So I bet you thought I was writing a super long chapter.

I wasn't.

I was actually updating another series of mine.

Not to worry, though, I haven't forgotten about this one.

In the many corridors of an academy, a student stood outside a door to a particularly important room. There was business to be made here. He had been asked by a student council representative to wait outside the door earlier in the day. When he was asked to enter, Tristan gripped the handle lightly.

Of course when he entered, he kept his eye sight away from theirs, keeping closely to the dark fibres of their hair. He was sure that they did the same.

"The rating game will be starting soon, I trust that you have you're ready." It was like she knew that he knew that she was a devil. Bit of a tongue twister for you? Don't worry, many suffer the same problem when faced with a similar sentence, it's not just you. Sona folded her arms, her typical gesture, then. One would not be incorrect to say signature action, then, there were many individuals within the school who would usually cross their arms. In an effort to express a particular feeling. Apologies, this author cannot remember the specific name of that emotion, perhaps you can remember? Lucky one, you are.

A generic answer for a question that could be answered with ease. He lightly raised his right hand, palm to the ceiling, shaking the thing, to confirm that he is ready, and that his battle items are stored somewhere nearby. Ah yes, someplace closeby.

"Good. The rest of us are already at the grounds of the match. We will be leaving now." Right, she was the person on the paper Rias had given him, it would make sense that Sona is the king of her associated peerage. He lowered his hand back to his side, and from his peripherals, he saw that the girl close to her had glanced at his hand. Likely curious at the scars that had grown past the long sleeves of the academy uniform.

Sona straightened her red-rimmed glasses, prompting her assistant to repeat the action. Such similar individuals, these two. The same mold of expression, but that would be where the similarities would end. The way they looked at him remained the same, which catches more attention than Tsubaki's longer hair, or blue glasses. It was similar for him as well, that's just the way they are, Tristan himself has a seemingly permanent frown.

The room began to fill with a dark blue, coming from the lines that came from the outer frame of a circle, they all began to form, delicately meeting together at some point. Sitting right at the middle of all the stretching magical figures, was an elegant symbol, likely the devil's heritage sign, it was intricate, but strange. He felt that he would be familiar with this sigil in the near future. Considering the direction of recent events, he might be able to see more different symbols. Since he had no idea where the devils would reside, where they come from. It was the same for them, the land of devils has no information of where the land of lords was situated, not that they could do anything. Any attack would be easily pushed back, with their weakness to faith, of which Lordran specialises in. Even so, there were many schools of power within the kingdom, all of which would be a terrible danger to go against. I'm babbling again, aren't I? A fool I truly am.

Sona handed him something the size of an apple, it wrapped around empty air, connecting it's two ends with a pin. It looked of the same model that council enforcers would wear as evidence of their membership.

"Put this on." Sona blankly gave the item to his reaching hand, with the prominent feature facing upwards.

The circle completed it's journey from hollow to fulfilled, and twirled slowly on it's axis, the devil's family sigil. It flared it's dull light around the council rooms, and the three were taken to another place within the school grounds, taking the circle with them. The room was dark now, imitating the lighting of the outdoors, and it's moon

Over towards the back of the school, chatter was made between the first devils to make open contact with Tristan. One had a lack of presence recently, and was being informed of recent events by a close lover.

"-and he was really strong, Issei. He beat Riser and his peerage in no time at all...do we really have to fight him?" A younger girl, the one who had first found Tristan's misplaced talisman. She was telling the abilities of a former ally. Her lover turned to her, hands landing on her shoulders.

"Don't worry, Asia, even if that bastard comes for you, I'll protect you. Like I always have." It wouldn't be him without his typical actions of great cringe, so this came to be. She thanked him, like she always did.

A little closer to their king, a trio of friends had their own conversation. Even if one of them looked out of the mood for speaking. But she was always like that.

"So, instead of fighting together, he is now our former comrade, huh." Xenovia thought about the first time she saw him, it was actually during the confrontation during his week of arrival, where he was accused of molestation. Red dragon likely went to far in his prodding. They didn't know who he truly was at the time, or his strength from light. No one did, at the time. Except maybe the king.

She was musing the former ally to herself, behind the thoughtful hand over her chin and mouth, but it seems that a knight had heard her line.

"Yes, but don't worry, Xenovia, I'm sure that we will win. We know he how he fights, we've seen him, right?"

'Even if we don't know how to fight that lightning of his.'

The slap of elastic gloves brought his thoughts back. From Koneko pulling them on.

With the king herself, Akeno stood beside her, looking across the faces of all her devil juniors. "Usually, it comes down to a tie with you and Sona, Rias...but."

The king knew what she was thinking, it's been in the air for a while.

What was it like to fight against a knight of Lordran? To feel their steadfast faith, rather than to see it's effectiveness.

"I'm sure that the outcome will be drastically different, now that he's with her." She'd had seen that lightning, and it's effects on devils, much more powerful than lightning born from the devil's magical capacity. It tore right through what it means to be a devil, to be a direct opposite to the forces of god. Rias herself saw through a spell, how much power that faith could reach.

Their use started to appear during the closing years of the Great War. It's danger was truly made known when the devils challenged their combined forces. A being tore through the clouds that night, illuminating the sky with massive storms of furious lightning from atop a feathered drake

when a great being rode atop a drake of the storm, the final battle in that perpetuated event.

"There they are." Rias stood at the dirt of the false world that had been created, awaiting the arrival of her old friend. To answer an ask she had put out.

The moonlit track field began to shine a dim blue from a nearby circle. First, the blue crest of Shitori appeared, instantly, the rest of the summoning circle formed, and then faded into little nothings, leaving a peerage behind. Plus one temporary assistant.

Sona caught the eyes that scanned for hers, she folded her arms proudly, completing the look with the hubris of closed eyes.

"I believe that tonight, a tie should be impossible, Rias." The newly-appeared king stood at the helm of her peerage, all taking position as close as they can behind her.

"I think so as well, Sona. We will be starting shortly." Rias looked to another direction for no particular reason, looking for the outcome of this match. Rias landed her eyes back to Sona's peerage.

He stuck out like a sore thumb, didn't he?

There was the devils of Shitori, whom eventually scattered and did some pre-battle mingling with their friends in the other group of devils. Then there was the loner, obviously lacking the need, or maybe want, to talk with any.

Something else?

Rias knew that there was something strange coming from that boy the moment she passed him that day on the roof. Everyone knew how bad his reputation was, she was the one who started that initial fiasco. All she had to do was...

Well, no need for that. Right?

Returning to the topic, was such a thing really an important thing? They haven't met him personally, so how would they know that there was really no hope for him?

There was an unknown in the area, him. If it was a stray devil that had slipped detection who had for some reason wanted to try and live a normal life, then certain measures had to be made. She'd been on edge because of Riser at the time, so her method might have been flawed. Well, they were. What a casul.

Rias had felt a hurt that might be similar to what Tristan is feeling right now when she was a little child, when all that was close to her were the walls of her family's castle. But now, she had her peerage with her.

Well, she offered him the name of Gremory, of which he declined with relative silence. Guess he had his own reasons, no?

Everyone has their own reasons for the things that they do.

She realised that as he took his sword, and used it as a support to lean on as he rests momentarily. It reminded her of something sad.

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