Ch. 15: Gremory vs. Phenex

The day for the Rating Game had arrived, however, it wasn't due to start until midnight, so Rias ordered everyone to use the time to rest and prepare.

Upon arriving back home, Izuku, Asia, and Hisashi were greeted by a (literally) tearful welcome from Inko. Luckily, Izuku's newly developed muscles were deceptively hidden well by his clothes, so he didn't have to worry about his mother asking how he buffed up so much in just ten (longer for Izuku) days. It also turned out that Inko had special surprises for Izuku and Asia. Inko had a Hero costume for Izuku, admitting that she accidentally got a peek at his notes before and made it as an apology for not being more supportive before, promising to cheer him on all the way from thereon. For Asia, she got her a green flower pendant, which she decided to make part of her own costume.

Izuku spent the day watching recordings of Riser's past Rating Game matches provided by Rias to formulate their attack plan against him. Out of Riser's servants, his Queen, Yubelluna, seemed to be the most dangerous opponent with her specialty in explosive magic that earned her the nickname "Bomb Queen," a well-earned title considering her explosions could even KO Rooks with just one shot. "Her explosions are different from Kacchan's. Akeno might be our best shot at facing her, and maybe me and Buchou as well. The others might have trouble taking hits from her."

As for Riser himself, he had two major advantages over Rias's team: First, his immortality, which healed any damage he took, making it easy for him to wear down the enemy combatants before taking them down; second, his numbers, he had a full team of servants who were certainly no slouches in battle.

'From what I see, the most important step to victory might be taking down the Queen. Of course, beating the others is important too, that way Riser won't have any backup. But even if Riser's left all alone, it won't be easy.' Izuku noted. 'Even so, we've all trained hard for this. Failure is not an option!'

Later that night, Inko was currently sleeping while Izuku, Asia, and Hisashi were still awake. There was only one more hour before the Rating Game.

Izuku was currently in his room, waiting. 'I've been training for this like my life depended on it.' He reminisced on the last ten days. "There's no way in Hell I'll let them win!"

*Knock! Knock!*

"Izuku, are you there?" Asia's voice came from behind the door. "Do you mind if I come in?"

"No, please do."

Asia then entered the room, wearing her church clothes, along with the pendant Inko had gotten for her.

"Wow, uh… Haven't seen you wear that in a while," Izuku said, noting Asia's choice of clothes.

" I thought my habit might make me feel more confident. Rias said she was okay with it as long as I felt comfortable. Plus, I was planning on using this as my Hero costume," Asia said. "So I just wanted to know what you thought."

"I think you look pretty good, actually," Izuku replied.

"You're sweet. I'd like to stay here with you, do you mind?"

Izuku nervously nodded. "No, not at all." Asia then went over to take a seat on Izuku's left side, pressing her body against his. 'SHE'S SO CLOSE!' Izuku started flustering as he tried to stay calm. Then he noticed that Asia had a worried look on her face.

"I'm a little bit nervous about the battle," Asia admitted. "Still, as long as I have you here next to me, I know everything will be fine. Is it alright with you, Izuku? If I just stay here like this for a while?"

Izuku nodded with a smile, and Asia took what time she had left to enjoy the warmth. 'This… isn't so bad.'

Then, Hisashi came into the room. "You kids ready for the game?"

"To be honest, I feel like there's still a lot more that could be done," Izuku replied. "Though it could be due to what's at stake."

"Not surprising," Hisashi said. "However, there's a reason why I had you go through sword training. So that you'd have enough experience to wield this." He then handed Izuku the Homuraski.

"You're letting me use your sword?!" Izuku asked.

"Yep. The Homurasaki isn't just a sword of fire. It can also cut and devour flames. A perfect weapon to use against the fire-wielding Phenex, wouldn't you agree? You can store it in your Boosted Gear until needed."

At the clubroom, everyone had already arrived by the time Izuku, Asia, and Hisashi entered. Everybody was doing their own thing as they waited for the game to start. Yumi was inspecting one of her swords. Koneko snacked on some sweets while slipping on combat gloves with cat paws on them. Akeno and Rias were sipping tea, the former sitting on a couch while the latter was at her desk, maintaining an appearance of complete calmness. Itsuka, dressed in a teal gi, was practicing some combat stances. Eijiro and Mina were also there, though, like Hisashi, they would only be spectators.

"Everyone's here, good," Rias said, setting her teacup down.

Then, the club door opened as Sona, Tsubaki, Latia, and Chacha entered.

"Sorry if we're interrupting," Sona said.

"No, please, come on in, Sona, Latia," Rias said.

"I'm glad you could make it," Akeno greeted.

"Wow, I didn't expect to see you all here," Izuku said.

"It's our Rias's first Rating Game. We wouldn't miss an event like this for anything," Latia said.

"Well, I promise to do everything in my power to make it interesting for you," Rias said.

Then, a white magic circle appeared, and Grayfia emerged from it. "It's almost time. I hope you're ready for this, my lady."

"Yes. We're ready whenever you are," Rias replied.

Grayfia nodded and took out a clear crystal case containing a Bishop Piece inside. "Here is your Substitute Piece. All you have to do is charge it with a small amount of your power, then give it to the person of your choice."

"I understand," Rias then sent a bit of her magic into the Bishop and it started glowing red. "Itsuka…"

Itsuka then received the Piece before pressing it into her chest, causing it to be absorbed into her body.

"It's done. Lady Itsuka is now your Substitute Bishop for the duration of the Rating Game," Grayfia informed.

"Yeah, but I don't feel any different," Itsuka said while feeling herself.

"In time, you will feel its effect," Grayfia assured before turning back to Rias. "In a few moments, we'll use this magic circle to transport you and the rest of your team to the battlefield."

"And where exactly is the battlefield?" Izuku asked.

"In a neutral alternate space created just for the game. Because it's not real, we have full license to do some damage, even burn it to the ground if we want," Akeno replied with a sadistic chuckle.

'Great, that doesn't sound scary at all,' Izuku thought sarcastically. 'Glad she's not a Villain…'

"We'll be in the Student Council room," Sona said.

"We'll be cheering you on. Good luck," Latia added.

"Thanks a lot," Rias smiled.

"If I was a betting girl, I'd say you're going to beat that scumbag seven ways from Sunday," Sona added before taking her leave.

"I'm rooting for you and everyone, Izuku. I know you'll win!" Chacha said.

"Yeah, thanks for your support, Chacha," Izuku thanked, and Chacha smiled before heading out with her master.

"There's something I forgot to tell you," Grayfia said. "I thought you'd like to know, the Great Devil Lucifer will be watching the game."

Rias responded with a sigh. "Oh, Brother Dearest…"

"Wait, Buchou's big brother is the Devil Lucifer?!" Izuku asked.

"That's right. Lord Sirzechs Lucifer, also known as the Crimson Satan, is her brother," Yumi chimed in. "He's also one of the Four Great Satans who became the current rulers of the Underworld after the original Satans died in the Great War. He and the other Satans led us through a dark time, saving the Devil race from ruin. But by receiving the title of Lucifer, he forfeited his Gremory name."

"Well, that explains why Rias is the next heir to the House of Gremory," Asia noted.

Izuku couldn't help but be shocked by this, he already knew Rias's family held prestigious status, but it was overwhelming, to say the least, that her older brother was one of the rulers of the Underworld alongside three others.

"It's time, everyone," the group all turned to the maid as she gestured to the magic circle.

"Then let's go," Rias announced.

"Good luck, kids," Hisashi said.

"Give Riser what he deserves!" Eijiro added

"Kick his ass!" Mina cheered.

The Gremory group nodded and, with resolves of steel, they walked into the magic circle. Once inside, they were bathed in the crimson light of the magic circle as they vanished one after another.

When the light cleared from Izuku's vision, he looked around only to see that they were seemingly still in the clubroom.

"I think our magic circle's broken," Asia said, thinking the same thing.

"Yeah, we're still here…" Itsuka added.

Then, an announcement came from the school speakers. ["Your attention, please. Welcome everyone, my name is Grayfia. I am a servant of the House of Gremory. I will be your referee during today's match. To create the battlefield you'll be competing in, I took suggestions from both Lady Rias and Lord Riser. This place is an exact replica of U.A. High, an educational institution in the human world."]

"What does that mean?" Izuku asked.

"Just take a look outside," Rias replied.

When Izuku opened the window, he could see that the sky was no longer black as night, but rather a mystical green with auroras.

"The sky!" Asia said.

"This is an alternate space," Yumi informed.

"It might look like it, but trust me, we're not at U.A. anymore," Akeno added.

["Each team has been given an area that will serve as its home base. Lady Rias, your crew will be in the Occult Research Club headquarters at the club buildings."]

Meanwhile, at Riser's home base, he was making himself comfortable, snuggling with some of his girls.

["Lord Riser's home base will be located in the principal's office in the main building. Pawns will be promoted if they can make their way to the home base of the opposing team. Good luck to all."]

With Grayfia's announcement concluded, Team Gremory started discussing their plans. Rias was the first to contribute, stating how Riser's regeneration played a big part in his strategies. And if they could keep some of their best cards well hidden, Riser would be unlikely to change his MO.

Then, it was Izuku's turn to speak. He explained that it would be best to take out Riser's servants first before going after the King, it would be hard enough to deal with Riser's immortality, and the last thing they needed was the enemy catching them off-guard. The Pawns especially would need to be dealt with to prevent them from reaching their base and Promoting to Queens. Once all of Riser's team has been dealt with, they could face off against Riser unimpeded, though getting past his regeneration would be the tricky part.

As for their defense, Yumi and Koneko would head to the surrounding woods to lay traps while Akeno set up illusions around their home base. Then there was the issue of Gym Gamma, the building closest to the clubhouse, which could serve as an easy access route to home base. So, Izuku and Itsuka would meet up with Koneko there after she was done with her current task.

Rias opted to remain at the base and act as commander to relay instructions and provide updates, and since Asia was their healer, her staying safe was crucial, so she was to stay by Rias.

Rias then handed everyone a red energy marble. "These'll help us communicate during the battle." Everyone then put their marbles in their ears.

["Alright, Devils…Let the game begin!"]

Upon hearing Grayfia's announcement, Team Gremory steeled themselves for the fight.

"Those failures don't deserve to stand on the same field as us. Show no mercy! Break their spirits, shatter their pride, and force them into submission! If I don't crush her, this is meaningless." Riser ordered.

"Let's get started on those traps and barriers," Akeno said.

"Right!" Koneko and Yumi nodded, and the Queen, Rook, and Knight left the room, leaving Rias, Itsuka, Asia, and Izuku in relative silence.

The gentle Bishop was sitting across from Izuku, hands in her lap as she continued nervously fidgeting in anticipation of the fight. "All this talk of fighting is starting to scare me."

"Try to relax, trust in Rias and Midoriya's plan," Itsuka advised.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Asia nodded. "Oh, I just remembered. I brought these," she reached into her robe and pulled out a cross and a bottle.

"You still have that?!" Rias exclaimed, the skin of every Devil in the room crawling. "And is that holy water!?"

Asia fidgeted her fingers nervously. "I never actually got rid of them, and I figured they could be useful."

As much as Rias wanted to scold Asia for keeping a cross and holy water, she decided against it. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"A bit numb, but I'm okay."

Rias sighed, before staring at the church items on the table. She hated to admit it, but these would definitely be useful.

"I'll hold onto them," Itsuka, the only non-Devil in the room, offered.

"Thanks," Asia said, handing over the cross and holy water.

Then, Rias went over to the sofa and sat down. "Izuku, come here."

"For what?" Izuku asked.

Rias put a hand on her thigh. "I want you to put your head on my lap.

"E-eh?!" Izuku gasped, his eyes widening as he flinched.

"Just get over here already," Rias ordered.

Izuku took a deep breath to calm himself down before slowly laying his head on Rias's lap, while Asia stared at the scene with a pout, unable to hide her jealousy.

"Izuku, I cast a little spell on you. It's time to unlock it."

Izuku's expression changed from flustered to curious at Rias's words.

She then placed a hand on his head.

*Thu-thump!*

'What is this? What's happening to me?' Izuku felt a sudden rush of power flowing into his body. It felt like something inside him had just been set free.

"When you became a Devil, I told you it used eight of my Pawn pieces," she told him. "But what I didn't tell you was how much power you'd received."

"Wait, what?" Izuku asked.

"If I had unleashed everything all at once, your body wouldn't have been able to take it. So I cast a spell to keep your powers at bay. Because of the spell, your abilities come to you in small, manageable stages. What I just did was release another portion of your power. This is just the beginning of what you can do, Izuku. But in order for your body to be able to handle your Boosted Gear, on top of the full extent of your power, we had to get you in shape and make sure you were strong enough. There's a good portion in there that you're just not ready for yet."

Asia turned her body sideways with her hands together to pray. "There I was being jealous when all along Rias was just trying to help him… Dear God, please forgive me for being so stupid and letting my awful jealousy get the best of me." And then the headache came. "OW!"

"Do your best out there. Take those Pawns out," Rias instructed.

"I won't let you down!" Izuku vowed.

"Good. Now let's get moving," Rias said as she stood up. "Izuku, Itsuka, go help Koneko. She should be at Gym Gamma. Some of Riser's servants are likely already there."

"Right!" Itsuka and Izuku nodded.

"But before we go, one more thing," Itsuka suddenly said.

"What is it?" Rias asked.

"We already know that Riser has two major advantages in number and immortality, but I think he also has another advantage, over you specifically," Itsuka said. "He knows you."

"What do you mean?" Rias asked.

"He knows that you don't want to marry him, so I bet he's gonna use that to get inside your head and set you up for defeat," Itsuka explained.

"Yeah, that does sound like a Riser move. Threatening the opponent's pride and causing them to act recklessly," Izuku added in agreement.

Rias hated to admit it, but that did sound like something she would fall for. "So what do you suggest I do?"

"Try to keep your pride in check and ignore his temptations. But if you must fight him, have someone else by your side, other than Asia. She might be an amazing healer, but she can't keep healing you indefinitely, while Riser can regenerate as much as he wants. So you're gonna want another fighter as backup," Itsuka said. "Can you promise that?"

"Alright. I swear I won't act recklessly," Rias promised. "If that's all, then get out there. Show them what you can do."

"Right!" Izuku and Itsuka quickly ran outside.

"Good luck, guys. I'll be praying for each and every one of you," Asia said.

Izuku and Itsuka soon caught up to Koneko right outside Gym Gamma. They snuck in through the backdoor to try and be stealthy, but the gym was practically empty with no hiding spots. It was also dark inside, but that quickly changed as the lights turned on. In the center of the gym were four of Riser's servants. "Smells like Gremory filth…" One of them taunted. "Look what we have here. She sent us a Pawn, a Rook, and a Bishop."

Izuku remembered them from the first time he saw them as well as the footage Rias had given him.

"I'm Mira. And I'm a Phenex Pawn," the first to introduce herself was a girl with blue hair and light brown eyes. Her hair was styled with four short pigtails, two of them pointing up and the other two pointing down. The front of her hair had split bangs going across her forehead, with side bangs framing her face. Her outfit consisted of a white haori with a red obi, worn under a red happi coat. She had bandages on her forearms and shins and backguards over her hands. She wore a pair of zori under her feet. In her hands, she held a wooden staff.

"I'm Xuelan, a Phenex Rook!" The next was a well-endowed girl who appeared to be Chinese, with shoulder-length black hair and blue-green eyes. Her hair has two Chinese-style buns on both sides of her head, while the front features bangs that form a slight V-shape across her forehead. Her outfit consists of a navy blue qipao with gold accents, a sash around her stomach, black arm guards on her forearms, and black, low-heeled shoes. The qipao was open at the chest area, giving a view of her breasts and cleavage, as well as a split down the left side to show off her long leg.

Lastly, there were the twins, both of whom looked like middle schoolers. They both had turquoise hair with yellow ribbons tied to one side of their hair opposite to one another, likely to tell them apart. They were dressed in gym uniforms; white t-shirts with blue accents, black leggings, and blue sneakers over knee-high socks. They also wore orange wristbands on their right wrists. They also had red and blue gym bags on their back. "I'm Ile and I'm a Pawn! My name is Nel, and I'm also a Pawn!"

"The Rook chick. She could be a big problem for us," Koneko said.

"Really?" Itsuka asked.

"Based on her power level, she's got the skills of a Queen."

"That's no good."

"Still, we can't give up!" Izuku said as he summoned his Boosted Gear.

[Boost!]

"I'll try my luck with the Rook," Koneko said as she took up a fighting stance.

"I'll fight the twins," Itsuka said, holding up her Aquarius Key. "Dress Form: Aquarius!"

"Guess that leaves me with Mira," Izuku said.

Elsewhere, three of Riser's Pawns were attempting to navigate through a thick fog in search of the ORC building. The first of the young women, Shuriya, had long, pale blue hair, amber eyes with purple eyeshadows around them, and tanned skin. She wore a bikini made up of a metallic underwire brassiere and a silk loincloth that exposed her sides, a silver-colored tiara, and neck rings with a ruby and blue gem respectively. Other accessories include ruby orb earrings, a snake-themed bracelet on her upper arm, and a transparent pink veil across both her arms.

The other two, Marion and Burent, were dressed as French maids. Marion had shoulder-length light brown hair and dark brown eyes. Her French maid uniform was a buttoned, sleeveless one with a white laced design, along with a standard maid headpiece, cuffs, and a white half-apron to go with the set. She also wore light gray tights.

Burent, on the other hand, had shoulder-length brown hair and had a maid's uniform that was also sleeveless but exposed her cleavage with a white lace design on the edges, a maid headpiece, half-apron, and forearm-length fingerless gloves.

"Damn, this fog is so thick, we won't be able to see anything," Burent said.

Then, a red magic circle appeared a few meters away. In the blink of an eye, glowing spears shot out of the circle, but the Pawns were as quick to dodge them as well.

"A trap? Did they really think that something that lame would work?" Shuriya wondered in amusement as she flew through the air.

"The Gremorys are dumber than I thought," Burent mocked as she and Marion were in the air together.

"A cute trick from a Rating Game virgin," Marion said as she landed. Then she cast a spell that disabled a trap on the path ahead. "Do you think the Gremorys really believe these stupid traps are going to slow us down at all?"

Eventually, they made their way to what seemed to be the ORC building.

"That's their home base isn't it?" Burent asked as they all got closer. However, what they didn't realize was that there was a near-invisible tripwire in their path until it was too late.

The moment the wire broke, a boulder pendulum was set loose, swinging toward the women, who were able to easily avoid it. However, that was only the first part of the trap as then, a dozen swords rained down on them from above. The maids and showgirl barely managed to avoid them, though their clothes weren't as lucky.

"Okay, that was better, but still not-" Burent said, only for all the swords to suddenly start glowing.

*BOOM! KA-BOOM! BOOM!*

The swords exploded, and the Pawns were sent flying by the shock waves, crashing into the nearby trees, though it was not enough to take them out.

"At least we can-" Shuriya turned toward the club building, only for it to fade away into mist, revealing it was just an illusion. "An illusion?!"

"They caught us off-guard with those weak traps from before!" Marion shouted in realization.

Then, the three Pawns saw Yumi Kiba walking out of the woods. "I really should thank Izuku and his dad. Their ideas for exploding Demonic Swords was ingenious."

"…Fuck."

"Hah!" Xuelan's feet were lit with flames as she threw a spinning kick at Koneko, who ducked to dodge. However, Xuelan was not done yet as she unleashed some more kicks and threw in a couple of palm strikes as well. Then when Koneko was about to strike from behind, she kicked upwards, striking Koneko and ripping a bit of her uniform. Koneko wasn't too damaged by the attack and continued to hold her ground as Xuelan resumed her barrage of kicks, before managing to grab her leg on the last kick. She then pulled on the leg to drag Xuelan closer before landing a right hook on her left cheek.

Xuelan stumbled back a few feet from the blow, rubbing her sore face. "Nice one." But then, Koneko came charging in, ramming into her, and knocking her down on her back. "Who the hell are you? Tell me!" Xuelan demanded as she began getting up.

"I'm Koneko. Suck it."

Itsuka shot two water orbs at the twins, who sliced through the attacks with… chainsaws of all things.

"Slice her up! Slice her up! Slice her up!" Ile and Nel chanted with rather disturbingly cheery grins as they charged to try and cut up Itsuka, who managed to sidestep the chainsaw blades as the twins took turns swinging at her. As they tried swinging at the same time, Itsuka changed her form into water to slip behind the twins and fired a jet of water from each hand at the twins, causing them to stumble back a bit.

Izuku faced off against Mira, dodging a staff thrust from her. Mira took a step back, spun her staff, and swung it in an arc right at Izuku's head. He leaned backward to cause the attack miss, before throwing his fist forward at Mira, who used her staff as a shield to block.

"You're not that much of a beginner as I thought," Mira commended. "Perhaps I can let loose more." The ends of her staff then became lit with flames.

"I appreciate it," Izuku replied.

[Boost!]

[Blade!]

After activating another Boost, Izuku withdrew the Homurasaki from the Boosted Gear.

Izuku and Mira then charged at each other with their respective weapons. Izuku went for a downward slash, but Mira blocked it with her staff before throwing a kick at Izuku. Izuku recoiled a bit from the kick but managed to recover in time to block another staff strike from Mira.

'She's good…' Izuku thought as he backed up. 'I suppose this is a good time as any to try out that new move I've been working on…' Izuku then reengaged Mira, dodging a thrust of her staff, before swinging the Homurasaki down full-strength to cleave her staff into two.

As Mira was in shock over her staff being broken, he hit her with a palm strike on the shoulder, knocking her down. Unbeknownst to her, a magic circle briefly appeared over the spot Izuku struck.

"Kendo! SWITCH!" Izuku called out.

Itsuka understood and backed up from the twins before tagging out with Izuku so that he would face the twins while she faced Mira.

"It doesn't matter who we're facing!" Ile said.

"We're still gonna slice you!" Nel declared.

Both twins then jumped into the air with their chainsaws raised high. However, Izuku was prepared.

[Explosion!]

With all his Boosts unleashed, Izuku unfurled his wings and took off toward the twins. Flying at a rapid speed that their eyes couldn't keep up with, he tagged Ile on the shoulder and Nel on the back, a magic circle appearing on the areas they were hit. The twins were hurt by the blow and fell to the ground, but they were still in the game.

"We can't lose to this dweeb!" Ile said.

"If we do, Lord Riser's gonna be pissed off!" Nel added.

Mira, deciding to take out Izuku first, left Itsuka behind while lighting the broken halves of her staff in flames. At the same time, the twins revved up their chainsaws and ignited them as well.

"It's time to die!" Mira shouted.

"Let's slice off his balls!" Ile and Nel shouted.

Izuku, despite being ganged up by three opponents, was not worried. "Bring it on! Here's my special move!"

Itsuka was surprised at what Izuku just said. Xuelan, who was currently being held in a lock by Koneko, was also shocked, letting out a gasp. Koneko herself showed a somewhat shocked face.

"Now… RUPTURE!" Izuku snapped his fingers, and the magic circles reappeared on Mira, Ile, and Nel's bodies. When Izuku had tagged the girls earlier, he also sent a small portion of his demonic power into their bodies. And the finger snap just now was a trigger. The bits of Izuku's power inside the Pawns reacted and pressure started building up before they exploded, causing damage from within. Mira, Ile, and Nel screamed as they all collapsed.

While Mira seemed able to continue, albeit injured, Ile and Nel seemed to be down for the count and vanished in glimmering light.

["Two of Lord Riser's Pawns… Retired."] Grayfia announced.

"No! Ile! Nel!" Mira shouted as she barely managed to stand.

"Hey! Remember me?"

Mira turned to see Itsuka's enlarged fist coming her way. In her injured state, she was unable to dodge, and the giant punch sent her flying through the air and into a wall, leaving spider cracks behind her. She barely let out a cough before collapsing and disappearing in blue light like her teammates.

["One of Lord Riser's Pawns… Retired."]

Xuelan gave out a growl. Her teammates had already been taken out in such a short time. "Damn-!"

["Three of Lord Riser's Pawns… Retired."]

Xuelan's eyes widened in shock at the announcement. For Izuku, Itsuka, and Koneko, on the other hand, that was good news.

"Nice!" Itsuka grinned.

"Looks like one of our traps worked!" Izuku guessed.

Koneko simply smiled at this. The three then noticed Xuelan staring at one of the windows. Koneko then twisted the lock even harder, causing the enemy Rook to regain her focus as she struggled to break free. She eventually found her opportunity as a well-aimed kick caused Koneko's hold to weaken and she slipped out.

The Chinese Devil then started throwing out palm strikes at the Gremory Rook, who ducked underneath and swept her leg under Xuelan, knocking her off her feet.

Xuelan quickly got up, only for a geyser, courtesy of Itsuka, to erupt beneath her, sending her into the air. Xuelan barely had time to look ahead as Koneko, who had jumped high into the air, pulled both her fists back before bringing them down on her, sending them both crashing down to the floor.

*SMASH!*

The floor was utterly wrecked by this, and when the dust cleared, Koneko was still standing while Xuelan vanished in blue light.

["One of Lord Riser's Rooks… Retired."]

"Great job, Koneko!" Izuku grinned as he ran up to his teammate, only to turn red and swiftly turn 180°. Koneko was confused by his sudden behavior and looked down to see bits of her bra and panties showing, causing her to slightly blush.

"Smart choice," Koneko muttered.

"R-Right!" Izuku said, still looking away. As Koneko started fixing her clothes with magic, Izuku and Itsuka started looking out the same window Xuelan was focused on earlier.

"Hey, you noticed Xuelan was looking at something, right?" Izuku asked.

"Yep, though I have no idea what," Itsuka replied.

"Okay, I'm done," Koneko said, and Izuku turned to face her. "So what was that new move anyway?"

"Oh, it's something I've been secretly developing since camp. I was partly inspired when Akeno caused the water in a bottle to suddenly freeze and burst. Also from Kacchan. That was also the first time I used it on living targets, and I wasn't sure how that would work compared to inanimate objects. I'm just glad I didn't hurt them too badly, even if they were our enemies…" Izuku began another mumbling storm.

"Okay, you can stop now," Koneko interrupted.

"Right! Sorry…"

Meanwhile, Itsuka spotted something outside. It was a woman flying on wings and judging by the glow on her staff, she was apparently aiming an attack at them.

"Guys! Look out!" Itsuka screamed, running towards them.

Koneko and Izuku were alerted by her panicked tone. As Itsuka ran up toward them, she formed a water dome around them. Izuku barely had time to look outside and notice the woman that Itsuka spotted, someone he recognized all too well, right before a blinding light enveloped the building.

*KA-BOOM!*

Yumi looked up in shock from the sound of the explosion. She could see a thick layer of smoke rising into the sky and wisps of embers from where she stood. She could tell where the explosion had occurred thanks to having visited U.A. many times before, but more importantly, who were there at the site of the explosion. "Everyone!"

"Don't worry, Yumi," Rias said through the com-link. "Grayfia didn't announce anything about them being retired, so they should still be in the game. Still, I better send Akeno to check. The only one who could have done that is Riser's Queen."

"Right, understood," Yumi nodded.

"Good, now you have your own job to do. Be careful," Rias ordered.

"Yes ma'am," Yumi obeyed. 'Please, everyone. Be safe!'

Among the burning wreckage of Gym Gamma, there were Itsuka, Izuku, and Koneko, lying on the ground. Fortunately, they didn't seem to be hurt that badly. Itsuka was the first to get up. "Everyone okay?"

"I'm fine," Izuku said, lifting his head. "Koneko?"

"Peachy," Koneko said. Looking up, she suddenly frowned. "We have company."

Itsuka and Izuku followed her gaze and narrowed their eyes. Up above them levitating with wings, was a busty figure holding a staff, slowly descending before them. "Is that…?"

"That's right," Koneko confirmed. "Riser's Queen, Yubelluna."

Yubelluna gave a condescending smirk. "I'm surprised you three managed to survive my signature attack. I figured it would be easier to finish you all off after our comrades sacrificed themselves to tire you out. The enemy is most vulnerable during a celebration after all," she said, then her smirk turned into a frown. "The user of Celestia Regalia. You managed to protect yourself and your teammates with a barrier. However, I guarantee that you'll not be so fortunate a second time." Then, she turned to Izuku. "As for you, boy. I also wasn't expecting for you to be a dragon." She brandished her staff around and pointed it at the Gremory members. "Care to see how long you three will last against me?"

Izuku frowned as he looked up at Yubelluna before turning to his friends. "Koneko, Kendo, go and help Yumi."

Koneko looked at him, aghast, realizing what he was planning. "Are you stupid?! She's a Queen! You won't last a minute!"

"I'll be fine," Izuku reassured them with a small smile. "Thanks to Master Tannin and Kacchan, I have plenty of experience dealing with explosions."

"Is that a challenge?" The opposing Queen hissed. "And you're telling me you've faced the Blaze Meteor Dragon himself? Ridiculous!"

Izuku turned to Yubelluna with a determined glare. "Believe what you want."

Koneko grimaced but reluctantly nodded.

Itsuka, however, didn't seem to be budging. "Sorry, but you're not getting rid of me that easily. Like it or not, you're not facing her alone."

Izuku sighed and relented. "Okay. Thank you for offering to help, Kendo," he said, causing her to grin.

Koneko then ejected her wings and flew off. Yubelluna paid her no mind.

"Allowing your comrade to escape while you two stay to fight me," Yubelluna said. "Very admirable… Foolish, but admirable. Still, the two of you can never hope to defeat me!"

Izuku said nothing, instead clenching his fist.

Itsuka brought her hands together and fired a big jet of water at Yubelluna. Then Izuku followed by leaping into the air with a punch ready, but the Phenex Queen blocked both attacks with a barrier. "Nice try," she mocked before sending Izuku crashing down with an explosion. Luckily, he was saved by a big water sphere from Itsuka. "I told you: You can't win."

As Izuku and Itsuka glared at Yubelluna, Akeno suddenly flew down from the sky. "Well, this is exciting," she said.

"Akeno!" Itsuka shouted.

"Izuku, Itsuka, I can take care of this trash. You two go on ahead, okay?" Akeno said.

"Is that so? How exciting!" Yubelluna said.

"I'll be fine, guys, just go!" Akeno said.

"Whatever you say, just get her!" Izuku said as he and Itsuka ran off.

"I've been wanting to fight you for what seems like ages, Priestess of Thunder," Yubelluna said.

"Oh, have you? That's sweet, but the pleasure is truly mine, Bomb Queen," Akeno replied.

Both Queens' aura flared to life as they prepared to battle one another.

*BOOM!*

As sounds of thunder and explosions rang behind them, Izuku and Itsuka ran through the woods. Eventually, they spotted Koneko and Yumi hiding behind some bushes, spying on the enemy players. Taking extra precautions not to be seen, they quietly made it to their friends' side.

"How're you guys doing?" Izuku asked in a whisper, almost startling Yumi and Koneko.

"I managed to take out three enemy Pawns with a trap. That exploding swords trick was brilliant, it made my job almost too easy. Although, now our enemies are more cautious because of it," Yumi whispered.

"What about Riser's Queen?" Koneko asked.

"Akeno decided to take her on so we could flee. Hopefully, we can get back there to help her," Izuku said.

"Doesn't look like our traps will work anymore," Koneko said, looking on in concern. "At this rate, we're gonna have to fight."

Then suddenly, a voice demanded their attention. "We know you're out there, Servants of Rias Gremory. I am Karlamine, a Knight in the service of Lord Riser! I challenge you, Knight of Gremory, to a duel!"

Yumi's eyes narrowed as she stood up.

"Where are you going?!" Itsuka hissed.

Yumi gave them a calm smile. "A Knight just challenged me to a duel. As a fellow Knight, I must respond."

"Guess we better go with you," Koneko closed her eyes and sighed.

"Thanks. And also, sorry," Yumi said.

"It's fine. Here, this might come in handy," Izuku said as he once again withdrew the Homurasaki from the Boosted Gear and handed it to Yumi.

As Yumi held the green fiery sword in her hands, she could feel the power within even while sheathed. "I appreciate it, Izuku."

Then, the four headed out of their hiding spot. Out in the clearing, there was the Knight who challenged Yumi, along with six others.

"I am Yumi Kiba, a Knight in the service of Lady Rias Gremory," Yumi announced as she pulled out the Homurasaki, "I sure hope you're ready! I've been looking forward to battling another Knight. Can't wait to get started!"

"Very well said!" The Phenex Knight, Karlamine, nodded. "En garde, Knight of Rias Gremory!" The female Knight then set her swords ablaze in flames. She had light brown hair, green eyes, and quite an endowed body. She wore a headband that wrapped multiple times around her forehead, and her outfit was a full silver armor that seemed to be a cross between a European knight and a Japanese samurai; with a chest plate, gauntlets, greaves, hip plates, and shoulder guards. She was equipped with a broadsword and a dagger, both of which were held with brown belts slung across her hip, with the sword slung on her left hip and the dagger located behind her hips.

The two female Knights then rushed at each other with their swords as they dueled in a fierce clash that one could not keep track of with the naked eye.

"Awesome…" Izuku muttered as he watched them fight. "Guess it'd be rude to get in the middle of it."

"Plus, you'll be busy," Izuku turned to see a woman with short, light brown hair with three red highlights across and gray eyes. The feature that stood out the most with a plain white mask that covered the right side of her face. Her outfit consists of a black jacket and matching jeans. The jacket has wide shoulders and a wide collar and features three leather straps on both her arms. It's also slightly open, revealing her rather large breasts and cleavage, and cuts off at her midriff. Her jeans have a section, on her right pant leg, that's cut off to reveal some of her thighs and rear end, and also features three leather straps on her calves, just below the ankles, and two extra straps on her right pant leg to keep it in place, while also sporting black fighting gloves and boots.

"Oh, that Karlamine…" Izuku now turned toward the princess-like girl who resembled Riser. "Her head is filled with nothing but swords, swords, swords, it's freaking ridiculous. She was way too bothered by those other Pieces we sacrificed, too. You ask me, she needs to get it together. Anyway, I'm Ravel Phenex. A Bishop in service of Riser Phenex, my older brother."

"My name is Isabela, and I am a Rook in service of the honorable Lord Riser Phenex," the masked woman introduced herself.

"Siris, Knight of Lord Riser," said a tall young woman. Her hair was long and black with a tint of blue, and she had brown eyes. Her hair looked like it had five thin ponytails spiraling out around her head, which were held up by a golden hair accessory on top of her head. Her outfit consisted of a white top with black accents that was modeled after a Chinese cheongsam, red shorts, and armored, knee-high boots with matching gauntlets. In the center of her top was a diamond-shaped hole that gave everyone a clear view of her breasts and cleavage. She was carrying a giant, two-handed zweihänder.

"I am Mihae, Bishop of Riser Phenex," the girl had long black hair, blue eyes, and an angelic face. She was dressed in a black and blue kimono that went all the way to the ground, a red sash around her waist, and a white tabi-socks on her feet. Her shoes were traditional slippers

"We are Ni and Li! Lord Riser Phenex's Pawns!" The two cat girls spoke in unison. The catgirl on the right had pinkish hair, and the one on the left had light bluish hair. Their cat ears stuck out of their hairs and their tails were swaying from side to side behind them. They both wore boxing gloves that were similar shades as their hair, and rather provocative sailor uniforms that revealed their abdomen, shoulders, and underboobs, along with yellow ascots and short black skirts and shoes that matched their hair color.

"Again with the twins, huh?" Itsuka noted. It was becoming even more clear that Riser was trying to include as many stereotypes as he could in his harem.

"Think we can take 'em?" Koneko asked as she cracked her fingers.

"You bet!" Itsuka nodded. She then revealed another golden key, this one bearing the symbol of Leo. "Dress Form: Leo!" Itsuka's outfit changed into an elegant, frilled, black ball gown bearing the image of a golden lion's head, it was also slit up to her left leg and tied with a gold sash that sat around her hips. A golden trim decorated the bodice as it curved inward toward her bust. She also wore a black, frilled choker around her neck, black detached sleeves around her arms, and black heels with matching gray tights. Additionally, her hair was tied up in a quaint bun, decorated with a black flower.

Seeing as how their opponents introduced themselves, it seemed right for the Gremory team to do the same.

"I'm Izuku Midoriya, Lady Rias's Pawn!"

"Koneko Toujou, Lady Rias's Rook."

"I'm Itsuka Kendo, a Substitute Bishop fighting in the name of Lady Rias Gremory."

"Let's make this quick. Isabela, take the Pawn. Li, Ni, you handle the Bishop. Siris, Mihae, you have the Rook." Ravel ordered.

"Yes, milady," the women stepped forward.

Meanwhile, Riser sat comfortably at his base, confident that soon enough, Rias would come to challenge him herself. She would futilely try to cause him some damage only for it to heal immediately afterward, and after she exhausted herself, he would finish off Rias and whatever backup she brings with her.

Maybe if Yubelluna defeats the Priestess of Thunder quickly, she can join him to bring even more pressure on Rias, to crush her spirit even more. Yes, nothing would stop him from making Rias his own.

*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*

Akeno screamed as she was sent tumbling across the ground, getting knocked around by several fireballs. Her Miko outfit was all torn and burnt thanks to the heat and fire.

On the other hand, Yubelluna looked to be in perfect condition, having healed herself with Phoenix Tears. "I admit, I never expected the Priestess of Thunder to be that strong, but you were bound to run low on magic eventually. Lucky I happened to have this on me." She held the now-empty bottle of Phoenix Tears before discarding it. "With that, your only chance to defeat me is lost."

"Ara ara," Akeno said with a forced smile, "You think you've already won?"

"Just look at yourself," Yubelluna gestured arrogantly, "You can barely stand and your magic must be almost depleted. You don't even have enough power to defend yourself."

"I won't need power for what I'm about to do," Akeno said defiantly. "Y'see, during the past 10 days, I realized my lightning abilities weren't exactly at their full potential because I was missing something. Care to take a guess?"

"Pray tell, what would that be?" The Bomb Queen asked.

Akeno grinned, "Creativity!" Then, lightning gathered in Akeno's hands. But rather than shooting it at Yubelluna, Akeno made the electricity spread all around the area, then she created tons of ironsand, which got picked up by the electricity and began floating in the air like a swarm of flies.

"What?! What the hell is this?!" Yubelluna shouted, baffled by the scene around her.

"It's electromagnetism. Let's see how you handle my lightning plus the ironsand created by my Quirk!"

[Akeno Himejima. Her Quirk: Ironsand. She can generate ironsand. As long as she has plenty of iron in her diet, she can make lots of them.]

Then at Akeno's command, the ironsand gathered up to form into long, sharp spikes, all pointing towards Yubelluna. Yubelluna quickly formed a shield around herself to block the iron spikes, but they just kept relentlessly jabbing and stabbing at the shield until cracks started to form, before long, Yubelluna's shield was destroyed, forcing her to take to the air to dodge. However, she couldn't keep avoiding the sharp projectiles and soon, a few grazed her body, drawing a bit of blood and shredding her clothes. Yubelluna then started countering by blowing up several with her explosions, but that mattered very little as Akeno's electromagnetism quickly reformed the spikes before they were sent after Yubelluna all over again.

"Oh yes! I'm loving that sound! Scream for me more, Bomb Queen! Hahahahahaha!" Akeno laughed as she made arm gestures to control her iron swarm.

"Psycho bitch!" Yubelluna screamed as she aimed an explosion at Akeno, only for a metallic dome to form around Akeno to protect her from the explosion. Then, Yubelluna was knocked down by another iron spike. By this point, Yubelluna was even worse off before she used the Phoenix Tear to heal herself the first time. The sharp barrage had left its mark not just on her body, but her clothes as well. The chest portion of her dress was reduced to strands of fabric barely holding onto each other, and her dress barely covered her legs.

"Well, it's been fun, but I can't afford to waste any more magic power," Akeno said as she stopped her lightning, causing all the ironsand to fall to the ground.

Yubelluna, barely mustering the strength to stand, aimed an explosion at Akeno, but Akeno used the Knight speed that came with her Queen Piece to zip away from the explosion before reappearing right in front of Yubelluna, to her shock. She then clenched her hand into a fist and delivered a left hook to her opponent's gut. Normally, a simple gut punch wouldn't even come close to KO'ing Yubelluna, but all the damage she had sustained beforehand ensured that that last blow would be the coup de grâce.

"You… you beat me with… a punch?!" Those were her final words before she fell into unconsciousness, disappearing soon after in a white light.

["Lord Riser's Queen… Retired."]

Akeno then dropped on her butt as exhaustion kicked in. "I really owe Mr. Hisashi for his advice. I'm not sure I could've won otherwise."

"Akeno, are you alright?" Rias's voice came through the comms.

"Never fear. All I need is a little rest, and I'll recover just fine," Akeno replied.

"Good. Because I want you back at home base so Asia can heal you."

"Really? But what about the others?"

"They can handle themselves. Besides, now might be a good chance for us to go on the offensive."

Back at his base, Riser heard the announcement of his Queen's retirement. He couldn't believe it. His Queen was defeated by Rias's Queen! Sure, he didn't expect Yubelluna to come out unscathed, but she also had a Phoenix Tear with her! Once she recovered, she should've been able to take down the Priestess of Thunder without much trouble!

But then, he quickly regained his composure. Sure, he no longer had his all-powerful Queen by his side, but that still wouldn't stop him from humiliating Rias with his immortality. And even if Rias brought backup, they would all find themselves outmatched as they fail to leave any sort of damage long enough to take him down. 'Enjoy it while you can, Rias. Soon, you and your group of children will fall before Riser. And after that, we will finally be together as man and wife.'

Karlamine swung her flaming sword with all her might, cleaving right through Yumi's sword.

"My Holy Eraser!" Yumi exclaimed.

"Unfortunately for you, that attack doesn't work against someone like me!" Karlamine boasted.

"Oh really, what about this one? Freeze!" Yumi created Flame Delete, a sword of ice. "And this!" She then unsheathed the Homurasaki.

"You've gotta be kidding, there's no way you have two Sacred Gears! And that other sword, I can already tell it's a unique one. Where'd you get it?" Karlamine asked.

"It was lent to us with your team in mind," Yumi answered.

"Is that so? Then bring it!"

*CLASH!*

Yumi blocked Karlamine's attack with Flame Delete. Suddenly, the flaming blade froze and turned to ice, the flames included, before it shattered, falling apart like glass.

Karlamine quickly discarded the broken blade before taking out a tanto. "No matter, I still control flame! And wind, and life!" She then ignited the dagger like a torch. "As do all from the House of Phenex!"

Karlamine's attack smashed Yumi's Flame Delete, but Yumi was hardly fazed as she simply discarded the broken sword and held the Homurasaki forward, which glowed green before sucking up all of Karlamine's fire.

"No way! How is this possible?!" Karlamine questioned.

Then, the Homurasaki lit up with flames of greater heat and intensity as Yumi swung it upward, slashing Karlamine and causing her to scream in pain.

Then, a vertical cut appeared on her chest as she fell to her knees.

"Hehe… guess I've lost…" Karlamine chuckled bitterly. "I sincerely hope we can duel again, perhaps under different circumstances."

"I would like that, too," Yumi nodded.

Then, Karlamine was taken away in silver light.

["One of Lord Riser's Knights… Retired."]

"WOAHHHH!" The sound of Izuku's scream caused Yumi's head to turn to see Izuku being sent flying backward.

Yumi quickly moved to intercept Izuku and ballooned up, managing to cushion his impact with her inflated navel, allowing Izuku to bounce off safely.

"Whew. Nice save, Yumi," Izuku thanked.

"No problem," Yumi replied as she deflated. "You heard it right? Seems Akeno managed to beat Yubelluna."

"Yeah, and that means I've gotta do my part too," Izuku said.

[Boost!]

With another Boost adding to his strength, Izuku activated Boosted Dragon and charged at Isabela.

"You managed to bounce back quickly. You're a lot better than I expected," Isabela commended. "Though I'm curious: Are you an actual dragon or do you have some dragon-like Quirk?"

"Part-dragon, to be precise," Izuku replied.

"Well, it seems our Lord made a miscalculation. But no matter, let's battle, Red Dragon!" Isabela challenged.

Izuku aimed a punch at Isabela's face, but she sidestepped to dodge and countered with her own punch, which Izuku dodged as well. Isabela then threw an uppercut which he avoided by taking to the air with his wings. Then, when she jumped to strike from above, he crossed his arms to brace himself as the hit sent him back to the ground, though he managed to land on his feet.

'This lady's a Rook. Meaning she hits harder than the Pawns. I gotta beat her fast!'

As Isabela rushed in for another punch, Izuku dodged her fist and tagged her on the shoulder.

"Oh, was that supposed to hurt?" Isabela asked.

"Not that. This!" Izuku withdrew his hand and prepared to snap his fingers. "RUPTURE!"

The instant Izuku snapped his finger, the bits of his energy inside Isabela's body detonated, dealing internal damage and causing her to collapse on one knee.

"And now… Dragon Shot!" Izuku formed a ball of green energy in his left hand and fired a green beam from it, sending Isabela flying back before she disappeared.

["One of Lord Riser's Rooks… Retired."]

"Isabela!" Ravel said in worry. Truthfully, that wasn't the first time in the game that had her anxious about their chance of victory. It all started when she heard the announcement of Yubelluna's defeat. The opposing team had yet to lose even a single member, yet, their team had already lost their ace in the hole, and it wasn't stopping there.

Ni and Li lunged at Itsuka, readying their kicks. However, Itsuka enlarged her hands to block their attacks before grabbing them by the feet and slamming them on the ground. The catgirls quickly got up and surrounded Itsuka from the sides as they started assaulting her with punches, forcing her on the defensive, blocking and dodging. But then, Itsuka quickly regained control over the fight by unleashing a flash of light, blinding the cat twins.

"My eyes!" Li shouted as she covered her eyes.

"So bright!" Ni exclaimed as she did the same.

"Regulus… Double Jumbo Fist!" Itsuka shouted as she shot out both her fists, enhanced with a lion-like aura made of light, and right at the last moment before contact, enlarged her fists to do more damage.

Ni and Li were sent flying by the force of Itsuka's giant punches and right as they landed, they were enveloped by blue light and disappeared.

["Two of Lord Riser's Pawns… Retired."]

In the meantime, Koneko was in a deadlock against Siris, while Mihae buffed her with support magic. The enemy Knight tried to pin Koneko down with her zweihänder, but the white-haired girl's resistance was strong as well. "I don't plan on failing Riser!" The Knight said.

"Same," Koneko retorted. "I don't want to disappoint Rias either."

Siris grinned as she used her sword to create strong winds to push her back. Koneko, however, moved faster than Siris had anticipated, and when Siris swung the sword again several times, Koneko dodged them all with agile movements.

As Siris tried and failed repeatedly to strike Koneko, Koneko eventually grabbed hold of the blade and with a display of strength, snapped the blade in two.

"My sword!" Siris exclaimed, but that left her open for Koneko to get behind her and put her in a lock before throwing her at Mihae.

As the Phenex Knight and Bishop were trying to get up, Koneko leaped into the air, did a flip, and came crashing down on top of them, sending out a dust cloud. When the gathering of debris particles died down, Siris and Mihae were shown to be knocked out on the ground before disappearing.

["One of Lord Riser's Knights… One of Lord Riser's Bishops… Retired."]

Ravel stood flabbergasted. She bore witness to the last few retirements, but she still was in shock over how their opponents took down the entire team minus herself and her brother that easily. She now realized just how severely they underestimated the players under Rias's command and their win streak was in jeopardy. Then she noticed Izuku looking at her and nervously took a few steps back.

"Um, so you're Riser's sister?" Izuku awkwardly asked.

"Yeah, so what about it?" Ravel asked. "I joined my brother's Peerage partly because I had nothing to do, and also because Riser wanted a 'little-sister type' in his Peerage.

Izuku blinked once. That explained all the… unusual fashion choices of Riser's servants. "Your… brother has issues."

"You don't know the half of it," Ravel sighed. She bit her lip nervously as she looked at him, "You're… not going to fight me?"

"Well, honestly, you don't really seem eager to fight," Izuku replied. "And I'm guessing you want to fight even less after what our team just did."

Ravel tried intimidating him with a staredown, but when it failed, she relented. "Yeah. I know I can't beat you, Red Dragon. The only person you're gonna need luck against is my brother." Ravel then turned toward the main school building, several yards away.

*KA-BOOM!*

"What was that?!" Izuku shouted. That came from the school building; it sounded like an explosion. There was even thick smoke rising into the air.

Izuku then tried calling Rias and Asia through the comlink. "Buchou! Asia! Come in! What happened?!"

"Izuku!" Asia's voice came from the comlink. "I'm with Buchou and Akeno! They're fighting Riser! But we need help!… Oh no! Aah!" Then, the connection was severed, right as another explosion rang at the school.

"Asia! ASIA!" Izuku called into the comlink. He didn't hear Grayfia announcing Asia's defeat, so he at least knew she was still in the game, not that stopped him from worrying.

"Sorry to say, but it seems my brother has Lady Rias right where he wants her," Ravel said, grabbing everyone's attention. "Granted, we did underestimate your abilities, but if your King loses, so do you."

Izuku gritted his teeth. She was right. Even though Rias went to challenge Riser with backup, it seemed that wasn't enough based on what he heard from Asia's end. Should Rias lose, then that meant the whole team would as well and her Peerage would be forced to submit to Riser's authority. There was no way in heaven or hell he was letting that happen! "Everyone, Rias, Akeno, and Asia need us! Let's go!"

"Way ahead of you!" Yumi said, forging another Flame Delete. "And I think you might want this back." She then returned Homurasaki to him.

"Let's cook his goose," Koneko said, bringing her fists together.

"Agreed. Let's win this thing!" Itsuka nodded.

Izuku took another glance at Ravel, who seemed surprised that they still had that amount of determination despite the bad situation their leader appeared to be in.

"You're not worried?" Ravel asked.

"We're fighting for Buchou so losing's not an option. That's why, fried chicken," Koneko said.

"Buchou, Akeno, Asia! We're coming!"

And with that, the four ran for the duplicate U.A., leaving Ravel behind, who just realized something. "Wait! Did she just call me fried chicken?!"

*BOOM!*

Up on the school roof, Rias shot several volleys of her destructive power while Akeno supported her with bolts of lightning and ironsand constructs. Riser countered most of their attacks, though he got stabbed with a few spikes and some parts of his body disintegrated. However, it ultimately did not matter as all damage done to him was quickly healed by his regeneration.

He then attempted to go on the offensive, but then, Asia's vines burst from below the roof to ensnare him. Riser quickly burnt off the vines and resumed his attack, sending a large fireball in the girls' way, but Asia formed a thick wall of vines to shield everyone, and she used the remaining intact vines to trap Riser again, and Akeno quickly took the moment to form the ironsand into spears to impale Riser from all sides before following up with a lightning attack to electrocute Riser.

Riser once again healed from the damage as he scorched the vine snare, but even so, he was starting to get frustrated by how long his opponents managed to last against him. "That meddlesome Bishop!"

"Oh, what's this? Are you getting tired? Maybe you should just give up?" Rias taunted. Even so, she was trying to hide the fact that she and Akeno were running low on mana.

"Aren't we getting cocky, darling?" Riser responded. "Riser must admit, he thought your pride would cause you to come face me without any backup, yet you proved me wrong. However, I presume the rest of your servants are on their way? Since your team took their sweet time defeating my servants, Riser thinks it's only fitting that he does the same to yours, one in particular!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself!" Rias told him in defiance. "You'll have to go through me before you get to them!" She then shot a beam of her destructive powers at him and disintegrated Riser's right arm.

Riser chuckled as fire ignited from the stump of his right arm before it reformed into said arm. "Resign; you're about to be mated. I can't help but anticipate your moves. Riser knows you better than you think he does. Checkmate, my love."

"Fuck off, Riser!" Rias shouted with a glare as she stepped forward. "You know nothing if you think I'll give up! Try as you might, you will not intimidate me! I am a King, I am ready for war!"

"You leave me no choice, then…" Riser unfolded his flaming wings and took off into the air, forming a large magic circle of the Phenex Family in his hand.

*ROAR!*

Riser sent a large stream of fire in the form of a bird at Rias, Akeno, and Asia, bigger than anything he's thrown out so far. The girls all raised a magical barrier, with Akeno even gathering all her ironsand to form an iron wall, but Riser's attack was unlike anything before.

Luckily, their defense held strong and no one was harmed, but it severely drained their stamina and magic. The iron wall was reduced to a partially molten slab of metal, still glowing red from the intense heat.

Asia seemed to have lost consciousness as Akeno held her in her arms.

"She's alright. She most likely collapsed from the shock of Riser's attack," Rias observed, unfortunately, even though Asia was unharmed, she was still out of commission. "Akeno, send her back to the base."

"Right," Akeno cast a magic circle to warp Asia away from the battlefield. She then tried using electromagnetism to manipulate the remainder of her iron wall, but the heat had caused the iron to become insulated against electricity. She then tried making more ironsand, but she only managed to make only a few grams. "Darn, I should've gotten more iron in my diet."

"So much for that annoying Bishop. Riser will put her in her place soon enough…" Riser grinned smugly. "Oh, Rias. Riser has stopped your Bishop's Twilight Healing. You and your Queen barely have any magical power left yourselves… Why not admit defeat? Riser won't think any less of you."

Rias's response was a scream of rage and frustration, pouring everything she had into one destructive blast that she shot at Riser, vaporizing everything above his midsection. However, it didn't take long for Riser's body to regenerate as good as new, with a smug grin across his face.

Rias gritted her teeth as she struggled to stand, her stamina drained from using so much of her power. Her clothes were charred and torn from Riser's attacks, with one breast being exposed, and sweat poured down her face. Even so, Rias refused to show weakness to Riser. "I've said this once… and I will say it again. The man I want to marry… is not you." She grinned proudly.

Riser's face twitched and twisted into a scowl. "Is that so? Then Riser has no choice but to put you down once and for all. Behold, the purifying flame of the almighty phoenix!" Riser created one single giant fireball over his head, the heat of which Rias and Akeno could still feel despite being a good distance away. With a shout, Riser threw the fireball full force at Rias and Akeno.

Akeno tried putting up a barrier, but Rias knew there was no way they could stop or dodge that attack in their current state. As the inferno came closer, Rias and Akeno closed their eyes to brace for impact.

However, the scorching blaze never hit them. As they opened their eyes, they saw the back of Izuku, with his red dragon wings out. On his left arm was the Boosted Gear, its green gem glowing brightly. His right arm held Homurasaki toward the flames, which also glowed green as it swallowed up all the fire, heat, and embers.

Rias blinked slowly, "…Izuku?" She muttered in disbelief.

The boy turned to meet her with a kind smile. "Sorry, we're late, Buchou. But it's okay. we're here now." Izuku had arrived to save Rias Gremory.

Rias stared in silence, taking in the sight before her. Right now, he seemed completely different. In some way, it reminded her of All Might's debut video.

Then, Yumi and Koneko, the latter carrying Itsuka in her arms, came flying in.

"We're here, at your service, milady," Yumi greeted.

"Here to serve fried chicken," Koneko said.

"Is Asia okay?" Itsuka asked.

"Don't worry, she's resting back at the base," Akeno reassured.

"Buchou, Akeno! Are you okay?" Izuku asked.

"Fine mostly, other than the fact that we used too much of our magic, and are severely drained as a result," Akeno said.

"We were a bit careless. If I had only brought Asia with me like I originally planned, I believe I might've been retired already or worse. Sorry, guys," Rias apologized.

"It's fine," Itsuka said, changing into her Aries form. She then covered Akeno and Rias in a blanket of pink wool, helping them regain their stamina and heal minor wounds.

Izuku smiled. "We're here now. Just relax and hang back," he then glared up at Riser. "We'll deal with him."

Izuku, Yumi, Koneko, and Itsuka stood on the roof as Riser continued to hover in the air.

Riser looked bewildered that the Pawn managed to stop his fire so easily, but he regained his composure as he folded his arms. "Riser must admit, I'm impressed that you managed to blow away his flame like that. Though I feel the compliment should be directed towards that sword you wield," Riser said.

The way he looked at the Team Gremory members made it clear he saw them as no threat, like insects. He then turned to Rias. "Your servants seem keen on fighting me, dear. Which is fine since Riser did consider paying them back for what they did to his servants. So feel free to watch, Rias… as Riser burns them all to ashes!"

"Go ahead and try!" Izuku challenged as he held Homurasaki tight.

[Boost!]

"Dress Form: Sagittarius!" Itsuka's outfit changed into a light green tailcoat that left her shoulders, upper back, and cleavage bare with detached sleeves, worn over a white leotard. On her legs were a pair of green thigh-high boots with a golden trim. Her hair was styled into a normal ponytail contrasting her typical side ponytail. Lastly, she held a golden ornate bow in her hand.

"Riser will enjoy this!" Riser then sent out a wave of flames at Team Gremory. Yumi stepped forward, and with a swing of Flame Delete, the fire was frozen in ice.

"That was just a warm-up, pun not intended," Riser followed up by sending another wave of flames at Yumi, she tried to freeze this attack as well, but it was hotter than the first one, preventing her from freezing it. Luckily, she managed to dodge with only her uniform being slightly charred.

"If you like that one, then here! Have some more!" Riser sent out another strong wave of flames, but this time, Izuku stepped up, with the Homurasaki drawn. Even at a distance away, the heat was somewhat intense but Izuku didn't stop as he raised the Homurasaki, and sliced right through the inferno. He pressed onward, flapping his wings as he flew up toward Riser.

As Izuku rushed towards him, Riser only spread his arms in victory. "Come on, trash. Nothing you do can hurt me."

*SLICE!*

Blood flew in the air. Rias and Akeno watched wide-eyed in shock.

Izuku had diagonally slashed Riser from his right hip up to his left shoulder.

"GAH!" Riser cried out in pain, as he stubbed backward a bit. He held his bleeding wound, gritting his teeth in both anger and pain. "You filthy low-life," Riser growled with a snarl, still feeling the pain of the slash. "What did you do to me?!"

"Nothing," Izuku answered. "It's just that this sword also has the power to cancel out flames, including the ones you use to regenerate. That's one injury you won't be healing from."

As Riser continued to snarl in anger, he was left blinded to two arrows fired at him by Itsuka, however, they missed him completely.

"Your aim must be poor if you couldn't hit Riser while he was distracted!" Riser taunted.

"Oh, but what if I wasn't trying to hit you?" Itsuka retorted. "Chain Arrows!"

Then, the arrows doubled back, expanding into a pair of energy chains that wrapped themselves around Riser. Then, Koneko pulled on one end of the chains to drag Riser down, causing him to crash onto the roof.

As Riser looked up, he saw Koneko crashing down upon him with her fist ready. She landed a solid blow on his gut, which while he could heal from, still made him cough blood.

The thought of these mere Low-Class Devils and one human pushing him to the edge like this really infuriated Riser as he let out a massive conflagration, sending out a shockwave that knocked all his enemies back.

Riser flew back into the air with his entire body ablaze. "Enough…" He growled. "Riser is done. Playing. Games!" Riser then shaped his flames into a massive phoenix.

Itsuka fired three arrows at Riser, but he sent forward his firebird, burning up the arrows as it continued toward Koneko and Itsuka.

Koneko put up a shield, but the firebird broke through the shield without much difficulty. Fortunately, both girls barely managed to dodge with a few burns as a result.

He then aimed the same attack at Yumi, who created two Flame Delete swords to counter the attack, but even then, it wasn't enough as some of the infernos persisted to singe Yumi, also leaving her with a few burns and struggling to stand, forcing her to use her swords for support.

Last was Izuku, on whom Riser sicced an even bigger firebird. Izuku held the Homurasaki to devour the flames, but while he was doing so, Riser made his move, suddenly appearing before Izuku and grabbing him by the neck in a chokehold, making him drop the Homurasaki. "I've had enough of you! Time to die!"

Swinging his arm out, he threw Izuku over the edge of the top of the roof.

However, Izuku grabbed his arm when he let go so that he could bring him down with him, shocking Riser, and making him also fall over.

But before he and Izuku could hit the side of the roof, Riser opened his flaming wings and stopped himself from falling. He then moved outwards and away from the roof, hovering towards an open court. Izuku tried his best to keep a grip on his right arm but could feel his hand slipping.

Riser took the opportunity to wrench his arm free and blasted Izuku with a fireball. Izuku screamed from the agony of the searing heat as he was sent crashing down to the ground. As Izuku was recovering from the impact with the ground, Riser came swooping down and headbutted him before continuing to beat him.

"Stop it!" Rias begged Riser, tears streaming down her face, but to no response. She wasn't just worried for her Pawn, She was scared.

"Rias! You have to stay strong!" Akeno said.

"But… Izuku! He…!"

Riser grabbed Izuku by the neck and lifted him off the ground. "Now I'm pissed! You're just a pathetic, lowly servant! You and your friends don't even have the right to challenge Riser Phenex!" Despite the arrogant smirk on his face, his eyes carried a serious look to them. His body and clothes looked worn down and his wings had slightly reduced in size. "I will now send you to hell where you belong! And Riser will make it hurt! Any deaths that occur during a Rating Game are considered accidents anyway!"

"Riser, please stop! Let him go!" Rias begged.

The Phenex looked to Rias. "You know there's only one way to change Riser's mind, my dear! Surrender, and this can all be over. Well, my beloved? What's it going to be?"

Before she could answer, Izuku, with gritted teeth, yelled out. "Don't listen to him, Rias!" He struggled to speak with his windpipe being tightly crushed, though he continued to glare at Riser.

"Ha! Do you have a death wish, Pawn? Face it, it's over!"

Rias looked worried for Izuku, but then a hand patted her from the back. Itsuka, who was starting to get up along with Koneko and Yumi, gave her a reassuring smile.

"It's okay. After all, Midoriya has a plan."

"Riser believes it's time to end this pathetic charade!" Riser declared as he prepared to finish off Izuku.

"I'm not done… If you're gonna put out a fire… Well, you're gonna need water." Izuku dug into a bag at his side and pulled out an object. Riser wasn't able to see what it was, but Rias did. It was the bottle of holy water! Back before they arrived at the school building, Izuku had asked Itsuka to pass the holy items to him, and with the bag, he could carry them without being adversely affected. "I won't stop… Until I save Rias from you!"

[Transfer!]

As Izuku brought his arm back, the Boosted Gear glowed green as the water in the bottle glowed bright gold.

*SMASH!*

Swinging his arm in an outwards arch, Izuku's hand smacked into the right side of Riser's head, smashing the bottle of holy water all over his head and face. The impact caused it to shatter on impact, and the water to disperse everywhere.

"UGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Riser screamed out in agony. His grip on Izuku's neck was released to give himself some distance, as the blond man grabbed his face with both his hands. He howled under the painful effects of the holy water, as parts of his face had major burns and had steam coming off it.

"Look at Riser!" Yumi said.

"The holy water is draining his mental and physical strength!" Akeno observed.

"Not even the Marquis of the House of Phenex can rise from the ashes when his mind's under this kind of attack," Rias noted. She then realized Izuku's plan: To get Riser as close as possible in order to use the holy water on him. Her eyes began watering again, except this time, it was in happiness. "Izuku, you little suicidal genius!"

The steam stopped, leaving Riser's body in a weakened and worn-out state. He tried throwing a fireball at Izuku, but he flew to dodge it. "No… Stop it…! Don't! This engagement's important to the future of all Devils! YOU FOOL! A MERE SERVANT LIKE YOU HAS NO BUSINESS GETTING INVOLVED IN THE AFFAIRS OF YOUR BETTERS!" He ranted. It was a miracle he was even still standing.

"Don't you understand?! I don't care!" Izuku fired back.

Riser tried throwing a fist at Izuku, but he caught it in his hands before grabbing onto Riser's arm to flip him over. If it wasn't obvious from the beginning, then it was now: thanks to the holy water, Riser was losing.

"Rias… She's the only thing that matters to me right now! And the fact that you'd force her to be with you… when she obviously hates you… Well, that's reason enough for me to take you out!" Izuku then took hold of Asia's old cross, wrapping it around his Boosted Gear. "I'll only say this once, so listen good, Riser…!" Izuku glared, readying another punch as green energy surrounded his body. "Never make Rias cry AGAIN! DRAGON SMASH!"

Izuku landed a strong punch on Riser's abdomen, causing him to cough up blood before he was sent flying back into a wall, shattering it upon impact. As Izuku followed Riser to where he crashed, he could see Riser struggling to stand.

"Bastard…" That was all Riser could say before he lost consciousness and collapsed, disappearing in a flash of light.

["Lord Riser Phenex, the King… Retired. Lady Rias Gremory is the winner of the Game."]

"AAAAAAAAH!" No longer needing the cross, Izuku dropped it with a painful scream. He wasn't sure if it was exhaustion or something to do with the cross, but his head was getting fuzzy and he felt weak in the legs.

*Boing!*

Rather than the hard ground, his head landed on two soft pillows, which belonged to one Rias Gremory as she wrapped him into a hug. "Izuku… My adorable little Izuku… You just saved my life…Thank you…" she said, tears of joy welling down her face.

Despite blushing hard from his head being pressed into Rias's bosom, he smiled and returned the hug as he heard his teammates, including Asia, cheering as they came closer.

Meanwhile, Ravel Phenex watched from nearby as she flew on her own fiery wings. "No way…" she whispered to herself. She couldn't believe that her brother lost! Well, she thought it might happen sooner or later, possibly against one of the Rating Game champions, but to a team of rookies in their first Rating Game, was the furthest from her expectations.

Then her eyes focused on Izuku, the one who defeated Riser. She hated to admit it, but his strategy was impressive. She couldn't believe that the Pawn, rather than Rias herself, was their main strategist. She then recalled something: Rias was attending U.A. the most prestigious Hero School in Japan. 'Does that mean the Welsh Dragon is going to be a Hero someday?'

Suddenly, many stories of her childhood, bedtime stories and fairy tales, that featured brave heroes, came back to her mind at once. She could see the image of Izuku as the hero in all those stories. Fighting the blush that she had, Ravel tried to push those thoughts aside. She had some business to take care of: Check on her brother, and then speak with her mother.

Soon, the ORC was back in their real clubroom. On the sofa, Rias sat as close to Izuku as she could. Eijiro, Mina, and Hisashi were waiting for them, congratulating them on their victory.

"Good thing that gambit paid off. Well done, Izuku," Yumi smiled, holding the Homurasaki which she retrieved on her way.

"Yeah, just happy it turned out nicely," Izuku admitted, looking up at Yumi.

"In any case, looks like our Rating Game's gathered up quite a view count. The highest one since the first," Rias smiled. "There's already a whole lot of feedback from the noble families who were amazed by our performance."

"You even got a nickname…" Koneko said with a smile, contrasting the usual stoic look she had, which was quite… cute, to be honest. "Red Hero Dragon. You've earned it." She then gave him a thumbs up.

"Red Hero…?" Izuku chuckled sheepishly.

"Sounds real manly, Midoriya! Way to go!" Eijiro cheered.

"Well done, Izuku. You've not only defended the honor of your master but have also made your father real proud," Hisashi said, holding the Homurasaki which he got back from Yumi in one hand while having his other hand on his son's shoulder.

"Izuku?" Izuku turned over to Asia, who was also smiling. "You were amazing out there."

"Hey it was a team effort, Asia," Itsuka smiled. "We all had a hand in beating Riser and his team. Besides, you helped Rias and Akeno last long against Riser. That was a major contribution if you ask me."

"Kendo's right. We're all proud of you, Asia." Izuku nodded, causing Asia to smile back.

"Right!" Asia nodded.

Then, the door to the clubroom opened up, and two separate groups walked inside. It was the Sitri Peerage, followed by the Astaroth Peerage. "Sona, Latia. I take it you were pleased by the outcome?" Rias smiled.

"Yes. You all pulled off quite a show… especially your Pawn, Midoriya," Sona said, smiling back.

"Imagine, a Devil who would willingly touch Holy objects just to gain an advantage over his opponents? That was incredibly risky, yet amazing," Latia also smiled.

"Izuku," Izuku looked up to see Chacha smiling at him while blushing. "You were awesome."

"Yeah! You should see what they're saying about you in the Undernet forums," Saji added.

"Undernet?" Izuku asked.

"The Underworld's Internet," Rias clarified.

"The Underworld has internet?"

"Earth has progressed far," Sona replied. "The humans have their internet so why shouldn't we?"

"We have my uncle, Lord Beelzebub, to thank for that. He's very interested in things humans are creating nowadays," Latia added. "Anyway, I think Rias's first victory in a Rating Game is a special occasion. How about a movie night to celebrate?"

"Sounds good!" A new voice suddenly said. "It's been a long time since I saw a movie that was made in the human world."

Latia's eyes widened in surprise at the sound of the adult male voice. It wasn't just her; everyone's eyes were drawn to the voice.

Standing in the open space of the room under a dimming magic circle was a handsome man in his early 20s with short shoulder-length crimson hair and cyan eyes, making him strongly resemble Rias. He was dressed in an elaborate silver and gray robe with large and elaborate gold spaulders that stretched out like a set of eight wings. Standing at his side was Grayfia, who stood by impassively as ever.

"Sirzechs!" Rias gasped. "W-what are you doing here?" She stuttered, a look of embarrassment appearing on her face.

"Hey, Rias," the man, Rias's brother, winked.

The other Devils in the vicinity quickly remembered themselves and got down on one knee and bowed their heads in respect, Hisashi doing the same. Izuku, Asia, Itsuka, Eijiro, and Mina, on the other hand, looked around confused before realizing they should do the same, quickly following through.

"There is no need for that. I did not come as the Devil King tonight," the man smiled kindly, raising his hand. Everyone stood up at his words.

'This is Buchou's brother?' Izuku thought to himself, looking at the man as his face paled slightly.

'This is the Devil King?' Asia thought to herself as she stared at the man.

"I didn't expect Lord Lucifer to grace us with his presence. To what do we owe such pleasure too?" Hisashi asked.

"Ah, Cinder. It's been a while," Lord Lucifer smiled as he shook hands with Hisashi. "As for my reason, it's simple, really. I'm here as a big brother who's come to support his younger sister." He then turned to Rias. "Oh, Ria. How cold you've become~!"

"But that's… you can't just… gah!" Rias groaned as she held her head.

'She's all flustered…' Izuku thought.

"So, this is the Red Dragon Emperor I've heard so much about," Rias's brother smiled at Izuku, who visibly flinched.

"Y-Y-Yessir! M-My n-n-name's I-Izuku M-Midoriya!" He stuttered.

"Please, don't be scared." Rias's brother extended a hand in friendship. "Nice to meet you. Sirzechs Lucifer, formerly known as Sirzechs Gremory. One of the Four Satans of the Underworld and Rias's older brother, at your service."

"R-Right! P-Pleasure t-t-to m-meet you." Izuku shook Sirzechs's hand. 'He's a lot friendlier than I was expecting.'

"The pleasure is all mine," Sirzechs said, retracting his hand. "I can see the resemblance. I was surprised when Grayfia told me that Cinder was present during that meeting with Rias and Riser. But now I see why."

"I hope you don't mind that I gave Rias and her team some additional help," Hisashi said.

"Not at all. I think it's thanks to your help that the Game turned out to be as interesting as it was," Sirzechs assured.

"Marquis and Lady Phenex were very displeased with the results of the Rating Game. But due to the arrangement of the wager, they had no other choice but to call off the engagement," Grayfia said. "You're a free woman now, milady."

"Give my sincerest apologies to them," Rias nodded, giving a relaxed sigh, "I know they meant well, but their third son just wasn't the man I was looking for."

"On that note, Marquis Phenex actually wanted to thank you, Red Hero Dragon," Sirzech informed.

"Huh?"

"In his exact words, 'He had a bad habit of overestimating the abilities of our family, so I'm sure he learned quite the lesson from the Rating Game. If he has learned that the Phoenix is not absolute, that would be enough.' So I'm sure he'd be satisfied with his son learning some humility."

"Um, is Riser okay?" Even though Riser was a huge prick, Izuku would've felt guilty if he ended up leaving the guy crippled.

"No need to worry about Riser," Sirzechs replied. "It'll take more than enhanced holy water to take down a Phenex."

Izuku sighed in relief, relieved to hear that.

"Very good. Now then," Grayfia bowed before turning to Sirzechs. "Milord, it's time for us to depart."

"But Grayfia, can't we stay at least for a little bit?" Sirzechs practically whined, a display unbecoming of a Devil King. The maid frowned as she reached up and pinched his cheek, pulling it hard. "Owowowow! Dat hurts!"

"Now, Milord," Grayfia demanded. And Sirzechs had no other choice but to comply as the magic circle glowed again and teleported both Sirzechs and Grayfia away.

"Uh, did the Devil King just get told what to do by his maid?" Mina asked, earning a few laughs.

And thus, the night of celebration began. Hisashi had to leave early, so it was just the teens who stayed. Latia had brought movies in many genres. During one of the horror movies, Asia got scared and clung to Izuku, much to his surprise when she did so. Even so, everyone enjoyed a good time.

Eventually, it became time for everyone to go home. Izuku volunteered for clean-up duty, and Rias did the same. As they were almost done cleaning, Izuku and Rias ended up reaching for the same piece of trash which made things a bit awkward as the room turned silent. The two looked away from each other, not knowing what to say next before they spoke up.

"Izuku/Buchou…!"

They were both caught off guard by how they called out to each other at the same time and fidgeted a bit in embarrassment. "Y-You first," Izuku stuttered.

"Um… I just wanted to thank you… again…" Rias said after taking a big breath. As she continued talking, she gazed out the window. "For a long time, I've been burdened by my engagement to Riser. I thought I was never gonna have free reign over my life. Always a prisoner of my heritage." She then let out joyful tears as she turned a beautiful smile toward Izuku. "Now things changed. All thanks to you. No longer engaged to Riser, I'm free to live the way I want. You saved me."

"I'll always save you…" Izuku replied, smiling. "I'm your Pawn, after all. It's my job, right? Of course, even if I was still a normal human, I would-"

He was about to continue when Rias suddenly planted her lips onto his. His eyes widened into big white circles and his whole head became burning red as he felt her delicate lips against his. As Rias brought her body closer to his, Izuku gradually got used to the feeling of kissing Rias and he began returning the kiss. "Bu-Buchou…" He muttered as they broke away.

"That was my first kiss. It's a bit of a monumental moment for a young woman, isn't it?" Rias said.

"I guess it kinda is, huh?" Izuku said. "Wait! That was your first kiss?! I hope I didn't mess it up."

"Well, since it is my first, I guess I have no way of knowing, do I?" Rias replied in a coy manner. "I liked it, though."

"Oh, good to know," Izuku said.

Then, the door opened to reveal Sona and Latia.

"Sona, Latia. What are you two doing here?" Rias asked.

"Nothing much, just wanted to say a few words of thanks to Midoriya," Sona said.

"Me?" Izuku pointed at himself.

"Yes, you helped Rias out of that engagement, which we've personally been wanting to help her out of as well, but couldn't find a way to do so," Sona replied.

"And I have another reason: for helping Chacha out of her depression," Latia added. "None of us in my Peerage could bring her back to her normal self after her brother figure passed away. Yet, you managed it just by being yourself. As her master, I am grateful."

"Oh, it was no trouble. I just did what any decent person would do," Izuku responded.

"You truly are a kind soul, no wonder Chacha's crushing on you," Latia teased.

"Huh? Chacha?!" Izuku asked. Rias couldn't help but get twitchy-eyed at that.

"Well, that's all. We'll be going now," Sona said, then she and Latia left the clubroom.

After picking up the last bits of trash, Izuku was ready to head home when Rias had something to say.

"One more thing before we go. I've decided I'm going to live at your place," Rias said with a smile.

"What?!" Izuku asked.

"That's right. I'll see you tomorrow at your place, 'kay?" Rias as she left, leaving Izuku behind, dumbfounded.

[Kid, you doing okay?]

…

[Izuku?]

Ddraig grew concerned for his partner as he just stood there, petrified. Right after Rias said she was going to move in with him, another thought hit him in realization. He just had his first kiss with a girl! And it seemed to be a lot for his brain to handle.

"I-KISSED-A-GIRL!I-KISSED-RIAS!I-mean-I-really-like-her-too-but-I-wasn't-mentally-prepared-for-all-that!What-should-I-say?Is-it-too-early-to-tell-her-I-lo-lo-like-her-too?Is-that-going-to-make-things-weird?I-have-to-say-something!"

Ddraig sweat-dropped at his partner's mumbling. It seemed an error occurred within IzukuMidoriya dot EXE.

[This is going to be a thing for a while, isn't it?] He groaned.

Izuku didn't hear the dragon as his thoughts ran a million miles an hour trying to process it all. And it only got worse when the thought of her moving in also sunk in.

First Asia, then he found out about Chacha, and now Rias too! Girls have been falling for him one after the other ever since he became a Devil. Chacha would occasionally blush when near him, Asia was slightly protective towards him, and that kiss with Rias was proof enough for her. What should he do? Even though he did like them, an actual romantic relationship was on a whole new level!

[Just go home and rest, kid. You'll need it.]

Izuku finally heard Ddraig and took his advice to go home and rest. That would be something he would deal with in the morning.

In the morning, as Rias said, she had arrived at the Midoriya apartment with a lot of moving boxes. She quickly headed inside to meet up with Izuku's parents to convince them to let her stay there. Hisashi seemed okay with Rias staying, considering he knew Rias's true relationship with his son, and Inko, despite her shock at the news, was happy to host Rias after hearing how Izuku had helped her and gotten close to him over time since they met. As Izuku was amazed by how easily Rias had won his parents over, he turned to Asia, whose cheeks were puffed up with tears in her eyes.

Izuku could see just how different his life was going to be now, some part of him dreaded what's to come, but there was a bigger part of him that wouldn't change a single bit of it. After all, he would be going to U.A. with friends he never would have imagined having. 'As they say… C'est la vie. Well, it'll never be dull, at the very least.' He then turned to see his master smiling at him, and he awkwardly smiled back in return.

And the Rating Game is DONE, and it was a complete victory for Team Gremory, as they won without losing a single member (a few close calls notwithstanding)! This is my longest chapter for any work I've ever written, and the first to reach over 10K words! I almost considered splitting into two, but I didn't, which I'm sure some will appreciate for not creating a cliffhanger.

Izuku's new Rupture move is clearly based on Issei's Dress Break, though it's an actual attack rather than a technique for destroying women's clothes.

In the next chapter, we'll finally be heading to U.A., so stay tuned for that. However, I don't know if I can get that out before the end of the year because I will be busy with Pokémon Scarlet/Violet Indigo Disk.

See you next time. Go beyond! Plus Ultra!