Strategy, Secrets and Sacrilege

"I'm doing what!?" Raynare yelled at her 'master' after hearing about the upcoming Rating Game and more importantly that she was going to participate in it.

Taka idly tried to clear the ringing from his eyes before looking at the fallen with a slightly amused look at her reaction.

"What the problem Ame-chan?" he asked, calling her by the fake name but with no real feeling in it. The recent second degree burns from that prick Phenex and subsequent healing had drained him. Still he tried to reassure his familiar.

"From what I've been told it, once someone gets seriously injured in a rating game they are pulled out instantly and healed. Even if you're not an actual member of Gremory's peerage they'll still pull you out."

Raynare still didn't seem reassured in the slightest by this and he was about to find out why.

"I know about the rating games, the Grigori live in the underworld too so I've caught a couple recorded games but I thought we were keeping a low profile." She hissed at the now contemplative mage.

Damn she was right he realized, wondering if he was even more tired than he thought to miss something like that. No attacks of retaliation had come from Grigori for her act of fealty to a devil yet. It seemed that they had lucked out and Grigori had assumed that Raynare had died with the rest of her allies and didn't bother sending out a force for confirmation yet. With few people knowing about the situation outside the Peerage and Sona and all of them devils, there was a chance that Yume's plans for a potential confrontation might be unnecessary.

….But if they were to have Raynare fighting in a rating game, even an unofficial one like this…then the fallen could easily find out the truth about how badly she messed up and how she managed to survive.

Aotaka walked around the living room, looking spaced out while Raynare gave him a subdued but expectant look. She was still unwilling to push the boundaries by flat out voicing a refusal to participate. She wasn't a fool as while he was an accommodating person, the truth was less predictable. The secret emotional sense she had as well as their previous battles showed that at times when she didn't expect, sparks of anger would flare up and she had come out badly because of it.

His erratic nature was discomforting and she needed more time to figure him out and this seemed like it would give some decent look into his nature.

"Gaah...I was kinda planning to use you as a trump card but if it's going to attract some serious attention then I'll need to be sneakier to beat two immortals" he said drumming his fingers on a table as he passed it.

She gave a small sigh before realization at his ending words struck. "An Immortal?...and plural?"

He gave a short nod of confirmation. "I was a bit surprised too since I thought high-class devils from the Pillars would have their own peerages but I guess they wanted her to get some experience or something before making her own. The King's a prick called Riser Phenex, not sure about the girl's name but she looks like his sister and I think she might be his Bishop."

He looked worried and Raynare could see the reason as a Bishop piece would give increased magical power which combined with a pure high-ranking devil's already high stats could be as dangerous as a Queen.

"I've never fought a Phenex before but holy powers would weaken their regeneration so maybe you could use the exorcist weapons you 'acquired'…" She suggested. It was something but they both knew that as while regular holy weapons could indeed hurt high-class devils, they were of limited use due to a greater resistance to the light as well as being easier for the devil to break.

"…It'll help with Ise, might work with Kiba but it wouldn't suit Asia's mentality and Koneko's style."

"What about that Queen?" Raynare questioned remembering the meeting with the Gremory Peerage. She was a 'bit' scared for her life so she mainly focused on the Gremory heir but she remembered the queen and how there was some hostility there but she never dwelled on it, accepting it was just part of her unstable and dangerous situation.

She noticed Aotaka giving her a questioning look prompting her to wonder what she missed and Taka to respond when he realized that she really didn't know.

"The weapons are good for conserving power since we're outnumbered but with her amount of power Akeno can just use her mix her light with the lightning. That should make her our big gun in this match." He didn't see how she missed something like that.

"What are you talking about?" Raynare questioned "Is she like you too?" Had she missed a memo on angel-human hybrids or something?

Taka tilted his head and looked at her with a bit of questioning as she really should know this which was getting quite annoying "Well…not really but from what I've sensed she waseither a fallen or the child of one…I'm not really sure but I should ask her that when we leave tomorrow."

Raynare left the question of 'How did he sense that when she couldn't' go unasked. She also didn't voice the thought that she should be able to sense someone with fallen light in them unless the person let it go unused, either through ignorance or….

"Still." Taka interrupted "Even if I can't have you directly fighting I'll need to come on our little training trip to enhance the light weapons. I think I've got a good enough understanding of how the blades work to make them suit my style better."

While understanding even a small part of God's system in a few days was beyond Taka, with Raynare's help he could at least understand how the weapons were designed. From that he noted that there was something about them that was similar to the calculations that magicians used and which were the basis of his techniques even after his resurrection.

It made sense he supposed since despite Magicians being traditional aligned with the devils, some likely worked with the church behind the scenes. Reverse-engineering the holy light like just like they did with demonic magic and then using that to mass-produced holy weapons to arm the exorcists. Sure they wouldn't be as good as the legendary blades made by God but the entire advantage that Magicians had over other types of magic was that its accuracy.

Their magic was based on constant calculations that were refined over years to reach the maximum efficiency when used as long as the magicians had the necessary qualifications and understanding. So for instance while Aotaka could produce fire from pure imagination easy enough, it always took more effort and was not quite as stable as using calculations.

It was for this reason that when using magic, Taka as an unconscious decision, used the practiced calculations to get the raw flames and then used the devil and angelic techniques to turn it into his own attacks.

So even though he wasn't by any means a traditional magician understanding how the holy weapons worked wasn't as difficult as he feared and with both Raynare's and his natural ability with light, Aotaka could….adjust the weapons in ways that the church couldn't at least not without an angel's help.

Ten days with Raynare and a box of holy guns and blades would be more than enough for him to make a few surprises for the Phenex and his little peerage. Taka had to hold back a laugh at the terror he would wreak as he rubbed his palms together and grinned before he noticed that Raynare was looking worried and shivering for some reason…weird.

"Sona will be covering for us at school, so get ready to leave for tomorrow." Taka informed Raynare "Even if you won't be fighting in the Rating Game, I'll need your help to get ready and I'm curious on how good you are without that thing redirecting your power."

At his words Raynare's eyes drifted to her left arm where runic markings in a small circle could be faintly seen. It was the magic that Yume had put on her to reduce the light she had available for attacks in return for reinforcing her defense to that same light. It was useful as it would reduce her presence as a fallen to a minimum as well as allowing her to almost completely negate attacks from fallen that were the same rank as her.

Still with her power mostly sealed, her training had mainly consisted of increasing her shaping skill and power control which was already above average in for her rank so some part of her was curious to see how this unorthodox training had helped. Rank and File warriors like her didn't normally get specialized training since they possessed no special capabilities or skills that would make it worthwhile. They could be compared to the devils that were not part of the 72 pillars with historical prestige or reincarnated with special abilities or talents.

Raynare was a bit outside the norm already as while she was average in terms of power, say about the level of a normal mid-class devil. She also had a pretty good understanding of Heaven's system and it's loopholes as she had tried to learn more about the subject that her idol was so focused in. It was for that reason why despite being on the same level as her fallen comrades, she was the one who would have gotten twilight healing, since she knew how to do the transfer without any accidents occurring.

If she could have gotten that sacred gear she would have been something special if things had worked out she might have even…No. there was no point in thinking about what ifs.

She shook her head shedding lost plans and dreams on her way to sleep this was bad she had made and she had to deal with it.

Taka was in his room and had decided to pack his stuff from now. Using the chore to occupy his hands while his tired mind came up with some ideas about the upcoming match. If he went all out he could probably make a good showing taking out the rival pawns would be possible for him and Ise if they took advantage of their weakness to light. Queens would obviously be the big guns in a rating game and Akeno would be a gamebreaker of a queen and while he wasn't sure of the full extent of Kiba and Koneko's power they seemed pretty capable.

So when they faced Riser's pieces victory was certainly possible but what would come after they defeat the pieces and faced the king bother Aotaka? Yume initially thought that Riser's team was pretty much a joke. Having a peerage of 15 individual pieces implied that you were generally looking for quantity over quality but he now realized that might be just what Riser needed to win….

A Phenex could only be taken down by a single overwhelming attack or through constant pressure. That was what he had learnt from Sona in their lessons about the some of the 72 pillars. Those two things were certainly possible in practice but in a battle where they would have to go through just over twice their numbers just to get to Riser, victory seemed like a tall order. It got even more ridiculous when you considered that there was another Phenex in the group which would take even more energy to defeat. In such a situation Taka knew that he would be the first to run dry and falter even with Asia healing him. The holy weapons could weaken them hampering their regeneration but how could that be enough when a single good hit could break them to pieces?

Could he strengthen the blades to make them more durable enough to withstand a high level attack? Doubtful. He closed his eyes and thought about what he felt from the immortal king and his peerage, trying to gain a greater understanding of his foes.

A sense of wild flames stirred by a harsh gale was what he got from the two children of Phenex and in the queen there was ...something

It was definitely….a feeling of volatile heat. What was that?

With the Phenex who were tied to fire and wind from birth the feeling he got made sense by why did he get the same form the queen? His mind drifted back to the other queen that was there at the clubhouse whose presence was on a completely different level…that of an arctic chill that sliced to the bone.

Yes…

The impressions were clearly worlds apart as even now the memory of that 'maid' seemed to weakened his flames but the fact remain that Riser queen specialized in fire like he did and as a result acquired a taste of flames to her power. Was that why she was made his queen?

….or could it be that she was had to learn fire because she was his queen.

Ah!

Yes things began clicking in Yume's head. Riser seemed to value appearance over actual ability in his harem to a degree so couldn't the same apply to the skills of his peerage? Would he actually make a peerage that specialized in flames over being better-rounded just for appearances? The power in the other members of the Phenex peerage was too low for him to get a reading on their specialty but if this idea was true then one thing was clear….

Riser was a complete idiot.

Really who would limit their peerage to a single element? Didn't this guy ever play Pokémon…or any RPG? Type advantages are a thing for a reason. Taka could easily imagine Sona sending a giant water dragon and sending all of Riser pawns flying. Such a glaring elemental weak point should make the entire issue of battling the large peerage a non-issue….if he didn't specialize almost completely in fire himself and not an element that could take advantage of it.

God Dammint.

And what was that grinding sound?

So many people whose element was firmly imprinted into their power made him want to try something just to get a better understanding of himself. He hadn't really considered doing something like this but his understanding his his own power was the only advantage he had so he might as well. He turned that sense onto himself trying to get a sense of what his own nature...was…like.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, he closed his eyes and regulated his breathing focusing on his own body. It was strange since it was in a way like someone trying to hear their own heartbeat but he should be able to get a better impression of his own power from it.

To strengthen the connection he began flaring his power, not actualizing it into a spell but running it through his body trying to define its nature. He wondered how he could further strengthen the feeling of his own power. What could make his power react? He thought about the feeling that Raynare inspired but this wasn't enough. Perhaps by focusing on something opposite to it?

He was certain that fire was somewhere in him and he knew that he would likely best feel the flames when it opposed the winter's chill.

He called the image of the Strongest Queen once more. Focusing on its oppressive aura that hindering him with its simple memory.

He felt his power was there, reacting to the mental cold but not by fighting but by hiding from that which was stronger than it. By bringing in the image of cold he also brought the sense of being outclassed completely and the fire began coalescing to withstand it.

This was starting to annoy Aotaka as he pulled at the power trying to further define its nature. It was clearly fire from how it reacted to the cold but he wanted to know more. He should be able to understand his magic more than any other. This was now something more than mere curiosity it…was an imperative.

Fed up with its obstinacy, he grasped the reluctant power and began enacting a spell but not of fire or light or even wind. He didn't know the calculations required so instead he used the demonic style of magic to change the raw energy into some else through sheer desire.

It didn't feel right but he didn't care as he forced the magic into something it didn't want to be.

The image of fallen light shine through demonic ice in his mind grew stronger as an orb of demonic power gathered in his hand. He feed the image into the sphere with the feeling that Grayfia and Raynare inspired and watched as magic flared and then began contract as he watched it. For a moment the power stabilized and he could almost see the energy materialize into tainted ice.

Then there was a sudden pull on his reserves and Yume's mind went blank from shock. What?

Before he could react, an aurora of light laced with fire radiated from the orb and Aotaka went flying into a wall. A sharp pain running through his body from the impact….

And also something else.

NO!NO!NO!

EAT!CONSUME!

FEED!SURVIVE!

….BURN.

He slowly got up feeling very tense noting that as quickly as the flames appeared they had disappeared, fading into the air.

"What the hell?!"

It was…he couldn't describe it.

He had feelings of instinctive hate from Fallen Light.

He had felt the chill of Grayfia's power as if he was having an ice bath.

But this was different and it felt in a way…personal in a way nothing else had ever felt except maybe when he was with people he trusted like Ise, Asia and now that he thought about it Sona as well.

He really should tell her about the whole angel thing…

But right now he was considering what he felt from his own power. He didn't know…it wasn't that it was large but it was certainly hungry and persistent.

And it really really didn't like the cold.

It wasn't wild like a fire was supposed to be. It didn't burn uncontrollably trying spreading as fast as it could.

It was…predatory was the only word to describe it, like a wild animal hungering for food.

A moment passed before he raised his hand to his eyes, realizing that his glasses were gone. Most likely blown away from the impact and he looked around squinting around looking for them and trying to avoid thinking about that freakish reaction.

He looked inside him and realized that the power that had flowed into the sphere was not just from his normal reserves but also from the seldom accessed light that he kept inside him. In fact looking deeper inside that store was drained completely which shocked the Pyromancer.

Energy didn't just vanish it had to go somewhere and that little shockwave was certainly not enough to account for the loss of that much magical energy even if it was in a uncontrolled burst. This wasn't adding up in the slightest and he didn't want waste time and have to answer slip from his fingers.

Yume finally found his glasses and looked at them with a frown. They weren't really damaged but he realized that as a fighter, he would probably need to do something to ensure that his glasses didn't go flying off in battle but that was a later problem.

He put the lens back on and focused trying to find out where the energy went feeling the traces of power through the air and seeing where they would lead and soon found the answer.

It was inside him all along.

Which seemed to be a copout to the young mage.

A mix of light and fire energy was…well the only word to describe it was that when that explosion of energy happen the power that hit him began sticking to his body and seeping into it. Strangely it wasn't damaging him, in fact the opposite was true with his body feeling not more powerful but active and sensitive. This new found sharpness also made him more aware of his own reserves and he could feel the power that he had learn reacting to the change

'So it's like a type of reinforcement magic?' Aotaka thought as his skin twitched feeling the flow of air around the room and he noted the faint smell of incense through the house though it had been hours since any candles had been lighted.

This was certainly interesting and also tiring as he also become more aware of how run down his body was. This had been a very busy day and he had a full day tomorrow so he tried to release the hold of the power had on him, noting that the mixed power began receding from throughout his body to collect in his chest.

Strange. He expected it to dissipate outwards but it did the opposite and as the sensitivity to his surroundings faded, he became more aware of a strained feeling going through his body taking the place of that strange enhancement.

His mind fading, he looked at the half packed bags and considered finishing the chore, but his body was quick to rebel against that. Stumbling towards the light switch and then a minute later he was in bed slipping into dreams and not even bothering to take off his glasses before his eyes closed.

But this time he was not alone in the dark as a collection of fire and light followed him into it, no longer empowering him but still the warm glow of its weak but persistent existence made its presence known, realigning something inside him as his body repaired itself and his mind found something half forgotten.

…where are you?

It's too dark

I can't see you

D-dad?

It's hurts…

But I feel so cold.

I don't feel right.

Help.

Someone…

Anyone…

No one…

NO.

I won't go out

I can't…

I ne-

"..ed to get up." Raynare said to her sleeping contractor whose eyes snapped open as if he hadn't be in a deep sleep just a moment ago. After a moment of blinking with a thoughtful expression on his face, Taka turned his head towards the fallen and furrowed his brow.

"What time is it." He asked after a moment. He normally woke before Raynare since the fallen wasn't used to school hours yet which implied…

"You're running late" she confirmed "I already packed my stuff and Is…Hyoudou called asking if you wanted to meet up on you way to school"

This elected a groan from the mage as he got up and did a quick pass around his picking up whatever he might need and throwing it into the open bags. Raynare watched with slightly upturned lips at the flurry of items; clothes, holy weapons, his headphones, a tablet containing the research and ideas they had come up with. The sense of exasperation that she felt from him only enhanced the amusement she felt.

"Gah…alright we can cut down on time by just porting to the clubhouse. Just give me a couple minutes to get ready." He told her using a spare foot to hammer the stuffed bag make the untidy packing fit before zipping it up.

While Raynare went to go get her stuff, Aotaka was already heading to the bathroom for a quick rinse when he stumbled and once more his glasses flew off his face. Frowning he picked them up and saw that while the lens were undamaged and the frames intact, they were got stretched out enough that they no longer fit firmly on his face due to the recent fights.

Glasses were simply not mean to be worn during fights though Sona could get away with it by mainly casting from a distance. Taka considered what he could do to fix this problem, his hurried pace slowing down as he reached the door to the bathroom. After straightening the frame he could go and get them reinforced to make them more damage resistant, but he also liked to fly and he was honestly surprised that in none of his aerial acrobatics had the glasses lost their grip. That would have been embarrassing...and considering how blurry things were without them possibly fatal in a fight.

His mind groped for ideas to the problem as he took his quick rinse, enjoying the warm water on his skin. He wished that he knew magic that could just repair his eyes doing away with the problem but while there were some runes he knew that could give clarity, they only worked on inert materials not living magical beings. He considered using that mix he had made last night even know it still endured in his chest limited but stable in its power spreading heat and light like a torch.

But that idea came to an end when he tapped into it and push some of the energy into a bar of soap only to see the piece melt into a not quite liquid sludge. While the power did stick to him and reinforce his body, apparently it only applied to him or possibly just living things though he didn't want to test that theory on anyone else.

Basically he either needed to learn some magic that made thing more durable (doable there were many kinds of enhancement magic that even the church especially exorcists used in their clothes and bodies) and also prevented things from falling off. That was a bit trickier as mixing different types of magic was always exponentially more difficult which is likely why there was only one queen in the evil piece.

He had asked Rias before leaving about it and he learnt while pawns could promote, the transformation put more strain on their body than the real pieces would. This was probably why a blow that exceeded his queen durability took Saji down so easily. He was already dealing with having to maintain a degree of power that he body was not used to.

He wondered why this was before remembering the connection that Kings had with their pieces and how a certain degree of occasional proximity was needed to manage a novice piece's new demonic power. If a peerage was anything like a familiar then the higher the quantity and quality of the pieces, the harder it would be to manage the demonic power.

There was a reason that Tamers don't go making every creature they see a familiar and after he concentrated he could sense the small bit of pressure that having Raynare a being with a similar degree of raw power as a familiar was putting on him.

'And devils can have as much as fifteen' he mused. Whoever made this system was a damn or rather damned genius to mix a familiar system with several different type of enhancements magic all linked to a single master without putting an real strain on anyone, all while remaking the 'familiar' into a completely different species.

Even thinking about the logistics of all that were giving Taka a headache as he went to turn the shower head off only for his hand to slip on the temperature tap and send a bone cutting ice shower on him. Giving a short swear he jumped out of the shower and turned off the shower from there as he felt unusually sensitive to the cold…

Cold.

He remembered. There were bits of pieces. Of sharp…not images but feelings, impressions and words that were certainly familiar as they slotted neatly into what was without contest the defining moment in his life. Or rather in his old one.

Dressing in fresh clothes and leaving the bathroom, he turn his head to the room at the end of the corridor. The one he told Raynare not to enter under pain of death. Not because there was anything valuable in it...it was just something he didn't want to people to go into without any real reason.

All writer have a place where their idea's just *clicked* and when Kokū Yume did his writing, he always liked to go here in his little room of souvenirs and knickknacks and bric-a-brac and even a couple what have yous. There… surrounded by pieces from around the world, he wrote and built his own and without even thinking the writer's greatest work entered the room long after the creator was gone.

He looked around not really knowing why, just a feeling brought on by the disjointed drea-memories he had. Finally his eyes picked out something on a shelf. It wasn't impressive or important to him. He didn't even really notice it when he had enter the room on previous occasions. And as far as he knew it meant no more than a simple piece of a past trip to his father.

But…in a way it was just what he needed in more ways than one. Too many changes had happened recently and while he now had a new life that would last for centuries with some luck, he didn't want to forget the old one.

So without a second thought he took it off the shelf and left the room, putting it into his pocket until he had a bit of free time to work on it.

Then he gathered his things and went downstairs to his basement giving a rueful smile to Raynare before he activated the circle not noticing the strange look that she gave him back.

On the Mountain path

"I know I probably have the least right to complain but why can't we just teleport to wherever were going? I mean Ise looks like he's about to collapse" Taka remarked looking at his panting friend whose was currently enjoy the sweet touch of oh so that faithful mistress gravity.

Rias just shook her head flaring that enticing crimson mane "Teleportation is not the solution for all your problem Aotaka-kun. Mystical Power regenerates slower than stamina and we need to get as much training done as we can." She seemed to have recovered from yesterday when Riser had gotten away with hurting her pawns and even threatening the lives of her entire peerage. But Taka was impressed to see how strongly she had bounced back.

"Ay ay Bucho" he replied lazily. He had admittedly gotten a bit too attached to teleportation since he could never pulled it off effectively without being worn out. Which annoyed him as there were certain ideas that Teleportation had inspired in his fertile imagination. Sadly the reality was both too slow and took too much power for him to use and on that day a childhood dream suffered.

Aotaka's hand seemed to close as if holding something by its thin handle and then he made a throwing motion at something in the distance with a mouthed 'Hirashin' on his lips. He gave a short nod after this action leaving a group of nonplussed devils and one out of place fallen feeling like they missed something.

As one they turned to the person who best able to explain his action, the currently recovering Issei Hyoudou. Solemnly the red dragon emperor looked at the people around him.

"Silent and with effortless speed. That level of teleportation is a man's true dream." He stated before following the mage. Although their reasons were different with Taka focusing on the untouchable badass potential while Ise was enamored with the uncatchable peeping potential such a technique would have they truly did share the same level of admiration for the technique.

"...I feel dirty somehow" Taka remarked before something occurred to him seeing Ise getting ready to continue walking.

"Hey Ise why don't you just use that Gear to make carry that stuff easier?"

Ise paused putting back on the large backpack and looked at his King questioningly.

"Well…" She began "You should know that it really isn't good for you to depend so heavily on your sacred gear Ise. You should build up on your own personal power so that you can use your gear to its full power."

He nodded at this and began putting the pack on.

"However I will make an exception for now." This sudden about-face drew questioning looks from everyone, not just Ise.

"Your gear is very powerful and you should get a better degree of familiarity with it. The more you get used to it and use it, the easier it will be to draw out its power. Your gear unlike most is like a living being so it would be best that you learn how to communicate with it."

This drew a good deal of surprise from Yume and looking around he could see that he wasn't the only one. He always assume that the sacred gears were just a tool but apparently they were much much more and considering they were the greatest work of God that made some sense. And the implication that Ise's already broken ability had even more to reveal was a very scary one.

In the flash of a thought the normal familiar red gauntlet formed around Ise's arm and he flexed his fingers now covered in sharp draconian talons.

"Alright Boosted Gear lets do this!"

10 seconds

"BOOST…"

20 Seconds

"BOOST…"

"BURST!"

A wave of power that to Yume's senses screamed of dragon emanated from his fellow pawn. It was not large but what he noticed was that it seemed to be like a single cup from a vast ocean.

'If innovation is my power then would yours be potential…is that it Ise?'

"That should be enough Ise now just concentrate to maintain that state while carrying the luggage." Rias instructed. "This will be good practice for when you need to use it in battle situations."

"Like what Taka been doing?" Ise asked doing a little hop after feeling how lighter the bag seemed to have gotten.

This drew a bit of silent questioning before Rias looked at the aforementioned Pyromancer with a raised eyebrow clearly expecting answers.

After a shrug in response he began elaborating.

"Ise and I basically meet up after school and club are do and riff ideas about how to use his gear better which reminds me…Ise catch." He summoned a sword hilt and tossed it to Ise who grabbed it with the armored hand. They all recognized what it was though the swordsman of the group noticed that this one seemed more complex and also rougher than what he had previously faced. After looking it over for a moment and after sending a silent query and getting a similar response Ise grinned and then….

*FOOSH*

A blade of light as red as his gauntlet shone from the hilt allowing everyone to sense the light in it and despite wielding his elemental bane, Ise had a large grin on his face.

"It's stronger than the normal exorcist holy swords…" Akeno noted, eyes shift back and forth between its wielder and its maker.

"Yeah I basically got Ame-chan to supercharge the one's I picked up from the church, had to burn out quite a few before I got a feel of its limits. Ise needs time to build up his boosts so I figured that this would help him do just that. I also helped him in his reaction time, because the harder it is to hit him the more he can build up his power uninterrupted."

The idea was solid Rias couldn't deny that, though she would have focused on teaching him how to trade blows evenly and what more…

"Why give him a holy sword?" Kiba asked "I mean I can make demon swords to suit pretty much everything and he can make them even more effective with his demonic power which won't work with those blades."

"…I though your blades weren't for long term use. How long do they last?" Aotaka asked with a furrowed brow. He really did need to know more about his fellow pieces and what they could do.

Yuuto began explaining that the quality of his blades depended entirely on what he wanted and how much energy he was willing to put into it. Which meant that yes he was in Taka's words 'A freaking demon sword factory'.

"That's…very interesting. If I need any custom orders I guess I can just give you a call but this isn't really a main battle weapon just something to give Ise an edge and let him buy time until he can build up his boost."

"And then he can transfer it to the sword." Koneko surmised which drew a look from Taka that was more than little shocked that soon went to Ise.

"Wait…Ise you mean you can transfer your energy to everything? Not just people but weapons and other items and it increases…what? Their innate properties? Can you do it with magical circles too?"

"…Yeah I don't think there anything I can't transfer it too…why…what does it mean?" Ise asked looking at the mage who was now somewhere else entirely muttering something under his breath. After a moment Aotaka looked up a strange look and told his friend and the observing party in his most serious voice.

"I have don't really know but that's very interesting. Even if you aren't a magician if you transfer the energy to a circle that already made… "

That was all he really said for the rest of their trip, his mind working how to use this new information. Meanwhile Ise gave his new sword a couple practice swings as Kiba gave pointers, correcting him when he overstepped. Rias was to a degree pleased that they had taken the initiative but also wished that Aotaka wasn't so battle focused.

As though she could understand it with the fallen attacks that dragged them into this situation, but that was a very rare occurrence and most of the fights her peerage had gotten into were from weak stray devils that wandered into her territory. She wanted her new members to see their life as devils as one of new opportunities not of battle but apparently fate had different ideas pulling her family into violence and for her sake no less.

Still if her pieces had to fight she would of course fight along them and her power would ruin those would break her family's peace.

Training Ground

Breath...

Breath...

And Strike!

Once more Taka used the bokken to attack, grunting slightly from the small blow to his side but continuing regardless. The pawn made adjustments for his target's graceful movements and then success!

He didn't hit him of course. Even without using his knight speed, Kiba was far beyond his ability to beat or even challenge at swordplay but he did force the devil to actually use his own bokken to defend instead of just slipping away from his blows with freakishly polished movements. When Ise went against Kiba he couldn't touch the knight but showed that he could evade the knight's albeit somewhat lazy slashes through sheer danger sense and numerous close shaves, and when he couldn't, rolling with the blows to minimize the impact.

Taka was simply too bulky to copy that type of dodging ability, even if he was the one who helped Ise hone it. Instead he traded blows, blocking or withstanding what he could and when he knew he couldn't, he attacked. Using the opportunity when a person attacked to launch an attack of his own in hopes of catching the person off guard.

Much of his fighting Kiba noted was based off that principle idea, striking fully only when you opponent's guard was lowest. Unlike him who slipped through the guard entirely and Koneko broke through it regardless, Taka's was more instinctive based on intuitively feeling for that moment of weakness.

As he swung another blow on Taka's side only to back away from a thrust. He compared the style to Ise's own of taking the smallest amount of damage until he was ready to retaliate and could see the ability that both would have once they developed.

"That was really good, I'm starting to like you guys." Yuuto said smiling at the mage before pulling his head back sharply to avoid an incoming fireball.

"Hey! What was that for?" He asked the mage who was looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"Don't sparkle at me Bishie. I'll respect your tastes but don't be putting me on the menu."

Kiba rolled his eyes at the gab."My palate is rather mundane Taka. I don't get why everyone get a different impression."

Then a grin came on his face that was soon concealing and turned into a pained but enduring look. "The pain of being judged by so many is hard to deal with sometimes…"

For a moment the clearing was silent…then Taka switched the wooden bokken for one of fire and the situation changed from sparring to impromptu death match.

"That's the kind of crap I'm taking about." he yelled as he swung his sword "Ame help me kill this bastard." directing that to Raynare who was watching from the side-lines but she didn't answer her contractor.

Aotaka turned from the blond who was doging while perpetually having light hitting him in just the right direction to highlight his looks, to look at the fallen who was watching with a faint blush on her cheeks. Silently he looked to the ground for a moment before turning to face the cause of her…condition.

"I'm…sorry I was just joking but it seems that she hasn't developed a resistance." Yuuto began, swishing his hair as the light shone through it. "It's a curse…really."

Taka replied to this by pulling out a light pistol in one hand and activating a flame armament in the other, sending a hail of light and fire at the enemy of all average looking men everywhere.

Kiba simply ran towards the storm with two blades appearing in his hands; one a nebulous black, the other a crystalline white and used his speed to strike down the attacks in his path. The black devours the light and the white smothered the flames until the barrage ended as he dove at the epicenter of the assault, slashing with the dual blades.

Only to find that the culprit had vanished. He stopped the flow of undecipherable speed for just a moment before the back of his neck tingled at a sudden heat from above and then he was gone as well.

Just in time to miss the strike resembling the head of a blue bird.

But not in time to avoid the rush of flames that were released when it impacted, scorching the area and leaving a bonfire that flared before parting as its creator land on the ground and looked for his foe.

Kiba appeared a short distance away not looking too bad with just his clothes scorched but his white blade was now breaking apart into shards of crystals.

'Must have reached the limit after he used it to absorb the flames.' Taka surmised looking at Kiba as the blue flames smoldered around him him. The light it gave off illuminating his form but obscuring his features for the onlookers which now included not just Kiba and Raynare but Rias, Koneko and a battered Issei now back from their training session.

"What do you two think you're doing? I'm starting to expect this kind of thing from Aotaka-kun but how did you get sucked in Yuuto?" She asked looking for all the world like an annoyed mother.

"Ah…" Kiba started sheepishly while rubbing his head "Sorry it just kind of happened Bucho, I think we were both just kind of curious about each other's abilities and this just seemed like a good opportunity to see what the other could do."

"Really? I was just fed up with how much of a bishonen you are." Taka respond casually.

"…Just jealous" Koneko said in response, earning a glare from Taka that broke apart at how adorable she was in her P.E shirt and bloomers. Moe….of Aotaka Yume's 108 secret weaknesses, this was arguably the greatest.

Kiba just sighed. "It's not your fault. Few can understand let alone handle the weight of our existence. To be a symbol of masculine perfection…but that is my cross to bear."

He then used his knight speed to avoid an incoming attack from the unplanned but oddly synchronized attacks of Ise and Taka.

"Damn Bishonen." Ise muttered as he tried to still his rapid breathing. Him attacking was kind of impressive considering he had just finished a training session designed to increase how much power he could maintain by exhausting his body almost completely.

Rias just shook her head before waving over Asia and Akeno who were coming back from the training with handling demonic power. They were initially unsure about what she could use it for other than strengthening her twilight healing but Aotaka had something on his tablet of magical styles that he wanted her to try. While Rias thought it might be too complex for the once nun, the same temperament and nature that made her ill-suited from offensive magic made her a natural at that type.

So while Taka practiced his fighting with Kiba and she with Koneko helped Ise with physical training and combat, Akeno took her to learn the demonic form of that magic which depended on imagination and will rather than raw calculations.

For all his spotty education of the wider magical world, Aotaka had a fairly good grasp of the different types of magic and what he didn't could be found in that tablet of his that held numerous arcane manuscripts in digital form. How did he even get these when he couldn't even contact any of the magical communities around? Rias made a note to ask about that.

She looked at the now dying blue flames from the attack that nearly engulfed her Knight and from the looks of it had enough power to take out a Rook. Sure it took a while to make. Requiring him to use a pistol while he concentrated the magical power but still excellent for a fresh pawn.

And speaking of fresh pawns, Ise who hadn't had a single bit of natural fighting instinct was able to either avoid or lessen blows from her Knight and Rook without his sacred gear. While his attacks could use a lot of work, he could pick up the basis from Koneko and build from there with his gear.

After today Rias knew that as far as quality goes without exception her peerage was far beyond Riser's but would that be enough? They needed something extra and when her eyes drifted to the Aotaka's 'familiar' she wondered how Raynare would factor into their upcoming battle.

After Dinner

Aotaka was for once not doing anything, simple idling with the taste of the meaty stew that everyone had prepared lingering. He wasn't a bad cook by himself but eating something made by a group in a group wasn't something…satisfying in and of itself. He noticed Asia walking holding something in a cloth and looking a bit put out.

"Something troubling you Asia-chan?" he asked surprising that golden-haired nun making her drop the cloth with a strangely heavy and metallic thump.

"Ah! Taka-kun! That's not very nice scaring people. Why are you so quiet?" She said, the look of an annoyed kitten on her face.

"Sorry." He said with a small but very evident smirk on his face. "My dad was the same way and I guess I picked it up from him. We're basically a clan of oversized ninjas."

"Your dad? I don't think you've mentioned about him." She said, looking like she looking for something to distract her from whatever was troubling her.

"Well…what can I say about him. Appearance wise,i guess you can imagine me with some more years, tanner skin and black eyes and there you have Kokū Yume. As a person...I always felt that he always acted a bit more serious than I thought was necessary but a good joke from yours truely could have him grabbing his sides."

Aotaka didn't look wistful or reminiscent, in fact to Asia he looked like he was seeing something realer than anything else. Could he see his father in front of him right now with a laugh on his lips? She didn't know but that he could say such things made her wonder what she would be like if her parents had kept her. Somehow her mind turned back to Ise and that change was something Aotaka saw clearly in her face even if he didn't know the reason.

"What's the problem Asia? Tell your big bro." He asked with a chuckle, bring a small gasp from Asia.

"Brother?" She asked a little confused, prompting Taka to continue.

"Yeah if this peerage really is a family then I guess that would make me your big brother…unless you really want to be the big sis though I should warn you that I would be a terror of a little brother."

This brought a giggle from the Bishop and a fresh smile like a rising sun. After a moment of basking in silence she began to ask in a roundabout way what was bothering her.

"If...you're the big brother and I'm the little sis then what would you call Ise?"

The answer took only a second of thought. "The hyperactive toddler that everyone has to take care of."

And Asia had to cover her mouth to hold in the uncontrolled giggles threatening to erupt.

"So..." Taka started "what did Ise do and how badly do you want me to punish him."

Her emerald eyes, evident even if the dim light, looked at him a bit put out that her true meaning was so obvious.

"Ise-san seemed a bit sad today so I thought I could help him but…I came too late and Rias-san was already there reassuring him. Ise helped me but I couldn't help him."

Her words made him look at her intently. Thinking about everything he knew about her and Yume knew that this, was something very important and that his words could easily hurt Asia if he chose poorly.

"Asia…you and Ise are friends." "I want to be his friend but-"

"There is no debate about it, I don't know what might happen or how things will change but you and Ise are at this moment friends and friendship isn't something of repaying debts or feeling obligated to help. It isn't like the church where the importance was that you help who they let you and how they want you to or else. Maybe you couldn't help Ise now but that wasn't because somehow you failed as a friend, Rias…another friend was just there first. Just be there for when he needs help if you can and that will be enough…." He didn't know where the words came from he just tried to force what he believed into and looked for into the world.

There a moment of frozen silence before being broken by a near inaudible sniifle.

"thank you Taka-san." Said a voice that wavered but held strength. He didn't turn to look at her instead opting to pick up the cloth Asia had dropped.

"No wait!" but too late as what was in it dropped in his hand and a small simple cross made itself known.

"It didn't…." Asia began before realizing something.

"Well if light didn't work then I suppose this makes sense. Still to carry this around even now, your faith...you are really something incredible Asia." He said looking at the small cross as his thumb touch the intersection where the only bit of ornamentation was. A small piece of green jewelry that was probably just cheap colored rhinestone was.

'Something like this should rejoice at her faith not punish it' he thought as he stared at the simple expression of wanted to do something to help, needed to and the simple shape imposed itself in his mind. For a moment he saw something ingrained in the cross that his mind didn't quite allow itself to understand and a flicker of power...or was it intent from him flew into the jewel and it burned.

"Graa!" He hissed in a muffled voice hunching over though he didn't drop the cross instead gripping it in calloused hands as something was still flowing trying to change something that shouldn't be changed.

"Taka! Drop it!" Asia cried her hands already glowing a green form her rings that would heal that it touched regardless of what any other than her decided.

"Its…fine…its better than fine" He said after a moment and he looked at her with eyes a brighter blue than anything she had ever seen. Despite everything she believed him.

He straightened his body, eyes focused on the cross which no longer steamed. For a moment she wanted to ask what happened but then he sighed and gave her a look that was tired but pleased.

"Catch."

With that he tossed the cross and though she consciously knew what would happen, reflex and an unspoken desire took over and it fell into her hand. She closed her eyes expecting to feel a burn already familiar from when she had previously tried but after a moment she feel nothing but a simple and sorely missed comfort. Then when she opened her eyes both hesitant and hopeful, Aotaka was gone closing the door to his room and in her hand was a cross, looking for all the world like it belonged there. And in the center of the simple work was a jewel that shone brighter and truer than any emerald and something began flowing uncontrolled from her eyes.

"Thank You." Simple words that were spoken truer than any speech and though he had already left, her words were heard regardless.

When he awoke the next morning, Asia looked not just happy but with a purpose that he had never noted absent before but which seemed like it obviously should have always been there. She wasn't wearing the cross openly which he was grateful for since that would have raise far too many questions that he could answer. Chief among them how the hell he did it. He really needed to avoid doing the unexplainable but as he saw Asia put her hand in her pocket at times and become steadier when training got difficult and he found it hard to say he regretted it let alone believe it.

As Ise did some training involving peeling potatoes with his little demonic power and Asia was watching over a sparring Kiba and Koneko, Taka found himself alone with the King and Queen for the first time. He considered making small talk but nothing really came out so he settled for.

"So have you figured out how to kill two immortals yet?"

Akeno and Rias shot up from the books they were reading and he noted that they were for some reason wearing glasses which reminded him of something he had to do now while he had some time free.

They looked at each other and Rias sighed.

"Aotaka How did you know about Ravel Phenex? I wasn't planning on telling the rest of the peerage since it would just worry them."

This little statement was enough to tell him he was missing something important about the other Phenex.

"I sensed Riser and his peerage when they show up and she felt just like her King…and she's a bishop piece right?"

This drew raised eyebrows from both Akeno and Rias. "I'm impressed, that degree of sensing is certainly beyond anything I've heard of in our generation." If he was able to gather that kind of information from a short meeting then he would be either a strategist's nightmare or wet dream depending on which side he was on.

"Thanks Bucho…now mind explaining about wanting to hide a second immortal? That isn't the kind of thing you want to find out in a battle."

"There won't be a battle." She said "I know it's strange but Ravel's a non-combatant. I've gather information on all of Riser's rating games and not once has she defeated or been defeated in a match. Entire matches go by where she doesn't do anything but sit back and let others fight without even casting a spell to help. She may have power but Riser made her part of his peerage just as a part of his collection. It's annoying that this kind of idiot is who my parents chose." She finished something raw was in her voice as despite these apparent flaws Riser was still such as threat.

"That's…wrong" Aotaka started

"I know but my parents ar-"

"Not that…though that too. I mean that there is no way Riser is that stupid, choosing quantity over quality fine, glaring elemental weaknesses fine but really? Having a bishop as powerful as a queen and she does nothing?!"

The king and queen looked at each other wondering if they had overlooked something but…

"We looked over all the data" Akeno said pointing at the files on the table they were working at.

"We were suspicious of course but everything we got should that Ravel doesn't fight. Ever."

That didn't make any sense. It was a definite mystery. One that creatures of deception and trickery (high school girls) couldn't figure out out…but maybe a hawk's eyes could find a detail that they had missed.

"Do you have video or something I use to get a better image of what happened?"

"We have images taken of confrontations during the match though most are of Riser" Akeno said giving him a folder "If you can find something important let us know as soon as possible so that we can adjust out plans."

""Yeah…" Yume said thumbing through the stills "even if I don't it'll might be best for Akeno to just take her out from the start just to be safe."

Once again the two lifelong friends traded glances.

"Ara...Aotaka-kun I'm good but phoenixes are very hardly foes, you can strike them again and again but they won't show any pain." This was said with a smile but instead of being disturbed as usual he instead looked confused.

"Then mix your attacks with light. Sona said that kills their spirit and their regeneration is dependent on that right?" He said half asking before noting that they looked shocked and in Akeno's case…displeased?

She clenched his hand and got up suddenly before in a whisper asking "How…?your senses?" while Rias tried to calm her with a reassuring hold on her shoulder.

"Well yeah…" He replied, licking suddenly dried lips "I mean I can tell you feel like Raynare beneath the regular devil…"

"I am nothing like hi-her." She told him her voice no longer amused but cold. "I don't not use Light. Not now. Not ever."

"But we're outnumbered…and we need as much advantages as we can get…"

"I am strong enough. I don't need that man's power." She said in a tone that prohibited any more questions.

Yume looked at her, at her eyes and saw that she was being completely serious. She was or was supposed to be the most powerful one there and she would deny it? It made no sense, more than anything this was…wrong.

He had seen a person hold on to who they were even though God punished them for it. Even Raynare who abandoned her old life didn't deny that it was herself at the cause of it and moved on carrying that with her. But this? Her friend needed her help and she would hamper herself? Out of what? Hate? Fear? Self-loathing? He didn't know anything except...

"You're making our job much harder than it has to be" He said in a voice that was strangely devoid of something...vital and when he looked her; He didn't see the Queen of the Gremory Peerage nor did He see the Strongest Piece or even the Priestess of Lightning.

All He saw was a Liability that now he had to plan around. Maybe she could do something of value in the match but she was not someone he would…could depend on.

With that he left with a folder of pictures and a feeling in him turning into a comforting emptiness. He didn't like this feeling but it was better than the hate or hot anger that influenced him before…wasn't it?

Aotaka's Room

He looked through the pictures taking out those that contained Riser as they consisted mostly of him tanking blows with a smirk that he would have found infuriating if he wasn't so focused on his task.

After finding and organizing all the photos with Ravel in them he decided to switch gears to something else and took out he had taken from his father's room.

A pair of worn goggles.

They were aviator goggles which fit he supposed. He couldn't just wear them as is of course. They wouldn't fit over his regular glasses and without his eyesight he would be useless in a fight. So he looked at that memory of his father that he chose to remember his old life and he torn out the lens before carving at it with a needle of fire.

A half hour later he was done. Etched in the side of lens were runic circles of clarity now when he looked through it would be like trying out a fresh prescription of glasses. On the goggles themselves, were runes of strengthening so that they wouldn't break. Fitting the lens back on resulted in a decent level of harmony between the two types of magic which was surprising since even if it mainly required knowledge he had never been particularly skilled at runic magic. Perhaps it had to do with working with a tool of fire? Maybe because of the emotional connection he shared with the item ? Or was it this apathetic clarity he found in the emptiness that let him do this? In the end it worked and for now that had to be enough.

At least that is what he hoped as he tried to avoid the question of why someone with such similar attributes could do something like that and his life could have been easier if he just did the same.

In the Dark

"Are you sure of this information?"

"Yes it's only a small opening but it can be done "

"Others have tried before, what changed?"

"They're training for their little games and left their pasture"

"Games? Ah yes the Rating Games…what a poor substitute for war"

"And they are just children who haven't even experience that much my lord"

"Yes…they are children but even Sirzech was a child once…"

"Should I assemble our forces to strike?"

"No…it would simplicity to crush them as they are now. If I had the inclination I would do it myself to better inflame the fire of war. "

"Then should we wait to see if they are worth the effort?"

"No…let us test them now. Send a small number stronger than those low rankers from before. Enough to crush any average peerage of children. Is the boy ready?"

"No sir he is still adjusting to the blades though he is very eager about some unfinished business in that city."

"Well if they fail then he will have his opportunity. But for now find some who are willing to strike at the little heir."

"And if…when Azazel objects?"

"If Azazel complains, we can use dealing with that little wastrel's defection as the official excuse. She was a failure of a pawn before but this might go towards redeeming that little operation. Now assemble a force to see what the Ruin Princess is capable of."

"Yes Lord Kokabiel."

In the Light

"Hmmm…I really do need to have a little talk with that boy"

"What has he done now?"

"Nothing major just a little adjustment that should fade soon enough"

"You know that even a little change in the system can be dangerous"

"We knew that bugs would pop up. He and the increase in balance breakers are just part of the larger issue"

"I know…would He able to change something?"

"Ask a devil for help? Has this place fallen so far under my stewardship?"

"You've done more than anyone could expect but any help would be good."

"Still…the boy doesn't have the knowledge or capability…few do. We would need someone like Ajuka, Azazel or perhaps a God and even if he could why would he help us? Because his mother was a good solider and let us decide his fate…do you think he will be so grateful for our lenience?"

"….You seem to have become rather cynical to forget what humans do not always need a reason to help and despite his changes, his core is still undeniably human. He wouldn't be an issue otherwise."

"Perhaps you are right but that he is still young and needs time to adjust and learn. I would not put more pressure on his life until he finds some balance…or loses it."

"Is that a risk? She did wish for him to have a good if not peaceful life."

"Who can say? The life of his kind are always a hard one and he has chosen a difficult path by allying himself with a heavenly dragon of all things."

"Two of the most unrestrained, unpredictable and chaotic type of beings working together...well Michael it looks like interesting times are ahead."

"The Next Sekiryūtei and The Last Nephilim together? Yes Sister I would certainly say so..."