Chapter 10: The Rating Game Part 2. The winner is?
Up in the VIP room, Sirzechs, Lord and Lady Gremory, Lord and Lady Phenex, Gourou, and Tannin were watching the match between the House of Phenex and House of Gremory. "All things considered, they're doing quite well," Zeoticus said, observing the first part of the match.
"I would have to agree. However, the Rating game is not over yet," drinking some of his beer. Standing beside him was the Blaze Meteor Dragon, known simply as Tannin. A dark, purple-scaled dragon with a triangular head, yellow horns, a pair of large, keen red eyes with lavender sclera, and serrated yet sharp canine teeth. He also has claws with long sharp, yellow nails on his hands and a pair of dragon wings. He had shrunk to the same height as Gourou to watch the match with the other Devils.
Tannin watched his former pupil with interest as he fought some of the members from Riser Phenex's peerage. This was only the first stage, as the third son of the House of Phenex hadn't even begun to fight. And Issei knew that well. Having trained and been around Issei for years, Tannin knew his pupil was holding back. A smart move because he would need to save his strength until the end for his final match against Riser. Traditionally, a Phoenix was a powerful creature; however, Dragons were by far stronger. While the two races could compete against one another in terms of strength, it ultimately came down to who wanted it more. That said, Tannin believed the boy would come out on top.
"I have to say that my young pupil is performing rather well," Tannin folded his arms as he observed the Rating Game. Gourou cast him a look. "Despite showing no interest in joining a peerage in the past, he decided to be a part of Rias-sama's family. Most intriguing. . ."
"Think about that later," Gourou shrugged his shoulders, making a mental note to explain why his son joined her at a later time. Just relax and enjoy the match."
(0^0)
Issei and Koneko prepared to face off against Riser's [Queen] Yubelluna, who hovered in the air with a superior smile. She had, without a doubt, earned her nickname as Bomb Queen since she specialized in creating powerful demonic energy bombs. A sour-looking Koneko mentally scolded herself for not sensing the older woman was near despite all Issei-senpai did to help her improve. It not only hurt her pride but momentarily felt like she had let down Issei-senpai and Buchou. The feeling, though, washed away when he gave her a reassuring smile that said we're not out of this yet. She matched the determination in his eyes when he looked at Riser's Queen.
"Well, would you look at that? The two of you managed to survive, though it is sad to admit that you're out of your league. Especially you, Red Dragon Emperor," she gloated while looking down at Issei as if he wasn't much of a threat. "You could never compete with the might of the House of Phenex nor hold a candle to Riser-sama. No matter how hard you've trained. . ."
She didn't get to finish as two dragons made of lightning shot toward her. Yubelluna put up a magic shield to protect herself, yet this was all part of Issei's plan, as when his attack ended, he launched himself into the air. An unsuspecting Yubelluna recoiled in pain when the boy she mocked knocked the wind out of her with a punch to the stomach. "You should really learn to not be so arrogant." He delivered another punch, this time to her face, and sent her flying a few feet when his tail slammed into her abdomen.
Yubelluna managed to right herself. The purple-haired Devil stared death glare at the impudent boy; using her staff, she sent a series of explosions toward him, which he managed to avoid. Issei decided to launch his own attack after powering up four more times, firing three dragon shots. Yubelluna dodged all three of his attacks but didn't account for the axe kick Koneko managed to land on her head. Crashing to the ground, the older woman dusted herself off after getting to her feet. Positively annoyed, she launched herself back into the air quickly and sent a powerful barrage of fireballs. This time, it was Issei's turn to create a magical shield to protect himself and Koneko.
"Issei-senpai, let's try the new thing," Koneko replied as he held his magic circle. Understanding what she was saying, he wrapped his tail around her small body and threw her straight toward their opponent. Yubelluna managed to avoid the first attack, though only barely, as the petite girl flew past her.
However, a well-timed dragon shot managed to hit her. Yet there was one problem: it barely affected her, which caused a slight confusion. Just as she snapped back into reality, a jab from Issei's right hand knocked her back a little. He didn't let up, knowing that a lot more power would be needed to finish her off. Koneko soon rejoined the fight, working in tandem with her senpai. Yubelluna was managing to fend them off, showing her piece as a Queen was the real deal. Little did she know, though was, that they were holding back until just the right time. A few minutes later, Issei gave Koneko the signal.
"Do it now!" Together, they punched her in the stomach with a good amount of force that pushed her back some.
"Did you get it?" Koneko asked. In response to her question, Issei sent a confirming smile. "Then I guess we're done here."
"What are you talking about?! I'm not done with you two yet!" Yubelluna snarled.
"Ara, I beg to differ," a new voice came. Yubelluna turned around to see Akeno in her shrine maiden outfit with a smile flying a few feet away from her. "Well, isn't this exciting? The two of you seemed like you were having fun." She looked at Issei and Koneko.
"You two can leave this trash to me; you guys can get going, okay?" Neither of them chose to argue, knowing that Akeno's power would be more than enough to defeat Riser's [Queen]. "I can defeat this trollop all by myself." A golden aura of lightning flared up around her body. And lightning started dancing around her.
"'Defeat me yourself;' what a laugh," Yubelluna's demonic aura flared out to match her opponent. "I've been wanting to fight you for what seems like ages. . . Priestess of Thunder."
"That's real sweet; however, the pleasure is truly mine. . . Bomb Queen," her smile remained in place, but a subtle amount of hostility was edge inside.
"Well, you heard the lady. Let's regroup with Kiba." Koneko nodded at Issei, and they flew back to the ground. He was more than confident that Akeno could defeat the Bomb Queen, but this was no time to lose his sense of caution. "Show her why it was a mistake to underestimate us!"
Issei and Koneko took off in another direction, though not before hearing a violent roar of lightning and explosions echo from behind, signaling that the two Queens had started to rumble. Knowing how their friend operated, they could tell there would be a lot of pain involved. The two headed towards the Athletic field where Kiba should be waiting for them. Just then, Grayfia's voice was heard over the speaker. [3 of Riser-sama's [Pawns] have retired]. Issei grinned at Grayfia's announcement, which could only mean one thing.
'Excellent work, Kiba.' Issei mentally praised his friend. But the Rating Game was far from over; Riser wanted to soften them up to the point where they showed what they were capable of. Including himself, Riser had nine pieces left while they still had six.
They spotted their friend observing the Sport's field from behind the storage room with a smile and a hand on his sheathed sword. "Hey, Kiba—" was all he could get out before the blond-haired Knight pulled them inside the storage room.
"Are you guys all right?" The smile was only there to hide his concern. Something Issei could see based on how his hand was trembling.
"Relax, man. We're good," Issei assured him. He continued when Kiba let them go after Koneko said she was unharmed. "By the way, we heard you single-handedly took out three of his [Pawns] in the forest."
Kiba nods. "Yeah. The clubroom located at the Sports field is an important location. So it's natural that there are lots of enemies. I drew out the [Pawns] that were surveying the area away and took them down. But the person in charge of this location is quite calm and hasn't responded to my provocation. As we thought, Riser Phenex likes to battle by sacrificing his servants. It's something only he is able to pull off because of his immortality and the number of servants he has." Kiba is smiling, but his eyes aren't.
"We expected this. Riser hasn't even begun to fight," understanding Kiba's hidden ire at the fried chicken's actions. "He only sent a few of his servants out, meaning he wanted to study us before sending his remaining pieces to finish us off. On the chance that his Queen becomes too exhausted or injured, then he would give her a vial of phoenix tear. Out of all the pieces he has at his disposal, he will rely heavily on his [Queen]. If what I believe is correct, then Riser likely believes Buchou knew nothing about the usage of phoenix tears and wanted to wear her down. However, he and the rest of his peerage will be in for a real surprise when part of his plans have gone up in smoke."
Issei's devious smile made Kiba chuckle. "You got the vial from her, didn't you?"
"You mean this little thing," pulling the vial from his pocket. "It's amusing that for all their arrogance and boasting about being superior, they have to carry these as a crutch. I can only imagine the expression on her face when she discovers that it is gone." Before he could become too enthralled with the fact that their opponent lost one of their greatest assets, he pocketed the vial. He changed his expression to one of seriousness.
"Better take a breath. Because the real battle is about to begin. The fried chicken has probably dispatched his remaining pieces to take us out. So from here on out, we need to work together."
"Issei-senpai is right," Koneko agreed while cracking her knuckles. "We need to remain on alert, as this Rating Game is not close to being over. Time to demolish them once and for all."
Her eyes then sharpened upon sniffing the area around them. "Heads up! We're about to have company soon. . . I sense the remaining members of that chicken's group."
"She's right. They're near and hostile." Issei grinned, sensing the remaining seven of Riser's pieces approaching. "Looks like the gloves have finally come off now."
A small magic circle appeared by their ears. "Yuuto, Issei, Koneko do you read me?" Rias's voice was heard.
"Loud and clear, Buchou," said Kiba.
"I'm going to launch a sneak attack on their base with Asia-san. Draw as many of the enemy as you can, and buy us some time." Issei did not like what she intended to do.
"That is rather risky," Issei voiced his concern. "The plan is working so far, and I managed to get the phoenix tear from Riser's [Queen], which significantly improves our odds. Thanks to the amount of damage Koneko-chan and I were able to inflict, Akeno-san should have a much easier time removing her from the game."
"I understand that. However, I originally planned on allowing Akeno time to recover so she could blast them all out at once, but now that Riser has sent out his [Queen] to attack us directly. I believe this will be a good chance to launch an attack," Rias returned. Though her voice showed, she was not entirely sure the plan would work.
"But, Buchou, the risk in having the [King] leave the base is too great," Kiba added his two cents.
"With any luck, that will be what Riser is thinking. . .which is what I am hoping for. I want to force him into a position that will allow me to launch a surprise attack. If we can strike him strong and hard enough, then it won't matter if he has the immortal body of a phoenix since his heart is far from it."
"Have you forgotten," Issei interrupted. "He is not immortal. Rather, it's his regenerative ability that gives him the edge. His body might be near invincible, but his mind and heart are not," he explained. "I understand how bad you wish to defeat him; however, you need to remember that we're supposed to keep him off-balance."
"Buchou, Issei-senpai is right," Koneko said. "The less energy we spend on dealing with his flunkies, the more of a chance we'll have to defeat him. Just be patient for a little while longer."
Rias contemplated what they said as her servants made some valid points. For as much as she wanted to defeat that arrogant and egotistical swine, Riser, she knew it would not be easy. Struggling with her own desire to break that Devil's black heart and looking at things from a more strategic standpoint was hard, to say the least. "Fine," she reluctantly agreed. "Asia-san and I will put aside any plans to attack him for now. We won't wait for long, as I want him to know the meaning of the word: defeat."
Communications then cut off. "If we're going to make our move, we best do it soon." Kiba and Koneko nodded at Issei.
The three exited the storage room and went to the baseball court. "Are you cowards going to continue hiding, or are you going to face us like real opponents? What's the matter? Are you scared to face us out in the open?" His taunt apparently worked as a wide fog appeared, and a lone figure emerged. A Knight, by the look of her, since she was wearing silver armor and a white headband that goes around her forehead and brown hair.
"I am a [Knight] in the service of Riser Phenex-sama, Karlamine," she announced while walking toward the center of the field. "I question your sanity, coming out to confront me head-on like this." The woman known as Karlamine removed her sword from its sheath and got in a ready position, igniting the blade in orange flames. "I challenge you to a duel!"
"Time for me to go," Kiba walked forward to face the bold, armored-clad woman. Issei stopped him by putting up a hand.
"What are you thinking? Did you not hear what I said about us working together?" Issei looked at Kiba as if he had grown a second head.
Kiba removed his friend's hand, "sorry, Issei-kun, but since she introduced herself, I can't hide myself both as a [Knight] and as a swordsman." He stepped forward, gripping his own blade. "I am a [Knight] in service to Rias Gremory, Yuuto Kiba!" Kiba declared, drawing his own sword. "I've been looking forward to fighting against another Knight. . .let us see which one of us is the better Knight," he spoke, shifting into a battle stance.
"Why did we even bother strategizing when he was going to pull a stunt like this?" Issei sighed. Kiba and Karlamine's battle began in earnest, with both [Knights] moving at incredible speed, swinging their swords at one another. Normally, it would be hard for most to keep track of them, but Issei had no such problem. The armored woman may be fast, but Kiba was the faster opponent. Sparks were being created as their swords continued to clash.
Koneko shook her head, silently berating Kiba for doing something so reckless.
"I assume she is a friend of yours," Issei turned around to see a woman wearing a mask that covered half of her face. Her outfit was that of a biker girl. Judging by her power stat, she could be a [Rook] piece much. He raised an eyebrow when he heard someone groan.
Looking at his right, he saw Ravel.
"Ugh, that Karlamine, her head is filled with nothing but swords, swords, swords, it's freaking ridiculous! She made a bitter face when the [Pawns] were being sacrificed. Geez, could anyone be more unrefined?" She walked forward with the rest of the servants serving under her brother. "And, just as I thought I found a cute boy, he turns out to be a sword freak, too. This just isn't my lucky day."
Issei had to resist the urge to roll his eyes at her arrogant attitude. In a way, he figured it couldn't be helped since she was a member of the House of Phenex. Yet her arrogance was not as large as her brother's.
"Hello, Ravel," giving her a genuine smile, which she returned. "You changed your scent again. A new shampoo and perfume, I take it," he said after catching a whiff of her scent. A light blush appeared on Ravel's face.
"Nice of you to notice," holding her head like a haughty princess. "Oh, and Issei-sama. Sorry to say this, but we will be winning this Rating Game, meaning that you and I will be spending a lot of time together." Ideas began forming in her mind on what they would be doing together at the castle and outside of it. Koneko glared murderously at her.
"That's presumptuous of you, Ravel. While I do enjoy your company and our tea sessions, to say that you're team will win is stretching it. (Boost) his Boosted Gear doubled his power. "Perhaps after this, we can set aside some time. But for now, I think it's time we get down to business."
"Sorry to say, but I am not your opponent," Ravel raised a hand. "Isabela. If you would be so kind."
"I am Isabela, a [Rook] in the service of Riser-sama," the masked woman determinedly stepped forward.
Koneko would have done the same but was stopped when Issei placed a hand on her shoulder. "I got this one. You can have whoever else," he said, gesturing to the two Nekomata [Pawns]. Grudgingly agreeing, she prepared to fight them. He looked at the [Rook] known as Isabela, "so Ravel is a [Bishop] but not a fighter. Is she even going to participate?"
"What you say is true. She is [Bishop], though her case is somewhat special. For the most part, she likes to observe." Isabela launched herself at Issei, throwing powerful punches, which he dodged. While they traded blows, Koneko-chan got to work on fighting the [Pawns].
"But doesn't it seem weird that she is in Riser's harem?" Blocking a punch to the face and, then, made her skid back with a front kick to her stomach.
"According to Raiser-sama, 'Having your sister in your harem has a significant meaning. You know the significant view of having your close relatives? You know how there are people who look up to and also get jealous about it? Well, I'm not into little sisters, so I have her in my group as fashion.'" Issei did not know how to respond to that other than blinking his eyes. "At least that's what he says," dodging an uppercut.
"Your master needs to seriously get a reality check," attacking back after blocking a kick to the stomach. This continued on for a while, with Isabela being unable to land a single blow and starting to lose stamina. "Boost twice."
(Boost) (Boost). "Here we go," Issei thrust his elbow into her stomach before following it up with a few quick, powerful punches that knocked her away. He then finished her off. "Dragon shot!" The red demonic ball transformed into a beam that took her out.
[1 of Riser-sama's [Rooks] retires], Grayfia announced.
Issei turned his attention back to Kiba to see how he was fairing. Kiba and Karlamine continued their battle with one another; sparks from their swords clashing against each other were still flying. Karlamine eventually brought her sword down and slashed through Kiba's with her flaming blade.
"Uh, my Holy Eraser!"
"Unfortunately for you, that attack doesn't work against someone like me," Karlamine boasted, ready to finish him off.
Kiba didn't seem bothered in the slightest and instead smirked. "Oh, really, then how about this? Freeze!" Kiba said, and his broken sword transformed into a blade of ice.
"That is not possible! There is no way you have two Sacred Gears?" Karlamine yelled, not believing what she was seeing. When she slashed at Kiba, he not only blocked it but also made it freeze and break. "How is this possible?! You couldn't have destroyed my sword! It doesn't matter; I still control flame! And wind and life. . .as do all from the House of Phenex." Discarding her sword, she unsheathed her dagger from behind. This time, when she launched herself forward and brought her flaming sword down, it destroyed Kiba's blade.
Kiba hadn't lost his smile when the blade of his sword was destroyed, and only the handle remained. Confidently, he raised the handle in the air, and a new blade was formed, this time metal with a little black sphere at the top. The blond [Knight] held his sword ready, and the black sphere made a loud noise while sucking the fire from Karlamine's dagger like a black hole.
"No way, you bastard! How many Sacred Gears do you actually have!?" Karlamine found it hard to believe this was actually happening. Was her opponent a user of multiple Sacred Gears? He should only have one.
Kiba only shook his head. "It's not that I have multiple Sacred Gears. I simply have the ability to create them at my will.
"Created. . .them?"
"My Sacred Gear is "Sword Birth." In other words. . .I make swords. . .magical swords." Kiba explained. He placed his hand on the ground, creating a magic circle, and multiple swords shot up. Each demonic sword had a different shape. Hell, even the blades were different.
"Everyone listen up," a small magic circle appeared by their ears where Rias's voice was heard. "The time to finish this Rating Game is now! Riser has challenged me, and Asia and I are on our way to meet him on top of the New School building!"
"Buchou, are you sure that's the smart thing to do?" Issei frowned in concern.
"I have no choice, Issei. If I didn't agree to face him, he would go after you and everyone else," she explained. It was clear that she was not going to stay back any longer. "I don't like this any more than you do, but it will take his attention off you all for a while."
The brunette could see that there was no talking her out of this, so he inhaled a sharp breath. "All right, but keep him at bay until we can join you," looking at the sky, he saw Rias holding onto Asia as they flew to the building. "And Buchou. . .good luck."
"Kiba! Koneko! We need to finish this battle to go help Buchou and Asia!" Issei yelled.
"Roger."
"Roger."
The two of them got serious. Issei was right. They had indulged themselves long enough and needed to take out their opponents quickly if they were to help Buchou face Riser.
Karlamine pulled out her remaining sword and set the blade on fire. "I must say [Knight] of Gremory, your team's [Pawn] is a lot more powerful than I previously thought. There might be some truth to the rumors surrounding him. The way he beat Isabela without breaking a sweat is impressive. He's not even the least bit exhausted."
Kiba chuckled. "That's Issei-kun. Believe me, he is not even at his limit yet. You should be glad you are facing me instead of him," he charged at her with greater speed than before, slashing his sword in many different directions.
"Wrap it up, Kiba!"
"Issei-sama," Issei shifted his eyes to Ravel. "You might want to see this. Riser is about to have a one-on-one match with Rias-sama," she pointed to Rias as she descended on the rooftop with Asia. Opposite of them was Riser, whose flaming wings burned orange as a smirk appeared across his face.
(0^0)
"Well, here I am," Rias folded her devil wings while a nervous Asia stood behind her. "Though you already knew I would come regardless. Didn't you?"
"A virgin should never underestimate one who is experienced, Rias," Riser tauntingly grinned at her. "You were bound to come anyway. I only wanted to speed things up. The faster you're defeated, the faster you will be mine."
"How comforting you're as vulgar as ever," she returned, glaring at him. "If you think me and my team are going to lose. . .then I'm afraid you'll be in for a real disappointment."
"The Crimson-haired Princess of Ruin. . .Twilight Healing. . .Priestess of Thunder. . .Sword Birth. . .a petite white-haired [Rook]. . .and Boosted Gear," Ravel mused. "They're such grand-sounding names when they're all together. However, we're phoenixes, the "Immortal Bird," and you cannot defeat us." The other [Knight] and [Bishop] stood beside her. The two [Pawns] fighting Koneko broke away to stand next to their fellow companions.
"Are you all beginning to understand? The situation you are in is completely and utterly hopeless." Her eyes were looking directly at Issei. "Ni and Li. It's time to show the Red Dragon Emperor what a couple of real [Pawns] can do. Whatever you do, do not let him power up again, or he'll be too strong for you to handle."
"Nya!"
"Nya-nya!"
The two Nekomata [Pawns] leaped into the air toward their prey. Determined to prove themselves and put him out of commission, though that was easier said than done as he defended himself against their combined assault. While they were undeniably skilled at hand-to-hand combat, Issei had better training and was more experienced. To him, their movements seemed almost predictable as they repeatedly went after his legs. In theory, it was a good strategy. Take out a person's legs so they'd be unable to walk or run. However, Issei had much more combat experience and had studied how they fought in Rating Games.
When Li failed to strike him. Ni called for their remaining [Knight]. "Go on and get him Siris."
The [Knight] jumped into the air, swinging her giant Zweihänder and bringing it down on Issei. Easily evading her strikes, she tried again with a few more slashes, though each time, he was able to avoid them. "You're going to have to do better than that," blocking a slash to his head with his Boosted Gear.
"W-What?! He blocked Siris' sword with his arm!" Ravel was stunned. Mentally, she kicked herself as this shouldn't have been a surprise, but still, it was surprising.
Siris was kicked away, and Issei dashed toward the [Pawns] Li and Ni. (Boost). Before either of them could do anything, Issei struck them both with jabs, elbows, and kicks. Li was first to crumple to the ground while he handled her sister, who attempted to do a spinning high kick. He rolled behind the girl, and with a kick to the back of her leg, she fell to a knee. Her left leg was broken. Not giving her a chance to recuperate, he grabbed both her legs and then, with a spin, threw her at Li when she tried to help. Both of them fell hard on the ground.
(0^0)
The battle between Akeno and Yubelluna was about to end soon, and it was clear that the former was stronger and more energy-efficient. With a final blast of lightning, Yubelluna was sent crashing down onto the ground, making a crater. Her uniform was torn in places, and her entire body hurt like never before. Not only that, but she felt that her magic was running dry. Yubelluna angrily glared at the Priestess of Thunder, who hovered in the air with only minor injuries. She's every bit as powerful as she heard.
Knowing that she was outclassed, the Bomb Queen dug in her cleavage, looking for her secret weapon, only to find that it wasn't there. A wave of fear and irritation washed over her as she checked her pockets, and it wasn't there. Akeno watched with amusement as the Bomb Queen became more irritated.
"Ara, Ara. What's wrong? Did you lose something?" Yubelluna shifted her eyes toward a smiling Akeno. "It looks to me that you lost your vial of phoenix tear. My, how did that happen, I wonder?" She tauntingly teased, causing her opponent to gasp in surprise.
"H-How did you know we had them?" Yubelluna cringed, standing up.
"Wasn't hard. We studied the rules and your team quite clearly and knew you all would have them on you," Akeno explained. She then added, "we've seen your team's previous matches and that you all have sued them in a few games. Your master would give one to the people he trusted the most. One was given to you. . .his [Queen] and the other to one of the [Bishops]."
"So you knew we would use them should our situations become dire. But where did mine—" her eyes snapped open in realization. She screamed in both anger and fear. Mostly anger. "That [Pawn]! He stole my vial when we were fighting," remembering the feint punch he threw at her. Attacking them was never his intention. He was after her vial of phoenix tears all along.
"Ufufufu, that's the expression I wanted to see. A look of anger, fear, and defeat all wrapped into one. Issei has quite the nimble and sticky fingers. Now, shall we continue?" Lightning started crackling between her fingers.
"I'm not done! Not yet!" Using what magic she had left, she launched a wide area of explosions and smokescreen to blanket the area. When Akeno ascended into the air after the smoke cleared, she saw that her opponent was gone. She had a feeling she knew where the older woman was heading and took off in that direction.
Meanwhile, Koneko, Issei, and Kiba were fighting the rest of Riser's team, with Koneko and Issei fighting back to back. Issei fought the [Knight] known as Siris and Mihae, the other [Bishop], while Koneko dealt with the two [Pawns]. "Koneko-chan, how are you holding up?"
"These pussies are no match for me," she said after kicking Li away. "Focus on your own battle. Leave these two to me," launching toward the two. But before she could get close, Issei yelled.
"Koneko-chan, look out!" However, it was too late as a purple explosion went off where she was and blasted her. The explosion sent Koneko flying a few feet with most of her uniform torn, exposing parts of her body.
[Rias-sama's remaining [Rook] has been retired] Grayfia-san said. Koneko vanished in a blue light.
"What happened to you, Yubelluna?" Ravel asked as her onii-sama's [Queen] landed beside her, looking worse for wear.
"We've been played!" Gritting her teeth. "The Gremory [Pawn] took my vial." Ravel and the other servants looked shocked as Issei pulled out a familiar vial. Their situation had become much more difficult as the Gremory team knew about their secret weapon.
"There not much time! Ravel-sama, I need the other phoenix tear our master gave you!" Yubelluna desperately ordered. "Hurry, their [Queen] is on her way," she snapped when Ravel hesitated.
Ravel reached into her pocket to retrieve the vial. She snatched the vial from her comrade's hand and used it on herself. In a second, she was completely healed from her injuries. "Keep them busy as long as you can. I'm going to inform Riser-sama of what's happened." Immediately, Yubelluna took off in the air toward her master.
"Buchou, you got incoming. The grilled chicken's [Queen] is on her way." Issei warned through the small magic circle.
"I have my hands full as it is. Send Akeno!" Rias yelled, blocking a powerful blast of fire with her Power of Destruction.
Complying, he got in touch with their [Queen]. "Akeno-san, you must get to the New School building ASAP to help Buchou and Asia with Riser and his [Queen]. Kiba and I will join you as soon as we can."
"I'm on my way now. Just get here soon," she said, and then the magic circle disappeared.
Issei turned to Kiba, who had a similar expression to his. They could tell what each other was thinking. "You ready, Kiba?"
"Ready when you are."
"Then let's end this. Boosted Gear," thrusting his dragon-armored hand in the air. (Dragon Booster Second Liberation!) Ddraig shouted, and the gauntlet changed as a green aura sprouted out from around Issei. A powerful gust of wind made it hard to see as the members of Riser's peerage recoiled from the surge of power. The Boosted Gear had changed and was much longer, covering most of Issei's left arm. It gained another green jewel and a total of 10 golden spikes. "Do it now!"
"Right! Sword Birth," Kiba stabbed the ground with his sword, and all his demonic power went to Issei, who absorbed it into his Sacred Gear.
(Transfer). The ground shook violently as a sea of demonic swords sprouted all over the Athletic field.
(0^0)
On the roof, Riser stood smug as his breathing became slightly heavy from the exertion of his ongoing battle with Rias. He had no idea how she gained so much power in such a short amount of time. Like him, she was also breathing hard while being healed by her blond [Bishop]. Their clothes were torn in places, their bodies were covered in bruises, and their heads were dripping with sweat. However, it was clear that the latter of the two was running out of steam.
An idea then popped into his head; raising his hand, he threw a highly concentrated blast of fire that exploded when it hit behind her. Asia screamed as she was thrown back.
[Rias-sama's 1 [Bishop] retires.] Grayfia said over the loudspeaker.
That action had angered Rias, as she retaliated by throwing some highly concentrated balls of Power of Destruction at Riser. Riser managed to dodge them at first, figuring they'd explode after colliding with the building, but they changed course and hit him in the back. That was payback for taking a potshot at Asia.
Arrogantly, Riser stood back up like nothing happened, and his fire healed him. "That actually hurt my beloved, Rias," narrowing his eyes at her, taking several deep breaths. "But I think now it would be a good time for you to resign. Refuse, and your precious servants will only get hurt because of your failure," mockingly spoke and arrogantly smiled.
"In your dreams," Rias sent a blast of destruction that took a good portion of his face off. Riser only stood back up and allowed the fire to restore him.
"Don't you get it yet?" Riser began, his wounds engulfed in flames, healing almost instantaneously. "No matter how hard you try, it will never be able to beat me," he confidently said. His attention was then diverted to the arrival of his [Queen]; he could tell by her facial expression that there was something important she needed to say.
Akeno came a minute later to stand beside Rias. "Everything is going according to plan."
"Riser-sama, we've been played," Yubelluna informed while glaring at Rias and Akeno. "Rias-sama's [Pawn] Hyoudou stole my vial of phoenix tear, so I was forced to use the one you gave to Ravel-sama."
Alert was raised throughout Riser at what she said. "What?! Hyoudou took your phoenix tear before you could use it?!" Anger surged within him as he vowed to make that bastard pay. Rias and Akeno smiled at the angry look on his face.
"Your servant is a dead man! He will pay for stealing from Riser!"
Just then, a loud explosion from the school's grounds caught their attention, and Grayfia's voice was heard. [Riser-sama's 2 [Pawns], 2 [Knights], and 1 [Bishop] retire.] This had only infuriated Riser even more.
"This your last chance, Rias. Surrender now or say goodbye to your precious servants," Riser gave a final warning.
"You haven't won yet. I still have Akeno, Yuuto, Issei," simultaneously launching a blast of destruction with Akeno's lightning at him and his [Queen]. The two took to the air to avoid the combined attack. Riser looked ready to say something, yet he spotted a familiar pair of fiery wings approaching.
Ravel's flaming wings carried her to her onii-sama and Yubelluna. "We're in trouble. Onii-sama, Issei-sama, and that [Knight] took out your remaining pieces and are on their way here." The concern in her voice showed seriousness and that their situation was heading south. Peals of laughter were heard, preventing the younger phoenix from saying anything further.
"I missed the joke, my beloved Rias. Perhaps you can enlighten me as to what you find so amusing? Riser inquired as to what caused her attitude to change.
"You are the joke. This game is about to reach its climax." Rias confidently said. "You made a grave mistake in underestimating my servants."
"Especially Issei-kun," Akeno added, feeling as confident as Rias. "He's been most anxious to fight you. If you're smart, you'd retire before he gets here."
"I am not afraid of a hybrid dragon filth. The mighty Riser fears no one—" He was cut off by a red explosion that sent him and the others flying onto the roof. "What the hell?!" His question was soon answered by Grayfia.
[Riser-sama's [Queen] retired.] Riser had to do a double take when it was announced that his [Queen] Yubelluna had been defeated. The only person left was Ravel. He stared angrily as Rias's [Pawn] and [Knight] flew onto the building. The former wore a big smile, telling him that he was the person who took out Yubelluna.
"Hello, ladies. Sorry, we're late. We were held up," Issei said, landing on the roof with Kiba coming behind.
"Would rather have you late than not at all," Rias smiled. She noticed that his Boosted Gear had changed and could only guess how he and Yuuto defeated Riser's other pieces. "Nice work, you two."
Issei turned to face an angry Riser and shocked Ravel. If looks could kill, then he would already be dead from the glare Riser sent him when he pulled out the vial of Phoenix tear that had once been in Yubelluna's possession. "What's the matter, grilled chicken? You don't look too happy to see me," he tauntingly said.
"When I get done with you, there will be nothing but a pile of steaming ash," Riser's fiery wings spread, and the heat they generated became more pronounced.
Issei tossed the vial behind him, where Rias caught it. "Buchou, use that and heal yourself," his expression changed into serious determination. "Listen up, guys. Riser is mine! Do not interfere!"
"Good luck, Issei." Rias removed the cap, dropped the tear on herself, and was instantly healed. She and the others flew away from the roof. But before they could get far enough, a large fire blast took out Kiba. "Yuuto," Rias yelled as Kiba started falling.
[Rias-sama's [Knight] retires.] Grayfia-san announced.
"You're gonna regret that," Issei promised. One look in his brunette eyes would terrify any normal person as they were set ablaze. There was no need to hold back any longer. "Go. Promotion to [Queen]!" Feeling the change in him, he made his move. "Ddraig, it's time to show this overcooked chicken what we can do! Are you ready?"
(Hell yeah! Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker)! Ddraig shouted. A red aura surrounded Issei, and instantly, he was in his scale mail armor with his aura flaring. (Jets). The dragon wings on his back were replaced with jets. With that, the battle between Issei and Riser began. Both charged at each other with tremendous speed.
A huge explosion occurred when their fists connected. The battle was truly on as both combatants were willing to fight until they couldn't any longer. Riser sent a barrage of large, condensed balls of flames at Issei, who avoided them with his elemental control over water. The flames were immediately put out by the water. In retaliation, he sent his own balls of fire along with some arrows made of lightning. Seeing the attacks coming, Riser created a large ball of fire to intercept. Fire plumes and thick black smoke spread everywhere.
Thinking quickly, Issei flew into the smoke just as Riser searched where his opponent could be. The third son of the House of Phenex ascended into the air to get a better view, only to be surprised. Issei flew straight up out of the smoke and rammed his right fist into Riser's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. This was followed up by Issei, who slammed his fists on his head, sending him to the ground.
Managing to catch himself, Riser created a large blast of fire and threw it. Quickly, Issei created a magic shield to protect himself. The blast nearly broke through but held, nonetheless. To counterattack, he used a Dragon shot and sent it straight at Riser, who barely managed to dodge it. The power from the explosion made Riser mentally cringe, as he hated to admit it, but the power from that attack was grudgingly commendable. Then, turning his eyes back at Hyoudou, he was astounded by how fast his opponent became and nearly avoided a punch to the face.
"I never seen speed and power like this before!" Riser stated after launching another large fire blast that connected with Issei and sent him crashing into the ground. "Who do you think you are, Hyoudou?! You are nothing compared to Riser! I am a High-class Devil. A phoenix nobleman! The flame of the immortal bird burns within me. . ." The fire of his wings grew and started covering his body, much like a real phoenix.
"The hellfire of my clan will scorch you to dust," using his fire, he propelled himself to Issei. Fortunately, Issei did the same, covering his hands with dragon's fire.
"You should really stop talking so much!" At the last minute, Issei diverted his fist away and kicked Riser in the groin, making him screech in pain. Then, he threw a couple jabs in his face before hitting Riser's midsection with his tail, knocking him away. "Why don't I show you what real fire looks and feels like," inhaling deeply, filling his lungs with oxygen. (Boost) (Boost) (Transfer). Ddraig said. The fire surrounding Issei's armor shot toward Riser, who screamed in pain.
Nothing could have prepared him for this. The dragon's fire hurt like hell, and his right arm had been incinerated. Thankfully, the flames were replaced with the soothing fire of the phoenix's. Instantly, his arm grew back, and he used it to strike at Issei, who charged with the same resolve. Both of their fists connected with each other's head. Issei immediately had a mind-numbing headache as Riser managed to crack his helmet somewhat. Fortunately, though, he was not the only one in pain as Riser felt like he was seeing stars.
"If you were not hiding behind that armor [Pawn]. . . There be nothing left of you than a pile of ashes," arrogantly sneering through his heavy breathing as yet another ball of fire was being condensed. "Prepare to die!"
Not wanting to get hit, Issei dodged to the right, then charged at Riser with the elemental forces of lightning and water and a little present that would leave an impression on the arrogant bastard. Responding in kind, Riser set his right arm on fire and launched himself at Issei. Their fists hit each other's faces again, though unlike last, something else happened. Issei spat out some blood, as did Riser. Though his reason was for a different purpose. A surge of pain soared throughout his entire body like never before.
Wondering why his dire was not working to relieve the pain, he spat out some more blood. "This pain. . .it burns! What have you done to me?! Is that a cross?!" Unable to believe his eyes after spotting a cross in Hyoudou's left hand when he righted himself.
"Where the hell did you get that?" Riser demanded, falling to his knees.
"You should have done your research about us," landing on the ground himself. "Our [Bishop]. . . Asia was a member of the church before she became a Devil. . . I borrowed this from her to boost my Sacred Gear's power and deliver a present to you. Strong though you may be, but you're still a Devil, and you no doubt know what that means."
"Y-You are an idiot!" Riser managed to get back to his feet. "You're a Devil, too. So how is it that you're not dead?! Even wearing your dragon armor, the power of the cross should still kill you. Wait, you did it, didn't you? You gave that dragon your arm!" Snapping his eyes open in realization.
(Boost) (Boost) (Boost) (Boost) (Boost) (Boost) (Boost)! Ddraig's voice was like an echo to Riser, who was instantly overwhelmed by Issei's incredible speed. He didn't even get a chance to move out of the way as a sharp pain was felt in his gut. "You damn right I did," Issei watched Riser clutch his stomach in pain as blood came out of his mouth.
Angrily, he tried to keep himself from falling over. "You're insane! Your arm now permanently belongs to that dragon."
"That is of no concern to me so long as Buchou is free," gritting his teeth. Flying straight forward, "I won't let you take her from us! She's compassionate, smart, sweet, and I know she deserves a better husband than you," throwing his right fist into Riser's face before following up with a few powerful jabs to the stomach, and a kick that sent his opponent in the air.
Riser soon found himself on the receiving end of Issei's attack barrage. His strikes were already fast, sharp, and hard, but the added power of the cross intensified the attacks. But more than that, his speed and agility increased with every second, making it harder for him to see and predict his moves. When Riser caught sight of Issei zipping around, he tried to throw a powerful blast of fire only to recoil in pain after receiving a kick to the back of the head. "Y-You. . . wretched. . . low-class—" was all he was able to say as a tail wrapped around his neck and hurled him down hard to the ground.
Flying high in the air, Issei raised his hands, creating a large ball of dragon's fire. Upon his desire to win, he started boosting his power. (Boost) (Boost) (Boost) (Boost) (Boost) (Boost) (Boost) (Boost) (Boost) (Boost) (Boost)! The ball of fire soon became a miniature version of the sun. "Let's see how you handle this attack!" (Transfer)! The power of the flames intensified. "Dragon Meteor Storm!" This was another move he had learned from his teacher, derived from Tannin-sama's ability to meteors with his fire.
A shower of small comet-sized meteors rained down fast on Riser. Panicking for his life, Riser spread his fiery wings, flying in different directions to avoid the fireballs. Explosion after explosions were created as the meteors impacted the ground. Some almost hit Riser a few times. Issei then threw what was left of his ball of flame at Riser. Unable to move out of the way, Riser's screams of agony were almost drowned out by the sound of the explosion. As a result of Issei's attack, a large crater was formed with Riser in the middle, missing his arms, legs, and part of his stomach. They were destroyed but started to regenerate. On top of that, he was barely conscious when Issei landed, and his armor vanished.
"Give up, Riser. You are beaten!" That angered Riser a lot, so he shook off his exhaustion and threw a large ball of fire at Issei, who didn't move. Feeling like he won, Riser waited for Grayfia-san to announce Hyoudou's retirement. However, it didn't come as the flame he created vanished, showing a smoking Issei still standing with his upper body exposed. Riser's attack had only destroyed his shirts. "That's gonna cost you."
Dashing forward, he dodged the blasts of fire being hurled his way. When he got near, he unleashed a powerful combination of punches, kicks, and elbows at Riser. Riser may have been skilled at hand-to-hand combat, but Issei was a master. So, trying to defend and counterattack was difficult. Though, his regeneration helped curve the pain.
"Do not get so comfortable, Riser. Your greatest strength is fire. . . so let's fight fire with water," Issei dug into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle full of holy water. This was something else he had brought with him today. Opening the bottle, he sprinkled some of the holy water on Riser, multiplying its' effects and power. "Boosted Gear Gift!"
(Transfer)! The multiplied power flows from my gauntlet to the holy water on Riser's body.
Riser writhed in pain and agony from the effects of the holy water. This may have been a huge gamble, as using holy water would be considered a double-edged sword. While this may deplete a large amount of Riser's power along with his mental and emotional strength. It would also deplete a significant amount of his own in the process for being part Devil and using his Boosted Gear to raise the water's effectiveness. But that did not matter in the slightest since it was well worth the price as Riser's face was burning from the effects of holy water, and blood ran down his face. As strong as he is, Riser is still a Devil, and Devils are weak against holy water. Already, his regeneration was proving to be inadequate, with his mind under so much stress. Thus, it was disrupting his ability to heal.
"And I'm not done yet. . ." using what was left in the bottle, he poured the holy water on the cross and his Boosted Gear. Issei summoned all of his power and channeled it into his Boosted Gear and the cross.
(Transfer)!
Riser then panicked when Issei raised his fist at him. "H-Hold on! Do you even know what you are doing?! This engagement is important to the future of Devils! A mere low-class servant like you has no business getting involved in the affairs of your betters!"
"That means nothing to me. The only thing that matters is Rias! She means the world to me. And the fact that you were ready to force her to be with you. . . Well, that's more than enough of a reason for me to kick your ass." Issei declared. With a big jump forward, he leapt toward Riser, charging at him with great speed and power. "Feel the power of. . .the Dragon!" His armor-covered fist nailed deeply into Riser's stomach.
So much pain surged through Riser's body when Issei's fist drove into his stomach. A large amount of blood was coughed up. "Bastard," Riser weakly said as he clutched his stomach and fell to the ground unconscious. In an instant, the blue light that removed his servants, along with Issei's friends, vanished him away.
[Riser Phenex-sama has retired! The winner of the Rating Game is Rias-sama!] Grayfia announced.
(Reset). Ddraig said, and Issei's Boosted Gear vanished as the cross fell out of Issei's hand.
"Please tell me that's it. . ." Issei was so drained that he fell on his back unconscious.
"Issei!" The last thing he remembered seeing was a smiling, teary-eyed Rias.
A/N: The Rating Game has ended with Issei defeating Riser, resulting in a win for Rias. According to the agreement, she will no longer have to marry Riser and is now free. But more than Riser has lost more than just the two plots of land, the game, and Rias as a wife—He now has to pay whatever compensation Venelana demands. And also must write an apologetic letter to Rias and the others. Boy, that will definitely hurt his pride.
Next Chapter: The date and the decision