1/2
{Three days later, Tara's POV}
The morning started out normal, usual routine was usual, though I saw a text from Futaba that made me laugh.
- In Full Bloom -
Sakura Lily - Sooo, Kurusu brought a cat back to Leblanc, and apparently, Hedwig likes him? [Audio. Mp3]
For the next minute or so, I listened to a cat and a pseudo owl have a conversation... My life was strange.
Anyway, today was a sudden off day, the school had announced that there'd be a spot inspection of something I couldn't pronounce, so we were free to chill until the time came to go to Hell. (If my 1st life's parents could see me now, I'd probably be bathing in Holy Water while Pa read scripture.) That was a funny image, but one I could think about later.
We took our time to get ready, dress in what we were comfortable in, and to also make sure Rias didn't let the excitement get to her. She kept her head in the game, and was focused.
She kept that focus as we said bye to Asia, Issei, Cynthia, and Kuroka, who had no ties to the Sitri or Gremory, though we left Gasper behind since he wasn't mentally ready for a Rating Game, and got onto the train...
The hell train...
Yeah, it was explained before that we HAD to get on and travel on the train, both to register the 'new' Devils like mom, and because it was promoted on the Devil Net that the Gremory and Sitri heiresses would be returning via train. That was annoying, but mom and I were more shocked that there was a fucking TRAIN TO HELL.
The ride was sort of fun during the first half, but got boring the longer we were riding. We managed to keep ourselves entertained though, since SOMEHOW, we still had service. So while Martha was recording and sending pics to the group chat, mom and I were talking to Irina and Futaba.
- In Full Bloom -
Danger Daisy - Is it weird I'm disappointed at the lack of fire and brimstone?
Sakura Lily - Nah, even tho they said it wasn't, I was still expecting it. Like a fake out, ya know?
Danger Daisy - Yeah! It sounds like a Devil joke. 'Come to Hell, we have beaches and spas, we totally aren't trying to ensnare you and steal your soul! Totally!'
Rias had snorted when she read that, and showed it to Akeno, who burst out giggling.
Rose of Ruin - To be fair, our spas are less expensive then human ones.
Danger Daisy - That's how you lure in the pure ones. You make them feel so good, they hand over their soul while their in spagasmic bliss! I'm onto you!
That did it, Rias and Akeno outright cackled at that, while the rest of us laughed.
Sakura Lily - Leave it to the church girl to come up with a new 'gasm' word.
The trip was full of laughter as we kept talking. It was great, it really was.
The moment we reached our stop was not great... Not at all.
The first thing we saw was a massive fucking crowd all trying to get a peak at us, like we were a zoo exhibit, which annoyed the hell out of me... (That saying is so much different now that we're IN Hell... Eh, whatever.) Our group walked off the platform, not caring about the random Devils, but we paused at the sight of Grayfia and Sirzechs waiting for us. It wasn't a surprise that they were there, no, the surprise was the royal procession they were being given.
I knew they were big shots, we all did, but we never exactly saw their status being displayed like this. They had trumpets going off and everything, it was ridiculous... Ben fuck did it appeal to my draconic nature.
Though, the scene was ruined since as soon as Sirzechs saw Rias, he jumped to hug her like the bro-con he was, but Grayfia held him at bay. Sure there was still a crowd, but we could ignore them in favor of the Satan and his Wife/Queen.
Though, despite being held back, he still went off like a kid in a candy store. "Ria-tan! Did you miss me? Work has been hell, but I finally have time to see you, even if it'll give me more work later, but it's worth it." Sirzechs was being himself, but Grayfia was looking at Rias, and I saw the anticipation in her eyes, even if it was very hard to spot. It was nice to know she was happy that Rias was going to free herself, and we all knew that was how it was going to go.
Rias had spent years studying Riser and his Peerage, learning what he himself could and couldn't do, and building plans to deal with the peacock and his Peerage. Those slaves of his, which a few of them were, were weak... Like, really weak. His Queen was Middle-High Class, only because of her Sacred Gear. Meanwhile, Akeno was the same rank, but nearing the High-High Class with skills that went beyond her Holy Lightning.
Everyone else in his Peerage though... Well, aside from the Queen, their strongest member was at Mid-Mid Class. Koneko herself, without Senjutsu, was a Low-High Class. WITH Senjutsu, she was Mid-High Class.
Though officially, they were still considered Low or Medium Class Devils since they hadn't the promotion exam, which meant any information they had about Rias' Peerage was out of date. That wasn't even considering the fact she had mom with her, a woman with High-High Class strength, as well as being a highly competent practitioner of Renewal Taekwondo, who also had her own version of it with her Lightning Style. Hell, mom alone could probably beat the dog shit out of Riser and his group of slaves, which would be amusing, but not send the message Rias wanted to send.
Anyway, Rias went over to placate her brother, and Grayfia just waited for us all to gather around for us to teleport. They talked for a bit, while those of us who hadn't gone to hell before, looked around in curiosity. The station looked normal, and aside from the occasional person with supernatural features, it looked like a normal train station.
When enough time passed, and we were ready, Grayfia led us to one of the designated teleport areas, where Sona and her Peerage split off, though Martha was still with us, and teleported off to sights unknown.
In the blink of an eye, we ended up at a Mansion, capital M. The fucking thing was massive, and I could just SMELL the gold. I didn't notice, but my tail had popped out, and was wagging around like a dogs as I thought about yoinking all the treasure for myself. The mansion was big enough for my dragon form to lay about with a pile of gold and shiny things, and I wanted it.
I tuned out the snickering, but was brought back to reality when someone put a hand on my shoulder. Turning to the source, I blinked when I saw the amused look my twin was giving me. "Tara, you can fantasize about being a stereotypical dragon later. We have bloodless blood sport to watch." Violence appealed to my draconic side just as much as obscene amounts of wealth did.
So, nodding at her, I brought my tail back in, and pointedly ignored the mocking panting coming from Akeno. I was not a dog, I was a fierce and mighty dragon, and so was above such childish ta...- "Doggy wanna bone?"
"Bitch, I WILL electrocute you."
Akeno flashed a smug grin, and I knew I already lost. "You want the dog shock collar, or do you want me to get all hot and bothered?"
With years of experience, I closed my eyes, and ignored the Sadomasochistic Queen, much to the amusement of everyone else. Annoying bastards the lot of them. It didn't help that Martha was blatantly broadcasting her amusement at the situation. {I hate you}
[I love you too, Tara.] I sighed, and just walked with everyone as we made our way to the Gremory Estate.
Walking into the mansion, I tried not to gawk, I REALLY did, but there were pillars made out of PURE GOLD around the main hall, and I was forced to use every ounce of self control I had to not transform and claim the gold for myself. I didn't even pay attention to the maids and butlers doing the stereotypical welcome for Rias and Sirzechs, nor bother getting annoyed at the fact my tail had come back, there was just so much go...-
BONK.
I hissed at the sudden hit to my head, and glared at my twin, who once again, bothering my draconic side. "Tara, if you control yourself, I will steal a small fortune of gold for you."
I blinked, and processed that at the speed of lightning, hitting a saute as I straightened up. "Yes, ma'am!" Gold was good, gold was VERY good, I could behave for... Pausing, I narrowed my eyes at my sister. "How much is a 'small fortune' exactly?"
She hummed, amusement growing by the second. "Dollars or Yen?"
"Dollars."
"A couple million in solid gold."
I could feel my tail wagging at the prospect of that, and my eyes and horns decided to join in for the fuck of it. "SOLD!" Her amusement spiked at that, but I didn't care. I brought everything under control, which was easy since I was being bribed with gold... I blinked as I had a thought. (Why don't I have a hoard of gold yet?) I had a mountain that I could carve a cave into, was rich as hell, and was a dragon... (So why the fuck am I only thinking about making my hoard now?!) That was something I was going to ask the Old Gecko when we got back.
A loud and overly exaggerated laugh brought me out of my instinctual lust for riches, and my twin and I turned to the source. Said source was a red haired man that could only be Rias' dad. Just looking at him, I could tell I didn't like him, and that feeling was only more agitated at the fake laughter coming out of him. Though, he wasn't alone, so my eyes drifted to the woman that looked like someone copy and pasted Rias, only with brown hair... (Should probably mirror that since she came first.)
I would've thought about that some more, but the guy and woman, who was sending a soft look at Rias, had made it down the stairs, and were a few meters away from us now. "Ah, my son, I see you've retrieved my wayward Heiress! It's such a delight to see my daughter return at last." I frowned at that, while my twin had a sudden seed of annoyance sprout across her side of the link. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed both Rias and mom had also frowned, though the former's had only lasted a moment before it was gone.
Though before anything else could happen, Sirzechs stepped up, a big and perfectly fake smile on his face as he spread his arms out. "Father, Mother, it's good to see you!" The Satan embraced his parents, but I didn't pay them too much mind. Now that my instincts were under control, and practically salivating at the thought of a big pile of gold, I had enough mind to focus on my other sister.
Rias stood like a perfect princess, face settled into a mask of casual indifference, while Akeno had a mask of her own, her old Nadeshiko one. They were both subtly scanning their surroundings, seemingly looking for exit points or hidden dangers, an act I noticed my daughter was also doing, her ears casually flicking about in a way I knew she was listening on little things. Kiba was more focused, most likely zoning in on the single purpose to react in case Rias or any of us were put in danger. Even mom was doing it, and had her legs tensed in a way that indicated she was ready to go for a Bo-Pup and smash her fist or knee into someones face. Whichever reached first.
Noticing that, Martha and I kept our guards up, prepared for any sudden attacks, even though we knew we'd be fucked if Sirzechs or Grayfia were involved. {Can we port out?}
Her response was instantaneous. [I'd need to go uninterrupted for a few minutes or so, but yes.] That could be an issue, but as long as I had my brain and heart, Martha could bring me back from the brink, so I had no problem being a shield. Though, the whack I got for that thought told me that my sister did.
Sirzechs and his parents stopped their embrace, I couldn't really call it a hug, so I didn't, and he moved out of the way to gesture at Rias, his smile becoming more genuine as he did. "Come on Ria-tan, Mother and Father could use a better look at you."
Rias looked at said parents, her father's face a facade of inviting and inquisitive, while her mother had a genuine look of curiosity in her eyes. She hummed for a bit, then walked forwards a bit. Though, to the surprise of her parents, as well as Sirzechs, she stopped a meter away from them, and curtsied. That wasn't exactly easy for her to do given the fact she wore skintight black jeans, but she made due by using the sides of her(read my) red furred sweater. "Greetings mother, father, it is pleasing to see you again." OOF.
That polite response was basically the same thing as saying 'I'm here because I have to be, not that I want to be.' Seeing the reactions of her parents, and everyone aside from the Kuoh group, they all understood it too.
Though, she wasn't done. After getting out of the curtsy, she looked her parents in the eyes, and went on. "We'll need to be excused. We have plans for today, and I for one will not be waylaid for any reason." Then she turned to us, and smiled, purposefully at mom, Martha and I. "Mom," The sudden intake of breath from her birth mother wasn't missed by anyone, but Rias didn't care. "Martha-Oba, Tara-nee, we have places to be, and an insignificant 3rd son to make an example out of." That said, she started walking towards us, and the door. The click of her heels echoing through the silent hall as she left her parents behind, and chose us.
Understanding that imagery and message, I grinned with my draconic teeth, and barked out a laugh, which sounded like a mix between a growl and a quiet clap of thunder, as I wrapped an arm around my younger sister's shoulder, our mom getting the other, a smile on her face and warmth in her eyes, while Martha took the flank with Akeno and the last two members of her Peerage. We walked towards the entrance of Gremory Manor, and walked out with our heads held high.
Even though I knew this would make Sirzechs more 'displeased' with us Sakuras, I didn't give a shit. Rias had looked her birth parents in the face, and chose us. She deserved the anime exit, so I happily went along with it, while I also started humming Snow Fairy.
Rias immediately understood what I was doing, and grinned as not only she joined in, but mom and Martha did too. We really were a family of nerds, though I doubted any of us would have it any other way.
We made our way towards the arena, since this was an official Rating Game, one issued by the 'Wayward Gremory Heiress', they pulled out all the stops and used one of the public arenas, which was basically double the size of a Football stadium.
When we got there, we had to walk through a massive fucking crowd of paparazzi, and another annoying fuckers. Thankfully, the Erza Glare was just as effective against Devils as it were humans. That helped us get through, but when we did, we had to split up since Rias and her Peerage were directly involved with this. So, giving my daughter a quick hug and a kiss to the dome, as well as a hug with Rias and mom, we went our own ways.
Thankfully though, Martha and I weren't left to wander around aimlessly, since our favorite Satan was waiting for us, along with Sona and her Peerage. Seeing us, Sera smiled, and jumped about, waving at us like a crazy person. "Ta-tan, Mar-tan!" My twin and I shared a brief bit of amusement at the bubbly Satan being herself, and made our way over to her. When we were in range, the shorter woman wrapped her arms around my twin and I, ending up between the both of us, which was a funny sight to be honest. "Yes, now, onward my faithful companions, Magical Girl Levi-tan has to bear witness to today's show!" And that's how we found ourselves being dragged ahead...
Despite her telling us to go... Ignoring the groan of anguish that came from Sona, Martha and I shared a look. [{This is your fault.}] A blink was the immediate reaction to that. Though, a beat later, we sighed. [{Whatever.}] We both knew we could argue it for a few minutes, but just decided to take it.
A bit later, an enthusiastic Sera brought us into a viewing room. I saw Sirzechs sitting next to a green haired guy, and knew he was a Satan. I could feel his power, and thankfully didn't panic when he looked at me and Martha. (Note to self, get something to thank Sera for breaking my self preservation instincts... Wait a minute...) Thinking on that, I realized that maybe that wasn't as good as I thought it was.
Despite there being two more Satans in the room, Sera kept literally dragging us towards our seats, plopped us down, and skipped over to her fellow Satans who were only a few meter away. Then, with us seated, conversations began springing up. Sona and her Peerage talked to Martha, I didn't pay too much mind about what, I was way more interested in the arena. Violence was in my blood, and being in an arena this size was just calling to me.
I idly noticed Serafall, Sirzechs, and their green haired friend began a side conversation, and I picked up some of the chatter without really intending too. Sirzechs was talking to them about some random thing, taking irritated glances at my sister and I as he did. I did my best to not roll my eyes at him, passive aggressive bullshit didn't fit a centuries old Devil, and settled for mentally huffing at the man child.
"The Challenge match between Rias Gremory, Heiress to the Gremory Clan, and Riser Phenex and his peerage will begin in 15 minutes. The preparation phase and countdown towards the battle begins now." Grayfia's announcement silenced the chatter, and we all focused on the arena, which shimmered like an illusion as it changed into the familiar scenario of Kuoh.
I whistled at that, and brought out my phone.
-In Full Bloom-
Lightning Flower - You girls seeing this?
Sakura Lily - Yuuup!
Danger Daisy - Yep, though is the chocolate store really gone?
(What?) Looking up at the stage, my eyes scanned for what Irina was talking about, and I wasn't getting any bells as I looked.
Lightning Flower - What chocolate store?
Danger Daisy - Noooooooooo, I loved that store!
I blinked, stared at that, then turned to Martha, showing her Irina's little... Whatever it was.
My twin looked at it, then to me, and raised a brow. "Did you forget Kumina's?" At my blank look, she went on. "The little family owned candy store that sold chocolate candy canes all year round."
"OH!" I blinked again, and whipped my head around to look at the city. It was 1-1 so far, and I didn't see the niche shop anyway. "Well that sucks."
Lightning Flower - Yeah, sorry Irina but it is.
Danger Daisy - Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...- Oh, its Rias!
Sakura Lily - Not sure whose priorities are worse, hers or mine.
I snorted at that, but paid more attention as the screens came up, not the life sized illusion of the dimension they were in, and we were able to see and hear the planning session. Rias and the gang were in 'her office' in the copy of Kuoh Academy, Akeno by her side, while mom stood in the middle with Koneko on her left, and Kiba on her right. My younger sister looked... Not serious, but focused. She knew what today meant for her, and was ready for it. "While it's entirely unnecessary, the audience will probably want to have some idea of what's going to happen. All in favor of pointless exposition, say aye."
"""Aye."""
Seeing the looks on some of the Devil's faces nearly made me cackle, but it was my daughter's, 'ughhh' face that made my lips twitch. Rias and the rest of the Peerage noticed my daughter's, face, and raised an amused brow at her. "So Koneko, what do you want to do?"
My daughter wasted no time in replying. "Go home. Kaasan promised me a triple decker strawberry and vanilla cake, I want it. I want it alot."
I was blinking alot in the past few minutes, and that statement wasn't making it any better. "Tara."
Looking over to my twin, and pointedly ignoring the highly amused 'hmmm' coming from Sera, I met the stoic but equally amused look of my twin, who wanted an explanation. "In my defense, I didn't do that, but now I'm obligated to do so... I'm kinda proud that she's using this as a moment to blackmail me for food." And I was, I really really was.
Everyone from the Sitri group looked amused as fuck, while Serafall was outright laughing. Even in the Gremory group, smiles were all around as they looked at my daughter. "Well, we'll just have to make sure Tara-nee holds up her promise." My brow twitched at that, but I let it be.
"My granddaughter's gluttony aside, she appears to be outvoted." Mom had a point.
Recognizing it, they all looked to Rias, who schooled the smile on her face, and went back to looking like a professional... Looking at her more in dept, I recognized the posture, as well as the general feel she was giving off. {Aww, you see that?}
My sister mentally hummed at me, and after a moment, I could tell she got it when I felt a bit of inquisitive amusement. [Yes, yes I do. Honestly, it's quite flattering.]
I rolled my eyes, because of course she'd be flattered at Rias channeling her inner Martha. "Well, since we know we're at a 'disadvantage'," We could basically hear the air quotes there. "We'll all have to be responsible for taking down atleast 3-4 members of his Peerage, each. Though considering the quality difference, that'll probably be a disproportionate amount of knockouts. Mom," Looking over to Sirzechs at that, I caught the twitch of his eye, which would've been missed by anyone not a Satan, or a dragon whose attribute was lightning. "Could deal with a majority, if not all of his Peerage, but where would be the fun in that?" Mom let out a laugh at that, while Akeno did her 'fufufu' laugh. Kiba and Koneko just smiled. "So, here's what we'll be doing. Mom will be using her Lightning Body to search for Riser's forces, and informing us of who she finds, and where they're going. When we get an idea of where they all are, I'll want Kiba and Koneko to go deal with their chosen targets. As for mom, she'll be responsible for anyone aside from Riser, or his Queen... Though I do feel a little bad for the latter, I'd rather not be on the wrong of Akeno's experiments."
The mentioned sadist licked her lips at that. "Aw, are you sure Rias? Tara-chan said it felt quite plea...-"
I wasn't about to let that finish, and practically roared at her. "I SAID THE LIGHTNING TASTED GOOD YOU SADO BITCH" I knew what she was going to say, and I was NOT about to be painted a deviant to the Devils and the rest of the supernatural world. I'd accept weird, everyone in power was weird.
The shout had rang out through the arena, which I ignored, but seemed to get through the illusion, which I knew because Akeno blinked, and looked in my general direction. "... I'm tempted to ignore that... Highly tempted." My eyes narrowed at that.
Thankfully, my daughter spoke up. "Kaasan knows where you keep your 'literature' and toys."
"And all of a sudden that temptation is no more. Must be a miracle" I would've had gotten a dangerous case of whiplash at that, but I just nodded, and sat down. Koneko was right after all, and I had no issues with blasting her unmentionables into nothing.
Rias brought the attention back onto herself by tapping the desk with her nail. "With that bit of comedy aside, I will be making my way towards Riser's base on my own. Anyone that gets in my way will be dealt with." That got nods out of her Peerage, which she smiled at. "Good. Now that they know what's going to happen, we've got a few minutes to kill," She opened the desk, and sighed. "I was half expecting for my stuff to have been copied over."
"Hoh? Wanted a free manga did you?"
Rolling her eyes at Akeno's teasing, she brought out her phone, and hummed. "Feel free to relax, we'll be out soon." And so they did.
Mom started stretching, despite it not being necessary, Kiba started meditating, Koneko just laid onto a couch, and Akeno went to the area her tea stuff was at. As they did that, I was taking in the reactions of everyone around us.
Sona and her Peerage weren't surprised, they all knew how strong Rias and her Peerage was, we all spared with each other over the years, so it wasn't a surprise to know they believed in Rias.
Sera was her usual self, though she was looking forward to seeing Rias back up her talk. She'd never really seen us train though, so I think she was more excited then I was expecting.
Sirzechs looked attentive and interested, which made sense since he would have no idea just how strong Rias was now after years of being away.
I couldn't tell if the green guy was interested or bored, and I didn't really care which, so I just looked over him.
The crowd was chattering about 'arrogant princesses', 'over excited children', and stuff like that, though I did hear some people genuinely interested to see if Rias could live up to the hype she was giving herself.
As that was going on, my phone buzzed.
Rose of Ruin - So, thoughts so far?
That got a chuckle out of me. Here she was, live in front of thousands, and she was talking to us in the group chat.
Sakura Lily - 6/10. The fit is fine, but the scenery could be better. EMIYA 0.25 is kinda just there, if he was in a butler outfit that'd get you up to a 7, and if you had some snake on your shoulders, that'd be a solid 8.
Danger Daisy - 8/10. Very powerful, much wow.
Lightning Flower - Since I'm your older sister, I'm obligated to give you a 10/10.
On the screen, we could see Rias visibly react to those opinions. Her dumbfounded blinking was hilarious, and when she showed Akeno, who had looked over her shoulder, I cackled as Akeno giggled. "... I'm surrounded by critics." That said, she started typing, ignoring Akeno's laughter, and our mom's curiosity.
Rose of Ruin - Sometimes I wonder how I can put up with all of you.
Lightning Flower - You know you love us.
Sakura Lily - ^
Danger Daisy - I'm unable to annoy you in person, you'll hate me more when I can.
The sigh that came out of her made me laugh more.
That's how the minutes flew by. Rias chatted with us, her Peerage did their own thing, while Martha, Sona's Peerage, and the Satans talked about stuff. I looked at the Phenex's screens from time to time, but when I saw it was the younger Phenex doing pretty much everything, I lost interest. The blonde idiot hadn't even been in charge of his own Peerage's strategies, it was such a disappointment.
Eventually, the time came. "The Rating Game will commence in 30 seconds. Both combatants will be allowed to send out their Peerage starting now."
The moment that announcement came through, Rias looked at mom, who did a little hop, and grinned. "See ya in a flash honey." And like that, her body de-materialized into lightning, and she flashed out of the nearest window, taking to the sky as she zipped around the area in the blink of an eye.
There had been a bunch of murmuring breaking out at that, but Rias and the rest of her Peerage hadn't reacted to that, they were used to it.
A second or two before the 30 seconds were up, mom flashed back into the room. "Found em!" Rias smiled, and as the announcement of the match starting went on, they all shared a look, and nodded as they all walked out of the ORC building.
The moment they left the building, mom shot off a goofy salute, and Flashed away, a cheer being the last thing she let out as a clap of thunder signaled her leave. With her gone, my daughter shot off towards a random direction, humming as she did. And thanks to the screens, we could even hear what she was saying. "Stupid cat lolis, we're the only cat loli allowed! I'll show them." I sweat dropped at that, and I knew I wasn't the only one.
Danger Daisy - ... I'll be praying for those children...
Sakura Lily - Wouldn't that hurt them?
Lightning Flower - Yes... Yes it would.
Danger Daisy - Oh... I'll do it later then.
I snorted, and turned back to the screens, watching as Kiba mad a sword beneath himself, which hovered over the ground, and saw him hop onto it. It amused me when the Devils gasped as he shot off like a bullet, obviously not expecting that, despite someone having to have done it before... That, or it was because he wasn't using his wings... (Thinking about how lazy some Devils can be, that's probably the real reason.) No idea how I felt about that.
Sakura Lily - I wonder if he can get copyrighted for ripping off Silver Surfer...
Lightning Flower - Let's not find out.
As for Akeno, she unfurled both her wings, Devil and Fallen, and took off to the sky, an eager grin on her face as she did. And with all of her Peerage gone, Rias just casually started walking towards Riser's base, a magic circle with the Gremory crest appeared beneath her feet, her Power of Destruction slowly seeping out of her, and into the surroundings as she did.
As that happened, I caught a surprised look land on Sirzechs face, and heard him whisper. "I can't do that."
I blinked, cause what, and looked over at Sera, who was humming at the technique. "That's cause you're kinda a meathead Zechs." Oof.
The Satan turned to his fellow Satan... (Isn't that a fucking thought?) It was, but I was going to ignore it for now.
Anyway, Sirzechs turned to Sera, a twitching brow on his face, and a crocked smile to go with it. "And what's THAT supposed to mean?"
"We all know what she's referencing Sirzechs." Wasn't expecting the green guy to speak up here but oh well. "Your Power of Destruction is volatile, heavily concentrated, and far too powerful for a technique as subtle as that. As it stands, if you tried to replicate that feat, you'd turn the area you were in into a wasteland." Well that wasn't worrying at all.
Though, it pleased me to know my sister could do something her brother, the Strongest Satan, couldn't.
With Rias and her Peerage on the move, I spared a look to Riser's Peerage, and watched a few of them heading out, and where they were going. Like she mumbled, the cat twins were in the direction my daughter was going, Kiba was flying towards one of the Knights, who was with a few Pawns, so we knew what he was going to do, mom was zipping above one of the Rooks, and Akeno was heading straight for the enemy Queen.
Rias meanwhile, was taking a casual stroll, phone in hand as she walked towards Riser's base, the Phenex seemingly having no idea about his imminent destruction. {Thoughts?}
My twin hummed, and after looking at all the screens, nodded. [We'll be out of here in under 5 minutes.]
Scratching my chin, I thought about that, and nodded. {Sounds about right.} That said, I put what she said in the chat.
Lightning Flower - Martha says under 5 minutes. Either of you got anything better?
Danger Daisy - Aww, I want a longer match though! It's not as fun if it's over so soon.
Sakura Lily - That's what she said!
My lips twitched at that, and I managed to keep myself from laughing. Though, my twin knew I was amused, and after showing her, as well as Sona and her Peerage why, they collectively rolled their eyes. Critics the lot of them.
Danger Daisy - WAIT!
Danger Daisy - I didn't mean it like that you ero gaki!
Danger Daisy - I'm a dedicated child of the lord!
Sakura Lily - Uhuh.
Sakura Lily - Didn't you have an Incognito tab for hentai on your phone?
Danger Daisy - FUTABAAAAAAAA!
Sakura Lily - :3
Rose of Ruin - I don't understand how you two got here, and I'm not sure I want to know.
Danger Daisy - Cease your lies you lying liar, we can see your smile!
Sakura Lily - ^
It was hilarious that they were right. As Rias walked around, the screens picked up her constantly twitching lips, which were practically stuck in a smile as she read the chat. She even started typing, but was interrupted by a shout from in front of her, which was caused by one of Riser's Bishop, a Knight, and the pair of Pawns by her side. "Ahah! Looks li...-"
Rias looked up from her phone with an annoyed glare, and flicked her wrist. "I'm busy." That was all the warning they got before a tsunami of crimson red energy formed into existence, and surged towards them. They didn't get much, if any time to react, considering that tsunami was made with some of the Power of Destruction Rias had been emitting, so there was no magic circle to denote its coming. One moment it wasn't there, and the next, it was moments away from crashing into them.
Safe to say, the Bishop, Knight, and Pawns weren't able to dodge. Rias didn't even look phased, and went back to walking ahead, looking back to her phone like nothing happened.
The arena was silent for a moment, they were without a doubt, shocked at the effortless display of strength and how Rias just deleted Riser's slaves, then Grayfia spoke. "Riser's Knight, Bishop, and Two Pawns, Retired." Then the chatter broke out.
It was amusing to hear them start hyping up Rias, especially after those idiots were calling her arrogant.
Rose of Ruin - Anyway, I'll proba...-
That was as far as I got before a familiar cheer reached my ears. Looking up, I zoned in on the screen showing mom, who was back in human form, and dropping down towards one of Riser's Rooks, a grin on her face as she spun with her leg out, coated in lightning like a demented Sonic. "Renewal Taekwondo - Lightning Style: STORM BREAKER!" Mom crashed into the earth like a meteor, dust springing up everywhere as an explosion of lightning went off like a bomb.
When the dust cleared, there was only a massive crater where mom impacted, no sign of anyone else being there. Seeing that, she blinked, looked around for a few seconds, then sighed. "That's just disappointing." And like that, she turned back into lightning, Flashing off into the sky to look for more fights.
"Riser's Rook and two Pawns, Retired." And just like before, the crowd went fucking wild with chatter. I didn't bother listening to them though, and just looked down to my phone when it buzzed.
Sakura Lily - By Astolfo's questionably cute ass, what the fuck?!
I just had to stare at that for a moment, because I don't think I'd ever expect someone to swear on a trap before, before I eventually shook it off. (This is Futaba, common sense gets a headache when she's involved.)
Danger Daisy - Why 'questionably?' Astolfo is pretty, AND has a nice behind.
Sakura Lily - ... Sometimes, I just wanna take a peak into your mind and see how it works.
Lightning Flower - I just imagine it's that one Spongebob bit. You know the one?
Danger Daisy - ?
Sakura Lily - Filing cabinets?
Lightning Flower - Yeah, that one.
Sakura Lily - ... I can see it.
Danger Daisy - I'm being insulted, but I don't know how offended I'm supposed to be... Crazy how that works, huh?
Irina being a sarcastic/somewhat serious little shit, always amused the hell out of me. It also made me proud, because I did that. I made her a sassy child, and the results were great.
"Riser's Knight, Rook, and four Pawns, Retired." Huh?
Looking up, I blinked at the sudden images. On the screen following Kiba, there was a Hill of Swords, there were all kinds of blades sticking out of the ground, building and roads, all the while the blonde Knight stood, sheathing a blade as he waved a hand, dispelling the blades.
As for the other announcement, Koneko had been responsible for that one. My daughter was sitting on a tree stump, the cat equivalent to amusement on her face as her tail lazily swayed behind her. (... I missed it... Shit.) I was going to hope she didn't find out, and look for a clip of her doing her thing as soon as one was uploaded.
That aside, I was about to check the rest of Rias' message, when the other group chat started exploding. Curious, I looked at it, and was unsurprised at who was doing the spamming.
- Devils & Dragons & Yokai oh my -
KuroNya - DATS MY SHIRONE!
KuroNya - STOOPID LESSER YOKAI GOT NUN ON MY LIL SISTER!
KuroNya - SHIRONE FOREVER!
Emperor - Can't/Won't lie, that was cool, like, super cool.
CoffeePot - I'll admit, that was impressive.
KuroNya - Obviously! My Shirone did it, so of course it'd be cool!
I was also going to have to watch the clip before Kuroka found out I missed it... Great.
That aside, I idly checked the family group chat, then went back to looking at the screens when I did. I already missed my daughter's moment, I wasn't going to miss the others.
So, my focus being on them, I saw Akeno find the enemy Queen. The glint in her eye was only slightly sadistic, though that was because the rest of her sadism was in her smile. "Well hello 'Bomb Queen', what lovely weather we're having aren't we?" Was she serious?
Riser's Queen narrowed her eyes, and instead of engaging in banter, she gathered her magic, creating a visible aura of purple and black around her. "Explode." And so the area around Akeno went up in an explosion Cynthia would be ecstatic over... Then I remembered that she was being watched by Kuroka, and was probably gushing over that, and I sorta felt bad for the cat girl.
The enemy Queen didn't let up on the magical aura though, and just watched, waiting for the announcement...
An announcement that would never come, since a gale broke out where Akeno was, pushing away the smoke, revealing the familiar form of the shrine maiden clad Half Fallen. Her clothes looked like they didn't just take an explosion, her hair wasn't even ruffled, and to make it 'worse', she smiled a sardonic smile at her enemy. "It's okay honey, performance issues can happen to anyone." Another shout of 'explode' was about to make its way through the Queen's lips, but Akeno disappearing and reappearing in a flash, right in front of the Queen, stopped that. It wasn't really a surprise that Akeno could create a similar technique to my Lightning Body, but to anyone that wasn't expecting it, they'd be caught unprepared.
The Bomb Queen tried to fly away, but Akeno's arms shot out, one around the Queen's waist, the other her shoulder, holding her like they were about to kiss or dance. The sultry smile on my friend's face didn't help dissuade that image. "Oh baby, you had your turn, now it's mine." Her smile turned sadistic as purple lightning danced across her form. "Now scream for me!" Akeno's Chaotic Lightning exploded out from her, enveloping them both in a deluge of purple as the enemy Queen's screams resounded out, almost as loud as Akeno's cackling did.
When the lightning died down, we saw the charred body of The Bomb Queen disappear into motes of light. Akeno looked just as unblemished as she did before, but now she was licking her lips, a blush on her cheeks as she did. "Hmm, delicious." I could just feel the collective sweatdrop those of us from Kuoh had.
"Riser's Queen, Retired." And then there was one.
Everyone focused on Rias' screen, no one gave a shit about the ranting and raving Riser, and we watched as she stowed her phone away, and marched towards Riser's base, the amount of power she leaked increasing as she did. The grass dried up and disappeared into flecks in the wind, buildings and concrete turned to sand and collapsed as she passed by.
Though, as she walked, an explosion at Riser's base took our attention. His screen showed him getting sick of his sister trying to calm him down, and just blowing everything up, including said sister... Which made us frown, a frown that only deepened at the next message. "... Riser's Bishop, Retired."
Rias stopped at that, and just stared towards the flaming crater that was Riser's base, a scowl on her face as she did. "Stupid fucking man child." Her march resumed after that, the output of Destruction flowing out of her increasing.
It didn't take long for Rias and Riser to meet, the former was easy to find if one just followed the path of destruction she made, while the latter was in the sky, flying towards her. "GREMORYYYYY!" He was also shouting like an idiot.
My sister looked up, eyes locking with the furious gaze of the Phenex. "I'm not deaf Riser, so st...-"
"SHUT UP! RISER WILL KI...-" Before he could say anymore, a fist made of her Power of Destruction materialized above him, and slammed it and him down towards the ground.
When the fist dispersed, because that's what it did instead of just disappearing all together, Rias walked towards the downed Riser, her heels clicking against the ground as she did. And when she was right in front of him, she stared down at the regenerating form of Riser, flames flickering and igniting as he tried to stand up and push her away, though Rias just ignored the fire as she slammed a heel coated in Destruction into Riser's knee, making him cry out as everything below that knee blew apart, causing him to fall down to the other. The moment he did, she smashed one of her knees into his face, blood and teeth spraying out, but she didn't stop there. Moving over to his side, she started bringing a leg up, then straight down into Riser's back, making an audible 'snap' ring out.
Looking down at Riser, who was still trying to push her away by burning her, my sister looked at him, and stuck the sharp end of her heel into his neck, a look of disappointment on her face as she did. "Pathetic. For years, I thought about this day, the day the 'Mighty Riser Phenex' would be at my feet, broken. I planned for this fight, because it would always come down to this, and thought of just how it would go. When we were younger, we planned for a more drawn out fight, one where we'd take out your Pawns, then your Rooks, Knights, Bishops, then you. Then, when we got stronger, those plans changed. When we all ended up stronger then you, stronger then your entire Peerage combined, the need for complicated plans ended. We knew all about you, your Peerage, what you could and couldn't do.
Thanks to my family, my mother for providing us with the presence of someone we could rely on, my sister for pushing not only me, but all of us to be better then we could ever be, my aunt for teaching us ways to reach our potential, we grew far beyond what you and your conclave of slaves could ever reach. Thanks to them, I've become the woman I am today. Thanks to them, I've become someone that CANNOT, and WILL NOT be chained." As she spoke, the magic circle beneath her feet glowed, it spun, and eventually, rose above her and into the sky. "Thanks to them, I've become the best version of me that I could ever be. Allow me to show not just you, but the rest of the Underworld just who I've become." The circle flashed, and we all heard Rias' next words clearly. "Draken Anim." With a blinding flash, the magic circle flew down towards her, and with it, all the Power of Destruction she let seep into the arena.
The crimson wave of power surged towards her from every direction, and when it reached her, a dome of Destruction formed around her, turning into a sphere. Though that sphere didn't last long, as a long tail came out, four strong and sturdy limbs following, a long serpentine neck coming after, followed by two massive wings. The last thing was the head, which looked similar to mine, just as the rest of the body did. Her scales didn't seem fully solid, they rippled a bit like water, her horns didn't have any markings on them, and I wasn't entirely sure her wings would let her fly, but aside from that, Rias was a perfect Western Dragon.
She was also double the size I was in my dragon form, so that was just awesome. "I am Rias Gremory Sakura," Hearing her add our name to hers just made the scene that much more impactful, not just to the Devils, but to Martha and I. I was pretty sure that included mom too, but she wasn't on the main screen. "And I am the one who decides my fate!" The follow up of slamming a paw to the ground, where Riser had been before she went all dragon, was satisfying to see.
The silence in the arena was DEAFENING, but while the Devils were shocked at the whole thing, I had a massive grin on my face. That had been the single most draconic thing I'd ever seen, and my instincts were roaring with approval at what she'd done, and how she did it.
It was a few moments later when the expected announcement came. "Riser Phenex, Retired. Rias Gremory Sakura, wins." I was a bit surprised that she included the Sakura name, but considering Rias had claimed it live, in front of three Satans too, it made sense for her to go along with it.
Rias let out a huff, which didn't come with smoke, and let the Draken Anim, which I knew was a reference to the Dorma Anim from the Edolas arc, dissipate. And standing in its place was Rias, surrounded by dust, since everything around her had been destroyed by her Power of Destruction. The moment she was back to herself though, a flash of lightning, and a clap of thunder went off, revealing mom, who crushed Rias into a hug, even going so far to spin her like she was a small child instead of a grown ass woman. "Oh honey, you were amazing! Look at my baby girl being all domineering and mature!"
"M-Mom, we're still live!" Her whine was even funnier given the fact we could see an embarrassed blush on her cheeks.
If anything, that made mom even more affectionate. "DON'T CARE!"
"MOOOOM!" Our mom cackled in glee, and kept treating Rias like a child, much to her embarrassment.
It amused the fuck out of Martha and I, and we both knew we'd never let her live it down.
We were a good sister/aunt like that.
[Omake - We lost her - Sirzechs' POV 45 minutes later]
Sitting back in my office, I didn't bother to hide how aggravated the events of today had made me, and let out a sigh I'd usually reserved for a mountain of paperwork. (This was a disaster.) There was no other way to describe it.
It had started out fine, my Ria-tan had finally returned home! A part of me recognized that I was the secondary, if not main reason she was gone in the first place, but the rest of me refused to acknowledge it since that'd mean acknowledging I'd inadvertently destroyed my family. (Fuck, as it is, I'm probably the only one that really cares about this. Father just wants her as an heir, and Mother doesn't even know Ria-tan that well.) It was a slightly disappointing thought, but not that uncommon amongst Devil Pillars. (It doesn't help that she's spent 7 years with the Sakuras.) The scowl that formed on my face wasn't a conscious action, but I couldn't be bothered to get rid of it.
That's what it came down to. The Sakuras, it was always about the Sakuras. Kuoh was meant to be a safe place, a place Ria-tan and Sona could grow without needing to look over their shoulders about a faction of terrorists.
But nooo, a family of red haired women that could not only pass off as Gremories lived there, but they also had a dragon who had basically claimed Ria-tan as family. It was worse when Rias grew as attached to them as she is, while the bond, tentative as it was, with our parents just kept eroding. They didn't help by never visiting her personally... (I can't exactly fault Mother though, she HAS tried, but Father just couldn't be bothered checking on his heir himself when I did it whenever I could.) To my infinite displeasure, that wasn't very often. Serafall had been somewhat lucky in this instance to be the Satan of Foreign Affairs, since there hadn't been many incidents that could strain the peace over the last few decades. As the Satan of Internal Affairs however, I wasn't as lucky.
So, with my rare and far between visits, as well as Mother and Father doing the absolute minimum, it was logical that Ria-tan stopped seeing us as her true family after years of the same treatment.
I knew that was the logical conclusion of events, but emotionally it was different. The Sakuras had stolen Ria-tan from us, from me, and I doubted I would ever forgive them for that. Ria-tan had gone so far to claim the Sakura name, live in front of the supernatural world, and I just KNEW if she could've gotten away with it, she would've dropped the Gremory name for it. (Though, the only reason she hasn't is because Kuoh is both Gremory and Sitri territory. Sona would likely allow her to stay in the territory, but then the Gremory could place someone of their choosing there, and that would have unknown consequences given their set up.) There was no doubt in my mind the Gremory representative would demand information on the Raven Network... And given that it was a brainchild of the younger Sakura twin, I doubted they'd get anywhere.
It stung to know that the only reason Rias hadn't left the Gremory name behind was because she didn't want to be inconvenienced... It hurt, and it was the Sakuras fault it got to this point.
I scowled at that thought, and got up to fetch a drink. It was looking to be just one of those days.
[EXTRA Omake - This is my life now. Akira's POV yesterday]
(Okay Akira, act calm, we're not about to smuggle an animal, even if he says he isn't, into a cafe. We're not about to do something as fundamentally stupid as that, we're just going to bring a friend into our current residence. Yup, that's what we're doing... Totally... God, this is so going to go wrong.) I was also doing my best to ignore any potential repercussions of this.
Sure, Sakura-san had been rather frank, 'don't mess anything up, and we're good', but I was still worried about him kicking me out, even if he had never alluded to doing that. "Calm yourself, Partenaire. A Phantom Thief must always keep their wits about themselves. After all, if one does not believe it possible, then they are already doomed for failure." It said something that I felt reassured about the voice in my head, as well as the advice Arsene was giving me. "I'd like to believe that after we have fought side by side, bled together, and experienced the height of success, I would be relegated to more then 'the voice in my head', my Partenaire."
I felt my lips twitch at that, but kept my face composed. /Arsene, we've been partners for 5 days. I'll need more then that to readjust to having my whole worldview suddenly tossed onto its head... And when exactly have we experienced 'the height of success?'/
My Persona hummed in the back of my mind, and I got the distinct impression he was scratching his chin. "Point. As for the question, what else would you call the feeling of coming out victorious against those who wish us harm?"
/Progress. The comble du succès would be when we claim Kamoshida's treasure, no?/ Suddenly being fluent in French was strange, but was relatively the most tame thing that'd gone on in the last week.
I could feel Arsene smile at my response, and suddenly felt a pat on the shoulder from a phantom limb. I almost yelped in surprise, because I wasn't used to that yet, but managed to keep it down to a small jolt. "Yes, you are indeed correct, Partenaire." I smiled at that, and would've responded if not for his next words. "Ah, I do believe this is our stop." Looking up from the seat I managed to catch, I realized that he was right.
After a few moments, and after we slid into the station, I got off and made my way out.
Walking into Yongen-Jaya was still a strange experience. It felt different then back... Home, I tried to ignore how I felt about that word, and was still weird to me. Yongen-Jaya was compact, and I felt out of place here, but I knew I'd get used to it eventually.
It helped that my guardian had no problem helping me adjust.
That thought made me think of Sakura-san, and I felt another instance of relief. The old cafe owner didn't seem to care about my 'record', and seemed to judge me as he saw me, instead of what he'd heard. I didn't know why he was kind to me, but it was what I needed at the moment, especially with those weird and outlandish rumors,* so I'd take it. "'Kind', yes. Truly, a kind man to let us stay in the attic."
I rolled my eyes at my Persona's droll response. /You do remember he told us WHY we're staying there, right?/ Sakura-san didn't hide the fact he had a spare room in his home, though the blunt statement that he was saving it for when he and his significant other reached a decision in their relationship, and therefore was not for an adolescent teen like myself, was one I just had to respect. Hell, even Arsene respected it.
"Of course I do, it still deserved mentioning." Another eye roll was my response to that, much to my Persona's annoyance. "Gosse."
/Le vieillard./ Arsene huffed, and I didn't bother hiding my smirk now that we were off the train. /Anyway, I'm still looking for a flat, if I'll even take that option. You should know I'm not exactly a wizard in the kitchen./ Though we both knew I had talent, I hadn't exactly nurtured it given I was more focused on my studies. So, even if I found a good flat, I would not only need to start brushing up on my cooking skills, I'd also need to learn a new route to get to Shujin, the sarcastic part of my mind once again 'lauded' the man that named a school a prison, and that just wasn't something I thought would be good to do at this point in time.
"I do understand the reasoning, but having an opposing view on things is a valuable asset not many make use of." I had to admit, he had a point.
Our conversation was put on pause as I opened the front door to Leblanc, and was about to announce my return, but the scene in front of me made me pause. Even Arsene, the 'calm and collected' Gentlemen Thief, was radiating confusion.
In front of us was my guardian, sitting in one of the chairs like the first time I'd met him, but he wasn't alone. I wasn't even talking about customers, there were none at the moment. No, the other occupant was a snowy owl that was perched on his shoulder, seemingly reading the newspaper in his hand along with him. The sight was so dumbfounding, he was a cafe owner for crying out loud so why did he have an animal on his shoulder, that I just didn't know what to do.
"Hm?" He must've heard the bell go off, he'd need to be deaf not too, so it wasn't a surprise when he looked up to see me at the doorway, staring at the ow l on his shoulder in confusion. "Oh, hey kid." That was all I got before he turned back to the newspaper.
Meanwhile, the owl on his shoulder had decided staring at me was far more interesting, and did just that. (Okay... Impromptu staring contest with an owl... Totally expected this to happen sometime in my life.) Arsene snorted in my mind, but I tried to focus more on the owl. "Uh, boss?" My guardian let out a 'hm', not even bothering to look up from his crossword. "Why is there an owl on your shoulder?"
"What?" Oh shit! The surprise avian had made me forget about my own animal companion, not sure HOW, but it did. I think hearing not only my surprise, but what I'd said, gave Morgana the idea that showing himself was a fine thing to do.
So, out of my bag, the eyes of Morgana met the unnerving gaze of the snowy owl on Sakura-san's shoulder. That had been enough for him to look up, and blink at the cat coming out of my bag. He looked at me, while Morgana and the owl stared at each other... Well, until the owl hooted, and Morgana replied with an increasingly familiar 'I'm not a cat' phrase. The two had then kept communicating, I only got Morgana's replies, but it was enough to know he was actually having a conversation with an owl... /Arsene?/
" Yes, Partenaire?"
/Think it's too late to head back 'home?'/ The Gentleman Thief, the Pillager of Twilight, the Persona of Arsene Lupin, laughed at me.
* Kamoshida couldn't expose his record because Futaba hid it, so instead of there being proof, all there are are rumors.