Of Heroes And Devils

by Dark Signer

By a strange twist of fate, Izuku finds himself flung into a world he never dreamed existed. He may be a Devil now, but that won't stop him from fulfilling his dream to be a hero! Even if he has to face villains, Fallen Angels, other Devils, and ALL THESE GIRLS WHO ARE SUDDENLY CLINGING TO HIM! (Polyamorous relationships)

17. The Rating Game

Ten days had come and gone before they knew it. Tonight was the night when they would all take part in their very first Rating Game. All for Rias' future, and even their own.

A small part of him wanted some extra time to train, just to be sure that he would be more prepared, but he knew it wouldn't accomplish much. And if he hadn't already figured it out, Gran Torino had definitely told him as much.

"Don't be stupid," he'd said. "You trying to get yourself all tired out before this game even starts? You'll end up losing before you even get a chance to fight."

He just wished the shorter man hadn't accentuated his point by smacking his can right into his shin.

"We'll all meet at the clubroom just before midnight," Rias declared, the rising sun setting the surrounding trees ablaze with its morning glow as she walked out of the manor with her luggage. "That should give us all plenty of time to rest." She sent a smile to both Izuku and Asia right after. "And I'm sure Inko will be happy to see you two again."

As it turned out, she was. She had embraced the two tightly the instant they walked through the door, her tears nearly strong enough to break through the window. Both teens embraced her in kind, Izuku close to joining her in causing a sudden flash flood of tears. He had tried keeping it out of mind for as long as possible, but he had missed his mom just as much as she'd missed them.

The next several hours were a flurry of activity as meals were prepared before being eaten, all while Inko talked with her kids about everything they'd gotten up to while they were away. The two had already settled on what they would tell her several days before, keeping her as much in the dark about their true goals as much as they could, even if they did want to tell her everything.

And they couldn't tell her everything, especially not Rias' actions. Not yet. Whenever that happened, Izuku knew that Rias needed to be there with him.

Time continued to pass rather comfortably, both Izuku and Asia finding enjoyment in spending more time with their mother, the dread of the Rating Game getting pushed to the back of their minds even as the sun began to set.

But as the clock continued moving forward, that feeling of dread started popping back. It was almost all he could think about as he lay in his bed, his gaze fixed on the ceiling as the clock striked 11:00.

"Don't let your nerves get the better of you," he heard Ddraig say. "You've been pushing yourself to your limits these past few days, you should be more confident in success."

He nodded almost absent-mindedly. Ddraig had been saying that for the past several hours, but none of it could keep his mind off of whatever was coming. They had a plan in mind, but there was no guarantee that it would work. Even with some of the other ideas they'd thought up, there was still the chance that they would fail.

'The first casualty of any battle is the plan of attack after all'. He'd learned that quote in one of his old history books.

A knock on his door broke him out of his thoughts. He'd already guessed who it was before even hearing her voice.

"Izuku?" Asia began through the door. "May I come in?"

He gave her the okay without much thought. The first time she had asked to be in his room had left him in as much of a stammering mess as he had been when Ochako had asked to see it just over a week ago, but by now it almost felt normal. It still didn't keep his cheeks from becoming rosy as she opened the door.

"So you can spend a night bathing with all of them, but a single one entering your room leaves you flustered?" Ddraig asked, his grin almost audible.

'Are you trying to calm me down or just make fun of me?' Izuku thought back with a deeper blush.

"I can do both."

Doing his best to ignore the chuckling dragon, Izuku watched as Asia entered his room. As she did so, he was almost taken aback at seeing her in her nun attire again, having not seen her wear that since the day she'd moved in with them, and that felt like almost a lifetime ago. While her rosaries were gone along with her veil, she still looked to be as comfortable wearing those clothes as she was anything else.

Still, it was a rather bold statement for someone like her to wear such raiments in a battle between Devils.

"I…" she hesitated before taking a deep breath. "Earlier, before we left, Rias told us that we could wear whatever we felt most comfortable in. I may be a Devil now, but I haven't thrown away my faith."

He nodded at her with a proud smile, one that she returned brightly. He had dressed himself in his green tracksuit, something he'd grown almost too comfortable in after training in it for so long. It might not have been the most appropriate battle attire to represent his peerage, but he'd rather not need to replace his school uniform. They were expensive.

"Izuku?"

He focused on her, previous thoughts all but forgotten as he saw her nerves begin to take over, her smile now gone as her face started to become more downcast, her feet even shuffling shyly on the floor.. "Does…does it look alright?"

His own smile never faded as he nodded at her, the light pink dusting on his cheeks having yet to fade. "I can't think of anything that suits you better."

Her face became a mirror of his own after that, blush and all. There was still a shyness to her in that moment, but the pure heartfelt joy at his words couldn't be more evident. "Um…" she began, her blush deepening ever so slightly. "Could I sit next to you, Izuku?"

His face darkened to a more intense red at that. Did she seriously just ask to sit next to him on his own bed? That hadn't happened since…no. This wasn't like that at all. Still feeling nervous, he nodded at her. "S-sure. Go ahead."

She then sat next to him, looking every bit as nervous as he felt. Several seconds passed before she did something that surprised him. Grabbing hold of his arm as gently as she could, she brought it closer to herself, as though trying to seek comfort in it.

"Asia?"

"I'm scared," she admitted, her body shivering as he instinctively began leaning into her. "I want to help Rias, but every time I start thinking about the match, I can't stop myself from shaking."

"Asia…"

"But," she began, her shivering slowly beginning to fade as she started to smile again. "When I'm next to you, I feel like we can win. I don't feel so scared when I'm with you." She began hugging him tighter, his warmth putting her at ease, true to her words.

He returned her smile with one of his own, her words bringing him a sense of comfort that he had needed. This was one of the reasons he'd always wanted to be a hero. To make people feel safe. For them to be able to smile without a care in the world. Just like All Might had done for him. His other arm had found its way around her shoulder, holding her close to him in a warm embrace, the two simply basking in each other's presence.

"Izuku?"

"Hm?"

"Can we stay like this until he have to go?"

"Of course."

Time began passing by, nearly fading away into a distant memory as the two sat there, the upcoming match all but forgotten.

"Izuku?"

"Hm?"

"Can we stay like this forever?"

"Yeah."

Their hands met each other as blissful silence took over.

---

By the time they'd finally arrived at the club room, there was a half hour left before the game began. Everyone else had been there for a while, milling about before the two of them had entered the room. It was easy for Izuku to notice that each of them had decided to wear their school uniform for their match, unlike him and Asia. Regardless, outside of Rias and Akeno, there were some small modifications.

Yumi had adorned herself with both arm and shin guards, each of them looking more armored than the standard fare. She'd given the two a polite wave when they entered, but otherwise seemed preoccupied with a short sword in her hand, occasionally lightly swinging it.

Koneko had a pair of fingerless gloves on each hand, padded similarly to Yumi's guards. She almost looked relaxed otherwise, sitting in one of the chairs with an open book in one hand and a bag of snacks in the other. Still, he could tell she was hardly paying attention to her book, especially with how she hadn't turned a single page since they'd arrived.

Neither Rias nor Akeno had outfitted themselves with anything more than their uniforms, but they looked no less ready than the rest, sipping cups of tea while facing each other, as though silently communicating with one another. Both looked relatively calm in spite of everything, but it was clear that thoughts of the upcoming game weighed heavily on both of them, Rias far moreso.

Both Izuku and Asia sat on one of the sofas, quietly waiting for the moment they would have to leave.

Thankfully, they didn't have to wait for long. Fifteen minutes before midnight, the circle in the room's center began to glow, catching everyone's attention. Within the almost blinding light, Grayfia appeared, still dressed in the maid uniform he had seen her in that fateful night.

"Have you completed your preparations?" Her eyes scanned everyone in the room as she spoke, locking eyes briefly with them all before nodding to herself. "The match will soon begin then." Everyone rose up in unison, the tension palpable to each of them. "When the time is right, you will all step through the circle behind me. Your match will be set within an alternate space, a dimension made specifically for this battle. Feel free to battle to the best of your ability, as this dimension will be discarded upon completion."

It took a lot for Izuku not to audibly gulp. They could just casually create alternate dimensions for a single match? The Four Satan's powers were truly astounding.

Still, it made sense why they would do so. Fighting in the mortal realm would cause an obscene amount of damage, and would doubtless attract the attention of multiple heroes. Ones who likely wouldn't care about why they were doing any of this. Even in the Underworld, they could still end up causing an abundance of collateral damage. They were being given the opportunity to go all out without causing any actual damage with this, so it was ultimately worth it all.

Still, he couldn't help but feel they were outmatched. Riser had a full peerage with him, while they were short by three. He may have been worth eight Pawns, but that didn't seem like it would be enough to replace a missing Bishop, Rook, and Knight.

It was an issue he'd brought up to Rias days ago. Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done about it. They simply didn't have the time to fill their ranks and get them up to speed in time for the Rating Game. Even him remembering that she had mentioned having another Bishop proved fruitless.

"I'm sorry Izu," she'd told him, her face sullen as she kept her eyes averted. "That's just not possible right now. He's not able to join us."

It had been disheartening to hear at the time, and it weighed on him even more now. Even with Rias explaining why her other Bishop couldn't join them did nothing to ease his mind. Still, he knew they would need to press on regardless.

The clear sound of Grayfia's voice then broke him away from his musings. "Representatives from both the noble houses of Gremory and Phenex shall be watching the event through a live broadcast as well, including Lord Lucifer himself."

"They'll all be watching then…," Rias murmured to herself, looking more sullen than before.

He couldn't exactly blame her for her reaction, given what she had mentioned about her brother before.

He hadn't forgotten the lessons she'd taught him, especially with how the previous leaders of the Devil faction had ultimately fallen. Four younger Devil's had taken their places, each one taking the previous names as titles. One of them being her older brother, Sirzechs Gremory, now known as Sirzechs Lucifer. The Crimson Satan, and the strongest living Devil. Having a family of such prestige watching a battle that would ultimately decide her fate would weigh heavily on anyone's shoulders even at the best of times. But with everything that had happened over the last two weeks…

His fist began to clench in nervous tension. He wouldn't let her go through this alone. They were going to win.

"It is time," Grayfia announced, the insignia within the circle shifting its form into an unfamiliar pattern as it began to erupt with light. "Please step into the circle. Once you have all been transported, you will be unable to leave until the match is decided."

Keeping his head held high, Izuku stepped forward, keeping himself in sync with the rest as the circle glowed more intensely. Before long, the light swallowed them whole, leaving the mortal realm behind them.

---

"You're certain that they can win then?"

Sona nodded almost absent-mindedly at her Queen as she kept her eyes locked on the monitor, patiently waiting for the match to begin.

She had assembled her peerage within U.A.'s student council room for this, an easy enough task as for any member of the council. It hadn't been necessary to explain her reasoning thankfully, as it was clear to all of them what would be happening. They had all gathered within the spacious room as they too waited for the match to begin, each of them engaging in idle conversation.

Save for one.

Ochako's gaze was fiercely locked onto the monitor, her thoughts focused not only on the upcoming game, but also the teams competing in it. She might have agreed with Sona at the time, but she truly wanted to be with them for their training, Deku and Asia especially. They were her friends after all, with each of them fighting for each other already once before.

But with this, she felt completely useless.

She wasn't even exactly sure how she could have helped, but it would have been something. Instead, all she could do was wait along with the others, and it all felt wrong.

"Ochako?"

She barely reacted at the sound of her name, only giving a light nod at the sound of Itsuka's voice. Her fellow Pawn had moved closer to her as she remained lost in thought, sitting alongside her on one of the sofas. "Is everything alright?"

She felt herself almost nod absent-mindedly before catching herself. She'd gotten to know Itsuka rather well since the two had joined Sona's peerage, and she knew that she'd be able to see right through her. "I'm just worried I guess," she answered, her eyes still firmly planted on the monitor.

Itsuka sighed as she tried relaxing against the sofa. "You're also still upset about not being able to go, aren't you?"

Yup. She'd seen right through her.

"I just…I wanted to help them."

"I know," Itsuka began, gently resting her hand upon her shoulder. "You've already told me that, but Sona was right. We were needed to keep an eye on everything in this city."

"Even though nothing really ended up happening outside of a few villain attacks."

"That doesn't change the fact that we needed to stay here," she responded back. They'd had this conversation before, several times already, but it was still something she knew her fellow Pawn needed to hear. Her face morphed into a slightly tired smile as she continued speaking. "Besides, it's not like you were really alone, were you?"

Her eyes finally left the monitor as she looked to her side, her hand still scratching behind the white wolf's ear as if on autopilot.

Ever since Rias' peerage had left, Amako had rarely left her side, sticking by her almost everywhere she went. Much as she missed her friends, Izuku's Familiar had been a more than welcome presence, an assurance that they were okay, no matter what.

She couldn't help but smile at the wolf, her tongue hanging out as she panted in joy at Ochako's gentle touch, her strange brush-like tail thumping against the ground in a soothing rhythm. "Yeah, I guess so."

Sona's face resembled Ochako's in that moment, grateful that her Pawn had managed to keep her spirits high. She was never blind to her closeness with either of Rias' Pawns, especially after going against her orders to fight against that Fallen Angel, but keeping her behind had been a necessary evil in this case.

And with the benefit of hindsight, it was probably better that she hadn't heard Rias' confession. She wasn't sure how Ochako would react, but given that her friend had been through something like that may have made the situation worse.

Still, she would need to know eventually, the same way both she and Rias knew All Might would. She frowned at the thought. That would not be a pleasant conversation, she could already tell.

Still, it would have to wait until after the match. It would certainly be one to remember, she knew that much already. While it was an unsanctioned match, there was little chance that most of the Underworld hadn't been made aware of it, especially with it attracting the attention of the Satans. It had even reached the ears of a scant few who lived outside of the Underworld.

'Speaking of which, I should remember to tell Rias that Lady Kasumi has given birth to a healthy baby boy', she thought to herself, remembering a bit of news Tsubaki had mentioned to her earlier that morning. Perhaps when this was all over, her and Rias could go and congratulate them in person.

"Sona?"

Her gaze moved back over to her Queen, the taller girl having prepared tea for them. "You didn't really answer my question from before," she said before taking a light sip of tea. "You're truly certain that they'll win?"

"I am," she replied confidently. "Remember, I was with them as they trained, even doing what I could to help along the way." She took a small sip of tea before giving her Queen a small grin, the overhead lights reflecting off her glasses in just the right way to emphasize her expression. "You may even be surprised by some of what you see."

Tsubaki arched an eyebrow with no small amount of interest. Before she could question anything else, the monitor flickered to life, immediately catching the attention of every living thing in the room.

The Rating Game was about to begin.

---

'Huh?' Izuku felt rather bewildered after the light finally faded. After all, they looked like they were still in the clubroom. At least, until he caught something out of the corner of his eye. The window was showing the outside, and all he could see was…white.

It was nothing but white for as far as the eye could see, something that made itself more and more apparent as he moved closer to the window. It was a rather stark difference to the pitch black that had been outside just moments ago. It was as if the clubroom had been swallowed by an empty void.

"Welcome everyone."

Grayfia's voice had rung out suddenly from speakers, making him yelp in surprise.

"I, Grayfia, servant to the House of Gremory will act as arbiter for today's Rating Game between the House of Gremory and the House of Phenex. In the name of his lordship Sirzechs Lucifer I shall ensure fairness and impartiality for tonight's proceedings. The battlefield, as chosen based on Lady Rias' and Lord Riser's wishes, shall be a replica of the school Lady Rias attends, U.A. Academy."

'So that's it,' he thought. It was a good idea on Rias' part. He'd been given a small tour of U.A. before some time after he was first admitted to the club, just as Asia had been shortly after her own induction, so they would have a bit of an advantage here.

Still, to have Riser agree with it… Either he was severely underestimating them, or they were overestimating their own abilities.

He pushed that thought aside. He couldn't think like that. Absolutely not. They were going to win. They needed to.

"Both teams have been transported to an area that will serve as their home base. For Lady Rias, her team shall be situated within the halls of the Occult Research Club on one half of the school grounds, also known as Area Gamma. For Lord Riser, his team will use the area known as Ground Beta on the other side. For all Pawns, you must cross into the vicinity of the opposing team's home base to use Promotion."

It was likely to be as they had already strategized then. Their best bet would be to stop all of Riser's Pawn from reaching their base area. If they made it there and Promoted themselves to Queens, the match would swiftly be lost.

And it would be up to him and one other to make sure the bulk of those Pawns were taken out.

"Everyone," Rias' voice rang out. There was life to it that had been sorely missed by everyone in the room. He felt himself grinning at it, not missing the slight hint of confidence that had also returned to her. "Be sure to place these communicators in your ears," she said as Akeno began handing them out. "This will be one way we'll be communicating on the battlefield," she said, her voice coming through loud and clear on the devices. "And if needed, Asia has volunteered to ferry messages to whomever needs it."

Asia gave a nod at that. One of the things she had tried working on during those ten days was seeing if she could expand her quirk's range to more people without causing her any headaches. It hadn't been as much as she hoped, but she was at least able to connect to four people now as opposed to the three before. Now, even if the devices broke, they would still have a way to keep in contact with one another.

"The time has come," Grayfia's voice once more chimed. "The match will continue until there is a victor or by the break of dawn in the human world."

He could feel his eyes narrow with determination. Koneko cracked her knuckles. Yumi inspected her blade. A spark of electricity ran down Akeno's arm. Rias took a deep breath. Asia began to pray.

They were ready.

"Let the game begin!"

---

"Very well then, we should go over our tactics once more," Rias said calmly, having seated herself on the sofa as Akeno poured her a cup of tea.

It felt like all the tension and anxiety from mere moments ago had deflated like a balloon.

Still, they had all taken their respective cups of tea as they began their final strategy meeting. It was as Rias had told him before, Rating Games were heavily inspired by the game of chess. It wasn't a match where two different sides would charge at one another right away. So before they could make a single move, they needed to think it through first.

Before long, Yumi had brought out a map of the immediate school grounds. Izuku wisely decided not to ask her where she'd gotten these plans. It felt like it would be a question with no real answer.

As they poured over the map, it was decided that Yumi and Koneko would lay out traps in the surroundings around both their base as well as the nearby Ground Omega training grounds. It wasn't an area they could enter here, but it was a spot that, if left unattended, could be easily used against them. And when they were to return, Akeno was to set an obscuring mist over the area, as well as small illusions in the sky to try and confuse Riser's peerage.

"Um, Rias?"

She turned to meet his gaze as he stared at her questioningly. "What about me and Asia? What do you want us to do?" They had already planned beforehand about what they would do once setting forth from their base, but he had no idea what she'd want from them beforehand.

"I want to keep Asia at my side if you don't mind," she replied. "It's not that I don't have faith in her abilities, but she isn't the combat type like the rest of us. Besides, her ability to keep us all connected is already a huge help to us, along with her Twilight Healing of course. And as for you Izu," she said as she straightened her uniform's skirt out, keeping it as prim and proper as she could. "You already know what you need to do, so all that's left is to wait for us to move out."

He could barely hold in a sigh. It made sense, he knew that, but it was hard to keep himself still, especially once Koneko and Yumi left to do their tasks. He just needed something to do.

"Although…"

His eyes shot back up to her. "There is one more thing. Would you sit next to me Izu?"

He blinked owlishly at her again, his cheeks rosy and his body twitching. "Oh! Um, okay?"

And as soon as he took his seat, Rias said something that made his rosy cheeks turn a harsh scarlet.

"Now lay your head here," she said, pointing at her lap.

Steam escaped his ears at her words. Her lap? His head? She wanted him to lay his head on her!? Just like that!?

"There's no need to be shy, Izu," she said gently. Her words helped to calm him, even if just a little. Slowly, he began moving his head to her lap, and before long, he felt the soft feeling of flesh against his cheek.

It felt…warm. Comforting. Like a weight that had been stifling him had begun melting away. It was nice.

"Do you remember," she began softly, her hand softly brushing at his hair. "When I told you everything about the Pawn pieces within you?"

He did. Much like One For All and the Boosted Gear, the full power the Pawn pieces could give him would have been more than his body could handle if he used it too soon. Unlike the others though, his power as a Pawn was linked to his progress as a Devil. It was just, as he'd already figured out the hard way, his power as a Devil was lacking when he first started out, especially with eight Pawn pieces within him. So, to keep the power from breaking him, Rias had used a small series of magic seals to keep it contained within him.

He nodded against her thigh, a sensation that left them both with red faces. "I'm going to break some of the seals. Two should suffice for now." Before he could fully comprehend it, he felt her hand come to a stop as it brushed against his forehead.

Then and there, he felt it.

It was a familiar feeling. Like he was summoning One For All from his very core, yet at the same time not. Like with the Boosted Gear, One For All was a power he pulled from a single source, but here, it was more like a power that was well and truly his. One that had been there for his entire life, locked away until the cage had been broken. He felt it swirl throughout his body, melding itself all around his very being before it finally stopped.

It had taken less than a moment, but for him, it was as if a comforting wave of water had cleansed him of grime that had covered him for a long time.

"This is just a taste of what you can achieve Izu," Rias said as her hand went back to lightly brushing his hair. "With this, I'm sure you'll even be able to use more of One For All as well as the Boosted Gear." Her voice had grown softer, more friendly as she began to smile. "I have faith in you, Izu. I know that you have the power to help us win this whole thing." It was a smile he couldn't help but return.

"Hah!"

Asia's voice managed to break them both from their blissful moment as they watched her putting her hand together in prayer. "I should not be feeling envious of Rias when she's trying to help Izuku! Please oh merciful Lord, forgive me for I have sinned…OWIE!"

Both teens could only blink owlishly as they heard Akeno barely holding back her giggles. Both now had matching blushes as reality asserted itself back around them. Though, until Yumi and Koneko returned, neither truly wished to move from where they were.

---

"It's time," Rias began shortly after Akeno returned from her task. " You all know what needs to be done from here."

They all nodded in response. It was just as they'd strategized the night before. Izuku and Koneko would head to the closest gym, which turned out to be Gym Gamma, to keep Riser's Pawns from crossing the line into their home bases territory, while Yumi and Akeno were assigned areas of their own to protect. And as Rias had said before, Asia would stay by her side. As soon as the signal was given, the two of them would move out.

"Riser likely expects an easy victory," Rias began, authority clinging to her every word. "But we're about to prove him wrong. Show him what you can do."

"Right!" They cried in unison before leaving the old school building.

'Good luck.'

Asia's parting words echoed through his head as he and Koneko made their way to Gym Gamma, Yumi having parted ways with them shortly after their departure. Once they finally reached the gym building, they swiftly made their way inside.

Despite the situation they were in, Izuku still couldn't help but marvel at the gym he and Koneko found themselves in. It was a simple area, being large, spacious, and otherwise empty, but he couldn't help but feel awestruck at being inside of it. This was but one of the places within U.A. where heroes like All Might once trained.

For a replica made through magic, it was surprisingly realistic.

"Focus," he heard Koneko say, breaking him from his musings. "We have company."

Sure enough, a small group of young women were awaiting them in the gym's center, having arrived before them. Each of them were familiar enough to them both, even if they'd only seen them once before. The oldest looking one seemed to be of Chinese descent, her teal eyes matching with her black hair done up in buns. She looked more dressed for battle than they did, her gold accented navy blue qipao giving her a look of fierce grace, even if it was, he couldn't help but notice, exposing a lot of cleavage.

"We've been waiting for you, servants of Rias Gremory," she spoke, clearly the leader of this particular group. "I am Lord Riser's Rook, Xuelan."

Her introduction was soon mirrored by the others with her. Directly behind her stood what was clearly a pair of identical twins, dressed in what looked like gym uniforms with a pair of large duffel bags held between them. The only way he could even tell the two apart was due to the yellow ribbon tied in their turquoise hair, both wearing them on the opposite ends.

"My name is Ile!"

"And my name is Nel!"

The two then struck matching poses, legs spread apart with their free arms pointing at him and Koneko. "Lord Riser's Pawns!"

The final girl then began speaking up. She looked a bit more distinct than the others, if only due to her blue hair being split into four ponytails. It kind of reminded him of a stag beetle. Otherwise, the white haori she wore along with the staff in her hand made her look like one of those old martial artists from pre-quirk era films. "And I am Mira, Pawn of Lord Riser."

The odds weren't exactly in their favor, but that was something they had already been aware of long before the match began. Before they could begin though, they would have to introduce themselves in kind. It was a simple courtesy.

"Toujou Koneko, Rias' Rook."

"Midoriya Izuku, Rias' Pawn."

"Ah yes, the Pawn," Mira said, lightly twirling her staff at her side. "I remember you. You were the one who was staring at us with envy in your eyes."

"Wha? Wait-wait! Hold on!" Izuku exclaimed, his eyes suddenly shifting from side to side as he broke out in a cold sweat. "I wasn't looking at any of you like that! That's not what happened at all!"

"A likely story," Xuelan then interrupted, the ghost of a smirk on her face. "To be among a peerage filled with women already is one thing, but looking upon another with such envy. Such a shame. To think that the holder of the Welsh Dragon could be such a perverted fiend."

"I'm-but-would you just…"he tried stammering out before finally giving up with a frustrated sigh.

"Pervert," Ile jeered.

"Sicko," Nel added, both twins sticking their tongues out in unison.

"That wasn't what happened at all," he began to whine, his entire body slumping forward as Koneko lightly tapped at his shoulder in sympathy.

"First impressions can stick around for a while, Bike Messenger Devil."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

She didn't even bother trying to answer him, simply stepping forward as she cracked her knuckles, her eyes locked on Xuelan with a quiet intensity. "You take the Pawns. I'll handle her."

"I'd like to see you try, little girl," Xuelan smirked as she took on a fighting stance, sizing Koneko up from head to toe. Koneko only responded by narrowing her eyes, and if he was seeing things right, one of them was twitching ever so lightly.

He composed himself once more as he took stock of the opponents before him. He wouldn't be able to use Promotion, but they weren't close enough yet to do so either. Mira narrowed her eyes as she twirled her staff, while the twins reached into their bags and pulled out…

'Oh,' he blanched. 'Oh those are chainsaws."

Both twins revved up their respective tools with an almost psychotic glee.

"Yay! We get to cut you to ribbons!"

"This is gonna be fun!"

"NOT FOR ME!"

Each swipe seemed to be aimed at one of his limbs, both girls keeping that same sadistic smile the entire time, even as Izuku evaded their swings. Still, several swings came closer than he would have liked.

And that one that went below the belt seemed more than a little unfair to him.

"Slice him up! Slice him up! Slice him up! Yay!"

'They are way too into this.'

He continued evading their swings as best he could, all while concentrating on summoning One For All. He'd almost panicked at the sight of the deadly pair, but he'd been able to calm himself enough by this point. He ducked another swing before quickly rising to evade a swipe to his left, the power of One For All just at his fingertips.

And then he heard a slight whistle in the wind, right behind his head.

He craned his neck, just enough for the staff to miss him by a hair's breadth. This momentary twitch distracted him just long enough to barely dodge another swing from one of the twins, the whirling machine coming close to enough to lightly cut his cheek.

'Shoot!' Panic nearly set in again as he started moving faster, One For All finally flowing through him. 'I completely forgot about the other one with these two swinging their saws at me!'

'You can't let yourself be so easily distracted,' Ddraig said as Izuku finally began putting distance between himself and his opponents. 'Try and keep calm, otherwise you'll be overwhelmed by something so simple.'

'What do you mean by that?' He asked before intercepting a swing Mira's staff, blocking it with his forearm. He winced slightly. Even with One For All flowing through him, both her and her staff were stronger than he'd thought. Though even as he kept up the fight, he found his eyes moving ever so slightly towards Koneko, ready to jump in and help her at a moment's notice if she needed it.

'Focus. Their strategy. It's a three on one battle, so they'll try to overwhelm you through sheer numbers however they can,' Ddraig began. 'It's simple, but there's a reason it's been effective for so many people. You need to turn the tides quickly, one mistake could spell doom here.'

'I know.' Izuku then gritted his teeth as he deftly moved to the side as Nel took another swing. This time however, his next move wasn't to move away. Going on the offensive, he jabbed directly into her stomach, sending the girl flying into the wall as her chainsaw fell from her hands.

"Nel!"

One For All surging throughout his being, he covered the short distance between him and Ile before she could even blink, Ile found herself crashing into her sister with a sudden pain in her gut, her own chainsaw coming down blade first into the concrete floor.

"Ile! Nel!" Mira cried out before turning to glare at him. She didn't spare a single word before swinging her staff at him rapidly. Each swing hit empty air as Izuku continued dodging, before the staff finally came to a halt as he grabbed it. Acting quickly, he swung the staff with her still holding fast to it before, thanks to the suddenness of his action, Mira's grip loosened, joining the twin Pawns on the floor after a violent meeting with the cement wall.

Meanwhile, Koneko was dealing with Xuelan in her own manner. Each girl sent punch after punch toward the other in an attempt to gain ground. Xuelan would throw a left hook, Koneko would respond with a right cross, and so on. Blows would be blocked and parried with the ease of practiced martial artists, with each blow carrying the full force of their Rook pieces. And while those Rook pieces also gave them increased defenses, they could still feel the full force of each blow, and it wasn't long before one of them would fall.

That one happened to be Xuelan, who had been taken by surprise from a sudden shoulder charge before being flipped onto the floor. While she was able to recover well enough, her momentary surprise had already cost her more than she'd thought, and it wasn't long before she was down on her knees, reeling from the fist Koneko had firmly planted in her gut.

"Shit," she gasped out, keeping her eyes trained on the smaller girl. In spite of her stature, Koneko all but towered over her at that moment, her guard kept up even at a downed opponent. Still, she hadn't come out completely unscathed. Xuelan had put up a decent fight, and she was already having to take slightly deeper breaths.

This was the first time she'd ever fought against another Rook, and as much as she'd hate to admit, the girl was tougher than she'd first thought. The days she'd spent training with Izuku and the others had helped her hone her skills enough to earn a decisive victory here, but it became clear to her that if they hadn't been given the time to train, they would've been beaten.

Badly.

"Is that it then?" Xuelan asked, her voice knocking Koneko away from her thoughts. She watched as the other Rook's eyes began narrowing as her breathing started to settle. "The best you've got?"

"Just getting warmed up," Koneko responded, her face as neutral as ever. "Now are you going to stay in the roast chicken prince's favorite position or are you going to get back up?"

She could hardly hold back a smirk as she saw Xuelan begin to seethe. "Oh you bitch, you think you're cute!?"

"Yes."

As she finished speaking, she felt a light brush against her mind, one that she had become familiar with over the past week.

"Izuki, Koneko, is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine on our end so far," Koneko replied, her eyes still trained on Xuelan.

"What's up Asia?" Izuku asked.

"It's ready."

This time, she couldn't hold back just the smallest of smiles before her eyes moved to Izuku. He locked eyes with her before giving a brief nod, one she reciprocated. The two stood tall as they steeled themselves.

And then they ran towards the door.

"What the? Where the hell do you two think you're going?" Xuelan yelled out, feeling perplexed. The others had begun rising to their feet the moment their opponent began to flee, looking just as confused as she felt. This gym was a key strategic position, so why were they running?

Realization came to her the instant the door closed behind them. It was like a light bulb went off over her head, with the light growing brighter and brighter before she could even utter a word.

They'd been played.

---

Yumi began to slow down shortly after separating from the others. She glanced in the direction of Gym Gamma, knowing that that was their destination. She had complete faith in the two of them to see their part through, but she couldn't help but worry.

Even with all the training they'd done, and with all the experience she herself had in combat over the past several years, she could feel her hands shaking. This was still their first Rating Game, and that would be bad enough if it hadn't been for what was at stake. Even a single mistake could spell doom for them.

She took a deep breath to try and calm herself, noticing that her hands were beginning to tremble. She couldn't let those fears get the better of her. They were going to win.

All she had to do was play her part.

Taking stock of her surroundings, she found herself near the library, just a small ways away from the gym. That was good. Now, if everything went well…

"Will it be enough?"

'Oh, someone else is here.' She hid herself amongst the bushes. They were still in range of the illusions that Akeno had cast, so they should keep her hidden, but Yumi knew better than to rely on magic alone. Her eyes scanned the areas, searching for the source of the voice.

It wasn't long before she spotted three young women keeping themselves hidden among the small trees near the library, their own eyes locked on the nearby gym. Two of them were dressed in sleeveless maid outfits that left little to the imagination, with one even having more exposed cleavage than the other. One of them had long chestnut brown hair, while the one with the exposed cleavage had shorter hair that was a much darker shade of brown. The final one was the most ornate among them, yet also the most confident in apparel. Dressed in what looked like an armored bikini with a silk loincloth along with a pink shawl wrapped around her arms.

She recognized them easily enough from the research she had done. Marion, Burent, and Shuriya. Each of them being one of Riser's Pawns.

Still, only one thought went through her mind at that moment.

'Aren't they cold dressed like that?'

If she remembered correctly, they had been dressed the same way back when the challenge had been issued. Didn't they have more clothes than that? She may have only been wearing her school uniform, but it provided better protection from the cold than what they wore. And she was even wearing a pair of tights.

"It's fine."

Yumi silently cursed herself at the sound of the voice. It hadn't come from any of the one's she was looking at, so clearly there was at least a fourth person here. Her eyes moved about frantically before finally spotting the source.

Another of Riser's peerage sat on the edge of the library's roof, her head resting lazily in her hand. She was instantly recognizable, being the one who stuck behind to ask All Might for his autograph. Like before, she was dressed in a light purple dress, though she had accessorized it a little, with a blue bow at the front as well as three small tails at the end of it. She bore a rather striking resemblance to Riser Phenex, and Yumi knew damn well why.

She cursed her luck at the sight of one of Riser's Bishops. Ravel Phenex. His younger sister.

"We've still got the advantage even if they fail," Ravel said, sounding almost bored as she kept her eyes trained on the gym. The windows should have a clear view of anything happening within, but they were tinted in just the right way to make it all but impossible to see inside. A little trick she had heard from Rias done by the academy's principal to keep nosey reporters from peering in. "And if Rias' pieces do win, they're not going to expect a sudden attack. Still, we have something else to deal with first."

"What is it my lady?" Burent asked.

"Her," Ravel replied in that same bored tone, pointing right at where Yumi was hiding.

'Shit.'

She put up a smile as she walked out of the bushes, the three Pawns meeting her as they stepped out of the trees. Her eyes remained locked on Ravel however, ready to move the instant she needed to.

"I thought I'd hidden myself well enough," she said lightly, like it was just a regular day between two people.

"You did. I simply saw you before you hid yourself," Ravel replied, causing Yumi to wince inwardly. She hadn't seen through the illusions at least, but she was clearly observant. If she looked carefully enough, then…

"Lady Ravel! Why didn't you tell us?" Marion asked, looking appalled.

"We would have dealt with her instantly," Shuriya exclaimed.

"I didn't think it necessary," Ravel replied, her head still in her hand. "She was only watching us. Besides, she doesn't have many options outside of fighting. Even with the speed of a Knight, she wouldn't have made it to the gym to aid the other two."

"It's the principle of the matter my lady," Burent said with a sigh, like she'd had this argument with the girl before.

"Whatever," she said as she finally stood up, her gaze briefly drifting to Yumi before looking off in a different direction as a fire began growing from her back, spreading out like wings . "You three deal with her, then take care of whoever comes out of the gym." She ignored whatever complaints she got from the others as she flew off.

Yumi let out a sigh of relief, though felt a twinge of sympathy for the three. Having one of your fellow members abandon you like that wasn't pleasant.

"Whatever, we can handle her," Shuriya said, jumping down from the trees with the other two following her. As was custom, they introduced themselves with name and piece, and Yumi obliged with the same courtesy. With that done, they rushed toward the lone Knight, intent on overwhelming her with sheer numbers.

Within seconds, each of them had been cut down.

Yumi moved past them, closer to the gym with blade in hand, small streaks of blood falling from it as she craned her neck to face them, her face once more showing an almost serene smile. But even as the three began to lose consciousness, they saw something in her eyes that gave them pause.

A fierce, roaring flame. One that looked like it would burn the world if let loose.

"My apologies, but I simply don't have time to play with you," she said as they began to glow, before finally vanishing in a streak of light. At the same time, she saw Koneko and Izuku rushing through the now open door from the corner of her eye.

And then, the trap was finally sprung.

It was a rather simple plan, almost too simple really. It had become clear that Izuku had angered a majority of Riser's peerage, though Yumi believed that they'd simply misunderstood him, so he volunteered to be sent off as bait to lure out potential opponents, with Koneko asking to accompany him. They were to enter the nearest building best suited for monitoring their positions, then keep them distracted through battle. As for Yumi, she was their lookout, making sure that no one would surprise them while they carried out their part. And finally there was Akeno.

And as Yumi watched the building become engulfed by an electrical storm, she'd say Akeno played her part splendidly.

Before long, the entire gym had collapsed, with a now ecstatic looking Akeno looking down at them with sparks of electricity still dancing over her arm. Yumi couldn't help but smile back as she watched her Queen fly off. Rias had once described her as their invincible vice president, but she had become known by another name in her days as a Devil.

The Vestal of Thunder. A name she found rather fitting.

"Six of Lord Riser's Pawns and one of his Rooks have been retired," Grayfia's voice echoed over the entire field.

"Holy whoa," she heard Izuku say at the announcement. She held back a chuckle when she saw how amazed he looked. It was pretty adorable. "We got seven of them?"

"We did," she said, much to his surprise. Apparently he hadn't seen her in his rush to escape the gym. She quickly explained what happened as she waited for them. "I feel bad for them though, having one of their own leave them like that."

"Don't," she heard Koneko say. "We're not here to make friends. We're here to win."

"Koneko's right Yumi," Rias' voice said through the transceiver. "What happened to them was unfortunate, but it's an advantage we have to take. Phase one of our strategy was a success, but we can't rely on it working again, especially since Akeno won't be able to use another attack like that for a little while. And we're still outnumbered, even with them taking so many losses, so we still have to play it smart. Yumi, you know what to do."

"Right." They were closing in on the school's main building, an absolute treasure trove of strategic locations that could easily be taken advantage of, especially since it was the direct center of their battleground. Her job from here was to try and scope out what she could to see what lied in store for them, and if possible, to break through into enemy territory, leaving a way for Izuku to use his Promotion skill.

"Hey, Yumi," she heard as she turned to leave. She saw Koneko's gaze lock onto her, her face an almost blank slate to everyone, except for her. She'd learn to see through Koneko's expressions to know what she was truly feeling, and right now, she could see that Koneko was worried for her. But at the same time, she looked confident that she would succeed. "Good luck."

"You too." She gave a soft smile at the girl, before facing Izuku. His face was much easier to read than Koneko's, but it still had the same expression. "Izuku."

"Y-yeah?"

"Don't worry. We'll win. And Rias won't ever have to worry about Riser again."

Her words were met with a smile, one that looked just a bit more at ease. She met his with her own before finally turning to leave, dashing off with all the speed her Knight piece gave her. Even as she moved closer to the main building, her smile never once wavered as she thought of her bushy-haired friend.

---

Izuku felt a small rush of heat rush to his face as watched Yumi's departure. He'd seen her smile many times before, but he had always noticed a difference between the ones she made during school to the ones she had around her fellow peerage members. The ones she had around them were always warmer, more sincere. And over the past few weeks, even before this whole mess had begun, he'd seen even more of them sent his way than he'd ever once thought possible.

Like with Rias, Asia, and even Ochako, each one felt like they made his heart flutter.

He brushed the thought aside with a quick shake of his head. That wasn't important right now. They had their part of the plan to play out. While Yumi would scout out the main building, he and Koneko would keep their eyes on the surrounding areas, keeping an eye out for not only more of Riser's peerage, but any traps that may have been set for them. As soon as she gave the word though, they would be clear to set foot in Riser's territory. After that, then they could start taking the fight to him.

It wasn't going to be easy, they knew that much already, but it was the best way they could take him on. Each of them had a part to play, and they would see it through no matter what.

"You ready?"

Koneko's question caught him off guard as he turned to face her. Her expression looked every bit as blank as ever, but he could still feel an ironclad determination emanating from her. He gave her a nod, his smile forming into a fiercer looking grin as he began stepping forward.

"Hold on."

His grin fading away into a more puzzled look, he turned around, seeing the smaller girl looking up at him expectantly, her hand held up palm forward at him.

"Good job back there."

He blinked owlishly at her several times before his face settled into a small but tender smile, one she returned as he met her hand with his own.

"You too. We make a good team."

He watched her smile grow ever so slightly before putting her hand down, her mouth opening slightly as if to say something.

Only for her eyes to widen mere moments later.

"Move!"

She pushed him with as much might as she could in that small instant, much to Izuku's surprise as he found himself huddled against Gamma Hall. Before he could even think to ask her what was wrong he saw it in an instant.

A figure in the sky right behind where he had been.

And a blinding light building up in a staff in their hand.

Then, all he could see and hear was an explosive boom.

His senses kicked into overdrive at the intensity, his ears letting out a harsh ring as he found himself crashing into the side of Gamma Hall. The whole world looked only like a streak of white light as he felt the explosion's heat begin to rock over him before he finally fell to the ground. His vision remained blurred for several seconds, his ears continuing to ring like a blaring klaxon, but as he began rising back to his feet, only one thing ran through his mind.

Was Koneko okay?

Once his vision finally cleared he got his answer. Less than a meter from where they'd once stood, Koneko now lay sprawled on the ground, smoke billowing from her prone body. His body moved without thought, reaching his downed friend in mere seconds, as he looked over the extent of her injuries.

Her clothes had been torn and burnt, small traces of ash covering patches of her skin, though even that hadn't escaped the full force of the explosion. Much of her skin was an intense red, and burns had already started covering her body. He winced as he saw her begin twitching in pain, the occasional gasp making his stomach clench.

Koneko was one of the strongest people he'd ever met. He'd seen bullets bounce off of her skin for crying out loud. For someone to be able to do this to her, they had to be strong. And with that explosion, he had a good guess on who had just surprised them.

"Was that enough for you?" The figure asked mockingly as their form became more and more clear. Her long purple hair waved brilliantly in the air as she descended further to meet him staff in hand. Dressed in a navy blue tunic and dress, which exposed just as much cleavage as it had before, and long white overcoat, she was a familiar sight. Not only had he seen her just over a week before, but they had gone over Riser's entire peerage multiple times in the days leading up to this.

Yubelluna. Riser's Queen.

"You shouldn't let such minor victories distract you," she said, her face breaking out into a condescending smirk. "We may have lost some of our own, but it's little more than a paltry sacrifice to take one of yours." She let out a mirthful laugh at the sight of Izuku cradling Koneko's prone form. "You should have quit long before you began. Just one loss will be devastating for you, but even all of you together would never stand a chance against Lord Riser."

Izuku's teeth began to clench as the woman continued to speak. He was about to retort before Koneko let out a wheezing cough, her body trembling as the smoke finally began to fade.

"Izuku," she said weakly, her voice barely above a whisper. When he looked down at her, he could feel his heart begin to hammer. Koneko was crying. Her eyes filled with anguish and regret as she stared at him. "I'm sorry."

"Don't say that," he said back, his hand unconsciously seeking her own, holding it in a gentle grip. He could feel her gripping back as his eyes stayed locked on hers, his own tears beginning to fall. "You're going to be okay. We-we just need to get Asia and…and…"

Before his eyes, an intense light began to encompass her entire body. For a brief moment, he saw her give him a small, pained smile before vanishing altogether.

"Lady Rias' Rook has been retired."

---

Yumi skidded to a halt at the sound of Grayfia's voice, her eyes widening as her breath began to quicken. Without a second's hesitation, she turned back and began running back, her face locked in an expression of pure fury.

"Yumi! Stop!"

She barely slowed down at the sound of Rias' voice, her rage intensifying more and more as she neared a window.

"Yumi, listen to me! Continue surveying the school! That's an order!"

Her fingers began digging into her palms as she finally began to slow down, stopping mere centimeters away from the fourth floor window. Peering out, she could see exactly where Izuku and Koneko had been, but now only saw Izuku, her hands now set upon the windowsill as she watched him evade Yubelluna's explosions.

She cursed herself again. She should have realized that Riser's Queen had been neawouldEven if she'd been covered by illusions, she should have been more cautious. And now Koneko had been taken out.

It didn't matter to her that she would immediately get proper medical treatment after her defeat, all she could focus on was that she'd been hurt. And she hadn't been able to help. Her hands began digging into the windowsill, long grooves beginning to form as her rage increased.

'Not again.'

"Yumi," Rias' voice came over her earpiece. It sounded strained, as though she'd been trying to get her attention for the last several seconds. "I'm sorry, but you have to keep moving. We can't let this get to us. Asia and I are about to start moving out, so we need you to be able to meet us at the endpoint. I swear to you that we won't let Koneko go unavenged." Her voice was almost hoarse, as though she was struggling to keep it in check. It almost shook with as much rage as Yumi felt.

She kept her gaze on the battle below her for a while longer before finally moving away from the window. Rias was right. As much as every part of her wished to go down and skewer Riser's Queen as many times as she could, she would only be wasting time better spent elsewhere. And even then, it was likely she would be taken out of the fight as well.

She began moving throughout the building again, her mind focused on whatever battles lay ahead of her.

At the very least though, she could take comfort in something. Riser's Queen would soon learn just as harshly as they did that plans can quickly fall apart upon contact with your enemies.

---

Izuki continued to move as another explosion went off before him. The light was almost blinding and the force of it was intense, but he was able to keep moving.

He had to. For Koneko's sake.

Yubelluna continued to laugh as she waved her staff again, an explosion larger than before leveling the library he'd been standing beside mere seconds beforehand. "You're a bold little Pawn, aren't you? I was beginning to wonder if you'd just gotten lucky before. Maybe your little friend was right to save you instead of herself."

His teeth clenched at her mocking tone. He could still feel Koneko's weight in his arms as he felt One For All roaring through his body.

"Izuku! Stop!"

'Why!? I can't let her get away with this!'

"I know, but you're using more of One For All's power than you can handle right now. If you try to hit her even once, you'll be nothing more than target practice for her."

A light of realization flared through his mind as another explosion went off before him. He'd moved away just in time, but he could already feel the strain on his body. Ddraig was right. He could only safely use five percent of One For All's power, and he'd been pushing it up to even higher than that. If he hadn't dialed it back just before moving away from the explosion, then he'd be lying on the ground with broken legs. Target practice.

He couldn't stay here, that much had become obvious. If he did, he would only tire himself out trying to fight her, and there was no guarantee that he would win.

"What's wrong? Aren't you even going to try?" Yubelluna began to mock. "I would have thought the Red Dragon Emperor would be able to put up a better fight, but you aren't even using your Sacred Gear. Are you really so pathetic that you can't even use it properly? Maybe your little friend should have saved herself instead of a weakling like you."

Izuku wasn't sure if it was him or Ddraig growling at this point. Still, he couldn't let her get to him, especially with how much he was being reminded of Kaccahn right now. Though even Kacchan had never been this obnoxious.

Yubelluna opened her mouth to speak, likely to continue insulting him, before a sudden movement caught her attention. Before she knew it, a shock of electrical agony was moving throughout her body, bringing her down to the ground as she began to convulse.

"That was for Koneko."

Izuku's eyes widened as he saw Akeno descending from the night sky, her hand raised high as arcs of electricity circled around it. Her eyes remained locked onto Yubelluna with an icy gaze, not a trace of her usual warmth and joy in sight.

"Deku,' she began, her voice stern. "You need to go. You have your own role to play, let me play mine."

"But-" Whatever protest he may have made died on his lips as Akeno steadied her gaze toward him. She would have no arguments here.

As much as he wanted to stay and help, to make sure Riser's Queen would pay for hurting Koneko, he would only get in the way. He grit his teeth in frustration as his gaze turned to the ground. To leave her here on her own though, it didn't feel right. There had to be something…

"Deku."

His eyes moved back up to meet hers, and she was smiling again. Not the one he'd seen when dealing with her enemies, but the same warm smile he'd see whenever they were all just hanging out in the clubroom. It was enough to grab his attention as his heart began beating faster.

"After all of this is over, I think we all deserve a nice day to ourselves. Maybe a day at the mall. Wouldn't that be nice?"

He looked at her, completely stunned at her words. Unconsciously, he nodded. Akeno's smile reached her eyes at his response, a golden aura of power beginning to surround her as Yubelluna finally got back to her feet.

"Then you'd best find Yumi. Between the two of you, the rest of Riser's peerage is nothing. Allow me to handle this."

Izuku nodded again, his heart stirring at her words. With a small flare of One For All, he took off, moving toward Riser's territory without a second glance. Akeno was right. She could handle this. After all, she was their invincible vice president.

"The Vestal of Thunder," Yubelluna said as she locked eyes with Akeno, a small smirk on her face as power began building in her staff. "I was hoping I'd run into you."

"Is that so, Miss Bomb Queen?" Akeno replied, glee stirring through her as she saw Yubelluna's eye twitch at the name.

No more words were said before the sound of booming thunder began echoing throughout the battlefield.

---

Izuku kept on running, his speed almost comparable to Yumi's as he zipped past the main school building, finally crossing over into Riser's territory. That part of the plan had at least been accomplished, so he would be able to use his Promotion skills once they were needed, but he couldn't keep rushing in. He had zero clue as to what kind of traps Riser's peerage might have put up. For all he knew, he was about to run into one already.

It would be embarrassing to be taken out like that, especially after Koneko sacrificed herself to keep him in the game. He had to be more cautious.

Slowing down to a more gentle walking speed, his eyes darted about, searching all over for any kind of traps. His eyes narrowed at the sight of incredibly thin wires, strewn about less than a meter ahead of him. They were almost invisible, even to his eyes, the only reason he had even seen them was because of the slight glint of the artificial moonlight reflecting off of them. Even if he avoided it, there was still a chance of danger. There was no guarantee that it wasn't simply a guise for another, more cleverly hidden trap, or if some form of illusion hadn't been placed over the area.

He slowed to a complete stop. Moving through the area wasn't going to be easy. He would need nothing more than absolute focus if he were to play his part and make it over to Riser's location. They were still outnumbered at eleven to five, so he would also need to be on the lookout for more of his peerage. His mind set, he took one step forward, ready to find his way through.

He then let out a surprised squeak as someone grabbed his arm. Turning quickly, he was surprised to see Yumi, standing right beside him with her usual smile.

"Yumi?"

"Hello."

He blinked at her confusedly. Wasn't she supposed to be surveying the school?

"Riser's peerage seems to have left the main building unattended, though I did find a few traps here and there," she began, unknowingly answering his question. "I was about to contact you when I found you out here, so here I am!"

While she spoke the same way he'd come to know her for, he could tell just from the sound of her voice that it was strained. Almost like she was forcing herself to be cheerful.

"Yumi," he began, his voice having only the slightest of shaking. "I'm sorry. Koneko, she-"

"I know." Her smile dropped ever so slightly, looking more pained than before. "But…we have to keep going. It's what she would want. She did everything she could to help us, so we have to do the same. We'll win this, for her and Rias." Her smile grew a little, looking far more pure than it had just seconds ago as she held her fist up to him. He blinked at her in surprise, something she began to mirror. "Is this bad? I've seen you and Ochako do this before, so I thought…"

"No, it's fine," he responded, meeting her fist with his own as he smiled back. It was nice, knowing that he still had someone fighting by his side. His eyes then trailed back to the path before them. The map Yumi had shown him earlier said that they were near Gym Beta, with its field not too far from them. Beyond that would be Ground Beta, Riser's base of operation. From what he knew of U.A.'s grounds, it was a large city based structure made for various exercises for hero students. That would make it incredibly tricky to navigate normally, and it would be even worse if it had any traps waiting for them. His eyes narrowed as thoughts began racing through his head.

"Going through might be too risky," he unknowingly said aloud, much to Yumi's confusion. "If they put as many traps around their base as we did around ours, then there's virtually no chance of sneaking through. It's also likely that there would be a few of them waiting to ambush us if we made any real progress. Even making our way through as slowly as possible wouldn't work, as they could still hold us up until the time limit expires. So if we want to get to them, then-"

"We'll have to bring them to us."

He blinked in surprise at Yumi's voice before his face began flushing in embarrassment. "I, um, sorry. Was I-?"

"Talking too fast? Not at all. You were muttering a bit at the end though," she told him, looking more than a little amused. "You're not wrong though. It would be better to find a way to bring them out to face us, especially Riser."

"I agree."

Both teens jumped at the sound of Rias' voice, neither really knowing who let out the louder squeak. "R-rias?" Yumi asked. "Did you really hear all of that?"

"I did. I was about to say something to the both of you before I heard Izu start talking to himself again." Izuku looked away at that, his face once more flushing with embarrassment. "Don't be like that Izu. I think it's rather adorable."

"Wait, how did you know I-?"

"Anyway, what Yubelluna said to you got me thinking. If Riser's so willing to sacrifice his pieces in this game, then it's likely that he's been using them to figure out how we fight. It's an underhanded move, but still a clever one. And now that the two of you have made it to his side of the field, he's likely to send out more of his peerage to take you out with what they now know. And with Akeno busy dealing with his Queen, it won't be an easy fight."

"That's true," Yumi said, her brow furrowed in thought. "Even if they aren't as powerful as his Queen, we're still at a disadvantage in terms of pure numbers. And he still has both Knights, a Rook, two Bishops, and two Pawns remaining. No matter how you look at it, we're not likely to make it to him without one of us being taken out, even if we take them with us."

"Unfortunately you're right. However, that's where Izu's idea comes in. Arrogant as he is, Riser's no idiot, he's sure to know that if we were to all join forces against him, it would be an uphill battle, that's why he's currently staying out of the fight. But if everyone else was to be indisposed, he would come out to finish it all. But to do that, he'll need a target."

Izuku understood her intentions immediately. "Rias, you can't be serious!"

"I'm already his target Izu," she said plainly. "There's little chance he won't take to the field the instant I do. Even after all the training we did, I'm still not sure if I'll stand a chance, but I'll at least be able to hold him off long enough for at least one of you to break through. Besides, I won't be going through this alone."

Izuku grimaced as his mind raced to find something, anything he could say to talk her out of this, though he realized quickly that he wouldn't be able to no matter what he said. It was as she said, Riser was after her more than anything in this battle. Still, she was right that her chances of victory were slim, even with Asia by her side.

"Rias, I get it. I know this might be the only chance we have, but are you really sure that the two of you will be able to hold him off for long enough?"

"No." Her voice shook through the earpiece, every bit of uncertainty and fear breaking through despite what he knew were her best efforts. "I can think of so many ways this could go wrong, but I can't let that stop me. If I can keep him away from you while you deal with the rest of his peerage, then we'll start gaining the advantage."

"Rias," Yumi began, both her face and voice filled with concern. "What about Asia? Is she alright?"

Izuku was quick to match her look. Asia had been noticeably quiet ever since their trap had been sprung. He wondered if Koneko's defeat had something to do with it. Asia was a strong person, but she had a tender heart, one that was likely just as hurt as his own had been. Their earpieces stayed silent for a short time, each second ticking by feeling like an eternity before they finally got a response.

"I'm sorry," Asia's voice rang out in their minds. Both Izuku's and Yumi's hearts ached at her voice. She sounded close to tears, all but confirming Izuku's theory. "After Koneko, I… I'm sorry." Even through the silence, Izuku was sure that she was trying to wipe her tears away. "I'm okay. I'll stay by Rias, just like I promised. I won't let her get hurt."

"That's good to hear," Yumi said in relief. "Izuku and I will keep going, and we'll meet up with you two as soon as we can."

"Very well. Take care you two."

"Good luck," Asia added before moving her thoughts away from theirs.

Yumi turned to face him, her face now set in a more determined grin. Even with his worry for Rias and Asia, Izuku found himself responding in kind. No words needed to be said as the two began setting out to the nearest building, hoping to find another member of Riser's peerage.

Only to be interrupted by a sudden voice.

"That's far enough!"

Both teens swiftly turned to face the source of the voice, making sure to keep close to each other to try and avoid any surprise attacks. They saw a figure standing in the baseball field, sword raised up in challenge. Holding the blade was a young woman armor that looked to cross both the old European knights style with that of the samurai of old, though her armor covered far less than what they would have, leaving most of her arms and legs uncovered, while an odd headband crossed across her short beige hair.

"I am known as Karlamine, one of Lord Riser's Knights! I have grown weary of us trying to probe each other's tactics, so I shall challenge you face to face! Come, Knight of Gremory, and face me in battle!"

Yumi let out a small chuckle at the challenge, amusement clear on her face. "Well, I can't turn down a challenge like that, can I?"

"Yumi?" Izuku asked as she began stepping closer to her fellow Knight.

"I was given a challenge Izuku. On my honor as a swordsman, I can't deny her." She continued stepping ever closer to the baseball field, Izuku close behind her as he kept his eyes darting around for any more opponents. "I am Kiba Yumi, Knight of Rias Gremory. And I accept your challenge."

"And I am Midoriya Izuku, Rias' Pawn."

"Well met," Karlamine said with a hearty grin. "It's good to see that there are some honorable warriors among Lady Gremory's peerage. That will make our duel all the more fun."

"On that, I agree," Yumi said, a grin of her own beginning to form as she summoned her blade. "It's been some time since I've clashed with a real swordsman. I hope you don't disappoint."

Both Knights fell silent as their blades began to glint in the artificial moonlight. Finally, in a burst of rapid movement, both blades clashed. Sparks flew as each blow was met by another, moving faster than the normal eye could truly perceive, with both girls moving as swiftly as possible across the pitch, looking to disappear then reappear as their blades crossed.

Izuku watched with no small amount of wonder and awe. He'd known of Yumi's talents as a swordsman, he'd seen it before when she fought off both the Stray Devil as well as Freed, but this was the first time he'd truly seen her in battle with another swordsman. His eyes kept up with their movements as best they could, watching each strike, block, and parry as they happened. If he could describe it in any way, he would say that it was most like a dance between two experts who had practiced their craft for years.

And throughout it all, neither Knight lost their grins. In fact, they seemed to grow larger as the fight continued.

"I should have figured this would end up happening."

Starting at the sudden voice, Izuku whirled around to its source, fists raised as One For All began flowing through him. Someone was now sitting on one of the benches, someone he was certain was not there before. He made sure to keep his guard up as he recognized the figure.

Ravel Phenex sat on the bench mere meters away from him, her hand on her chin, looking like she would rather be anywhere else.

"Swords, swords, swords. I don't get this obsession people have with them. It's a big sharp piece of metal you swing around. And now she's gone and found someone who shares the same fetish." She continued watching the battle, her expression never changing before finally moving her gaze to Izuku. "And then there's you, that weird little Pawn Lady Gremory keeps fawning over." Her eyes scanned him up and down, all while keeping the same bored look. "She certainly has…interesting tastes."

Izuku kept his guard up. It was clear that she was trying to rile him up, just enough where he would focus more on her than anything else around him. That fact only became more clear as another figure began to approach. Clad in a black biker jacket with matching jeans, she had the look of a rough girl, her slightly spiked up yet still short chestnut hair doing little to assuage that notion, especially with the small red highlights around her bangs. What stood out most though, aside from the torn section on her right leg that exposed just as much skin as her open jacket, was the white mask covering the right half of her face.

"Shame. Looks like he already found you," Ravel said, continuing her disinterested look. "Isabella, would you mind taking care of him?"

"Very well," the now-named Isabella responded as she moved closer to Izuku. She came to a stop just over a meter away from him, just close enough to be prepared for any kind of attack. "You heard it already, but my name is Isabella, Rook of Lord Riser Phenex. In his name, I'll be sure to crush you."

"Midoriya Izuku, Rias' Pawn," he replied, dissipating One For All as he kept his eyes on her. It seemed like the best time to start using the Boosted Gear now. "And sorry, but I can't let myself lose here."

[BOOST]

Isabella gave him a grin as she brought her fists up, taking on a boxer's stance, which Izuku was quick to mimic. Before he could blink, Isabella had already zipped towards him, her fist aimed right at his face. He dodged it swiftly, along with the next few punches that came at him. She was fast though, faster than he'd expected, and definitely faster than Koneko was.

Isabella then surprised him by lashing out with her elbow, barely missing him before suddenly lashing her hand out in an intense flicker jab that managed to strike him in the ribs. All of the air in his lungs was forced out of him from that one blow before it was followed up by another elbow strike to his abdomen, sending him back.

[BOOST]

The pure strength of a rook was something he already knew wasn't to be underestimated, but he still found himself impressed by her strength. If he didn't know better, he would say she was on par with Koneko. Still, he wouldn't let her get the better of him again. He got his guard back up just in time, as she sent a kick directly towards his ribs. He managed to catch it before it could connect, throwing the Rook off to the side to give himself a bit more breathing room.

[BOOST]

Three boosts now. Enough to keep him in the fight for longer, but likely not enough to do any real damage. Still, he had another advantage he could use now that he was in enemy territory.

'PROMOTION:KNIGHT!'

He moved faster than she'd expected, leaving her wide open to a right hook to the face, sending her back a fair amount before she came to a stop. Recovering faster than he'd expected, she blocked an overhand blow to the head with one arm before jabbing him twice in the abdomen, then moving out of the way just as he kicked out at her. Not slowing down, Izuku aimed another jab to her face, only to feint just as she moved to block it, managing to deliver a quick one-two to her abdomen.

[BOOST]

The Boosted Gear's strength doubled once more once the second hit landed, managing to send the Rook flying back again, this time falling to the ground, lightly coughing as she began getting up.

Despite the injuries she's taken, Isabella was grinning, even letting out small laughs in between her coughing.

"Looks like I underestimated you," she said, her grin never faltering even as she coughed. "You've been trained well."

"I had good teachers," he replied, lightly rubbing his ribs. They were either bruised or cracked, he wasn't exactly sure.

"Is that so?" Isabella asked, her tone changing into something more flirtatious. I wouldn't mind seeing more then. In fact, I wouldn't mind getting a more private lesson from you after this."

Izuku's face managed to bloom a bright red as the implications of her words set in. "I…y-you…p-p-private!?"

His sputtering came to a stop as he felt a sudden pain in his ribs, Isabella having taken advantage of his distracted state to land a blow on him, sending him back a fair amount. Izuku winced in pain. If he didn't have a cracked rib before, he certainly did now.

"Here's an important rule in fighting cutie," Isabella said, winking at him flirtatiously. "You should never let yourself be distracted by your opponent."

Fighting through the pain, Izuku brought himself back up, his fist raised once more in a defensive stance. She had him there, and he wouldn't let something like that happen again.

"You'd best not."

He would also try to ignore Ddraig's attitude.

"You won't."

[BOOST]

---

Their blades sang as the Knights continued their clash. Rarely did a single swing find their mark as each blade met its match against the other, being blocked or parried away just before sinking into flesh. Though there had been points where they'd met their target, the wounds were shallow, barely going through more than a layer or two more of skin. Still, blood was beginning to flow from the wounds the two had attained during their bout.

Still, Yumi's Holy Eraser continued to move as it collided with Karlamine's blade, which had begun burning with a bright light mere moments ago. As the two Knights struggled, Karlamine's blade suddenly burst into flames, pushing back against Yumi's might as it began overwhelming the Daemon Blade.

"Your Sacred Gear's pretty strong," Karlamine declared, still having yet to drop her grin. "But it won't be enough to best me."

Yumi met her grin with one of her own. "You haven't seen what it's really capable of."

"Come now. It's beneath the dignity of a swordsman to lie."

"It's not a lie. I'm not exactly good at those in the first place. Now freeze."

At Yumi's command, a sudden chill began rising from the hilt of her blade, rising higher and higher before encompassing both it and Karlamine's. With a loud crack almost like thunder, her weapon was now covered from hilt to tip in ice. Karlamine could hardly contain her shock as the flames from her blade began to die, fading away more and more before they vanished, the ice from Yumi's blade having taken it completely before finally shattering.

"All flames perish in the face of this blade. This is the Flame Deleter," she declared in an icy tone.

Recovering from her shock, Karlamine moved back before reaching down to her hip, another blade emerging from the ether. "Don't think me incapable of fighting just because you managed to surprise me. I am a proud servant of the House of Phenex, those who reign supreme over the elements of fire and wind!" She held her blade high in the air as she spoke, those very same elements beginning to dance around it at her words. "Let's see if you can endure this!"

The elements that once swarmed around her blade had merged into a vicious cyclone of red-hot flames, rippling throughout the battlefield with an intense heat that began melting the steel surrounding them. Yumi could see from the corner of her eye that Izuku had already begun feeling the stinging heat as it reached him and his opponent, shielding himself as best he could as he continued his bout. Her own blade was already beginning to melt from the intense heat emanating from Karlamine. She was trying to smother them with her vortex.

Her blade now melted down to the hilt, Yumi raised it up once more, her eyes narrowing in concentration as she let out a single command.

"Stop."

Her voice was powerful, even managing to be heard over the crackling flames. In an instant, the torrent of fire began to fade, circling down into the sword she now held before her. While mostly retaining the same shape as her usual blades, this one had its own unique style. thar the tip, the blade split apart into a diamond shape with a hollow center. In that center stood what remained of the cyclone that Karlamine had unleashed, circling more and more before finally vanishing altogether, leaving nothing behind.

"Repression Calm," she declared, keeping her blade aloft. "It's been some time since I've needed to use more than two swords for one battle."

"So that's it then," Karlamine said, a pang of nervous sweat beginning to fall from her head, even as her grin never wavered. "Your Sacred Gear allows you to forge all manner of blades."

"It does," Yumi answered, her free palm moving to face the earth below her. In an instant, dozens of blades appeared, every one of them their own distinct shape.

"You certainly are interesting. A wielder of Daemon swords," Karlamine smiled wistfully as she moved her short sword to a backhand grip. "I seem to be finding good fortune in battling swordsmen with unique weapons."

"Really?" Yumi asked curiously, her head tilted in a manner Karlamine almost found adorable. "Have you fought other people with Daemon Swords?"

"No, but I have fought someone who wielded a Holy Sword."

Much to Karlamine's shock, the adorable look Yumi held before had been wiped away before she could even finish speaking, having changed into one of nothing more than seething hatred. Bloodlust leaked from every fiber of her being as her grip tightened on her blade, so much so that blood was clearly beginning to fall.

"Is that so?" Her voice had changed. Gone was the girl she had just been enjoying the fight of her life with. All that stood there was the epitome of bitter rage, one that looked ready to lash out at the world around her in any attempt to quench it. "Tell me. Where are they? What do they look like?" Her voice was struggling to stay even, just barely holding back from screaming out. It was almost enough to unnerve her.

Almost.

"Do you really want to know? Maybe I'll give you the answer you seek, if you defeat me," she replied, putting on an air of cockiness that she wasn't entirely sure she could back up.

"...fine. You should still be able to talk without your limbs."

That same savage rush of pure bloodlust rippled over Karlamine, nearly sending her to her knees before she saw her opponent rushing toward her. She just barely ended up blocking a strike aimed at her leg, yet even then, the blade ended up nicking her ever so slightly, cutting her deeper than any previous blow had done.

With a burst of fire, she pushed her fellow Knight back, wincing in pain from her latest injury. She wasn't certain as to what had happened, but something had become very clear to her.

This fight was about to become a lot more complicated.

---

Rias opened the door to the main school building, allowing her and Asia to enter. The two had made their way past the chaos of Akeno's battle with Yubelluna unscathed, with both combatants being too preoccupied with one another to notice them. The building was deserted, just as Yumi had reported earlier, without a single trap in sight. Still, she knew that it would be wiser for them to practice caution. After all, their target could attack them at any moment.

"Rias?" Asia's concern was very clear. The girl had her hands clasped together as if in prayer almost from the moment they'd left their base. "Are you really sure this was the best idea?

Rias said nothing, but her mind was racing faster than it ever had before. Her plan was practically suicidal, she'd known that from the start, but it was still the best way she could think of to keep Riser from attacking the others. And even then, this entire match had become very personal to her. It was Riser who had ended up goading her into this match with his actions. Riser who had pursued their engagement with a frightening fervor over the past several months. It was Riser who…who…

She gritted her teeth as she came to a stop. No. As much as she wished to blame Riser, her actions toward Izuku were her own fault. Her knuckles cracked as her fist began to clench. She didn't want to say anything to him, but she wanted to do more than just keep Riser away from them.

She wanted…no. She needed to beat him.

It wouldn't undo what she had done, but she was certain that it would ease her guilt, even if just by a small amount. None of that should ever have happened, but as it stood now, Riser was the catalyst to her decision, the ultimate reason she had sunk so low. If anything would help her more than the talks he'd had with Izuku, it would be sinking her fist into his stupid smug face.

"Rias?"

Rias froze at the sound of Asia's voice. She'd almost forgotten the girl was there.

"I'm sorry, but you weren't answering me. I didn't mean to, but I…I heard it all." They had discovered a great deal about Asia's quirk during their little training trip. One of the more interesting bits was that, with enough concentration, she could read minds as easily as one would read a book. While it was certainly a strong ability, it was one Asia thought of as pervasive. People's thoughts were private, almost sacred. To willingly look into them without their consent felt wrong to her. "Is this really what this is about? Is this really what you want? Izuku's already forgiven you. We've all forgiven you." Even as a voice echoing in her head, Asia spoke kindly to her, a comforting presence in the tempestuous storm of her mind.

She couldn't turn to look at her. She already knew that if she did, she would want to turn back, to keep Asia away from the battle. Asia was her friend, someone truly dear to her. She couldn't let her get caught up in this.

"Rias," Asia's voice rang out, her kindness ringing clear even in her thoughts. "I already told you that I'd stay by your side. I'm not leaving you alone. Not now, not ever." She felt the soothing touch of Asia's hand brushing against her own, her almost delicate hand managing to move into hers as it gripped tightly. "You told us before that we're essentially family, and that we stick together through thick and thin. I'm staying with you."

Rias tried fighting back her smile, but found it impossible to do so. Finally, chancing a look behind her, she saw Asia with that exact same smile, one that held the same promise she had sworn to her in her mind.

"Thank you Asia," she said sincerely, giving her hand a reassuring grip before moving it away. "We'd best get moving. If Riser ends up attacking us, I'd prefer it to be in a more open space."

"Right."

The two continued to explore the school in silence, the presence of one another bringing them comfort. As they approached the student council room though, Rias found herself becoming uneasy, being sure to place herself in front of Asia. No sooner did she do so did the door explode outward with a rush of fire, with Rias sending out a wave of Destruction to do away with the debris before it could touch them. No sooner did the fire begin to fade did a voice make itself known.

"I've been expecting you." A figure began to form in the doorway before finally stepping out into the light of the fire that surrounded them. Riser Phenex stepped toward the two girls with a cocky grin, amused chuckles echoing from his throat that sent shivers up their spines. "It's a pleasure to see you here, my darling Rias."

---

[BOOST]

The fight was starting to go in Izuku's favor. Keeping with his Promotion to a Knight piece allowed him to keep up with Isabella's attacks, while the Boosted Gear let him start landing more serious damage against her.

All he needed to do now was finish this fight as quickly as possible. Then, he would be able to go and help Yumi.

Rias had told him during their training trip that Rooks could be the most troubling piece in any Rating Game, a statement that Sona backed up. It was more than just their potential for incredible offense and defense. Rook pieces could be assigned to more than just those who specialized in physical combat, they could be given to those with an abundance of magical ability. While normally physically weak more often than not, having a Rook piece would make them a terrifying force on any battlefield. And giving one to someone who was already quick on their feet, like Isabella was proving to be, made for an incredibly effective lightning bruiser.

There was however, one other ability they had, one that could make them the most effective member in a Rating Game. Castling. The ability to switch their positions with their King. While it apparently couldn't be used if the King was in check, it could easily be used to turn the tide in any Rating Game. And while he was sure Rias had already made contact with Riser, he still had to take Isabella down just in case she hadn't.

Which was why he was currently going in with a relentless assault, throwing more punches than he'd ever done before, all in the hope that they would overwhelm her. And so far, it seemed to be working.

Isabella still managed to block more than her fair share of blows, but more than a few of them found their way through. That hadn't meant he didn't manage to hit her at all though, as several jabs made their way to his chest, with his ribs and abs taking the majority of the abuse. She had even thrown in a kick or two, throwing him off of what he expected a few times with how sudden they were.

Still, in the end, only one of them would remain standing. And as they prepared to jab at each other once again, Izuku made his move.

'PROMOTION:ROOK!'

Isabella's blow found its mark first due to his sudden loss of speed, but it didn't do anywhere near as much damage as before. For Izuku though, his jab was sent straight into Isabella's gut, his strength boosted not only by his Sacred Gear, but by promoting himself. The blow ended up being far stronger than Isabella had expected, so it ended up sending her flying. On and on she flew before finally crashing into a tree several meters away, the tree snapping in half from the sheer force of the impact.

Isabella let out a pain filled groan before suddenly coughing. Bits of blood escaped her throat as she struggled to get it under control. She attempted to stand back up, but her legs wavered before she could, leaving her laying against the broken stump.

"Well shit," she said with a sigh. She looked up at the sight of a shadowed figure moving toward her, only to see Izuku, fists still raised as he waited for her to try and rise. "Yeah, nope. I'm not getting back up. Looks like you win this one." She let out another wry grin, looking genuinely happy. "You're a lot tougher than you look. Thanks for giving me a good fight."

Izuku said nothing in response, instead lowering his fists before moving closer to try and help her up.

"Don't bother. I'm done," she said, her body already beginning to shine in the same light that had taken Koneko. "Honestly, I'm starting to wonder if you guys will actually end up winning this thing after all." She then vanished, her grin never once wavering.

"Lord Riser's remaining Rook has been retired."

With Grayfia's voice making it final, Izuku finally allowed himself a moment to catch his breath, wincing at several points as his chest began to ache. There was no doubt now, at least a few of his ribs had been broken.

"Impressive."

He managed to whirl around at the sound of Ravel's voice, the smaller girl looking at him with a bit more interest than before.

"I wasn't actually expecting you to beat Isabella. Honestly, I figured she would have beaten you in less than a minute, Boosted Gear or not." Izuku kept his eyes trained on the Bishop, his Sacred Gear still ready to go at a moment's notice. He refused to let her try and goad him. "Still, you're already getting exhausted. You won't stand a chance against the rest of them."

His eyes widened as she finished speaking, several figures had begun emerging from the shadows, likely hidden thanks to illusory magic. Five women now stood before him, each of them looking at him with a critical eye.

"He actually managed to beat her," one said. Her hair was a shade of black that seemed to glow blue in the moonlight, held up in a ponytail that split off into five different trails of hair. Dressed in an outfit that resembled a white cheongsam and red shorts, she also held in her hand a massive sword, a zweihander that was almost as tall as she was.

"Then his strength is clearly not to be underestimated," another said. She was a rather ornate looking woman, her long dark hair tied back in a more traditional style. She was also the most conservatively dressed member of Riser's peerage he'd seen, even more so than Ravel, wearing an ornate kimono consisting of purple, orange and pink.

She was quite the contrast to the final two women.

"Then we've gotta take him out!"

"Yup! And we'll get it done before he has a chance to move!"

They were a more interesting sight in his eyes, but not for their attire. Well, not only for that at least. Both were dressed in white sailor uniforms, ones that looked like they would otherwise belong to normal schoolgirls, outside of the clear modifications done to them. They cut off just barely below their breasts, leaving a decent chunk of them exposed, same for their midriffs. Even the shoulder pieces had been done away with, basically turning ordinary school uniforms into crop tops. The skirt even looked shorter than what would normally be worn, just barely hovering over the thigh. But that wasn't what truly caught his eye.

What caught his attention most were the cat ears twitching slightly on their heads.

Even with different shades of hair, one being a light red while the other was a light blue, their cat ears were more tan colored with black stripes. Their similarities went even further than that, with both girls having facial features that nearly matched entirely.

'More twins?'

"Don't let this little victory go to your head, you still don't stand a chance against Riser." Ravel said in the most matter of fact tone possible. "If he really wanted to, he would have wiped you out already. The only reason he isn't here right now is because he wanted to take on Lady Rias himself."

That at least confirmed his earlier suspicion. If Riser had already taken the bait to battle Rias, then he and Yumi would be able to team up to take out the rest of his peerage. Still, it would be an uphill battle. Six of Riser's peerage were between them and Rias, and he still had no clue how Akeno's battle was faring.

"Crimson-Haired Princess of Annihilation, Vestal of Thunder, Red Dragon Emperor. You've all taken some rather grand sounding names, but none of you are a match for the powers of the Phoenix."

Inaku narrowed his eyes at Ravel, doing his best to keep his cool. "Don't underestimate us. We'll beat him."

Ravel actually snorted, seeming to find him amusing. "Is that so? What, are you going to just keep hitting him until he falls down? Do you have some kind of secret ultimate attack that will change the tide at the last second? Face it, none of you ever stood a chance, as Lady Rias is soon to find out."

A series of explosions stopped any further words from either party. Moving part of his gaze to the main building, Izuku saw large sections of it beginning to fall, each part landing with a resounding crash. There, flying out of the new hole in the wall were three figures. One had wings engulfed with flames, while the other two held themselves aloft with their pitch-black wings. Flashes of fire and pure destructive energy were thrown back and forth. Even if the color of their hair didn't give them away, he would have recognized Rias and Asia in an instant.

"He must be in a good mood," Ravel said, her eyes focused now on the aerial fight between Kings. "He's merely toying with her instead of just ending it. Too bad for you, I don't feel the same way." Her eyes moved back to him, her gaze going back to the same intense disinterest she showed earlier before quickly snapping her fingers. In an instant, the remaining members of Riser's peerage had him surrounded, each one ready to fight. "Now, as for your Knight-"

"One of Lord Riser's Knights has been retired."

At the sound of Grayfia's voice, Ravel's entire demeanor shifted. Any looks of disinterest or boredom were wiped away in an instant, replaced by complete shock. "What!?"

Before anyone else could question what happened, a shriek of pain began to echo around them. Turning to its source, they all saw the kimono garbed woman fall to the ground, her body becoming enveloped in a white light before fading away.

"Mihae!" The twin cat girls cried.

"One of Lord Riser's Bishops has been retired."

A heartbeat later, Yumi appeared by Izuku's side. She was clearly out of breath, panting heavily as she held her bloody sword before her. Her uniform was almost in tatters, with small strips of fabric just barely hanging on. What concerned him most though, was that she was clearly wounded, more so than he had ever seen before. Even her bout with Freed several months ago hadn't left her this injured.

"You," she growled out, pointing her blade at the still surprised Ravel. "Keep away from him or I'll split you in two."

Ravel wasn't the only one surprised anymore. Izuku stared at Yumi with his mouth agape in horror. This wasn't normal for her, not from anything he had ever seen.

What had happened?

---

Fire roared through more than just the air as Yumi continued her assault. Every part of her felt like it was alight in pure rage. It flowed through her body almost like water as she swung her blade, crashing it against Karlamine's sword as though she were wildly hammering a nail.

Despite all of her training warning her to never attack in such a manner, it was actually working. Her opponent had been far too surprised by her sudden shift in attitude, the fun she had clearly been having before having left her in a hurry. She was also moving much more slowly than before, the cut on her leg bleeding more heavily as the pressure increased. This fight had gotten more than just complicated. The entire battle had completely shifted from what looked like a stalemate to one completely in the blonde girl's favor.

"Tell me," Yumi repeated as their blades locked. Karlamine winced in pain as she began falling to her knees from the force of her attack. She had already started growing pale from the loss of blood.

Even as she fought to push back her opponent's blade though, she could tell that she had done some damage too. Whatever fury that had possessed her had left her open more than a few times whenever she raised her blade, allowing Karlamine several opportunities to give her a few cuts of her own. Her uniform's top was ruined, nearly exposing her sports bra covered chest, which likewise had been nicked a few times

Her exposed belly had the heaviest wound, one that bled almost as freely as the one Karlamine had on her leg. The raging Knight didn't show it, but she was already starting to lose steam just as quickly as her opponent.

"Tell me about the Holy Sword user now!" Her demands were nearly spat out as she pushed her blade harder. Karlamine bit back a cry of pain as her own blade began to get pushed against her armored chest. She didn't get it, how was she so strong even with as wounded as she was?

"Alright. I'll tell you," Karlamine finally replied. She was still a Knight after all, one who was a woman of her word. "It was about a year ago. I came here to the human world to fulfill a summon when I ran into her."

"Name her," Yumi demanded.

"Her name is-" Karlamine's words were drowned out as a series of explosions rocked the battlefield. Yumi, still locked in her fury, looked up at the source, only to see Rias and Asia flying out of the main building, a figure with flaming wings throwing fire at the two of them. At the sight, the haze that had clouded her mind seemed to fade away. She could suddenly feel the pain from her wounds, especially the one on her belly. She gritted her teeth as she bit back a cry of pain. She hadn't even realized how hurt she really was.

Then, she heard Ravel's voice. When she saw her standing against Izuku, the green boy surrounded by the remainder of Riser's peerage, nothing else mattered.

Her sword moved from Karlmaine in an instant before she slammed the pommel into her head. She saw a bright light from the corner of her eye as she dashed toward her destination, but that didn't matter. All that did was that she couldn't let him get hurt. Not as long as she was there to stop it.

---

"Yumi," Izuku said concernedly. Even as she held her sword aloft, her arm was shaking. Her other arm was held tightly against her bleeding gut, just barely keeping it from getting any worse. "You're hurt."

"I know," she replied, a small amused smile making its way to her face. "But I can't let you do this alone."

"Interesting," Ravel said, her surprise having passed as she glanced at the two with a more curious look. "I wasn't expecting you to defeat Karlamine. Pigheaded as she is about her chivalry, she's a strong one. Still," she continued, snapping her fingers once more, catching the remaining peerage member's attention. "Siris."

"At once my lady," the dark haired swordsman responded. Drawing her zweihander, she leveled an intense gaze at Yumi, one she gave back in full, even as one of her eyes began to twitch as blood leaked down from a cut on her forehead. "Don't expect me to act like Karlamine. This is a fight. There is only victory or defeat."

Yumi simply held her blade up higher in defiance, glaring daggers at the shorter woman. In an instant, Siris swung her massive blade at Yumi, the blonde barely getting a chance to block it before the momentum caught her, carrying her away from Izuku.

"Now it's our turn!"

"We're gonna get you for what she did to Mihae!"

The twin cat girls raised their fist high, before suddenly posing in front of him. Both girls mirrored the other, legs spread apart as they held a peace sign in front of one eye, even giving a wink as they did so.

"My name is Ni!" The blue haired one began.

"And my name is Li!" The redhead finished.

"We're Lord Riser's Pawns! And we're gonna finish you off!" They said in unison before vanishing entirely. Izuku just barely caught their attacks before they made contact, each blow carrying a surprising amount of strength. Before he could try a similar tactic to before, the twin girls pulled their fists away from him before Li lashed out with a kick to his ribs. Izuku was able to catch it, but the distraction proved effective as Ni landed a punch directly to his face, sending him to the ground.

[BOOST]

He recovered quickly as he began attacking them in turn. His fist managed to graze Li's cheek before she managed to move, before having to block a kick to his midsection from Ni. Ducking under another punch by Li, he managed to lay a solid hit into Ni's side as she tried moving in closer to him. Before he could make another move, Li had managed to drive her knee directly into his side, with Ni quickly following it up by sending a low kick directly into his leg.

Even with his promotion into a Rook piece and the Boosted Gear behind him, Izuku was already beginning to falter. He'd put more into his fight with Isabella than he'd thought, and it was clear that Li and Ni were much, much stronger than Ile and Nel had been. The two were far more in sync, barely giving him much of an opportunity to catch any mistakes, making sure to keep the other covered as they kept up their assault. Giving him the time to move would give him more time to fight bact, and that was clearly not an option for them.

He wasn't the only one having a rough time though, as Yumi was just barely holding her own against Siris. She was at a major disadvantage here, as while she had taken a large amount of damage in her fight with Karlamine, Siris had yet to take part in any fight until now, leaving her well rested enough to pose a bigger threat. Yumi could barely block a blow from the weihanded before wincing in pain as the injury to her belly throbbed.

Tremors began shaking the battlefield as the two fought for their lives. The sky was alight in not only the fires of the phoenix and Rias' own powers of Destruction, but flashes of lightning also moved about, Akeno's own battle with Yubelluna still happening as they continued their desperate struggle.

"Izuku."

His eyes widened at the sound of Ddraig's voice, just barely avoiding another low kick from Ni as he managed to shoulder charge Li.

"This isn't going well."

'I can see that,' he replied as he blocked an overhead strike from Ni. Li meanwhile managed to circle around him, sending a hard jab into his back.

"Don't get smart with me. I understand that you wanted to use it against Riser, but not using it now will only lead to your downfall."

Izuki ducked a high kick before sweeping Li's kegs out from under her, moving away enough to put some distance between them. He knew where Ddraig was coming from, and definitely knew that the Welsh Dragon was right.

If they were going to win this, he'd need to use his new ability.

---

The sounds of crashing echoed through the forest as another tree fell to the ground. Izuku stood before it, his arm outstretched with the Boosted Gear equipped to it. The gauntlet hummed with power before it finally began to quiet, Izuku bringing his arm back down to his side.

"Impressive," Ddraig stated, sounding almost proud. "Though you surely could have gotten here sooner if you weren't so focused on One For All."

"I was already training to get it before I even knew you existed," Izuku snapped back. He most certainly had not whined. No sir. No matter what Ddraig may say to anyone who would ask.

"Still, there is much for you to learn," he continued, sounding more like a teacher now. "I wouldn't be surprised if I have forgotten much of what I was once capable of, but I can still help you reach new heights with my power. Who knows? With enough time, you could even surpass my previous wielders."

A grin bloomed on Izuku's face at the praise, yet he felt curious. Ddraig hadn't talked much, if at all about any of his previous wielders, much like All Might hadn't with One For All. Both were incredible powers passed down through multiple generations, but he knew virtually nothing about either of them.

"Hey Ddraig," he began, phantoms of questions clear in his voice before Ddraig interrupted him.

"If you're going to ask about my previous wielders, I'm afraid I don't have much to tell. I have had many wielders, but not all of them could use my power. Some of them never even knew that I was there, so all I could ever really do was sleep. There were times when I could feel what was happening to them, but there was little I could do to help. My previous wielder never even used my power until reaching the end of their life."

Izuku's face had become downcast. It would have been nice to learn something about the previous wielders. Maybe there was something they had figured out that could help him now.

"Anything they learned is something I can teach you," Ddraig said, responding to Izuku's thoughts with what sounded like a grin. "And trust me, this one could prove to be very useful in the battles to come."

Izuku nodded, but still felt that twinge of curiosity. Something in Ddraig's voice sounded off there at the end, knowledge that he and his friends would need to know.

"Your focus should be on the Rating Game. After it is done, I will tell you," he promised with a sigh. "Now, begin focusing on the Boosted Gear."

He did so, crimson light beginning to shine from the Sacred Gear as he felt power gathering deep within it. Ddraig kept encouraging him, his every word bringing in confidence Izuku rarely felt, when finally, the glow encompassed his entire arm, and before his eyes, the Boosted Gear transformed.

The changes may have been minimal, but they were still noticeable. It was slightly larger than before, another green jewel that shined with the same bright emerald hue appearing partway up his arm. More spikes had burst forth from the back of the gauntlet, giving it ten in total.

"This is the Boosted Gear's Second Liberation," Draig explained, all while Izuku stared at it in awe. "Now that you've reached this form, a new power is at your disposal. It's known as-"

---

"Boosted Gear:Gift!"

[TRANSFER]

The sudden announcement was enough to give pause to the entire battlefield. The four remaining members of Riser's peerage stared at him in confusion, but Yumi stared at him with widened eyes instead. She knew exactly what he was doing. In an instant, before Siris could even try to stop her, she slammed her blade into the ground, embedding it into the dirt.

"Sword Birth!"

The very ground around them began to rumble as their opponent's eyes widened in shock. Before they could do anything about it though, blades erupted from the ground. They were of every shape and size, standing tall like gravemarkers as they continued to swarm the battlefield.

Riser's remaining peerage had been rendered silent as soon as the blades appeared, with many of the blades skewering their bodies. They had been thrust through each and every limb, with some blades even managing to pierce through their chests, all while continuing to spread, a tidal wave of metal blanketing all it could see before it finally stopped. Brief cries of pain could be heard before their forms were enveloped by light, sending them away from the battle.

That was the power given to him by the Boosted Gear Gift. The ability to transfer its accumulated power to whatever person or object he chose, and like Ddraig had said before, it had proven itself and then some.

He'd mentioned it almost as soon as he learned about it, with each girl becoming curious about its effects. They'd spent a small part of the night experimenting with it, finding incredible ways it could be used to increase their power should ever they need it. It had been decided almost immediately though that if they needed to use it in the Rating Game, it would only be against Riser, or as a last resort if he and another were to become overwhelmed. Best not to let the enemy know your every move.

Though he couldn't stop blushing at the faces Akeno made when he used Transfer on her. The other girls looked like they enjoyed the sensation, but she had taken it to another level.

But right now, that didn't matter. He and Yumi had managed to take out the rest of Riser's peerage.

"Two of Lord Riser's Pawns, and his last Knight, have been retired."

Izuku's eyes went wide at the announcement. There was someone missing from there. His eyes scanned everything around him, looking for Ravel, before he finally spotted her flying off into the distance.

He was tempted to go after her, hoping that he would be able to take her down somehow before he heard a gasp of pain coming from Yumi. He rushed over to her side, watching her fall to her knees as she held her bleeding stomach. He winced at the sight. Even with the pressure she was putting on it, it was still bleeding rather heavily.

"We need to get you to Asia," he told her, wincing once more as he saw her struggle to get to her feet. "You can't keep going like this."

"I know," she panted out. She was in rough shape, the smaller cuts that littered her body would have worried him enough, but the large one over her belly was almost debilitating. She struggled to get back to her feet, wincing and gasping even as Izuku helped her stand. They readied themselves to move up to the rooftop of the school building before a loud explosion shook the very ground around them.

That was coming from Akeno and her fight with Yubelluna, Izuku was sure of that. But when there were no strikes of lightning he began to grow concerned. Was Akeno alright? He knew she said that she could handle it, but he had found himself worrying about her almost since he'd left her side. Part of him wanted to go to her, but he couldn't just leave Yumi behind. Not in her condition.

"Izuku."

He turned back to Yumi, his worries increasing as she deployed her wings. "I'll go up to the roof. You go after Akeno."

"What? No! Are you crazy!? You can't move like this!"

She sent a small smile his way before reaching down to her skirt. In a flash of movement, she ripped it off, tying itself around her belly tightly, doing her best to seal the wound. Izuku suppressed a blush as best he could, feeling somewhat thankful that she was wearing tights underneath.

"Don't worry about me," she said before once again wincing as she held her belly, blood beginning to leak through her makeshift bandage. "You're worried about Akeno, I can already tell. You go and get her, I should at least be able to make it to Asia to get patched up."

"But-!"

"Izuku," she protested, leaning on her remaining sword as she struggled to keep herself aloft. "Just go. I promise I'll be fine. Once I get Asia to heal me, I'll be waiting for you. And once you get Akeno, we'll tale Riser down. Together."

Her smile was reassuring, but he was still hesitant. She was still faster than him, even in her wounded state, so she would likely reach Asia before he could get her there, but that would still mostly leave her alone and unguarded. He was torn, wanting to help one person over another. He couldn't help but wonder, was this something a Hero went through? Being forced to choose one life over another?

Was it selfish to want to save both?

His choice was made for him though as Yumi took to the sky, soaring up the walls of the main building before he could stop her. He hesitated as he tried going after her, another thunderous explosion shaking the earth before he could do so. He gritted his teeth as his wings deployed, flying in the direction he chose.

He only hoped that Yumi knew what she was doing, and that Akeno was alright.

---

If Akeno could describe her situation to anyone right now, she would definitely say that she was not alright.

Her battle with Yubelluna had gone on for far too long in her personal opinion. While the 'Bomb Queen' as she seemed to detest being called was most certainly a strong opponent, Akeno had already known from the start that she was stronger. Her foe had barely gotten any real hit throughout their bout and had more than once been blasted into the ground, either by her beloved lightning bolts or by another kind of spell. Still, this match should have ended a while ago, with her opponent left as nothing more than a silhouette in a smoking crater.

But that was not how it went.

Instead, Yubelluna had managed to surprise her by pulling out a support item, something any one of them could have brought into the match if it was declared as legal, and unfortunately for her, it was.

Phenex Tears. An extremely powerful and highly coveted liquid that could only be made by the Phenex Family. Anyone who used them would have any of their recent injuries restored in a heartbeat, as though they had never even happened in the first place. So of course, right after being blasted back to the dirt in what should have been the end of their fight, Yubelluna had taken out a vial and drank it.

If she was normally inclined to swear, she would be cursing up a storm right now.

Much as she would have liked to complain, it was still a legitimate tactic, one she would have taken advantage of if she had the opportunity. Now though, she was doing all she could to shield herself from damage. She had wasted most of her magic trying to put her fellow Queen down for the count, and now she was starting to run dry. A small barrier was the only thing standing between her and disqualification.

And it was already clear to her that the others would need her help, and fast. It was very clear that Rias and Asia had already made contact with Riser, and both Yumi and Izuku were fighting for their lives against the rest of his peerage.

"It's a shame really," Yubelluna declared, that damnable smirk still on her face. "You won't be there to see your dear King getting crushed by our Lord, not to mention the rest of your pathetic peerage."

What made it worse was that Yubelluna would just not stop talking.

Her options were limited. Very limited. Only two lay before her, and one was infinitely more appealing to her. She wouldn't, no, she couldn't use the other one, leaving her with only one real choice.

"The real shame," Akeno said through gritted teeth. "Is that I didn't finish you off earlier. So why don't I fix that?"

Flaring her wings, she moved away as another explosion lit up the sky. Dropping her barrier, she brought up a single hand, and with it, summoned forth one more bolt of lightning. Yubelluna braced herself, ready to move the instant the lightning raced toward her.

Only for her jaw to go slack when she saw the lightning strike Akeno instead.

Arcs of pure electrical power surged both around her through her body, firing through every part of her from her muscles to even her nerves. Having stayed in the air, there was nothing to ground her, leaving the lightning free to continue its path, winding its way throughout her body in constant sensations of pain.

And for her, that also meant pleasure.

She let out a cry of ecstasy as the lightning began to cocoon around her, the intense heat frying her clothes away, leaving her bare to the world. But as the electricity continued to dance around her, it began to settle, laying across her skin as the cocoon slowly expanded. With a single gasp of delight, the cocoon exploded, power rushing over her every synapse as she met her opponent's gaze.

Yubelluna floated there dumbfounded. She'd thought her opponent mad when she struck herself with her own attack, wondering if she had decided to surrender and take herself out, but the truth was staring her in the face. And while that truth was still very much recognizable as Akeno, she had hardly expected anything like this.

Those same arcs of electricity that should have fried her body now danced across her skin, having weaved themselves across her in a way that mimicked clothing. While very little was left to the imagination, the arcs seemed to make up a skimpy bikini, one that just barely kept her covered. It ran over her limbs as well, ending at the tips of her fingers and toes into deadly claws that glowed with power. They even danced across her wings, not only lighting them up with pure power, but it somehow even managed to extend them further outward, like the wings of a great bird of prey. Finally, they gathered around her head, almost like a crown, extending themselves upward ever so slightly, shaping themselves into what she was sure were horns.

"S-so what? Is this it? Your last gamble?" Yubelluna kept a small mocking laugh, but it did little to lessen her nerves. "This won't change anything! You're going to lose! And I'm going to make you watch as my Lord tears the rest of your pathetic peerage apar-"

Her words were cut off when Akeno appeared suddenly. It was almost as though she had teleported, moving so swiftly that Yubelluna hadn't seen a hint of movement. In the span of a heartbeat, Akeno's hand lashed forward, a blast of pure lightning piercing through Yubelluna's body before she could even think to move. She crashed hard into the ground below, reeling from both the pain and the shock. That one strike was more powerful than anything she'd used before.

'What the hell is this!?' She struggled to reach her feet as she thought desperately about her next option. 'Some kind of hidden power? Or is it one of those quirks I've heard about?' Each question darted through her mind as she rose, her body shaking as she did so. 'But why now? If she could always do this, why did she wait? Is there something more to this?' Hoping to get enough time to gather her thoughts, she gathered power into her staff. As she was about to unleash it, Akeno appeared before her again like a flash of lightning.

Himejima Akeno

Quirk:High Voltage

Whenever she absorbs electricity, she's able to transform herself into a more powerful state. Everything from her power, speed, and even magic gains a significant boost.

Yubelluna managed to evade this time, but only just barely, the lightning briefly grazing her before cutting through the battlefield, shearing through everything in its to the sky once more, she let loose with her own magical might, sending a series of explosions all around Akeno before bringing them all to the center, keeping them all trained on the lightning infused Queen. Smoke engulfed the area all around her, the force of each explosion sending shockwaves that echoed throughout the sky.

In a heartbeat, the smoke cleared, and Akeno stood tall, a barrier of pure electricity circling around her before it began to recede. Again, Yubelluna threw more explosions her way, but this time she flew around them, escaping even the shockwaves as she weaved through them as swiftly as an eagle.

Again and again did Yubelluna track her opponent with the full force of her explosions, being sure to keep herself moving so as to avoid being caught by surprise once more, but time and time again, Akeno managed to avoid her attacks. Anytime one seemed to get close, another barrier would appear around her, keeping both the force and even the heat of the explosions from reaching her.

Yubelluna was beginning to panic. The Phenex tears had helped before, but she was seriously running low on magic. If she wasn't able to land a single hit, she was done for.

"You think this will help! This is nothing! No matter what you do, you will all fall! Either by my hands, or by Lord Riser's!" Her panic was making her desperate, and in her desperation, she began channeling more and more of her power into her next attack. Her teeth began to grind together as power gathered at the tip of her staff, now flying towards the Vestal of Thunder. She weaved her away around the electricity Akeno had begun surrounding herself with, power building up more and more as she neared her opponent. Now, less than three meters away, she launched her attack, a massive explosion moving toward her at speeds she wouldn't be able to avoid, and with enough power to even break through that barrier of hers.

Akeno though, had been building up power of her own. The entire time she had been evading the explosions, she had been working on one final spell that she was certain would end the fight. The barriers she kept putting up were unaffected by what she was weaving, with them merely being formed by the electricity that circled around her. Once Yubelluna's massive explosion came flying toward her, that was when she knew. It was time.

"Supreme Thunder!"

Flying from her outstretched palms came a gale of pure lighting, circling around itself in a near infinite loop, weaving through itself over and over as it sped toward Yubelluna's attack. It pierced through the explosions, going through it as easily as thread through the head of a needle. To Yubelluna's horror, the lightning dissipated her attack completely, before finally hitting her. Her face remained frozen in a look of utter terror as it struck, before engulfing completely, the power exploding all around her as it drove her back down to the ground.

Akeno eyed the crater made by her attack as she descended, before the power finally began to leave her. Her limbs began to shake as her wings locked up, leaving her crashing into the ground just as Yubelluna had when their fight began. The arcs of electricity that once danced around her body began to fade, leaving her bare to the world once more as her entire body began to quiver. She struggled to breathe as her entire body began seizing up, with any attempt at movement being met with an increasing level of difficulty. She had to fight herself just to be able to even crane her neck, hoping that Yubelluna had finally stayed down

Only for a sense of pure dread to wash over her as she saw her begin to stand.

Her attack had certainly done damage though, as Yubelluna's whole body was shaking in agony. Much of her clothing had been burned away, leaving her almost as bare as Akeno. Unlike her though, Yubelluna's body was covered in both burns and ash, looking like every movement was just as painful as the last. As she cleared the crater, her one open eye locked onto Akeno, seething with pure seething rage.

"You…you haven't won yet," she rasped out venomously, her voice just barely above a whisper as she hobbled toward Akeno's prone form. She tried to move, tried to get away, just long enough for her opponent's injuries to finally overwhelm her, but every attempt was met with failure, each movement sending waves of pain and exhaustion through her body. "R-ravel," Yubelluna gasped out, one of her hands slowly rising as the little remnants of her magic began to build, her staff having been burnt to ashes after Akeno's attack. "Need to…need to find Ravel. But first…"

She still couldn't move. All she could do was give a glare of her own. No matter what happened, she refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing her cower. Still, she braced herself for the end. Though, as the magic finished building in Yubelluna's hand, her mind moved to the others. She kind of wished that she hadn't sent Izuku away, despite knowing that Yumi needed him more. Because right now, the only thing that could save her-

"DETROIT SMASH!"

-would be a hero.

Two sets of eyes widened at the sudden appearance of Midoriya Izuku, his body flaring with power as One For All surged through him. In an instant, his fist was sunk deep into Yubelluna's gut, sending her flying back into the crater she'd crawled out of. Akeno knew there and then that she wouldn't be getting back up, especially once a bright light erupted from her body's location.

"Lord Riser's Queen has been retired."

Akeno let out a sigh of relief, almost feeling relaxed even through the pain. That had been a lot more touch and go than she would have liked.

"Himejima! Are you all right?" Izuku asked concernedly as he stepped toward her, his face lighting up her state of undress. She found it absolutely adorable. He'd already seen her naked at least three times now, and he still acted like this? She couldn't help but laugh a little, it was funny. She was almost tempted to start teasing him a little when she saw his hand reaching out for hers. She took it gladly.

"What was that back there? Was that your quirk?" Countless questions gathered in his mind as he thought back to what he saw, but all he could really ask was the one. It was an effort to keep herself held up, but she managed it.

She really should apologize for lying to him before. It wasn't that her quirk was too situational, she already showed that she could use it whenever she liked, and it was clearly very useful. The biggest issue was everything that happened after it. Her body was supercharged with pure power, but once it ran dry, so would she. Her magic was completely drained, her body was exhausted, and being hit with lightning still hurt, so she would be left with the pain, no matter how much she wouldn't mind it normally. Being able to move, and even then just barely, would be all she could do until she got some rest. It would leave her as a sitting duck, all but useless.

"It was," she answered, keeping her smile up, if only for his sake. It wouldn't be long now before she was taken out of the game. "What are you doing here though? You should be with Rias."

"I know, but," his face remained alight as he tried his best to keep his eyes trained on hers. He made to speak again, but stopped himself before removing the top of his tracksuit, draping it over Akeno's shoulders. "I saw the explosions and I just thought you needed some help," he admitted bashfully.

She found herself gripping the jacket tightly, her face alight as her smile became more real. She felt a jolt run through her heart, one that had nothing to do with her quirk's aftereffects. She had to wonder, was this what Rias and Asia felt around him?

It felt nice.

And seeing the black shirt stretching across his muscles was just icing on the cake.

"Thank you Dek-Izuku," she said, her exhaustion meaning nothing at that moment.

"N-no problem, and…you can still call me Deku if you want," he said bashfully, ruffling his hair with an almost embarrassed smile that would have made her knees weak if they weren't already. "I kind of like hearing it from you."

Her face began to flush even further as her smile widened. A small part of her wondered if he felt the same way whenever Ochako said it, but she brushed it aside. That didn't matter right now. It was just the two of them here.

"Okay then. Thank you, Deku."

They shared the smallest of moments together, Rating Game almost forgotten as they sat beside each other. But all good things must come to an end, and there was still much to do.

"We should get you to Asia," he said, offering his hand to her. "She should be able to help-"

The rest of his words were drowned out in a sudden explosion, his gaze quickly moving to the main school building. Up on the rooftop, he saw jets of flame bursting forth from all around, along with scarlet waves of Rias' Destruction powers.

"Go," she said suddenly, taking him aback. "I won't be much help to you. Not like this." Her tone was serious, her gaze focused on Izuku as he continued to stare at her in surprise. "I'll be alright, I promise."

"But I can't just-"

"You have to," she interrupted, her voice firm, leaving no room for argument. She'd picked up more than a few things from her friendship with Rias, and now was the time to use one of them. "I won't last long as I am now. They need you."

"But, but if I could get you to Asia-"

"It won't work Deku." She could already feel her eyes beginning to droop. "Even if you could, I'd be nothing more than a burden. Go. They need someone like you. They need a hero."

"...I could never call myself a hero if I left you behind Himejima," he said, his face downcast as he kept trying to fight her decision. "Please, let me-!"

All words stopped at Akeno's next action. She wasn't even sure why she had done it, but it simply felt right at that moment. She leaned forward, and kissed him ever so lightly on his cheek. When she pulled away, both their faces were awash in the same crimson glow.

"I'll be alright. Now go."

Much as he wished to, Izuku couldn't come up with any other arguments to make against her. With an audible grunt of protest, he stood up beside her. His wings flared to life as he turned his gaze to the main building, ready to take off.

"Deku."

He looked back at Akeno once more, and seeing that smile on her face, one that felt so earnest and pure, made his heart jump for joy.

"Please, call me Akeno from now on."

With a single nod, he flew off, his form quickly becoming a glint against the raging flames above them.

Her smile never faded even as her body began to glow, exhaustion beginning to take her completely. 'We really did luck out with him, didn't we Rias?' She began gripping his track jacket just a little bit tighter as her world began to dim. 'What was it that Ochako said way back then? That 'Deku' would make for a good hero name?' Darkness quickly entered her vision, even as the light began to overtake her. 'Go for it Deku. You can do it.'

"Lady Rias' Queen has been retired.."

---

The air around them seemed to explode as their powers clashed. The flames of the Phoenix met the Power of Destruction in equal fervor, with neither side seeming to edge out over the other. But Rias knew that such a stalemate wouldn't last forever. Riser was still very much a Phenex. An immortal, so long as his flames lasted. And his stamina was nearly as limitless as his life.

Still, she was able to keep herself from falling to any of his attacks. Each move made had been countered by the other. Large swaths of flame would be pushed toward her, but a wave of her Destruction powers would negate them. She would send smaller attacks to try and make it through his defenses, but he would summon a wall of fire to stop them.

Not to say that neither had made any progress. Rias had managed to score a few hits on him, forcing him to regenerate. She had even sent a blast right through his skull at one point, something she took immense satisfaction in, but it melded itself back together in almost no time at all, as if his very body had become like fire the instant before her attack landed. Unfortunately for her, he had managed more blows against her, light burns covering her exposed skin as her hair began to smell of ash.

If it wasn't for Asia, she would be in far more trouble.

The shorter girl kept her arms outstretched, gusts of wind emanating from her palms as she did her best to keep Riser's fire at bay. It had been a major boon so far, but she was already starting to lose steam, leading Rias to become slightly more aggressive as she fought. But even that hadn't gotten her as far as she'd have hoped.

"Really now, you should simply give up Rias," Riser said with that same condescending smirk he'd kept up since the fight began. She aimed another shot right at his face just so she could stop seeing it, only for his flames stop it in its tracks. "The more you resist, the worse your image gets. Neither your father nor your brother will escape your defeat unscathed from this if we continue. So why don't we put an end to this little game? After all, we both know how this is going to end."

"Shut up!" She began to seethe as she glared daggers at him. He was starting to get under her skin more and more. "You know that I'm not giving up. I'm not out of options yet!"

"You mean that pathetic Pawn, or even your Knight? Taking them out will be child's play. Riser doubts he would even need to try, especially with your Pawn."

"You don't know a thing about him," she shot back, giving him a dauntless grin. "He's every bit as stubborn as I am, and has the power to back it up and then some."

"You're putting far too much hope in a single person my darling," he chuckled, watching her shudder in revulsion at his little term of endearment. "I'm calling check now. Every move you make, every attack you'll bring to the table, and Riser will have no trouble countering each one. Even with your Bishop there with you, this little tussle won't last much longer."

"You're so full of yourself," she said, charging more power into her next attack. "In case you've forgotten, you're down to only one other piece, while I still have four in play. Face it, you're going to lose!"

Riser could only chuckle, raising a single hand as an arcane circle began manifesting itself above it. Before Rias could do anything about it, a similar circle emerged from around her feet, keeping her rooted in place. She struggled as hard as she could, even when she hurled her attack at him. He didn't even attempt to dodge it, content to let his regeneration work its magic as he held her in place.

"You truly think that I, Riser Phenex, would fall to such pathetic weaklings?" For the first time since the match had begun, his smirk was gone from his face, replaced by an annoyed stare that showed how little he truly thought of them all. "They are nothing, mere peasants compared to our pure bloodlines. But if you truly think so highly of them," his free hand gathered a great deal of power, more than she had ever seen him use before. Her shock turned into pure horror as she felt the heat of his flames begin to pass over her. They were almost unbearable, so intense that the building began to warp beneath her. "Then you will watch them fall, one by one. They will bow to the purifying flame of the almighty phoenix!" He then shot the fire forward, the fire cutting through the wind like a knife through cheap paper, burning everything in sight as it made its way towards its target.

Toward Asia.

The blonde nun brought up another barrier of wind in pure panic, putting on as much power as she could muster behind it, all in the hope of negating it. But as it approached, she could feel it cutting through, every bit of wind being pushed aside as what could only be described as the fires of Hell rushed toward her. As it closed in on her, all she could do was shield herself with her arms, her eyes shut tightly as she waited for the flames to engulf her.

"Repression Calm."

Her eyes shot back open at the voice, and they only widened as she saw the flames begin to disappear, all of it swirling into nothing as a familiar figure stood before her.

Yumi kept her arm aloft as best she could, the Repression Calm held high as Riser's Hellfire was absorbed into it. Despite her best efforts, both the heat and force behind proved to be incredible, too much so for her to remain standing. Still, she held firm, keeping the fire from reaching her friend.

Once the flames finally dissipated completely, Asia could barely hold back a gasp of horror. Yumi was badly hurt, open wounds left bleeding out against her too pale skin, with the remnants of her skirt wrapped around her stomach against a wound that could still be seen. Asia was moving even before Yumi collapsed, her Twilight Healing immediately manifesting itself as she tried to heal her.

"That's enough," a firm voice said beside her. An intense pain bloomed in her cheek as she was swatted aside, landing too far away for her Sacred Gear to be of any use. Riser Phenex stood where she once was, glaring down at Yumi with a single, quirked brow. "You've managed to surprise me, Knight. In your condition, you shouldn't have made it here at all, let alone stop one of Riser's attacks."

Yumi's only response was raspy, and barely above the softest whisper, but the message was clear.

"Still, you're only in my way," he uttered before picking Yumi up by the throat. He held her nearly prone form before him, getting an eyeful of her many wounds. Despite the obvious pain she was in, and even on the verge of losing consciousness, she still leveled an intense glare at him, one that took him aback, even by just a little. 'Those eyes,' he thought to himself, feeling his body begin to twitch nervously. 'Those aren't the eyes of any ordinary swordsman. she's not going to stop. Even if it kills her.' The realization sent a twinge of both concern and fear through him. Just what was she? What kind of human could she have been before Rias found her?

No matter what, he couldn't let her continue.

Without another thought, he tossed her aside. And as she rolled across the rooftop, she found herself on the edge. And then, she was gone.

"Yumi," Asia barely uttered out, completely distraught at how callously she had been tossed aside. "YUMI!"

"Lady Rias' Knight has been retired."

"You'll be joining her soon enough," Riser said, finally getting himself back under control. That girl unnerved him, far more than he would ever admit. Those eyes were worse than the eyes of a Devil. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn he was staring into the eyes of one of the Daemon's of the old days. But none of that mattered now.

As he approached the quivering Bishop, he caught sight of Rias out of the corner of his eye. She was still held in place, but she wasn't struggling anymore. She only stood still, her eyes open wide in pure despair as he neared his target. It wasn't surprising. Just as he tossed her Knight away, Lady Grayfia had announced her Queen's retirement, leaving her with only two pieces left in the game. and they would be dealt with soon enough.

"Worry not darling," he said to her, that same smirk from before coming back in full. "I'll at least make this quick and painless." He raised his arm high as power began to gather. It wouldn't take much to put her out of this fight, so he had no need to use more than the bare minimum. Even the flames that ordinarily protected him weren't needed. A twinge of pity went through him as he saw the girl begin to cower, but it was brushed aside as soon as it appeared. The girl knew what she was doing when she agreed to help her King.

His hand lit up in a quiet flame, ready to snuff out whatever lay before it. A slight sound off to his side captured his attention.

"SMASH!"

And for an instant, all he knew was pain.

---

Izuku wished that he had practiced flying more than he had. It was still an odd sensation, something he wasn't completely used to. And while ordinarily that wouldn't be a problem, he needed to get up to the roof as quickly as possible. One For through his body as he continued his ascent, but even that didn't seem fast enough.

The wind passed all around him as he neared his goal, but just as he finished his approach, something caught his eyes. Something was falling.

No. That was someone.

And it was Yumi.

In a heartbeat, he flew toward her, faster than he'd ever done before. Before she could fall much further, she was in his arms, her breaths barely coming out as raspy gasps. Her skin was covered with sweat as she struggled to stay conscious, her bleeding finally starting to slow down as her skin grew slightly paler. Sensing the sudden stop, Yumi opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry and distorted, but she was still able to make out who had caught her, and it was all she could do to even smile in relief.

"Iz…Izuku," she gasped out, sounding weaker than before.

"It's okay Yumi. I'm here now. You're going to be alright."

He was lying, they both knew that much, but it was all he could think to say to try and give her at least some sort of comfort. If it had truly worked at all, he wouldn't know, as she started going slack in his arms, an achingly familiar light overtaking her body.

"Izuku," she whispered, her voice now hoarse as the light grew brighter. "I'm sorry."

Before he could say a thing, she vanished.

Grayfia's words meant nothing to him as he stared at the space in his arms she had just been in. He'd failed them again.

He couldn't save Koneko. He couldn't save Akeno. And now, he couldn't save Yumi.

All those old feelings he'd come to hate began to rise up, the weight of it all feeling like it was becoming too great as he struggled to make sense of it all. His body began to shake, Ddraig's voice echoing from somewhere in his mind in a place he couldn't hear.

But when he heard a scream, Asia's scream, none of it mattered anymore.

He shot back up to the roof, the Boosted Gear manifesting itself once more.

[BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST]

Everything around him was drowned out. All that existed now, was the bastard who took them from him. And once he was in his sights, all Izuku saw was red.

"SMASH!"

---

Rias blinked slowly at the sight before her. One moment, Riser was standing tall in front of Asia, and in the next, he'd vanished, and in his place was…

"Izuku!"

Her eyes widened as her mind caught up with reality. Following Asia's cry, she rushed over to them, not even noticing the seal that had once held her captive had vanished. Once she reached them, she saw Asia holding him tightly, her face buried in his shoulder as she cried tears of relief and sorrow, still reeling from what had happened to Yumi.

She knelt beside him, her teal eyes locked onto his emerald ones. Pure relief washed over her in an instant as she wrapped her arms around them both, Riser's whereabouts not even entering her mind as she held them close.

"Izu," she uttered, her voice a whisper as she buried her face in his hair. "You're here."

"I…I am," he gasped out, his voice shaking as if he was in pain. She pulled herself away from him slowly, careful not to hurt him as she began to look him over. Her eyes locked onto the problem in an instant, and her heart dropped to the bottom of her stomach.

"Izu, your…your-"

"Your arm!"

She and Asia had seen what One For All could do to him at full power. They vividly remembered the sight of his broken finger that day, how horrible it looked all swollen and bruised. But what they saw now looked nothing like that.

His arm looked like it was dead.

The skin had gone completely gray, as the skin flaked away from it, showing torn muscle underneath, and without even a drop of blood flowing from what were obvious gaping wounds. Both his wrist and his elbow looked like they'd exploded from the inside, just barely keeping his hand and forearm connected to the rest of him. And what remained of his hand would haunt her forever, as barely even the stubs of fingers were left behind, leaving nothing but shattered bones.

It took everything in her not to puke at the sight. It was wrong. No one's arm should look like that, ever. Even Asia had gone pale as she instinctively activated her Twilight Healing, its comforting green glow washing over what remained of his arm.

Only for nothing to happen.

"Izuku. You fool."

Their attentions fell to the Boosted Gear, still present on his intact left arm. "I told you before. We had no idea what would happen if you were to combine One For All with my power, and look where it got you." His words were biting, but there was a clear sadness to them, like guilt was strangling the dragon's nonexistent heart. "You're lucky you kept all that power contained in your right arm, otherwise you'd be gone! You would have killed yourself just to get a single hit on Riser! What were you thinking!"

"I'm sorry."

His voice was small, barely above a whisper. He struggled to get it out, and it took a moment for Rias to realize why. He wasn't shaking because he was in pain, he was crying. His tears fell down his face as he stared sorrowfully at the Boosted Gear.

"I just…I couldn't save them. And then I heard Asia and…"

"So you wanted to save her," Rias finished. She knelt back down to his side, her hand gripping his shoulder ever so lightly, hoping he would be able to feel it. "Izu, you shouldn't feel responsible for what happened to them. They knew the risk. If it's anyone's fault it's mine."

"No!"

Both teens stared at Asia in shock, having rarely heard her raise her voice. "Just stop it, both of you! None of this is your fault!" She began to shake, tears falling from her eyes even as she stared the two of them down. "Please, just stop! Stop blaming yourselves! All of this has been so much, but you two keep on acting like you're in this alone! You're putting it all on yourselves, and you keep acting like we're not here to help you!"

Neither Izuku nor Rias tried to stop her, even as she stopped to breathe. "It's all just so much. But did everything we went through back at the manor mean anything to you two? We all told you again and again that we're here for you, no matter how bad it got. But you're still acting like it's all on you. Please, just stop it."

The two of them stared at her for a short while before hanging their heads in shame. She was right. They'd been putting all of the weight on themselves. Izuku had kept his eyes on the others whenever possible, hoping he'd be able to help them in their fights, when he should have kept himself focused. Now he was down an arm, likely for good. Meanwhile Rias had been putting pressure on herself almost from the start. Her whole idea to even attack Riser in the first place had been nothing more than her trying to make it up to Izuku, and it had nearly gotten Asia badly hurt, as well as Yumi's defeat and Izuku's arm.

"I'm sorry," they said simultaneously. It did nothing to ease the weight they still felt, but it was all they could do. Riser may have been gone for the moment, but Grayfia had made no announcement of his defeat. He would be back, and soon. And with Izuku's arm the way it was, and with no way to heal it, they would be fighting an even more uphill battle than before.

"There may be a way."

Three sets of eyes locked onto the Boosted Gear in surprise. "There may be a way to restore your arm Izuku, but you need to promise me something. Promise me you won't ever try something so foolhardy again, not until you are absolutely sure that you can use it."

Their eyes widened at the Welsh Dragon's words. They wondered if he truly knew a way to restore Izuku's arm, and if he could, what price the boy would have to pay. They thought it through for only an instant before coming to a decision.

"What does he need to do?" Asia got the question out before they could, and they all swore that they heard a grin in Ddraig's voice when next he spoke.

"All you have to do is-"

"Why?"

The sudden voice took them all by surprise. Ravel Phenex stood beside them, staring at them all with an interested eye.

"You would go so far for them," she said to Izuku, ignoring Rias' suspicious stare. She moved forward ever so slightly, only stopping when Asia put herself between her and Izuku. "You know you can't win. You're all worn out, yet you're still willing to fight. Why? Is it just for them?" She moved her gaze toward Rias and Asia quickly before settling it back on Izuku. "Are you in love with them or something?"

She was almost impressed by the fact that each of their faces bloomed at the same time and at the same hue. "W-what? That's not…I mean I…!" Izuku began to mutter out before stopping with a sigh.

"Then why?"

"Because…it's because she needed help," he admitted, moving his head up to look Ravel in the eye. Both Rias and Asia stayed silent, wondering what would happen next. "I saw it for a while, but I didn't know what I could do. This whole engagement thing, it was tearing her apart. Even after everything, I still want to help her, to let her know that she shouldn't have to worry about something like this." He slowly stood back up, keeping his eyes trained in Ravel all the while. "Riser doesn't care about her. All he cares about is her name, and what it can do for him."

"And you think you know better than my brother?" There was no accusatory tone in her voice. In fact she sounded rather curious.

"I think, that if Riser cared about her at all, he would have called off this engagement," Asia said, making her voice known. Ravel locked eyes with her now, looking every bit as interested as she had been in Izuku. "This whole thing has been a mess, and it all could have been stopped if Riser really cared."

"Is that so?" Her question didn't seem directed at Asia, but more at herself, as if she was truly considering her words. "Two more questions then," she said, turning back to Izuku. "I overheard you and Lady Gremory's Queen talking before she was retired."

He looked rather dumbfounded at her statement. He hadn't thought that anyone else was nearby when he went to Akeno.

"If you're really wondering, I got curious about you after you and that Knight managed to defeat most of our pieces," she admitted, looking only mildly annoyed at having to say it. "Your Queen, she called you a hero. Is that what you're trying to be?"

His face stayed in that same dumbfounded look as she kept her gaze on him, waiting for a response. Why would she want to know that? "Well, y-yeah," he admitted, still feeling weirded out by her question. "I've been wanting to be one ever since I was a kid."

"Is that so? Fine then, second question." At that her face shifted into a slightly more nervous look, one that looked more appropriate for her strangely enough. It was the first time Izuku had noticed that she looked like she was about his age. "Umm, how do you know All Might?"

Izuku blinked.

Rias blinked.

Asia blinked.

That was definitely not what they were expecting.

"Are," Asia began, coughing ever so slightly to get her voice even again. "Are you a fan?"

"Wha-what does that matter!?" Ravel asked, her cheeks puffing out ever so slightly as her cheeks began to glow. Rias could hardly hold back a chuckle. Her attitude had switched so suddenly. "Sh-shut up! So what if I like All Might? I just want to know how you know him!"

"Uh, I mean, he's kind of my teacher and-"

"You're getting taught by All Might!?" Izuku nearly fell back when Ravel ended up right in his face, looking positively ecstatic at hearing about this. "When!? How!? Where did you two even meet!?"

"Didn't you only have two questions?" Rias asked amusedly.

"Shut it!" Ravel shouted back, her face looking even redder than before. Izuku found it to be a rather cute sight. "N-never mind! You want to be a hero right?"

"Six questions now."

Ravel glared at the almost cackling Rias.

"I do," Izuku admitted, feeling a bit more comfortable around Ravel now. It was strange. He was expecting her to try and take them out ever since she flew away from him and Yumi, but now, it was like they were just having a normal conversation. "I've always wanted to be like All Might. To be able to save anyone I can, and to let them know that everything's going to be alright."

"Because you'll be there to help," Asia finished with a smile. She already knew that he could do it. After all, he'd saved her.

"Fine then. Here," she said, pulling out a vial from The fold of her dress before handing it to Izuku. He looked at it curiously as Rias' eyes began to widen.

"Phenex Tears!?"

"Only two of them are allowed in a Rating Game. Yubelluna had one, I have the other. Take it, and fix that arm of yours," she said, staring at his destroyed arm with a disgusted look. "It's starting to creep me out."

"Okay? But how-?"

"Just drink it."

While slightly suspicious, he did so, feeling the strangely soothing liquid pouring down his throat. He'd heard about Phenex Tears before, Akeno having briefly talked about them during their last few days at the manor. They were apparently able to heal any recent injuries to the point where it looked like they had never happened in the first place. He'd almost felt excited upon hearing that, wondering if he'd be able to use one to help All Might, before the unfortunate weight of reality crashed down around him. That injury was old, too old for the Phoenix Tears to truly work on him. Still, he had been curious about their effects, and wondered just how long they took to-!

His eyes were as wide as saucers as he saw his arm begin to pull itself together. Skin and muscles stitched themselves back together like they had never been torn at all, his wrist and elbow grew back all their destroyed matter, and even his fingers returned to their full glory. In almost no time at all, his arm had been restored to normal.

"I can't believe…I…thank you."

"Whatever," she said, turning away in a huff, hoping to hide her blushing face. It was odd, she should not have found that relieved smile to be cute. Not at all. "I still don't think you can beat my brother. But maybe you can prove me wrong." Her fiery wings began to flare up, but before she could take flight, Izuku stopped her.

"Wait, hang on. Why are you helping us?"

"If you really want to know, I don't care about any of this," she admitted, looking almost bored again. "I never cared about my big brother's engagement at all. Honestly, it was getting annoying with how much he wouldn't shut up about it."

"Is that why you haven't tried to fight?" Rias asked.

"Why would I fight for something I don't care for? The only reason I'm even here is because my brother wanted me to be part of his peerage."

"Why though?" Asia asked.

Ravel rolled her eyes in response. "If you really want to know, it's because, in his words, a part of the 'Ultimate Harem Dream'. A lot of people really seem to like the little sister part of that. And before any of you ask," she said with an annoyed grimace, cutting Izuku and Asia off before they could say anything. "No, he doesn't actually like me like that, nor I for him. It's more of an image thing."

"Oh thank God," the two teens said, regretting it instantly once the headache began.

"It's not really that uncommon," Rias began, a light smirk on her face. "You'd be surprised at how many times one of our kind has taken a sibling as a lover. I had a big crush on my brother when I was younger."

"For real!?"

Ravel rolled her eyes again before finally taking off. She meant what she said. She had no real clue if they could defeat her brother. She'd seen him fight before. He'd only ever lost just because he'd thrown the fight out of respect for his opponent, but she doubted he would do that here. After that punch that Pawn, that Midoriya Izuku laid on him, she had no doubt that he was absolutely incensed.

---

By the time Riser finally regained his composure, he was confused. The last thing he remembered was being on the rooftop of the main building, and now he was lying in a small crater in a stadium he'd never seen before. He was also in immense pain, something that should not be happening with how powerful his regeneration was. He slowly got back up to his feet, stumbling his way out of the crater before falling to the turf that surrounded him, feeling incredibly disoriented.

The ground seemed to spin as he continued trying to get back to his feet, his vision going in and out of focus as he struggled to make sense of it all. 'What's going on? What the hell could have happened to make me feel like this?' He tried thinking back to where he had been just a while before, when it came crashing back with the full force of a speeding car.

The Pawn.

He'd seen the Pawn appear from nowhere, then he'd suddenly appeared in this stadium. But how? Even with the power of the Red Dragon Emperor behind him, there was no way a single punch should have sent him flying so far. He could barely even see the main building from where he was, and he was sure that he was near the edge of their little pocket dimension. And why was he still so dizzy?

His eyes went wide as a single drop of blood fell to the ground before him, swiftly followed by another. His blood began to run cold as he realized that it had dripped down from his nose, an even deeper realization striking him to his very core.

That punch had affected his brain. It was still healing itself even now, which explained why he could barely see, why he could hardly move without feeling disoriented. He shuddered as he realized that if It hadn't been for his regeneration, that single punch would have ended his life.

'What is he? What kind of power could he have to make me feel like this?' He thought to himself as his vision finally began to clear. 'That Pawn shouldn't be anywhere close to my level, how could he do such a thing? Is it one of those quirks?' He quickly shook his head as he got back to his feet, his body beginning to shake with rage. 'It doesn't matter. I'm through playing games. I'm going to end this.'

"I am going to make them rue this day, " he said to himself, the very air around him beginning to distort from the heat pouring off of him as fire slowly began to spread across the stadium. "I'm going to make Rias watch as I tear that lowly Pawn apart piece by piece! Riser Phenex will not be made a fool of again by the likes of you!" He took to the sky in an instant, the stadium now set ablaze from the sheer force of rage.

---

Izuku, Rias and Asia were still watching Ravel as she left when they felt it. The intense heat and rage of Riser approached them rapidly, leaving them hardly any time to prepare. By the time they turned to face his direction, he was blazing against the night sky almost as intensely as the sun itself, his teeth bared in utter fury as his gaze locked itself onto Izuku.

"You," he almost spat out. "I have been forced to deal with you for far too long now. I'll incinerate you down to your very bones boy! And I promise you, I'll make sure you feel every moment!"

"Just give it up, Riser," Rias said, her voice almost pleading as she stood before her remaining pieces. "This is already over! Time's running out, and you're the only one still in action on your side! Just stop it!" Her voice was strong, yet it still quivered. She had never seen Riser this way before, and it unnerved her more than she would ever admit.

"We're far past that point now Rias," he growled out. "There was only ever one way out of this, and you spat it back in my face. No, this farce will only end once I burn this entire school to the ground!"

"We won't let that happen!" Izuku stated, his Boosted Gear beginning to glow. As it did though, he found himself collapsing to the ground, his body growing heavier as he struggled to move. Both Rias and Asia moved to his side, keeping him out of view from Riser as best they could.

"Oh you won't? Is that so?" Riser mocked, a quick burst of laughter escaping his throat. "You've already overextended yourself. Even the Boosted Gear's power isn't limitless. Continuously doubling your own power is taking its toll on your body, and that one punch likely drained you of everything you had left. The burden you've placed upon yourself will be your own undoing boy."

Izuku spat out a globule of blood, struggling to get back to his feet as Rias and Asia stayed beside him. Their eyes were almost pleading him to stay down, to try and rest even a little, but he couldn't. Not yet. Not when there was still something he could do.

"You'll only end up killing yourself at this rate Izuku," Ddraig warned, his voice coming through concernedly as Izuku got back to his feet. "Even if you tried to use either power, you wouldn't last for longer than a minute, and that's being generous."

"I know," he replied, now standing back up alongside his friends. "But we still need to beat him. We're not out of this yet."

"I know, but what can we do?" Rias asked, almost desperately. "Izuku, you can barely stand right now. I'm running out of magic, and Asia doesn't have any means of attack. We're out of options."

"No, we aren't," he responded, his eyes training themselves from Riser to the Boosted Gear, an idea forming in his head. "We still have something."

"If I didn't know better by now, I'd ask you if you were insane," Ddraig said with a clear grin in his voice. He could already tell what Izuku was planning, and he could hardly keep himself from laughing. "Out of all the hosts I've had, you're certainly the most interesting so far."

"Enough!" Riser shouted, bringing their attention back to him. "I've wasted more than enough time with you! Tell me now, will you surrender, or will you try and fight?"

The three teens looked to each other, their answers coming through without a single word. As one, they faced Riser down, each one staring at him determinedly.

"Very well then," he said, almost gleefully. "Then you can all fall together. But worry not Rias, you'll suffer the least. After all, we'll be celebrating our wedding soon enough."

"You really are the most pompous ass around aren't you Riser?" Rias asked as she and Izuku stepped forward. She had no idea what he had planned, but she knew that she would stay beside him no matter what. This fight wasn't hers alone. Nor was it his. They were in this together. "Let me make this clear to you one more time. I will reserve the right to choose someone of my choosing. Someone I love with all my heart and soul. And that someone would never be you Riser."

Riser simply responded with a scoff. "Your own stubbornness will be your undoing my darling. I'll make sure you regret not conceding to me." As soon as he finished speaking, plumes of fire burst from his body, surrounding the three in an intense wall of flames as it began to circle around them.

"No," Rias stated as Izuku stood at her side. "You're going to regret picking a fight with us. Ready Izuku?"

"I'm ready."

"One For All:Full Cowling! 10%!

[TRANSFER]

Rias' eyes widened at the sudden influx of power, her cheeks blooming scarlet as a wave of pleasure made its way through her at the same rate. She'd been on the receiving end of Izuku's Transfer skill before, all of them had, but this was different than what she'd previously felt. This wasn't the power of the Boosted Gear.

Did he really-?

[BOOST]

She moved her eyes to Izuku, watching as the power of the Boosted Gear flowed through his body. She could see it begin to shudder, the power slowly starting to take its toll, but he continued standing his ground. Subconsciously, her hand reached for his, gripping it tightly in a show of solidarity, something he responded to in kind.

Riser's eyes narrowed at the sight. "Is that who you would choose then? A lowly reincarnated Pawn? Does the future of our race mean nothing to you? Does your selfishness know no bounds?"

"Just shut up!"

Riser glared daggers at Izuku, the Pawn doing the same in kind. "You don't get to talk about selfishness when this whole thing started because you wouldn't let Rias make her own choice! This whole time, you've treated her like she was just some kind of trophy, some kind of prize to be won! All you've ever done is make her miserable! That's why we're here, to make sure that she can be happy! Something she'd never be if she was forced to marry you!"

"You don't know anything boy!" Riser snarled, the flames surrounding growing more intense as he charged his magic. "You speak of matters that have nothing to do with you! You're every bit as selfish as her! But if you're really that desperate to die, then I'll grant your request!"

He launched a more intense blast of fire at them, larger and more destructive than any he'd used before. It reached the rooftop in an instant, setting it completely ablaze as his targets burned in utter agony.

Or at least, that's what should have happened.

Instead, a scarlet wave of pure destructive power collided with his fire, and before it could get any further, it was smothered out of existence. His eyes widened in shock as he saw Rias still standing strong, her arm upraised as more and more power began to build. But that wasn't what caught his eye.

There was a strange aura around her, one he'd never seen in his entire life. It crackled around her like it was made of pure electricity, shining all around her in its green hue

'PROMOTION:QUEEN!'

Lost as he was in his trance, he took no notice of Izuku as he flew up to him at great speeds, before his fist collided with his face. Barely a second went by before Rias herself appeared beside him, her hand charged with her destructive energy as it exploded right in his face.

Agony coursed through his being at contact. That single hit was more powerful than anything Rias had used before, he was certain. This was unprecedented. Where had this power come from?

And more importantly, why wasn't he regenerating?

[BOOST]

He could hardly move when Izuku appeared again beside him, a single blow ramming into his stomach as he was sent flying further into the sky.

'This shouldn't be possible!' Riser thought desperately, flailing in the sky as he tried righting himself, only for Rias to appear again, her fist colliding right into his nose as it burned with her destructive power. 'Why aren't I regenerating? These two should be nothing! I am Riser Phenex! Third born son of the mighty Phenex family! The power of the phoenix flows through my mighty bloodline! I should not be losing to the likes of them!'

Again and again he was pummeled, barely getting a moment's time to defend himself as their attacks flew at him, hearing the Boosted Gear sounding off several more times as Izuku's strength increased even further. As he soared ever higher into the sky from their blows, a spark of realization hit him, at the exact same time Rias' foot made contact with his lower half.

'That punch!' He thought as he tried dealing with a new kind of pain. 'Did it hurt me more than even I realized? Did I use up to much of my fire? Or…?' Had the very thought of him dying to that punch rattled him, keeping him from using the full might of his fire?

The thought incensed him, an intense blast of pure fire launching out unconsciously from his body, pushing Izuku and Rias away as they prepared to continue their assault.

'No! I will not lose! Not like this! Not to this peasant! And not to HER!'' More and more fire gathered in his hands, with the fire that had once surrounded him like a curtain began to fizzle out. In pure desperate rage, he fired it off at them.

Only for it to be blown away by powerful winds.

His eyes widened further as he looked down, seeing Asia still standing tall on the rooftop, her arms upraised as she stared defiantly at him.

'HER TOO!?'

"Rias! Now!"

"Let's finish this!"

They rushed toward him, watching him as he began to panic, fire bursting out of his form in waves as it fired toward them. Like before, each one was blown away in Asia's gust of wind, leaving them a clear path to their one true goal. Their fists were raised high power warping the very air around them as they closed in on him.

[EXPLOSION]

"One For All:FULL DESTRUCTIVE FORCE!"

"DRAGON SMASH!"

They cried as one as their fists made contact, time seeming to slow down as the full force sent shockwaves through Riser's entire being. As the full force of their blows made their way through, his body was forced upwards. Higher and higher it went as power trailed behind him. Riser struggled to keep his eyes open, disbelief running throughout his mind. As he felt himself collide with the very edge of the dimension they fought in though, he saw one final thing, one that would haunt his mind for months to come.

Barreling toward him, with pure destructive force, was the form of a dragon.

His eyes went white as it collided with him, and the dimensional walls around his body began to crack, almost shattering from the sheer force behind the dragon's blow. The full force of Rias' and Izuku's combined attack finally dissipated, leaving Riser to fall to the ground. As his consciousness began to fade away, one final thought ran through his mind.

'Have I…have I truly lost?'

---

Izuku and Rias hovered in the air, their fists still upraised as their power finally ran its course. Both were shocked at the sight of the dragon that had chased Riser down at the end, but they knew that it had somehow come from them. For a moment, their world was still, and all was quiet.

[BURST]

Before reality set itself in. Izuku began to fall, exhaustion hitting him harder than ever before. His body began to seize up as it fell to the ground, the world blinking in and out of reality as he felt gravity take hold of him. Before he could fall any further though, he felt himself being caught by something soft, something that held him close in a loving embrace.

"Izuku," Rias said, her voice gentle and soothing as tears of joy began to well in her eyes. "My adorable little Izuku. We did it."

Despite his exhaustion, he found himself smiling, even as the world around them began to fade. "Yeah. We did it."

"We did it!"

A new set of arms embraced them as they touched back down on the roof, Asia holding them close as the entire area around them began to fade to white. As Izuku finally lost consciousness, Grayfia's voice called out for one final time.

"Lord Riser Phenex has been retired. The winner of this Rating Game is Lady Rias Gremory."

---

Here's the preview!

Rias:We really did it. We really won.

Sona:Congratulations Rias, but there's still more to do.

Rias:I know. I haven't forgotten.

Sona:But maybe, after this is over, you can tell me what's going on with you and Midoriya.

Rias:I-I don't know what you mean.

Sona:Don't lie to me. I saw the two of you after the fight. You can't keep that hidden.

Rias:I-! Would you-!

Next time! Denouement!

Sona:I can see you blushing Rias. You can't hide this from me.

Rias:Um, go beyond?

Sona:Going plus ultra won't get you out of this!

---

I type the buttons on my phone almost absent-mindedly before I'm hit with a sudden realization.

Holy shit. I still exist.

Yeah, it's been a while. Probably too long really. I'll keep it as brief as I can, but I've had a rough few months, mostly mentally. While my depression hasn't gotten me, my anxiety has spiked higher and higher, especially after the mess in November. I'm working through it as best I can, and I only hope everyone else can do the same. So, why don't we briefly go over this thing at long last?

Rias and Izuki wielding One For All and the Boosted Gear against Riser was one of the first things I visualized when I got the idea to do this fic, and it's something I was really hoping I'd be able to pull off.

And speaking of the game, I know some people may be disappointed that it wasn't a curbstomp in Izuku's favor. In fact, more people may be disappointed that it followed DxD canon up until Izuku and Yumi dealt with most of Riser's remaining pieces. I was honestly hoping I'd be able to make it different enough, but as the weeks turned into months, I went along with it to try and get this thing out just a little bit faster. Hell, I was originally hoping to have it out by Christmas, and look how that turned out.

And as for them struggling in the Rating Game, I want to make it very clear that this is not an OP Izuku story. I'm simply not interested in telling that kind of story. He may have everything going for him in terms of powerful abilities as well as allies, but if he doesn't struggle, then I don't feel as if he could truly grow. It's a big problem I constantly see in fanfics, especially ones that say they can 'fix the manga'. Arrogance aside, it just feels wrong to me to think you know better than the original creator most of the time.

Speaking of the manga, it was nice of Hori to give us one final little epilogue chapter. And of course, nice to know that Izuku and Ochako ended up together. I'm sure that went over well with the fanbase, especially with the bakudeku shippers.

Speaking of not wanting anyone to be too OP, I finally got to introduce Akeno's quirk here! And yes, I did in fact name it after Nora's semblance in RWBY. I thought it rather fitting. I thought it more fitting for her to utilize it by striking herself with her own lightning, given her sadomasochistic tendencies in canon. Her form she takes on has a bit of magical girl inspiration, though I decided to make it somewhat in good old DxD style, so I figured the electrical bikini look would work. And yes, her final attack is 100% inspired by Sailor Jupiter, best sailor don't even try me.

I ultimately chose to give her such a dramatic drawback to her quirk mostly because she already has a lot going for her already. Her powers as a Queen notwithstanding, she's incredibly powerful already, giving her full control over a quirk that let her do all this would leave the others feeling rather redundant, and that's not something I want to do. It's a bad crutch to make characters too OP.

Speaking of characters, Yumi ended up surprising me here. My original plans did not account for her essentially being the MVP, taking out a majority of Riser's forces, it just kinda happened. Given what I have planned for her though, maybe it's fitting?

Ravel was fun to write here, especially in her final appearance. Writing tsundere style characters is amusing given how their attitudes can shift on a dime, and obviously making her an All Might fangirl was too perfect to pass up.

Next chapter should be much, MUCH shorter than this. I can only really apologize for how long it took to get here, and as always I hope you all enjoyed it.

Before you all go, the og inspiration for this fic, Dinocam1234, went and made a tvtropes page for this fic! How cool is that? Give it a look and add to it if you want. I'd love to see it get expanded as I continue.

And I will continue. I might have forced myself a bit at the chapter's end, I only really finished it hours before uploading, but I'm planning on getting the next one out before January is out. And after that, he can finally get back to the MHA part of this fic, and maybe, just maybe, we can see some familiar faces.

I don't think I could ever thank you all enough. Without you guys, I wouldn't be writing. I love you all so very, very dearly. Be good and be kind. We could use a bit more of that as we head into the new year. See you next time.