Chapter 9: A Few New Tricks

OCs are mine

Review responses

jak3615: Wish granted... Again.

V.I.Y.H: There will be lemons, I can't say when but there will be lemons. And thanks for the weapon suggestions they sound awesome as well as the harem suggestions.

haywire: foREVer indeed and thanks.

Guest: Thank you for reminding me about them, I don't know how they slipped my mind, maybe cause I'm just that dumb. But I dunno.

Thank God I've been getting more free time to do this shit.

On with the show!

"*pant* *pant*" I was completely exhausted! After the whole fallout with Raiser, it was decided that we would compete in a Rating Game against him and his fifteen servants in ten days. That being said we needed to train, since none of us have competed in a Rating Game. I knew this especially because when I got hit by Raiser, I could tell that it was less than a fraction of his full strength, yet he managed to take me out in one hit like that.

We were going to be training in a secluded area, except for the one "house" we'll be staying in, but first we had to get there. It was somewhere around the mountains so some hill work was interpreted, hence my panting. We all carried a bag with different weights. Kiba and I had the same amount in our bags, but Koneko's was at least ten times the size of our bags. Now while I had the same amount as Kiba, I was obviously struggling while he was hardly breaking a sweat, same for Koneko. Rias had suggested before we left, that I take something lighter, but being the stubborn bastard I am I decided to virtually kill myself by doing this.

{I better not see you stop!}

'Oh fuck off!'

[Quit being a baby, you've been through worse.]

Ever since Raiser, Ddraig had decided to actually talk to me outside of my dreams, and he was as much of an ass as my dad so far, which is saying something.

"You're almost there! Just a few more feet!" Rias encouraged from atop the hill.

"Few feet!? It's at most a hundred meters up!" I argued. I was a runner, I knew how much I had to go.

"Visualize, Mike." Akeno encouraged as well.

"I visualize myself being dead in a few seconds!"

After about a minute more of bitching and moaning from me, I finally reached the top. What I saw when I reached it was a mansion, which I was thoroughly looking forward to taking a nap in. I was all for training, but good Satan I was already sweating buckets.

"Well, everyone, let's get inside, get changed, and get to training." Rias said.

"Fuuuck!" I shouted.

Once we were inside, the girls went in one room to change, while I was with Kiba in another. Since I could finally talk to Kiba in private, I decided to ask him something that's been on my mind for awhile.

"Yo, Kiba?"

"Yeah?"

"That stuff you said about "hating Fallen Angels" what's up with that?" I asked.

"Look, with all due respect, Mike, can you not bring up something so inconvenient at a time like this?" He asked, annoyed at my question. "That's not something you should worry about. Just focus on the present, the present being: training so we can win this Rating Game."

"Gotcha. But I do expect an answer from you in the future." I said.

"And you'll get it someday. Just not today."

"Your first lesson, Michael, is learning how to fight quickly." Rias said. She was pairing me and Kiba up for a sparring match. We'd be using wooden swords for this.

"Let's dance, pretty boy!" I taunted readying my wooden sword.

Without hesitation, I charged at Kiba and attacked him with all my strength. Our wooden swords connected and he quickly slid his sword across mine,my momentum at the one caused me to go forward. I quickly turned around and thrust my sword to his chest, his speed as a knight allowed him to evade my attack.

"You're not treating your sword as a part of yourself." He said dodging another attack aimed for his head. "You can't just swing your weapon around recklessly hoping to hit your enemy, you need to think your attacks through." All this was said as he dodged even more of my attacks. My next attack almost hit it's mark but Kiba evaded at the last second and placed his sword in front of my neck from behind me. "See."

I was silent for a moment, absorbed in my disappointment in my humiliating failure. After a few seconds of saying nothing, I finally said, silently "Dammit."

"Now, I'm going to teach you both how to channel magic." Akeno said to Asia and I. "Now I want you two to concentrate and try to create a small ball of light." She instructed.

I did as she said and focused as hard as I could but I couldn't come up with anything. The only thing in my hands was the air surrounding them. I tried to concentrate harder but I still couldn't make anything. Once again I was getting rather pissed at this training. "Come on! Come on!" I said through my teeth.

"Don't force it out." Akeno said moving closer to me. "Just let it happen naturally and soon enough it'll become instinct." She said placing her hands on mine. They were quite soft and delicate and they helped me relax a bit. I took a few deep breaths and for a split second a flash of red appeared, originating, in my hands.

"Almost!" I said half angry and happy.

"I got it!" Asia cheered next to me. Akeno and I saw that she easily formed a green ball of energy between her hands. Even though my energy was there for a brief moment but I could see that Asia's ball energy was actually bigger than mine was, add that to the fact that she kept it in her hands.

"That's great, Asia. You're a natural." Akeno praised.

After a few more minutes of practice I could barely get a ball of energy to remain in my hands for more than a few seconds. Akeno decided to move on with the lesson. She placed a bottle of water on the table and in less than a second she turned the water in it into ice, which pierced through the bottle.

"Whoa." I said in awe.

"Don't be so surprised, you can do this too, you just need to get a feel for it. With enough practice you can control: fire, lightning, ice, etc. just as easily. Asia why don't you give it a go?" Our current teacher suggested.

"Okay." Akeno then turned to me.

"You should continue trying to get a better hold on your magic abilities." I had gotten past anger at this point, now I was just depressed how horrible I was at this.

After Akeno's lesson, I had a hand-to-hand sparring match with Koneko. I knew that holding back against Koneko was practically a death sentence. However, I still wasn't much of a match for her. I would throw one punch and she would easily evade it and counter with three times as much force as my attack. With her strength as a Rook I was barely considered a warmup.

"Don't just focus on one area." She said grabbing my arm in my attempt to punch her. She then proceeded to flip me over her. I flipped myself over but Koneko gripped my leg and throat in order to immobilize me. "You need to focus on the center of your opponent. Right at the core." She instructed.

"Alright, alright! I get it!" I grunted. Koneko released me and I just sat on the cold dirt. I was past anger. I was past depression. Now I'm just sad and disappointed in myself. I almost felt the need to cry, I was so disappointed in myself.

"You okay." Koneko asked.

"I'm fine, just sore now."

"You know that's not what I meant." I sighed at he statement. "We may not always see eye to eye, but your my teammate and friend, and I do care when you're upset." That's probably the nicest thing Koneko ever said to me.

"*sigh* I'm weak." I said. "Used to be I could defeat my enemies with little to no help at all and I'd consider myself some kind of god. Now I know that I only beat my enemies because they were the weakest devils in the Underworld. Ever since the whole thing with Raynare I started to realize that I'm not nearly as strong as I thought. But when Raiser knocked me out with one hit... I realized that I'm just... pathetic. All I got going for me are these Sacred Gears and even with them I'm not nearly as strong as I thought. Even as a piece I'm worthless. I mean you have your strength, Kiba's got his speed, Akeno's a great magic user, even Asia has more worth on this team than me with her Twilight Healing. Me? I'm just a foot soldier, I'm expendable."

Koneko shook her head. "No. You're not." She said firmly. She squatted down in front of me and looked me dead in the eye. "You may not be the strongest, the fastest, or the best magic user on the team, but there is one thing that you have that none of the others have, not even me."

"By all means enlighten me."

"You're stubborn. You don't know how to give up. The rest of us usually stop when we've had enough, but only you fight until you've either won or died. That's something that not many people, or devils, are willing to do."

"Hmm. Well... when you put it like that, I guess you have a point." I pondered. Once it had all synced in, I realized that Koneko was right. I'm a stubborn bastard who doesn't know the word "quit" and would sooner die than give up a fight, that's something not many people have. "Thanks, Koneko."

"No problem." She said with a sweet smile.

"Now then..." I started as I stood back up. "I'll show you just how stubborn I REALLY am." I took another swing and she flipped me again.

"Hopefully stubborn enough to put up with a hundred more of those."

"Why you!"

The fourth lesson was probably something I could have done without. Rias just left Asia and I to make dinner for everyone. Here was the catch: we could only use our magic to do everything. We couldn't use any kitchen supplies to help us cook. Once again Asia showed me up in terms of magic but I wasn't upset. Koneko's words about me being stubborn rang through my head.

'She may not always be the nicest person I know, but I'm glad I know her and have her as a friend.' I thought. Once I did the potato in my hand instantly peeled itself.

"Huh?" At first I thought it was a fluke so I grabbed another one. I thought the exact same thing and it worked again.

{I think we found your magic drive.}

[Earlier you forced your magic out for the most part. Magic requires heart, not muscle.]

'My drive is my friends?'

[That certainly seems to be the case.]

"Awesome!" I said out loud peeling more food in my hands.

"Wow! You've gotten so much better!" Asia said happily.

"Hell yeah! Cause I don't know how to quit!" I shouted, unintentionally peeling everything in the whole fucking kitchen. "I... also don't know how to completely control my magic powers. Heheh." I laughed with a blush.

"What are we gonna do with all of this?" Asia asked.

"Please, I've eaten more than this. Whatever you all leave over is all mine!" That means I have as much of an appetite as Goku from the Dragonball series. Anyway we cooked everything and everyone, especially me, at to our hearts content. Needless to say everyone was shocked to see me eat so much.

"I've never seen one man eat so much. It abnormal." Kiba said, speaking for everyone.

"Well now you can say you've seen it." I joked.

"Michael's monstrous appetite aside. How was your first day of training?" Rias asked me.

"Tough. Really tough."

"Have you learned anything?"

"I... I've learned that while I may not be as strong as the rest of you guys, but that just means I've gotta work five times as hard to catch up." I glanced at Koneko as I finished "Afterall "quit" isn't in my vocabulary." She smiled at that.

[{Hmm.}] Why Ddraig and my dad did that, is a mystery to me.

"Glad to see you're a little more chipper now." Rias said happily. "Now then, how's about we all go take a bath before going to bed? Mike, would you like to join me and the girls?" She asked me.

"Huh!?" I said blushing heavily. Thankfully I had finished eating cause I either would've choked on it or spot it out everywhere on shock.

"It'd be no problem, I mean you've seen me naked multiple times. Akeno would you be alright with him joining is?" Rias asked her Queen.

"Of course not, it sounds like fun."

"What!?"

"How about you, Asia?"

"Sure."

'Why does she sound just as excited as Akeno about this!?'

"Koneko?"

"Hell no."

"Oh well, sorry."

I sighed in relief, as well as disappointment, and my face was still as red as a tomato. In fact my nose had been dripping a little blood. I guess it was just gonn be Kiba and I.

"Be honest with me, how bummed are you that you don't get to be with the girls?" Gotta give him point for speaking his mind.

"Not as much as you'd think, but still pretty bummed." I answered honestly. "But not nearly as bummed as you would've been here if they let me in." I joked.

"Well, you may have a point." Kiba chuckled. Kiba, I noticed, started looking at my right arm, which was now showing that it went up my entire arm and stopped just at my torso. "So what does it feel like, your arm I mean?"

"Funny thing is, it still feels like a normal arm. It doesn't feel any different when I pick something up or touch another person. I never noticed it was the way it was until I saw it because it feels exactly the same."

"I see."

I was gonna ask about Kiba's hatred of Fallen Angels but decided not to since it seemed like a serious subject and I didn't wanna ruin our good time.

"Gotta say, I never thought I'd be in this situation a few weeks ago. I'd still be fighting devils, but I'd still be alone with no friends." I said.

"If you don't mind my asking, why was that? Why didn't you have any friends? You're a nice guy why wouldn't anyone be your friend?" Kiba asked.

"People always saw me as the weird kid who was silent in class unless YOU talked to HIM. Whenever I had the opportunity to make friends, I'd scare them off with my talk of weapons and fighting, cause as a kid that's pretty much all I knew. I only had one person in my life who liked me as I was but she moved a long time ago, and I haven't seen her in years. Then there's Rias's brother, Sirzechs, who I also haven't seem in awhile."

"I'm sorry to hear that." He apologized. "Well for what it's worth, those people missed out on being your friends. I'm happy to consider you one of mine."

"Thanks Kiba." This dude really was like the brother I never had. "So Kiba, can I ask you a favor, from one friend to another?" I asked.

"Sure, what's up?"

"I wanna get one last solo training session in before going to bed and I need your help, in hindsight I'm kinda asking you to be... *sigh* my punching bag." I said in embarrassment.

"Sure."

"Huh? Just like that? I mean you didn't even hesitate to agree."

"I only ask you bring Asia along in case we need healing."

"Deal." We shook on it and finished our, pretty much meaningless, bath.

I woke up Asia from her sleep and she, me, and Kiba moved to a secluded open part of the woods to get to work. Kiba and I wasted no time getting some sparring done. His tip about using my sword as an extension of myself, instead of just a tool, was something I took to heart. I was actually thinking my attacks through instead of blindly swinging my sword as fast as I could with as much strength as I could muster.

Kiba realized that my right arm began to shine brighter and was a shining a color other than blue. It was now shining a bright green color and what happened after that, was something that would surely help us in our fight against Raiser.

The next day was pretty much nothing more than a history lesson on devils. I'll just make this as short and simple as I can while still getting the message through. At one point the Three Factions: devils, fallen angels, and holy angels were deadlocked in an all out war against each other. The casualties on both sides were more than plentiful. Since the losses of the war was so great, as devils, our life span and low birth rate made it difficult to make up for those loses. The war had wiped out all of the 72 Pillars, those who were pure-blooded devils. The only remaining houses were the Gremory, Sitri, and Phenex housed. Rias had explained my family line was also one of the 72 Pillars but not anymore since our pure-bloodline ended when my parents had me.

Devils recruited humans into their houses as an alterior means to replace the losses of the war. Around the same time the Rating Game was created. They were a means to give resurrected devils battle experience as well as influence the peerage's status in the Underworld. And that's about the gist of it.

Ya know unless I missed something before passing out.

"*snore* *snore*"

It was a long lecture can ya blame me? Plus I was up most of the night working on that new technique I learned last night. Kiba, Asia, and I agreed to keep it a secret from everyone until I unveiled it in the Rating Game.

Anyway, after our history lesson, Rias asked Asia to teach us about her life as a holy sister. Meanwhile Akeno had made us some of her delicious tea.

"Well as a holy sister, I did some exorcisms. The first thing needed when performing one is holy water." Asia explained, picking up the small bottle filed with said devil repellent. "It's important that devils never touch it, or you'll take a heavy amount of damage."

"Remember, Asia, since you're a devil now, you can't touch it either."Rias reminded her.

Asia sighed slightly in sadness as she said "Yes I know." Her expression returned to normal but became sad again as she picked up the second thing needed for an exorcism. "The next thing you need is the Holy Bible. I used to love reading it when I was a little girl, but now whenever I start a verse I get a terrible headache."

"Because you're a devil." Rias said again.

I saw Asia attempt to actually read the Bible but I snatched from her hands with my spectral hand. Before she could say anything about it I said "Forgive me, Asia, but I'd rather not watch and her you scream in pain. That's a bit much for someone like me to bare."

"*sigh* You're right. Thank you, Michael." I nodded. Once all of that was over we all just did whatever we did and waited for the day to end.

Later that night

I had some trouble falling asleep so I decided to get some fresh air and clear my head. Not so much to my surprise I see Rias outside reading a book. I wasn't surprised because I knew that she hasn't been sleeping since we got here, I know because I can hear her in the halls when I wake up in the middle I the night. I knew she was just as concerned as I was with this Rating Game but I was starting to get worried.

I slowly approached her and said "You really should get some sleep." I saw her slightly jump at my sudden statement.

"Oh, Michael it's you." She said.

"Rias go to bed, you've been awake nonstop since we got here, that can't be good for you." I stated worriedly.

"I've been coming up with a strategy against Raiser, I can't afford to sleep." She defended. "Though it's not an easy task, Raiser's family has the ability of the Phoenix itself, immortality."

"Immortality!? How's that even fair!?" I asked. If Raiser is immortal, he's virtually untouchable, how can anyone beat him?

"It just is. Raiser's win-lose ratio is 8-2, and those two loses are only because he lost on purpose out of respect for another close family."

"Dammit! We wouldn't even be in this mess if it weren't for me!"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm the guy who attacked Raiser, verbally and physically. Would've been better if I put my fist where my mouth was." I said, clenching my fists.

"It's because you didn't put your fist where your mouth was, I have chance to show my family how against I am about this marriage. They all expect me to lose but I'll show them that they're wrong."

"You say it like you hate your family, do you?" I ask.

"Not at all. I do take pride in my name but I'm always the heiress of Gremory first and Rias second. No one sees me as me. Normally I'm fine with the decisions my family makes for me, but in terms of marriage I want it to be with someone I actually love. I know it sounds like a child's fantasy for someone like me, but I'd like to believe it's real." She says all of that with a smile, but I know she's really hurting over this. Her words are true but not her expression.

"Well... I see you as Rias, and I like you as you. I don't give a damn about your title, your status, or even that your brother could kill me if he heard something from me he didn't like. You're Rias, if no one can realize that then they go fuck themselves. You're a great person and an even better friend, I mean I'm alive because of you. So it's only right that I pay you back in full, meaning I'll die before seeing you marry Raiser or anyone else you don't want to." Rias flinched again and a blush appeared on her face once I finished talking and she was staring at me. "What? I say something stupid again?" Rias shook her head.

"No, you didn't. Anyway if we intend to fight, we intend to win."

"Well they don't call you the Princess of Ruin for nothing, you could at least give Raiser a run for his money, and with the rest of us we'll surely whoop his ass, immortal or not. Even without me you'd be fine."

"Why do you always say that you're not useful and we don't need you?" Rias asked surprised at my last statement.

"Let's face it Rias, I have two powerful Sacred Gears, one of which has never even been seen, yet I'm still the weakest one here. I don't know when to quit, but I know that much."

"No you're-"

"Yes I am!" I shouted. "I'm sorry, but hearing you say I'm not the weakest or I'm not pathetic tears me up inside because I know it's not true. I've excepted the fact I'm not the strongest guy here, but I'm doing my damnedest to be stronger. But with the others so far ahead, I doubt I'll still be of much use." I said sadly.

"You're not weak, you just lack confidence. Once you gain some you'll see that you're just as strong as your father was." Rias said as she pulled me into a hug.

{She's right you know? You have the ability to far surpass me, you just need the confidence to do it.}

[It's not the power you lack, you have more than enough of that.]

"I'll show you just how strong you are tomorrow. But for now, get some rest." Rias requested.

"Only if you'll get some sleep too." Rias nodded and we both went back to our rooms and drifted back to sleep.

The next day

"I want you to use your Boosted Gear. After we'll focus on your Unholy Arsenal. Can you do that?" Rias asked.

"What happened to "no Sacred Gears during training"?" I asked.

"You couldn't use them without my permission, now you have it. Kiba could you partner up with him?"

"Of course." Kiba took a fighting stance and said "I'm not holding back on you."

After a few seconds of hesitation I took a stance too. "Well neither am I!" I summoned my Boosted Gear.

[Boost!]

"Again!" Rias ordered.

"Right!"

[Boost!]

"You can do better!"

[Boost!]

"Keep going, as many times as you can!"

"RAAAH!"

[Boost!] That call was heard for the next thirty or so seconds.

"Twenty boosts, that's a record for him." Akeno said.

"Can you see now? If you weren't strong that amount power would've killed you by now. This training has made you much stronger than you thought it was."

"Unbelievable." I whispered to myself.

"Now keep going."

"You got it!"

[Explosion!] My Boosted Gear shined again and a different symbol appeared on it. I felt a tremendous surge of power, even Koneko seemed impressed by this.

"It looks like he's unlocked a new call. It should let him unleash his power in one strike." She turned to Kiba and gave him the okay to attack me. He jumped into the air but I blocked his attack with with my left hand and punched his gut with my other, causing him to move back to his original position. "Now, Michael, hit him with everything."

"You want my power, you got it!" I held out my hand and a small red light appeared in it. Needless to say I was kinda disappointed. Kiba started running towards me again.

"Trust yourself!"

Kiba launched himself at me so I decided, fuck it.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" I punched the red ball of light and I giant red energy blast shot itself at Kiba. Kiba barely just dodged the blast and it hit the mountain. I actually blasted a giant hole in it.

"Wow, look at that." Akeno said.

"You broke the mountain."

"Did that really come out of Michael?" Asia asked in disbelief and shock.

"Hell yeah... It did." I said slowly. I fell to the ground on exhaustion.

"Michael! Are you okay!?" Asia asked, running over to aid me.

"I guess he used all of his energy. He's improving. Rias said.

"That's putting it mildly. He's never thrown anything like that at me." Kiba said before his sword broke.

"So... Still think your the weakest?" Rias asked sarcastically.

"Heh, whatever gave you the impression I was weak." I responder with the smug confident smile I haven't used in a long time. "Gimme another couple days of training like this, and I can kick Raiser's stuck up ass by myself." The others gathered around me to congratulate me on my progress.

{I'm proud of you, son.}

[As am I, partner]

I glanced towards Rias and she placed her hand on her chest and she was blushing a bit as well. When she saw that I was looking at her she turned away.

'Get ready, Raiser. Cause were gonna kick you sorry ass in that Rating Game.'

Im on break right now so I should be able to update more if not at least get more work done. Anyway I'm gonna post one more chapter before the Rating Game but it might be a little shorter than the others.

Speaking of the other chapters, I read through them and good Christ I saw so many spelling and grammatical errors as well as a lot of typos. I'd like to apologize to you guys who suffered through those but I do this on my IPod and the fucking auto correct this site on an iPod is absolute shit. Seriously try writing a chapter without the auto correct here fucking everything up. I'm not gonna waste all my time rewriting the chapters, but imma try and do better. So just bear with me here.

And thanks for all the harem suggestions everyone, I'll post what I have so far for the harem in the next chapter.

And if I don't get the next chapter up before Christmas I just wanna wish you all a Merry Christmas

Next Time: Mental Training