is a seven…] The announcer [Ahem, well, moving on. There are some more special rules we need to cover before we can start! Now, let me bring them up and…] he trailed off again looking befuddled.

[Read them.] Lady Agares told the announcer sternly.

[The Knight, Hikaru, is rated as a six due to her being a mutation piece.] The announcer said in a bewildered voice. [That is all.] There was a triumphant look on her onee-sama's face now. She had done something to the rules!

Wait, now that she thought about it. Tatsumi had been missing for the last few days… a memory shot across her thoughts. Of Tatsumi whispering quietly to her onee-sama by the door. That cunning look in her eyes. It all made sense now!

She was going to smother the both of them in kisses once this was all done, and Tatsumi a fair bit more in private afterwards.

"I'm not sealed," Hikaru said, sounding mystified, "and I'm only a six?"

"Tatsumi, you… I don't know how, but I know you did something," Sona whispered quietly.

"If he really was responsible," Hikaru said, her voice just as quiet, "then he needs a reward, doesn't he?"

"He does." She was almost certain he had done something. Her onee-sama wasn't the only one looking smug and triumphant. For some reason there was an incredibly huge grin on Ravel's face. Akame and Najenda too, seemed to be rather pleased with the turn of events. Only Lenneth appeared clueless.

Ymir was the strangest of the bunch. There was an odd look on his face as he stared at Sairaorg and his peerage.

"We could make a competition out of it too."

"Let's focus on the Rating Game first," Sona said, suddenly feeling a lot better about her odds in this match.

Sairaorg, for his part, looked excited as ever. His eyes were focused completely on Hikaru, and hers on him. He was looking forward to fighting her without restraints. Sona scanned the crowd quickly, wondering if Tatsumi was hiding amongst them. He wouldn't be with Night Raid.

Well, she was certain he'd make himself known sooner or later. He always did.

"Alright everyone," Sona said, turning to her peerage. "We've been granted an opportunity here we can't waste. Let's show everyone what we are capable of!"

"Yes, kaichou!" everyone shouted at the same time.

[Unexpected situations aside, let's get this slaughter underway!] the announcer shouted, his voice booming energetically across the arena. Even with the rules as they were he probably had faith that Sairaorg's peerage would destroy hers. [Will Sairaorg Bael and Sona Sitri please roll the dice.]

Sona set the dice spinning and across the way she saw Sairaorg do the same. There was a brief moment where everyone held their breath as the dice danced across the surface before they stopped.

[A twelve right out the gate! How unexpected! How will these two teams clash when the sky is the limit? Will Sairaorg Bael come out and destroy whatever feeble attempt Sona Sitri attempts to make or will he rely on his peerage! I can't wait to find out and I'm certain you're all excited too!]

Sona headed back to her peerage and beckoned them to gather around them. A field sprang up around their platform to keep their deliberations hidden from the other peerage and the crowd.

"A twelve this early, an easy decision," Sona said.

"I am ready," Tsubaki said.

"I am too," Kusaka added.

"Good, remember Kusaka, your duty is to support Tsubaki. We're going to leverage the flexibility of her Mirror Alice to take the enemy out."

Those two worked well together. Tsubaki had spent the last two weeks working on three things: increasing how quickly she could create her mirrors, her reaction time and her skill with her naginata. Everything she had worked on was designed to force an enemy to rely on large, powerful attacks from afar to deal with her where they at least had time to dodge a counter-attack.

Kusaka was there to ensure they couldn't.

Tsubaki alone, and with Kusaka, had fought against every possible combination of Sairaorg's peerage based on the assumption of the piece value and the maximum value available. Her onee-sama's Bishops had been instrumental in creating realistic replicas of Sairaorg's peerage. In every matchup save two, this combination came out victorious.

One of the two combinations was if Sairaorg himself appeared. If he showed up, there was no way for the two of them to win. In that situation they were to make him earn the victory, wear him down as much as possible so the next time they faced him he was that much weaker. However, Sona doubted the man would come forth so early. It wouldn't look good on him if he took the spotlight so early. No matter what the announcer might feel, Sairaorg's own reputation would be hurt if he handled everything and didn't utilize his peerage to the fullest.

That meant the only other unknown was that strange pawn for which her onee-sama had no information on. He hadn't participated at all in the battle between Sairaorg and Zephyrdor.

Tsubaki and Kusaka were her strongest team outside a team that had Hikaru on it. She wanted to hold Hikaru back for Sairaorg. Keep her as fresh as possible. try to predict when he would come out and throw her against him.

This was the best move she could make without knowing what that pawn of Sairaorg's could do.

"Now go and bring back a victory," Sona said.

"Yes, kaichou!" the two of them said in unison.

~o~

Tatsumi was at a loss of what to do.

After Diehauser Belial and the others left the Vault, Tatsumi started back the way he'd come. He didn't make it far before his way was blocked by a large security door he had no way through. Thinking quickly he'd backtracked to the Vault, only to realize the passageway he'd just come through no longer existed.

Ruval Phenex and Lord Phenex had mentioned that the Administration building altered its shape and interior makeup on a regular basis and Tatsumi found himself stuck inside it as it was changing! Hallways appeared where there once weren't any, and old passageways were missing.

He could always punch his way out, but he couldn't draw attention to himself this late in the game. Diehauser Belial's words still bothered Tatsumi, but for the most part he had accomplished his objective. Sona's situation was already magnitude's better than if he had done nothing at all. Those words and a desire to see Sona's game in person were no reason to risk blowing his cover by blasting his way out of one of the most important buildings in the Underworld.

He just couldn't get out. What's more, he couldn't get help to get out.

"Serafall, Lord Phenex, anyone?" Tatsumi whispered as he touched his ear piece.

Still nothing. All he got was static in return. Had the shifting building blocked communications or was there something else at work here? He prayed for the former, but feared the latter. His life never let it be something simple.

Tatsumi sighed and let his arm drop to his side. He glanced about, trying to figure out which way to go. He was at a four-way intersection. There were no defining features as to determine which way was the best to go. They were just plain hallways the color of steel that went on for some distance before they veered off in a different direction. There were doors in all directions. Each one identical to the others. Even the lighting was identical. Little globes of white light inter-spaced evenly along the ceiling.

There was no indication that one way was better than the other. Not even a faint breath of fresh air to guide his steps.

Without any reason to choose one over the other, and no point in trying to map his route with the constantly shifting hallways and doors, Tatsumi took a step into the left hallway.

A soft, dull bang stopped him. He paused, one foot in the adjacent hallway, ears perked as he listened. After so long of nothing at all, anything was better than nothing.

Gong.

There it was again! It came from the right. Soft, barely perceptible, but very much not his imagination. It could be a trap. It could be something as simple as a machine starting to wear out. It was also far more than anything he had to go on now.

He turned away from the left hallway and headed right instead, making sure to keep silent and invisible just in case it was a trap.

Gong.

There it was again. The sound was louder now. Tatsumi picked up the pace, pausing at intersections only long enough to identify the direction before moving on. He was eager to find something other than dull grey hallways and plain looking doors.

Gong.

As he picked his way through the building towards the sound, he tried to identify what it was. He had been able to rule out something mechanical right away. There was no rhythm or pattern to it. Nor did it sound like metal on metal. It didn't have that sharp ring to it. It sounded very much like something large and heavy was hitting something metallic.

Something like the metal doors that lined the hallway.

As Tatsumi drew ever closer, he became more and more convinced that someone or something was trying to break its way out of one of these rooms.

His thought became confirmed as he turned the last corner and found the source of the noise. There was a plain looking steel door, no different from any other, in the distance. Well, it looked no different, but in reality every time that loud gong sound resounded up and down the hallway a large, intricate looking runic grid appeared on the surface of the door.

There were also two guards standing at either side of the door. Occasionally one or both would turn to the door and replenish the magical energy in the seal forever ensuring that whoever was on the other side would never get out.

Tatsumi wouldn't normally have gotten himself involved with the internal affairs of devil kind but the situation gave him an idea.

He couldn't bust his way out of here, but whatever was in there could, then he'd just trail silently, invisibly, behind whatever it was. But what to do about those two guards?

Tatsumi let out a soft sigh and palmed his face. Seriously? What was he thinking? What did it matter what happened to them? They were devils. Being around good devils was making him soft. Most of them weren't like Sona or Serafall. He didn't need to think about what to do about these two guards.

They were just devils.

Tatsumi silently made his way down the hallway, the guards utterly unaware of his presence.

They never knew what hit them.

As the devil on the left turned to reinforce the magical seal, Tatsumi struck, slamming a fist into the back of his head. There was no resistance. It was like the guard wasn't even there. All his recent battles had been against super-powered god like entities and he had modulated his strength based on his recent experiences.

The poor, weak devil hadn't a chance. His head popped like a grape, splattering blood all over the magical seal. The force of the blow continued beyond despite Tatsumi's attempt to pull back. The shock wave alone smashed into the door with enough force to concave it inwards. The enchanted seal on the door flared and flickered violently as it desperately tried to maintain its structure.

He didn't have any time to dwell on it and quickly struck at the second guard, detonating his head much like the first. This time, Tatsumi was able to stop his strike before he knocked out the wall beside the door.

Wiping his hands on the guard's uniform Tatsumi quickly backed down the hallway, away from the door.

Whoever was on the other side knew that the situation had changed out here. The next blow arrived with a thunderous roar. The door, its hinges, and even a large chunk of the wall on either side, blew out in a massive cloud of dust and concrete.

The uneasy feeling that had been on a slow boil in the pit of his stomach ever since Diehauser's words became full on fear as Sairaorg Bael charged out from the room beyond, his body clad in a thick layer of touki.

He wasn't alone. As the light from the hallway spilled into the dark room beyond Tatsumi quickly realized that other members of Sairaorg's peerage had been kept with him.

Tatsumi could only swallow hard as he stared up at the large man. If Sairaorg was in here, who was out there with Sona?

~o~

[Combatant Sairaorg Bael's [Knight] along with combatant Sona Sitri's [Queen] and [Bishop], retire!] The announcer shouted excitedly, his voice accompanied by the thunderous roar of cheers from about the stadium.

Sona touched her forehead and grimaced. This had been her failure. Her fault. Sairaorg had perfectly predicted what Sona would do given a twelve at the start and had sent the one person aside from himself that could take out her Queen.

Regulus.

The Nemean Lion stood tall and proud on the wrecked battlefield the four of them had been transferred to. His golden fur matted with red blood, both his own and that of Sona's peerage. Tsubaki and Kusaka had fought hard, and they had fought well. They'd fought better than Sona could have ever asked of them. They had broken Liban Crocell easily enough. Tsubaki's talent with the naginata matched his talent with the sword and it hadn't been hard to take him out early with Kusaka's aid. Then Regulus had gotten serious.

That was when everything went downhill. The mirrors hadn't been effective against him. He fought with raw strength and the feral tenacity of a real lion. His agility and reaction time had simply been too great for either Kusaka or Tsubaki to hit him with a finishing strike.

They'd made him work for it though, even if it hadn't been enough.

The Nemean lion hadn't held back. Out of respect he had given his all. His all had been too much for them. Tsubaki and Kusaka had to be taken straight to the hospital after they'd been beaten.

It wasn't the worst outcome though. Tsubaki and Kusaka had put on a good showing. If Sona Sitri were to be defeated here, it wouldn't be without bloodying Sairaorg Bael.

A white light engulfed Regulus, transferring him back to Sairaorg's side. Sona frowned as a strange exchange took place. Sairaorg was obviously congratulation Regulus with a pat on the shoulder and a friendly smile and yet… why had Regulus sent a murderous glare at his King?

Was there a fallout between the two? Something she could exploit?

[What do our two guests think of this latest battle?] The announcer asked Diehauser Belial and Serafall.

[Sona Sitri performed surprisingly well given the circumstances.] Diehauser Belial said, giving slight praise to Sona. [It most certainly would have been her victory had she faced off against any other combination of Sairaorg's peerage. She has some good pieces there. Unfortunately, the Nemean Lion was outside of her calculations.]

[Sairaorg Bael certainly choose well sending Regulus out when he did] Serafall added, giving Sona's opponent praise. [What would have been a certain victory for Sona Sitri turned instead into defeat. Sona Sitri is an expert at adapting and countering her opponents, using someone unknown to take out her strongest piece, her Queen, was very well played.]

Sairaorg had made the best move. Whether it was by luck or strategy, she didn't know, but even though she had performed better than everyone expected, he'd still come out ahead. Still, Regulus wasn't without injury. Without Phoenix Tears he'd be easier to defeat when next he appeared.

[Surprising praise for Sona Sitri from the Emperor himself! Well, she still lost and results are what matter!] the announcer swallowed hard and did his best to ignore the icy glare Serafall leveled on him. [Let's start the next match!]

That was her queue. She walked up to the pedestal and rolled the dice. Across the stadium Sairaorg did the same.

[Oh! We've got an eight this time! How will the match unfold?]

The concealment barrier sprang up around their platform as Sona made her way back to everyone else. "We need to win this one while Regulus can't be used."

"Am I going in?" Hikaru asked. "As a six I can participate—"

"No, I'm going to save you for the next round that's seven or higher," Sona said. "The only members on their team that are truly problematic are Regulus and Sairaorg." Below that she had options, especially with Tomoe and Momo. She had hoped to use Tsubaki to defeat Kuisha, but that was no longer possible.

The best option for them to go with was a solid core around a strong rook like Gandoma with support from a bishop or a Knight to cover his weaknesses. Sona suspected it would be Beruka. Sending out a Bishop while Sona still had both her Knights was risky. They'd need a counter for Tomoe or Hikaru. If Sairaorg used Ladora, his sacred gear, Gravity Prison, might work, but it would depend on the field, and he would have to hit Tomoe before she started to move.

He'd never hit her afterwards.

Too much risk. Gandoma's toughness was Tomoe's counter. She wouldn't be able to cut through that defense without help and if they could take out that support before he was sufficiently weakened, it was their win.

Which was why Sona was almost certain they'd send out Gandoma and Beruka. It was the best combination they could use given what pieces Sona currently had. It would also determine whether or not Sairaorg had just been lucky before or if it had been planned.

"I suspect they'll send out Gandoma and Beruka. To that end we'll be sending out Saji and Tomoe. Saji, your task will be to weaken Gandoma if he appears, drain his defenses. If he's not there, run distraction for Tomoe."

Even if she was wrong that combination could still work very well together.

"I'll do what we can to support Meguri-san!" Saji promised.

"I won't let you down, kaichou," Tomoe Meguri said as she touched the katana belted at her hip. "I'll show them the results of that nightmarish hell Akame-sama put me through!"

Tomoe and Saji made their way over to the teleport circle. When the other side had done the same the circle activated, taking the combatants away in a bright flash white light. Sona raised her eyes to the large monitor as the concealment barrier came down.

There was a brief moment of static before it cleared to reveal a wide field filled with purple grass and blue flowers. In the distance there was a forest with mountains rising behind them. However a rather obvious purple field stood between the combatants and the forest. The battle grounds would be wide, open, and completely devoid of any sort of cover.

As for who they were fighting, Sona had guessed correctly.

There stood Gandoma and Beruka.

Lucky for them. If they had sent out Ladora instead of Gandoma this could have been over. That field played to his abilities like no other.

[It's the Dragon King Vitri's holder, Genshirou Saji and some random human no one cares about! They're against the powerful Gandoma Balam and the gallant Beruka Furcas! Two strong houses! It should be exciting to watch a pair of real devils crush these pretenders!]

The twitching vein on Tomoe's temple matched the one on Sona's. This announcer really hated her and her peerage.

[Let the second match begin!]

[I'll show you random human!] Tomoe Meguri growled, visibly annoyed by the announcer's words.

Then she wasn't.

It happened in an instant. A cold, calm look came across her features, her brown eyes became hard, focused. A hand rested easily upon the hilt of her katana.

She'd entered the Zone just as Akame had taught her. Emotions held no sway there, and she was able to draw out her full capability.

[Unlike that announcer, I hold no ill-will against you or your master,] Beruka called out to Tomoe, [I look forward to fighting you fairly and equally.] The horse reared high and blue-white flames erupted from its mane and hooves. [But I will give it all for my master!]

[Oh ho, it seems that Sairaorg Bael's Knight managed to tame the Pale Horse.] Diehauser Belial commented approvingly. [That is no easy feat, even for the head of the Furcas household. The Pale Horse is a powerful horse which lives in the deepest part of Cocytus. Even surviving that area is difficult enough. This should be interesting—]

Sona smiled.

[Are you finished?] Tomoe asked. Now standing behind Beruka, slowly sheathing her katana.

[What?] Beruka cried out, shocked. As he tried to turn around to face Tomoe he split in half, the top half of his body keeled over and fell off the horse. Blood fountained into the air before he shattered into white light.

[It's hard to take you seriously when you talk so much,] Tomoe said as she turned back to face the others. [And you're nothing compared to her!]

[It's amazing how much someone can improve when trained by the greatest assassin across multiple dimensions,] Serafall crowed happily. She shot Diehauser Belial a sly look. The older devil was definitely surprised by the beyond god speed Tomoe had just exhibited. [Would you like to reconsider calling her insignificant?]

Diehauser Belial coughed delicately. [I do not recall disparaging her in the slightest. In fact, I am overjoyed to see the youth growing so quickly.]

While they bantered back-and-forth Sona focused on the battle itself. Beruka's quick defeat had come as a surprise to everyone but it didn't faze that man. He ignored Tomoe entirely, knowing full well he wouldn't be able to keep up, and charged straight at Saji.

He dodged and rolled out of the way as Gandoma attacked with ferocious might. Vritra was active, the absorption line tagged onto Gandoma just as Sona had planned. The man was huge, easily three meters tall and with arms thicker than Saji's torso. A single strike would end him.

Gandoma was going for that strike.

Tomoe was all over him, constantly cutting and slashing, both the distract him and test his defenses. The battle kept up like that for a good minute without change. Saji running, Gandoma chasing, and Tomoe testing.

Then Tomoe drew blood. Her blade leaving a thin line of red across his back.

Gandoma hit the ground harder than ever before, causing the earth to rupture and shift. Tomoe kept her footing and managed to dart out of the blast range. Saji wasn't quite so luck. He was thrown across the flower field before slamming into the ground. His body tumbled across the field, kicking up dirt and flowers before he came to a sudden stop. Behind him there was a soft pulse.

Gandoma hadn't just been chasing Saji around recklessly. He'd chased him to the edge of the zone. Had that been advice from Sairaorg or had he planned that himself?

"Tomoe, go for the legs. Try to hamstring him. Saji, get away from the edge, even if you have to risk getting hit," Sona said over the communication line. No response. "Tomoe? Saji?"

What was going on? The communication device wasn't working! She threw a sharp look at the observers. They didn't seem to notice. This wasn't part of a special rule. She should be able to communicate with her teammates.

For the first time since the start of the game a sinking feeling start to develop in the pit of her stomach. Something was wrong here. This was more than just a game rigged against her. Regulus glaring at Sairaorg with hatred. The disruption of the communication devices. Neither were serious, but it put her on edge.

She couldn't even bring it up. They'd just claim it was her fault for bringing faulty equipment.

Thankfully, her peerage had trained hard. Even without Sona's precise advice, they knew what they needed to do. Saji knew he had to get away from the wall and Tomoe knew she had to help. She was already cutting at the legs while Saji made a dash to get past Gandoma and—

CRUNCH.

Ruruko let out a gasp of fear even as Sona winced in pain. Gandoma's fist clipped Saji in the side. It wasn't a full-on strike, but it was enough. Saji let out a sharp cry of pain as he bounced across the grassy field. The left side of his school uniform was torn wide open. Blood stream downed his side from where it had been crushed in, a single white bone jutting through the skin. Deep, angry purple and black bruises were forming all up and down his side as internal bleeding spread.

Despite the pain he hadn't let go of Vritra. The line was still attached to Gandoma.

[You'll have to kill me to get me to let go!] Saji shouted loudly across the battle field. [I will show you the strength of kaichou's peerage!]

[Admirable,] was all Gandoma said as he rushed over to finish him. Saji threw himself to the side to buy as much time as possible. Not quick enough. He took Gandoma's foot full in the chest. A look of pure agony crumpled Saji's face as his chest was pulverized into a bloody pulp. A moment later he shattered into particles of white light as the system recalled. [Farewell.]

[You too.]

A long katana ripped through Gandoma's chest, piercing his heart.

Saji had held on just long enough.

Tomoe hadn't stayed to admire strike. She had already darted away, shooting back across the battlefield way outside of Gandoma's ability to follow. Her attack had been fatal.

Gandoma didn't chase. He simply collapsed to his knees and accepted his defeat. He disappeared a few seconds later as the blood loss broke the acceptable limit.

[Combatant Sairaorg Bael's [Knight] and [Rook] along with combatant Sona Sitri's [Pawn] have retired,] The announcer said, his disappointment clearly audible in his voice. The crowd didn't care though. They were cheering loudly at the battle. The politics going on behind the scene didn't matter to them, only a good fight.

It had been more than enough for them.

[It seems Sona Sitri has managed to barely eke out a victory,] the announcer said with an audible sigh. There were a few boos thrown at the announcer, causing a little smile to flitter across Sona's lips. [What do our two guests think of this match?]

Sona put ignored what was going on up on the monitor and gave Tomoe a warm smile as she reappeared on the teleport platform.

"Good work out there," Sona congratulated her.

"Sorry I wasn't able to bring Gandoma down before we lost Saji, he was tough," Tomoe said, looking regretful.

"We'll make do," Sona said. Winning this after losing Tsubaki in the first round was going to rely on luck. Still, they were already accomplishing the primary goal, and that was make everyone notice them. Even if Sairaorg won, she'd already proven that she and her peerage weren't to be ignored. "We have a victory without Hikaru, and that's far more than anyone thought we'd manage."

[Let's get ready for the next match!] the announcer shouted, finished with Serafall's and Diehauser's analysis.

Sona gave Tomoe a little smile and patted her shoulder before heading over to the pedestal. She threw a quick look over at Sairaorg and couldn't help but frown. Why did he look so pleased even though he'd lost? She didn't know him as well as Rias did, but that knowing smile just looked… off for some reason.

She rolled dice and glanced up at the monitor as did every else.

[It's a seven this time! King's, please discuss who will go out next!]

The concealment field came up as Sona made her way back to her peerage. It didn't take her more than a moment to make her decision.

There were only three options for Sairaorg at this number. He could either send Ladora, both Bishops, or Regulus.

Hikaru was a nigh guaranteed win against any of those combinations, but would be a complete waste if used against just Ladora since Tomoe could easily counter him. That being said, with both Tomoe used up and Kusaka down, Sona didn't have many matchups available that would work.

If Sairaorg sent out one or both bishops, Sona had a chance with a Momo and Ruruko combination or Yura and Ruruko. He had to know that, so she was certain that combination wouldn't be used. It was too risky and Sairaorg was playing smarter than she would have suspected.

Against Ladora, only Momo and Ruruko had a chance, but Sona placed that at fifty/fifty.

Against Regulus, whoever she sent, would lose.

With Ladora or Regulus being the most obvious choices to use, Hikaru was the only one Sona was certain she could use to snatch victory with. As her goal was to raise her status and not necessarily achieve victory, what mattered most wasn't beating Sairaorg, but utilizing her peerage most effectively.

"Hikaru, it's your turn," Sona said as she approached them. "Make it quick."

"As you wish, kaichou," Hikaru said as she stretched her arms above her head. "Who do you think I'll face?"

"Either Ladora or Regulus. It's probably too much to ask for the latter," Sona said as she threw a glance in Sairaorg's direction. "But I can't take the chance. If he suspects I'll use you, his best bet would be to send a single, sacrificial bishop. Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

That was the worst-case scenario. To use Hikaru's turn against a single bishop. Sairaorg's battle power would hardly be affected and she would be down Hikaru if a big number turned up next round.

Hikaru nodded and head to the teleport platform. The moment she stepped on she was teleported out and the concealment field came down.

Sona held her breath until the two beams of light dissipated and it revealed a Hikaru vs Ladora matchup. The two of them stood on opposite sides of what looked like a large temple. Large, round columns rose to the ceiling where beautiful arches held up a lofty ceiling.

It was no Regulus like she had hoped for, but at least it wasn't a single bishop.

She could work with this though. Once Hikaru defeated Ladora, Sairaorg would be down both Rooks and both Knights. Outside of himself and Regulus, he would be down to purely mystical means of winning his battles. Yura was strong against that and Tomoe would be too fast to catch.

[Oh! It seems that for the third match Sona Sitri has sent out her strongest piece! Hikaru!] the announcer shouted excitedly.

The entire stadium roared in excitement.

"Hikaru! Hikaru! Hikaru!"

Their voices raised in thunderous cheers and applause. They all knew what was coming. Ladora's swift and excruciatingly painful defeat. Even the announcer seemed excited to see her there.

"Hikaru! Hikaru! Hikaru!"

She certainly was well liked by everyone.

[Get the ultra-fast cameras rolling! Let's all watch Ladora's swift defeat in delicious slow time! Let the third round begin!]

It was over in an instant. One moment the two combatants were squaring off against each other. In the next a brilliant flash of yellow light engulfed the monitor, blinding everyone. A crackling roar boomed throughout the stadium. The light dimmed and there floated Hikaru, engulfed in pure lightning as massive streamers of electricity arced from her body to the pillars and the ground about her.

On the floor nearby was Ladora, twitching and spasming as lightning ravaged his body. The system let him twitch there for several long seconds, letting everyone enjoy the view, before he disappeared in a pillar of white light.

[Combatant Sairaorg Bael's [Rook] retires! As expected! Victory this time goes to Hikaru!]

Hikaru dropped out of her lightning form and landed on the red tile floor. Her boots and gloves had been destroyed leaving her arms and legs bare to the world. Sona could practically hear all the men in the stadium drooling over one another as they stared longingly at her.

Then a moment later she was engulfed in light as she was brought back to Sona's platform. Sona gave her a grateful smile which she returned as the guests above bantered back and forth.

[Well, we all knew that Hikaru would win that match, but Sairaorg's Rook seemed a little on the frail side to lose that quickly,] Diehauser Belial said, giving the man some harsh criticism. [But then, he was probably told to throw the fight. It was fairly obvious that Sona Sitri would send Hikaru out this round.]

[Sounds like someone is trying to make an excuse,] Serafall pointed out.

[All that matters is which King is standing at the end,] Diehauser Belial reminded her.

[Oh? So now it's about her winning, and not just putting on a worthwhile show?] Serafall asked the man with an amused, questioning look. With Sona performing so well the playful Serafall was starting to break through the Leviathan.

[I never doubted her capabilities,] Diehauser Belial said lightly. [I would look to your left to find those that did.]

The announcer coughed loudly and roughly cleared his throat, [A-Anyway, let's quickly move on!]

Sona approached the platform once more and rolled the dice once more. The numbers bounced wildly before landing on a combined total that made her smile.

[And it's an eleven! That's almost the max amount! What sort of team play shall we see this time from Sairaorg Bael?]

Sona just closed her eyes and shook her head softly. As the concealment field came up once more she headed back to her peerage. "Eleven. That means we can safely assume that Sairaorg Bael won't hit the field."

That meant they had the opportunity to do some real damage to him. With Hikaru most likely coming out next, Sairaorg would most likely think this is the best opportunity to hit Hikaru with everything he has.

"Who do you think we'll face?" Hikaru asked.

"Regulus and a bishop," Sona said softly. "Now that he knows how quickly Meguri-san can move, he won't risk sending Regulus alone. Most likely Misteeta since he has a special piece of equipment that can seal an opponent's ability for a short time."

"I can fight Regulus," Tomoe said, volunteering her services.

"Of course," Sona said, giving her the nod. "Tsubasa Yura and Momo Hanakai will support you. This is our best opportunity to take out Regulus. I want to make sure. If he sends out Kuisha instead, you three know what to do."

They had counters for her beyond just Tsubaki. Momo would be useful for that, giving Tomoe and Yura the openings they needed to take her out.

"We won't lose," Tomoe vowed.

"We'll break them to pieces!" Momo shouted, her eyes glowing with a fevered light. Rita's training was seeping back into her. That was fine though. It was an asset in battle.

"This is going to be exciting," Yura said, a grin just as feral as Momo's on her lips. "Let's go girls and show them that Hikaru isn't our only ticket to victory!"

"Hey! I won one earlier!" Tomoe protested as they made their way to the teleport platform.

"I'm giving that one to Saji."

"That's not fair!"

Yura just laughed as the three of them were teleported away.

The concealment field came down and when the battlefield came up a collective gasp echoed throughout the stadium.

There stood Sairaorg Bael across from the other three.

[What?!] Serafall shouted in shock, not even trying to hold in her disbelief.

"How!? He's a twel—" Sona's eyes went to the score board and paled at what she saw. Sairaorg was an eleven. His poor performance at managing his peerage earlier, and Sona's better than expected performance, had lowered his score by one without the man taking a single step onto the battlefield.

Sairaorg turned to face the screen. It felt as if he was staring right at her. [Sometimes one most lose a battle, to win the war. I deliberately sent out individuals who would make you look good, and myself poor, for the express of lowering my worth, my… value, at just the right time.] Sairaorg said to her before giving a wide smirk to the three standing before him. [Please try to at least give me some entertainment before you fall.]

She'd been outplayed. Sona Sitri, someone who prided herself on always thinking several steps ahead of her opponent, had been outplayed by Sairaorg of all people, and from the very start.

How? This was not the Sairaorg Bael she knew. This was not how he thought or how he acted. He was similar to Issei, minus the perversion. He acted more on guts than tactics. Was someone giving him advice from the shadows?

Sona didn't know. All she did know was that she was that she now had to watch any chance of victory get crushed before her very eyes to the thunderous roar of an excited crowd.

~o~

Freeing Sairaorg Bael and his two bishops, Coriana and Misteeta, had solved his most immediate problem, which was getting out of the administration building.

Sairaorg was in no mood to be nice. Nor was he in any mood to search for the exit.

He made his own. He picked a direction and just charged forward. Touki streamed off his body in waves as he slammed through walls and doors alike, hurtled across rooms, tossed guards, employees, and furniture aside like kindling and gave no shits about anything save getting out of this place as quickly as possible. The halls were filled with screams of terror, surprise and pain as the man bulldozed his way over everyone.

Sairaorg Bael was pissed.

His bishops, Misteeta and Coriana followed on his heels. Their faces a mask of pure determination as they used demonic spells to enhance their speed and Sairaorg's strength.

Tatsumi followed closely behind, leaping over downed devils, shattered walls, and debris alike. He wanted to just burst his way out alongside Sairaorg, but he couldn't reveal himself. He couldn't let the devils know he was here.

It didn't stop him from lending a little aid in the form of highly focused, high pressure shock waves released from his fists that helped Sairaorg plow his way through.

At some point during their charge through the building a loud crack, almost like lightning, reverberated through the building. A deep, powerful thrumming sound that seemed to come from far away, yet was powerful enough to consume everything.

Tatsumi couldn't dwell on it long as Sairaorg's charge came to an abrupt and sudden end. The last, and final wall gave way to his implacable charge and the large devil smashed his way out into the sky above Agreas. His momentum so great he couldn't stop. He didn't try to slow down. He immediately unfurled his wings and took to the air. His two bishops followed suit, leaping out with wings extended, flying up to float beside their King.

Tatsumi leapt out behind them, letting a pair of draconic wings erupt from his back as he took to the air. He glanced about, trying to get his bearings. There was no stadium here and the casino he and Ravel had gone to a few days' past was on his right. That put them on the opposite side of the building they needed to be at.

He made to leave when Sairaorg's stopped him.

"I don't know who you are, but you have my thanks," Sairaorg said, turning to look directly at Tatsumi. "Find me when I've taken my peerage back from that imposter and the Bael family will find some way of repaying you."

Right, it was raining. They could probably see his form from the way the rain ran down it. Well, it didn't matter if he knew someone had rescued him. Just so long as he didn't realize it was Tatsumi. Perhaps the wings would make him think it was a fellow devil.

Whatever the case, he didn't have time to banter with Sairaorg. He just gave a quick wave and took off, flying around the edge of the building. There wasn't any further time to waste. He was just as concerned as Sairaorg about what was happening in that stadium.

Sairaorg and his two bishops wasted no time following Tatsumi.

~o~

[Combatant Sona Sitri's [Knight], [Bishop] and [Rook] have retired!] The announcer cheered gleefully.

The battle against Sairaorg went exactly as Sona had expected. Expected and feared. The crowd cheered. The announcer laughed. Her peerage, her friends, were brutally put down by Sairaorg.

They tried, oh did they ever try, but they were just no match for him. Nothing they did had any effect. Tomoe's katana broke off his skin. Yura's had hammered him until her knuckles bled. Momo had slammed her strongest spells into him.

He'd just laughed it all off before brutally breaking them.

He had shown no mercy. Not a single speck of restrain. She knew Sairaorg was someone that took his fights seriously and would always give it his all, no matter the opponent.

But did he have to look so gleeful about it?

That sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach was growing stronger with every moment.

"What do we do now?" Ruruko asked. Her voice quivered with fear and her face pale. That battle had not been easy to watch.

"We do our best," Sona said softly. If they rolled less than a seven next time, Ruruko would be out there on her own. Best case was they rolled a three and Sairaorg could only send a single bishop. Ruruko had gone through intense training these past two weeks as well. She may be able to hold her own against a single bishop if she was able to surprise them but…

It looked like the end was in sight and everyone knew it. Sairaorg Bael had all but won. All that mattered now was how that victory would take shape.

[We don't need any commentary on that lovely display we all just saw! Let's quickly move on to the next battle!] the announcer said gleefully.

Sona clenched her fist tightly and, for a brief moment, contemplated giving up right then. That sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach urged her to. Told her she should give up before things got worse. There were too many anomalies in this match. Too many strange happenings.

She shook that thought away and approached the pedestal. She'd come this far. She'd see it to the end. It would be too great a disservice to her friends who had put everything on the line for her thus far. Victory was out of reach.

It was time for a worthy defeat.

When the dice finished spinning, she knew who she would send.

[There we have it folks! A nine! Will Sona Sitri finally take the stage or will she rely on Hikaru once more? I'm fine with either choice! What say all of you?]

The cheers drowned out everything else until the concealment field came up and muted the noise.

"What do we do now?" Hikaru asked quietly.

"Victory has been taken from us, but I intend to see us take as many of Sairaorg Bael's pieces as possible. There is a high possibility that, pushed this far, I would take the field myself. Sairaorg won't throw this match. That means he's sending either his queen, Kuisha-san, or the Nemean Lion." If she took the field with Ruruko, she could easily defeat their bishops but those two weren't entering the field. Not when the risk of facing Hikaru was so high. "Either way, we're taking that piece." She captured Hikaru's gaze. "Beat them as harshly as Sairaorg Bael beat Tomoe-san, Yura-san and Momo-san."

"Of course, kaichou," Hikaru said, her gaze as hard as her own. If Sairaorg wanted to be vicious, she would show him just how vicious she could be.

Hikaru made her way over to the teleport platform and after a few moments disappeared in a flash of white light.

As the concealment field came down Sona shifted her sight to the monitor. The battlefield was an island in the middle of a large lake covered in a thick, dense forest of large trees with wide, purple leaves. There was a lot of cover which made it easy to conceal one's self.

They appeared on opposite ends of the island with the large forest between them. When the light around Sairaorg's choice faded, Sona nodded her head in satisfaction. Kuisha Abaddon had taken the field against Hikaru. That was a significant piece to end on.

[It seems we have Sona Sitri's Knight, Hikaru, once again taking the field and this time against Sairaorg's own Queen, Kuisha Abaddon! This might turn out to be an interesting fight! The Abaddon family is capable of creating a Hole in space that can absorb and reflect anything! Can Hikaru be hurt by her own lightning? Will she go all out and become naked for us?! We shall soon find out! Let the fifth round begin!]

Kuisha Abaddon quickly rushed into the forest, thinking to use the tall tress as cover. They could be used to redirect some of Hikaru's lightning into the ground and reduced the angle of attack she had. It was a good strategy, and the best one Kuisha could have employed given her opponent.

It was utterly futile.

Hikaru didn't enter the forest. Instead she took to the air and shot up over the forest canopy. Reaching the very center of the island she shifted directions and bolted upwards until she hovered a good mile above the island.

The stadium grew so quiet you could hear a pin drop as everyone held their collective breaths.

A loud crack reverberated through the speakers as Hikaru activated her sacred gear. Her body was enveloped in a bright white yellow light as her arms and legs became little more than enormous streamers of lightning. Several large black holes sprung up about her, absorbing her lightning even as large streams of water erupted from around the island and twisted towards Hikaru, shifting into dragon like shapes as they made to crash down upon her before she could attack.

It simply wasn't enough. Not even close.

It happened all at once. All sound disappeared, consumed by a crack of lightning so powerful it was heard clear across the entire breadth of the Underworld. The night disappeared, chased away by the light. The brilliance of Hikaru was visible not just through the monitor, but the glass ceiling of the stadium as well. The darkened sky lit up as bright as noonday on Earth.

The holes around Hikaru shattered. The draconic water spirals evaporated into steam. The air around Hikaru disappeared, all the gases in the air reduced to their sub-atomic particles creating hundreds streams of pure plasma spiraling about what was no longer humanoid.

It was a mass of pure energy so enormous it reached the outer atmosphere of the planet. The width so great it sheered through the boundary of the arena like it was little more than paper. A million streams of electricity crisscrossed across the sky, accompanied by streams of plasma, air vaporized down to subatomic particles. Whatever it was, it couldn't be called human, devil, or anything else.

It was something else entirely. An entity of pure destruction that simply went by the name, Hikaru.

[What. The. Fuck.] That was all the announcer could say.

Even Sona's onee-sama and Diehauser Belial seemed utterly shocked by what they saw before them.

[Sairaorg, I suggest recalling your Queen.] Lady Agares spoke up quickly. [The system can't recall her quickly enough if something like that hits her.]

Sairaorg just grinned.

The hackles on the back of Sona's neck stood up on end. That was not Sairaorg! Or if it was, someone else was in control!

A voice like nothing Sona had ever heard echoed through the vaults of her mind. It was like the sound bypassed her ears and went straight to her brain. It hurt, painfully so, and caused many in the audience to double over holding their heads.

[BURN!]

Then it struck. A singular bolt of lightning that vaporized everything in its path, leaving a deep, almost endless pit of darkness behind. Then it struck again, and again. Twice, thrice, then a hundred times, a thousand times, a million times. A lightning storm the likes of which the Underworld had never seen rained down upon the island, annihilating everything. There was no where to hide. No where to run.

Lady Agares, the Arbitrator of the game quickly hit the recall button and forced Kuisha's recall before the system could register that she needed to be taken away.

Just in time as Hikaru herself landed upon the island. There was a bright flash of light and when it faded, the island was gone, along with most of the lake, reduced to nothing more than streams of thick plasma, lazily meandering their way through the air.

[C-C-Combatant Sairaorg Bael's [Queen] h-has retired.] the announcer stammered out the results. It seemed he was now more than a little scared of Hikaru and was potentially fearing what might happen if Sona took too much offense to his comments thus far.

Hikaru's transition back to human form was quick at first, slowing as she her torso and head reformed and her limbs took on human like shape. Sona quickly grabbed a spare cloak she'd brought with her and made her way over to the teleport pad. Lady Agares waited for her to nod before activating the recall system to bring her back.

Hikaru was fully naked when she returned and Sona was quick to wrap the cloak around her body before the perverted male audience could get too much of a look.

"That was a bit excessive, but I think we've made a point," Sona said

"I wanted to leave a good impression," Hikaru said, giving Sona a smile as she pulled the cloak tight around herself. "Did it work?"

"It worked," she said, throwing a quick glance at the audience. There was a mixture of fear and awe as everyone looked on. "We've done well for ourselves."

"That's good, just one final match, right?" Hikaru said.

Sona nodded. "I intend to see what sort of matchup we get next. If it's something favorable, I'll fight it. Otherwise I intend to give up right away."

If she was up against Sairaorg, she was going to forfeit. If it was Regulus, she would feel him out. If he was weakened enough from Tusbaki and Kusaka's efforts, they might have a chance. If she was up against the bishops, she was confident she could win.

They still had no chance of winning overall unless they got lucky and put Hikaru up against Sairaorg, but the most likely outcome was that whoever she didn't fight between the bishops and Regulus, would fight Hikaru next time, leaving Sairaorg to land the final blow on her.

Her chances of victory were zero then, but at the very least they could reduce the battle to just one of Kings and that would look very favorably upon her, especially since there had been an expectation of a quick and resounding defeat from the start.

[I am shocked, no pun intended, at what I just witnessed. I imagine everyone is. That Hikaru held such power at her finger tips. Sealing her lightning form in the game against Rias was a good decision. I question the judgement of those that let her utilize it in this match.] Diehauser Belial commented on the match.

[The same could have been said of Sairaorg Bael against anyone else in in Sona Sitri's peerage,] Serafall returned coldly. [He had Tsubasa Yura, Tomoe Meguri and Momo Hanakai beaten. He did not need to go that extra length in making sure their defeat was excessively painful.]

[Ah, but there is a difference. He was not quick about it, allowing the system to recall them before permanent harm could be done. The same could not have been said of Kuisha Abaddon. I fear what would have happened had Lady Agares not, in good judgement, recalled her so quickly.]

[That's why she's here though, is it not?] Serafall countered. [Restrict all or restrict none. It is best that Sairaorg and his peerage realize now that there are those that stand far above them. A lesson best learned early. Before Ego and Arrogance take too strong a hold.]

[Enough,] Lady Agares interrupted them. This was her home, her territory, and her game to mediate. Here, she overruled even the Satans. [Let us continue with the matches.] She turned to the Announcer. [If you would.]

[O-Of course! Will Sona Sitri and Sairaorg Bael please roll the dice?]

Time to find out what their fate was. Sairaorg Bael wasted no time rolling his dice, not even waiting for Sona to reach the pedestal. She threw hers afterwards. When it stopped, she closed her eyes and nodded.

It was time.

[It's an eight! Will Sona Sitri finally take the field of battle or will she cowardly throw her sole pawn left to the wolves and rely on Hikaru again next time?]

There was no question as to what she would do. As the concealment field came up, she beckoned Ruruko over to her side. "Let's go. If it's the bishops, we have a good chance, if it's Regulus, it'll depend on how much he's recovered since his first battle. Let's go see what fate has in store for us."

Even if it was Regulus, she wouldn't go down without fighting. Perhaps he was still badly hurt from fighting Kusaka and Tsubaki. Sairaorg had, at least, kept his word and hadn't given the lion a Phoenix's Tear.

"Yes kaichou!" Ruruko said, her eyes full of determination. "Let's do our best, for Saji-kun, for Momo-chan and Yura-chan and everyone else that fell!"

"Then let's go make their sacrifices meaningful," Sona said as she turned and headed for the teleportation platform.

As she and Ruruko stepped onto the platform, the white light enveloped them. She felt herself gently picked up and carried away. As the light faded, Sona found herself in an underground chamber of some sort. Torches burning with a blue spluttered fitfully along the walls. At the far end was the broken remains of an altar of some sort. On her side was a large door leading out to some place. Between her and the altar were rows upon rows of pews.

An old temple of worship, but to whom? Sona wasn't familiar with any place like this in the Underworld. At the very least, not on the devil's side of it.

Her opponent didn't end up being Regulus. Instead across the chamber, standing at the foot of the altar, were Sairaorg's two bishops. Coriana Andrealphus and Misteeta Sabnock.

Regulus must have been hurt badly if Sairaorg had decided to send these two in his place. It was too much to think he would give Sona a fighting chance considering how brutally he'd beaten her friends earlier.

"Kaichou," Ruruko said, grim determination in her voice.

"I know," Sona said, allowing a small smile to play across her lips. "We can do this."

~o~

There! The stadium spread out below Tatsumi. The light from within outshone all the casinos and entertainment areas surrounding it. Countless little streams of water ran off it to the street below as the rain continued to beat down upon it.

He paused, hovering high above the stadium, wondering what the best approach was. Which entrance was the best one to sneak in through and—

A howl of wind signaled that decision being taken from him as Sairaorg rushed past him, dive bombing towards the arena.

Frontal assault it was.

Tatsumi dove after the man, trailing behind him and his two bishops. Sairaorg didn't slow as he reached the stadium. He crashed through it with a roar, shattering the glass top, warping the steel and blasting a massive hole through the roof.

"REGULUS!" Sairaorg roared, his voice filled with anger and fury as he dove at the imposter wearing his face. The only other person on the same platform as the imposter, a young looking red-headed boy looked up. His eyes widened in surprise before they became as hard as diamond. He leapt up off the platform and as he reached Sairaorg, transformed, wrapping around the large devil and becoming a full set of golden armor, complete with lion motifs. Sairaorg was all rage and fury as he bore down upon the man that'd stolen his face. "How dare you steal my face and my peerage!"

There was a loud boom as the two collided. Sairaorg, slammed into the man with enough force to obliterate a mountain. It did little more than dig the imposter's feet into the ground and fracture the earth beneath him. Sairaorg roared with anger and followed up with a powerful straight that the imposter calmly caught with a single hand.

"My, you escaped faster than I thought you would," the imposter Sairaorg said, a huge grin on his face. "though not quite fast enough for it to matter. I've had plenty of time to send the rest of your peerage to the hospital. They won't be moving for a while."

"You will pay for this!"

The imposter laughed away the threat. "Did no one tell you about that hidden rule? If a member of a peerage is incapable of making it on time, they're allowed to be swapped for someone else. Even the King." The grin on the imposter's face was absolutely vicious. "It's not my fault you were... incapable of making it to your own Rating Game." The imposter hurled Sairaorg away like he was nothing more than a child's toy. People screamed in pain and fear he plowed into the stands, crushing several unfortunate devils beneath his large frame. "And I've done you a favor. Someone as stupid and weak as you would have lost."

[What is the meaning of this!?] Lady Agares demanded. She was on her feet, her face livid, but her eyes full of fear. It seemed that extra rule on the second page had been something even she'd not been aware of.

[Get my Sona-chan back here now!] Serafall screamed at her before she burst through the announcer's booth into the stadium proper. Lady Agares wasted no time hitting the recall button on the two of them. "I'm going to make you pay for spitting all over this Rating Game!" Serafall promised.

[Looks like they found out,] the Misteeta Sabnock on the monitor said as a white light started to engulf Ruruko and Sona. [Too bad I'm here.] He snapped his finger and the white light shattered, leaving Sona and Ruruko where they were.

[What's going on! The recall was cancelled!] Lady Agares said, panicking. [This is just like when…] she trailed off as she lifted her head to stare at a screen only she could see. The blood drained from her face. [Oh no.]

The fear inside the pit of Tatsumi's stomach turned into sheer terror as the forms of both Misteeta and Coriana shimmered to reveal the last two people he ever wanted to see near Sona. Near anyone he loved.

Syura and Esdeath.

[Guess what, Serafall,] Esdeath said, a wicked smiling on her lips as she stared straight up into the viewing circle she knew was on her. [I have your little sister.]

Serafall's scream of rage and terror sent slivers of pure agony racing down his spine.

---

Author's Note: Well, what do you think everyone? Was that enough of a cliff hanger for you? Syura preventing the recall from working. Esdeath having Sona within arms reach… and no way for Serafall to get to her.

Whatever shall happen next? Will a miracle occur? Or will we see a certain Evolutionary Dragon and the Leviathan go absolutely berserk?

And just who has taken Sairaorg's place? All this, and more, on the next chapter of The Battle Never Ends!

Not much left to go! Just 2 chapters and then the epilogue. The next chapter is the big climactic battle and things will never be the same.