Ride 3: Re:Match

14th of March, 2019 AD

"Why, HERE?!" Selia complained while the rest of the Cluster groaned as they arrived at the freeway leading into Kuoh City. "DON'T WE HAVE ANY OTHER PLACE TO MEET UP BESIDES OUR LAST KILLING FIELDS?!"

"At least she isn't swearing up a storm this time around..." grumbled Arnett as she folded down the wide brims of her pointed hat as earmuffs to block her Lamia compatriot's ranting.

"That said though, it is rather ill-advised to retread old ground," Valdes commented as he walked behind Cordelia, using magic to keep his head afloat as a scout (he can "see" with both his head and body, the latter with his will-o-wisp lantern on his neck stump). "... Any reason why we're here-?"

*thump*

Something fell near them. It was soft, yet weighty. Like a bag of sand or rice.

They all turn around, and find a bat with a familiar's mark dead, evidenced by the arrow buried into its tiny chest.

"H-hey," Nell remarked as she pointed at the slain creature. "... That mark. It belongs to House Gremory!"

Cordelia smiles. "... All of you, bunch up."

Everyone cluelessly looks at the Arachne before several more flying familiars dropped dead onto them like a rain of meat, pelting their heads before they all gathered around their middleman to not get covered in dead fauna.

By the time the rain ceases, the entire Cluster found themselves surrounded in a ring of dead animals of various species, all of them each having an arrow struck in their vital spots.

Each of them bearing a familiar's mark denoting House Gremory, now fading from their hides along with their lives.

"... This kind of a self-introduction or something?" asked Talon, the Gargoyle shaking off the corpses on his wings before a mysterious figure leaps out of the foliage from above.

Landing before them was a statuesque woman with dark skin, pointed ears, platinum blond hair that was tied up into a high ponytail that reach down to her thighs, wearing an ensemble of leather consisting of a biker's jacket over her sports bra, tight-fitting pants, olive-green combat boots, a beige muffler, and over her normal-looking outfit were pieces of armor made from a thorny-scaled creature, consisting of a vambrace around her left arm, a pair of grieves, and a half-breastplate over her left (not too dissimilar to the ones worn by kyūdō practitioners). Her eyes were covered in a visor-style sport sunglasses with black-tinted lens, her hips cradled a rack-style quiver of carbon-forged arrows, and in her gloved hands was a sizable compound bow with Nordic Runes printed around its frame.

"... So who is she?" asked Enishi as everyone came out of their encirclement of gore.

"The 'help' that I mentioned earlier," answered Cordelia as the mysterious woman began collecting her arrows from her slain quarry. "Everyone, this is Astrid. She's a Dark Elf mercenary I hired from Iceland through the Dark Web, and will serve as our supplementary support fire for our upcoming battle!"

Denas then trotted closer towards the mercenary. "... Now that I look at ya closer, you're not so bad lookin'," the Centaur snickered as he stared at her butt while she was bending over to collect another arrow. "... Hey there, you wanna go to that corner nearby-?"

Astrid wastes no time shutting him down by stabbing an arrow into one of his legs, causing him to scream in agony before being grounded.

"WHAT THE FUCK, WOMAN?!" Denas screamed as he flailed around, holding onto his leg. "WHAT IS YOUR MALFUNCTION?!"

"Sorry, she doesn't swing that way," Cordelia answered as Arnett heals his leg with her first aid kit (after getting him to hold still with the help of Talon and Valdes). "... Also, she's mute."

Astrid flips the Centaur off before avoiding eye contact from the rowdy Centaur.

"Forgive him, he's from Cyprus," apologized Nell. "... You know how... rambunctious they can be compared to their Greek cousins."

"Hey! That's racist!" Denas pointed out as he stood back up on his four hooves. "... You sure she won't turn on us?"

"I paid her a king's ransom for her services, so the only thing we have to worry about is someone out-paying me," Cordelia boasted. "... And yes, I stole everything that wasn't nailed down from your former master's manor back at the Underworld... which in US dollars... is about worth 700 million."

"Hopefully, we'll get your money's worth," Enishi huffed.

Now the Cluster consisted of a Lamia, a Centaur, a Witch, a Succubus, a Dullahan, a Gargoyle, a Japanese man (who hates shirts), an Arachne, and a Dark Elf.

Cordelia was now pleased with herself at the cast she'd gathered. "... With that out of the way, I have something for you all."

Arnett rubs her hands with excitement. "... Yasss," she grinned. "Chekhov's Gun!"

The Arachne then takes out her sack and opens it, first pulling out a spear and a shield before tossing both towards the Lamia.

"That right there is an ancient Hoplite spear and shield used by one member of Alexander the Great's armies during the Persian War," explained Cordelia. "Kept in pristine condition thanks to your former master's magic, enough so to classify it as a pseudo-Sacred Gear, or a Sacred Gear without a name. Either way, it should hold out long enough for you to make a difference on the battlefield.

"Whoa!" Selia exclaimed before cackling as she felt the power radiating from the pair. "Now what do you know! I feel like I can't lose!"

"As for you..." the Arachne then pulls out an MP5K engraved with crucifix markings all over its black carbon frame before handing it to Talon. "This right here is a standard-issue submachine gun used by one of the Church's Exorcists that I found in your former master's trophy room. It fires holy silver rounds potent enough to kill a Middle-Class Devil, and as long as you keep the barrel pointed away from us, you'll be fine. As for the crucifix markings... eh, they're just for aesthetics. That or whoever applied them did a shitty job making it Devil-proof. Maybe that's why he or she is not around anymore."

The Gargoyle then handles the weapon with his metallic fingers. "Mind teaching me how to use this thing?"

"Sure, right after I give everyone else their new toys," the Arachne replied as she continued handing out her loot to her constituents.

15th of March, 2019 AD

To put it simply, today's breakfast was especially awkward for the Ryuugamine household.

"... Mom-"

"Don't," Shiori retorted as the family ate quietly for the rest of the morning.

Takeshi knew that both of his parents were worried for his safety, but the cover story was better than telling them what'd actually happened.

It was during those moments whether embracing the horrors of reality to obscure the bizarre truth divorced from the common norm was actually a good thing.

"... I really wish I could tell them what's really happened," thought Takeshi as he finished his meal. "... Thanks for the food."

But just as he was about to go upstairs, the doorbell rang.

"Hold on, I'm coming!" Takeshi shouted as he strode towards the door before opening it.

"Good morning, Ryuugamine-kun."

And standing before him was none other than Rias Gremory herself.

"... Oh," Takeshi voiced. "... I don't want to assume or anything, but are you here to walk me to school or anything of sorts?"

She nods without a word right before both of Takeshi's parents rush towards the door to see who their son was talking to.

"... Oh!" Shiori exclaimed. "You're the girl who saved my son's life!"

"Well, don't just stand there!" Hiroto remarked before he took Rias' hand. "Come in! Come in!"

In a blur, Takeshi had now realized that for the first time in his 16-17 years of his life, a girl that wasn't his mother or a police officer had stepped foot into the confines of his home. His mother had already served Rias a cup of tea and his dad was conversing up a storm with her by the time Takeshi had come back down from his room for his school bag.

"So, your father and brother are the ones who contracted my company to contribute to Kuoh's Redevelopment Project?" Hiroto chuckled as he and Rias chatted. "And your family's conglomerate were the ones behind that high-rise hotel constructed in Kyoto that made frontline news a few years back?!"

Rias chuckled. "Indeed, it was one of our family's more well-known successes in our venture," she replied. "Compared to that, however, our Redevelopment Project is more ambitious in scope. It is projected that the size of Kuoh Town will be tripled, if not quadrupled upon its completion. On the behalf of my whole family, I cannot thank you, your company, and everyone else we've brought on board for this massive undertaking."

"Think nothing of it!" Hiroto laughed heartily. "We of the Ryuugamine Family love a good challenge! Isn't that right, Shiori? Takeshi?"

Shiori smirks, a call-back to her old days as a delinquent. "... Why did you think I married into your family and had a kid with ya, you doofus?"

Rias chuckles. "... Now I can see where Ryuugamine-kun's spirit came from," she complimented as she approached the aforementioned teen. "Well, daylight's burning. Shall we go?"

Takeshi tried to speak, but his brain was still on the fritz as he was failing to register what was happening as he was dragged out of the door by his arm.

"Well, we'll be on our way now," Rias then bowed before bending Takeshi over. "We'll be back soon!"

"Have a safe trip!" both parents replied.

"And don't forget to use protection first-!" Hiroto added before he was jabbed in the gut by his wife.

"Too early in the morning for that kind of crap!" Shiori hissed as Rias giggled at the pair's interaction.

Soon enough, both Takeshi and Rias were on their way to school together.

"... Your parents are nice," she remarked, snapping Takeshi out of his stupor.

"I... uh-gargh," he cringed before composing himself. "... Thanks for cheering up my parents. It was... kinda hard to talk to them after, well... What had happened."

"It cannot be helped," she replied, maintaining a sense of vagueness in her words in case of eavesdroppers. "... So, are you getting used to your new life?"

Takeshi picks up on the intentions behind her wording and chooses to play along. "... I guess," he visibly shuddered as his mind recalled the moment when Koneko drove his head into the dirt, the spot where he'd landed still throbbing with pain. "... But hey, I'm not the one deciding the difficulty. I'll have to buckle down and get good. Because I know for sure, that time around, I have to clear this week with no continues!"

Rias smiles. "Good to see that you're back in good spirits."

The two then continued walking towards Kuoh Academy, and upon arriving at the school's gates, all eyes were on them (mostly towards Rias), and gossip began to spawn like fungi.

"... Ryuugamine... and Gremory-senpai... together?" one first-year whispered.

"After blowing off about half of the male student body, she's finally walking with a guy?" another grumbled.

"... You don't think...?" one student whispered to their friend. "... That Ryuugamine's blackmailing her?"

"Heard that his dad is part of Kuoh's Redevelopment Project..." a student pointed out. "... Think it might be arranged? Or maybe as a corporate power play?"

"No! I refuse to believe that my chances with Gremory-senpai are now zero!" a desperate (and horny) student denied vehemently.

"Give a rest, it wasn't even past zero to begin with," another sighed at their friend's display.

"Oh my," Rias remarked as her ears picked up on the morning's rumor mill. "... Aren't they all lively today-?"

Takeshi raises his hand before Rias, stopping her. "Wait," he remarked. "... I'm starting to notice a pattern here."

"What pattern?" Rias asked.

"... Usually, when people start talking about unlikely couples, one must look at it akin to a volcano that is about to erupt, or every plot structure of every single one of Quintin Tarantino's films. It starts out quiet..."

Rapping of footsteps could be heard approaching the school gates.

"... Then the rumbling."

A few students then spotted a cloud of dust building up, with murderous intent radiating from the coming storm.

"... Five, four, three, two, one-ooh, 500 yen."

Right as he crouched down to pick up the loose change, Takeshi had instinctively dodged the Pervert Trio's combined flying cross-chop attack, sending the latter triad to eat pavement as their second breakfast.

"... Oh, I see what you mean," Rias remarked as she walked past the collapsed Pervert Trio. "Well, see you later, Ryuugamine-kun!"

Takeshi gave her a thumbs up before he spotted Hyoudou Issei, Matsuda Eiji, and Motohama Naoto getting up from their pile. "... A bit too early in the morning for this kind of crap, don't you think?"

"RYUUGAMINE, YOU BASTARD!" all three of them yelled, their voices and spit blowing Takeshi slightly back.

"... Ew," Takeshi deadpanned as his face felt slightly moist.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Issei exclaimed as he grabbed Takeshi by his collar. "Why are you walking with one of the 'Queens of Kuoh' as if it were a no big deal?!"

"There's no mistaking that flaming crimson hair being next to your killing intent!" Eiji pointed out as he joined in on his fellow degenerate's ire. "Our flower upon an insurmountable mountaintop, claimed by you of all people after many men have plunged to their dateless dooms?!"

Takeshi groans. "... God, just strike me down, right now," he droned as he avoided eye contact with his so-called "friends". "... I am not associated with them."

"I assumed that you were among us. Birds of our similar feathers! But nooo, you've got some gonads pulling a fast one on us, Ryuugamine Takeshi," Naoto seethed as he adjusted his glasses to look "menacing" as possible. "... Weren't for your deception, I'd praise your high ambition and drive to achieve what many had failed to even attempt, but alas... was our camaraderie all for naught?! Didn't our vow to become 'magicians' together mean anything to you?!"

"If I did such a thing, then I long erased it from my mind eons ago," Takeshi then grabbed Issei's arm and gave it a good squeeze, forcing the latter to let him go. "... Let it go, you man-babies. We're just friends."

"BULLSHIT!" Issei rebuked. "Do you take all of us for idiots after all the time we've spent together?!"

Takeshi rolled his eyes before unleashing his "predisposition" to clear a way for himself towards the school building by dissipating the crowd of people coming in. "... I don't have time for this."

The Pervert Trio would've said more, weren't for the fact that the first period's bell rang throughout the complex.

"THIS ISN'T OVER!" all three of them cried out in unison.

And Takeshi would then spend the rest of his lunch playing hide-and-seek from the Pervert Trio.

After School...

"So," Rias sighed as she was in a video chat with a girl with short black hair and a pair of glasses resting before her eyes, "have you managed to find anything, President Sona Sitri?"

Sona shook her head. "Evidence is still circumstantial at best, but at this point, I think we're going to have to go in regardless," she spoke through her laptop screen. "Deadline's midnight after today, and as much as I'd like to join you with my peerage in direct combat, this is your assignment, so the most we can do is maintain the barrier around Kuoh Town to prevent their escape."

"Noted," Rias replied as she then held up a plastic evidence bag containing the red spiderweb. "... So, did you at least find a match for this thing?"

"Thanks to your submitted data, one of my familiars did find a match related to this week's earlier encounter, but something feels off about the timing when you found the lead," Sona pointed out. "... The string of murders that happened earlier this month up to now... I may be shooting nothing but conjecture, but here's what I cooked up for you."

A notification is shown on the videochat's comments section, revealing it to be a link. Rias clicks on it, and sees a map of Kuoh and its surrounding areas with the pins numbered 1 through 3, all of them in a sequence, with "1" being the furthest from the town's current legal borders/the freeways leading into the two, and "3" being within the town itself.

"So you're implying that the earlier murders outside of Kuoh were sort of the Cluster's 'dry run'?" asked Rias.

"Worst case scenario, they plan to turn this whole town into their hunting grounds," Sona hypothesized. "However, I'd like to point out that the most consistent location where I found their magical signals, including the one from the spiderweb, seems to be concentrated around the abandoned warehouses. It's likely that they're using that zone as their drop point for their forays."

"Thank you for the intel," Rias replied. "... Also, another thing to ask, but what kind of magic did the spiderweb give off? I just want to confirm something."

"Spatial displacement magic," Sona answered. "A rarity among Low-Class Devils, especially one this extensive."

An errant thought then intrudes Rias' mind. "... You think that it's from a Sacred Gear then?"

"I'll look it up tonight and see if I can find anything," Sona promised as she then leaned back on her seat. "... Student Council work is keeping me busy lately. But nothing beats hard work, I suppose."

"I hope that in the coming Spring, you'll be able to find new blood," Rias sent her regards before sighing. "... Hell knows I need new familiars after I lost contact with every last one of mine last night. Poor things..."

"Speaking of new blood..." Sona remarked as she then looked up on a certain profile in the student registry binder. "... Ryuugamine Takeshi. I've heard rumors that he's part of the fabled ORC now. Is that true?"

"Not really, but at the very least, he's joining us for this week's operation," answered Rias. "... We're training him as we speak."

"Oh?" Sona then raised an eyebrow. "... And pray tell, how is he faring so far?"

A faint scream followed up by the sound (and flash) of lightning striking the earth was heard through the windows and into Sona's laptop speakers (in a magically soundproofed room).

"He's in good hands."

Outside, Takeshi was found in the thick of the wooded areas, crackling with electricity as his armor was dismissed back into his Sacred Gear belt while face planted on the dirt in a blackened, twitching mess.

"Hey," Koneko poked at the downed Takeshi with a stick. "... You alive?"

Takeshi's head then creaked away from the dirt as he groaned in delirium.

"... I can now cross 'get struck by lightning' off of my bucket list," he groaned as he then spotted a winged shadow descend from above. "... Himejima-senpai, you are terrifying."

"Ara ara," Akeno smiled. "I'm glad you're alright after my love tap."

Takeshi now shuddered upon thinking what her "full power" would be like.

"Here," Koneko then used basic healing magic on him, mending his charred flesh and skin along with his clothes. "Up and at em."

He stands back up, his legs trembling like a newborn fawn before they stabilize themselves.

"Damn, healing magic is so convenient..." Takeshi remarked as he crackled his shoulders and neck. "... I think I'm getting better at this."

"Good," Akeno smiled. "How about another round?"

Takeshi peeps as his head turned towards Akeno, noticing that her eyes were a dangerous cocktail of arousal and bloodlust, not too dissimilar to Hunter x Hunter's Hisoka.

"... You're getting off of this, aren't you?!" accused Takeshi as he instinctively activated his Sacred Gear's (most basic) armor form.

"Only if they hit back, Takeshi-chan," Akeno replied with a slight giggle as volts of electricity crackled between her fingertips. "Start running."

After a Lot of Screaming and Running...

Rias and Yuuto find Takeshi lying on the floor as a charred mess of his former self before her feet, his armor being dismissed back into his Sacred Gear, revealing his sorry, twitching self, on the ground (again).

"... Yuuto, please heal him," Rias requested.

"On it," he then conjures several Demonic Swords with his [Sword Birth], planting several daggers with green aura emitted from their blades. "Just lay still for a bit while my [Pain Killer] blades heals your... well, everything."

"... Thank you," Takeshi mumbled before falling back into unconsciousness.

As they wait for him to recover, Rias then turns towards Akeno and Koneko with a slight scowl. "... Did you two really have to go this far? He's still new to all of this."

"Ara, but I was only answering his spirit in kind, President," Akeno answered. "Takeshi-chan trying so hard made me want to try my hardest too."

"Regardless of personal motivations, he's still way behind us," Koneko pointed out. "... I'm pushing him as hard as I could without killing him specifically because he's weak."

"I know, but still, the way you two are going, it's basically hazing at this point," grumbled Rias. "... That's it. As President, I order you both to cease this nonsense that you pass off as 'training' and give him a break."

"Yes President," both girls nodded without protest before Koneko was then grabbed by her shoulder by Rias.

"And for you specifically," she remarked. "... I have something a little something extra for you and Ryuugamine-kun."

16th of March, 2019 AD

Takeshi yawns as another day of school ends with him walking out of the building. Once again, he was sort of expecting Yuuto to be waiting for him to guide him to ORC...

"Senpai."

... But at the front of the gate waiting for Takeshi was none other than Toujou Koneko.

"... I have several questions," Takeshi remarked. "But the rule of thumb dictates..."

"RYUUGAMINE, YOU BASTARD!"

"... And I have a migraine," he sighed as the Pervert Trio approached him from behind as all three of them exuded with murderous intent (again).

"First Rias Gremory, and now her of all people?!" Issei wailed. "You freaking manwhore! Guys all over this country would kill for a girl, let alone two in a row!"

"You're also aiming for Kuoh Academy's mascot, Toujou Koneko as well?!" Eiji's voice trembled. "You damn traitor!"

"Execution by flaying-no! By stoning!" Naoto bellowed in his usual melodramatic flair. "Such is the fate of those who break the oath! Make it as painful as possible!"

"... Friends of yours, Ryuugamine-senpai?" asked Koneko.

"If by 'friends,' you mean the other three people who are immune to my 'predisposition,' then yes, they might as well be," Takeshi sarcastically remarked before he turned towards the triad of degenerates now demanding his head. "... As for you three, don't you have anything better to do besides gawk at me?"

"Stop bragging!" exclaimed Naoto as his glasses shone menacingly (not really). "Gremory-senpai is one thing, but there's no way that you're aiming for Koneko-chan! That budding physique! That petite frame! That slender form! And those irresistibly small breasts-!"

Koneko's brow then pops a vein at that last statement, which Takeshi noticed and promptly took advantage of.

"Judo flip?"

"Judo flip."

In the next three seconds, Toujou Koneko reenacts the Segata Sanshiro's Sonic R (for the Sega Saturn) commercial, beat by beat, right down to the way the Pervert Trio were taken down and piled atop of one another.

"For the record, I have no qualms about my own body image," Koneko remarked. "... It's just that you didn't need to be such a creep about it."

"And an addendum, just because a guy and a girl are seen together doesn't mean that they're automatically a couple," Takeshi pointed out. "Toujou-san and I are friends. Is it so hard to get that through your thick skulls?"

"... Huh," Issei remarked in contemplation. "... Can guys have girls as... normal friends?"

"Alright, so while they're going through this existential crisis, let's bounce," whispered Takeshi as he then tried to walk towards the direction of the ORC building, but Koneko, with her superior physical strength, pulls him in the opposite direction before leaving the school complex entirely.

Takeshi tried to resist, but the lithe girl grabbed and pulled him across the pavement with the strength of ten men, refusing to let him go from her stride.

"Hey hey hey! Where are we going?!" he protested. "Clubroom's the other way!"

Koneko eventually stops right before the entrance of Kuoh Town's Commercial District.

"... President ordered me and you to take a break today," she answered. "... For pushing you too hard yesterday."

"But today's the deadline!" Takeshi protested. "We can't waste time like this-!"

Koneko then suddenly lets go of Takeshi's arm, causing him to stumble.

"It's because of that why we're taking a break today," Koneko remarked. "... You won't do us any good tonight if you're too wound up like this."

Takeshi knew she had a point. Admittedly, he had slept not as well as he should've last night despite the exhaustion. In fact, he was indeed too exhausted to even focus, let alone, function properly.

"... You're right," he confessed. "... The way I am right now, even training won't help save for burnout."

Koneko sighs before grabbing him by his wrist again. "... Come with me," she spoke. "I know a place where it'll help you unwind."

The two of them stop before a Game Center, currently being frequented by students of various grades and tryhards who have nothing better to do.

"Been here a couple times," Koneko remarked. "... Senpai, have you been here before?"

"I used to frequent Club Sega Sendai before they closed down, so this place is a bit of a throwback," Takeshi replied. "I come here once in a while in case I need to scratch an itch."

Koneko smiles. "This way."

She then drags Takeshi inside as the two of them now find themselves in a sea of electronic noises and clamor of various people.

"I'll let you choose the first game," she remarked. "Let's make it a showdown. Best two out of three for each machine."

Takeshi's eyes then turn towards the racing game cabinets and spots a pair of seats being vacated.

"How about a racing game?" Takeshi requested as he then dragged Koneko towards Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 5 DX+ before occupying the (admittedly, still-warm) seats. "The speed is a good way to get the blood pumping."

Koneko smirks. "... Get ready to eat dust, senpai."

The two of them selected their custom cars, with Takeshi choosing a Nissan Silvia S13 with a Moon Blue-finish, and Koneko settling with a 2002 Honda NSX-R (NA2) in Grand Prix White-color.

The courses were selected, and the races were on the way. Their seats rumbled as their virtual cars' hydraulics were pushed to their limit and beyond. Rubber burned as their bones rattled with the simulated speed. Their free hands were busied by moving their gear shift levers to accommodate for the ever-changing and shifting lanes for their roads. It wasn't just a duel of who was the fastest, but a game of chicken of who messes up first.

Hiroshima Expressway (Night) was blitzed by Koneko. The Ikebukuro Line (Day) was dominated by Takeshi.

Then came Metro Highway (Kanagawa-Day), the longest and the most difficult course in the game.

"No mercy, senpai," Koneko remarked.

Takeshi smirks. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

The final race begins, neither side giving an inch as both virtual vehicles bobbed and weaved across NPCs and other racers' vehicles while maintaining sporadic acceleration rates where both vehicles were neck and neck throughout the whole race.

Then came the last 500m. Both Takeshi and Koneko gave it everything they had in their final push. And then, a photo finish.

Toujou Koneko wins by a mere half a meter ahead of Ryuugamine Takeshi's.

"... Holy shit!" Takeshi breathed out in shock. "... By the inch of your skin!"

"First round goes to me," Koneko then does a V-sign while retaining her stoic facade. "Now it's my turn to pick the game."

She then leads Takeshi towards where the fighting game cabinets from the classics to the most recent were all stationed at.

"Fighting games?" Takeshi raised an eyebrow. "... So many to tackle... Which one?"

Koneko smirks slightly. "... Again, best of two characters out of three," she replied as she took her seat before the BlazBlue: Central Fiction Arcade Version 2.0. "Hit me with your best shot."

Takeshi then parks himself in the cabinet adjacent to her's, with both of them choosing their characters for their first match.

"You're picking Jubei?" Takeshi remarked as his cursor selected Izanami. "... You're getting more cat-like than I thought."

"Shut up and let me beat you into the dirt," Koneko trash-talked as the stage, [Sight of Gods] was selected. "Again."

"Them's fighting words!" Takeshi exclaimed as their match began.

First round went to Jubei, the second round went to Izanami, and during the final round, all bets were off.

Izanami was floaty and awkward in her vertical movements but her attack hit like a truck at the cost of her overall health being middling (at best), whereas Jubei was just as fragile, but compensated by being faster at the cost of his attacks hitting (relatively) less harder.

Takeshi adopted a "trap master" style of playing Izanami, using her own slow movement as a lure to bait Koneko into playing recklessly so she can be within the range of his character's Distortion Drive, [Hazen no Kui]. But however, Koneko uses up her entire Overdrive Gauge to break Takeshi's potential combo mid-command, allowing her the window of opportunity to unleash her own Distortion Drive, [Senju: Gō Setsura], sending Izanami hurling back with an X-slash as "DISTORTION FINISH" flashed on their screens upon the killing blow.

"Too slow, senpai," taunted Koneko.

Takeshi, rather than rage overtly, instead smiled. "... The kid gloves are now coming off."

He then selects Azrael, the character's own wicked grin matching his own as Koneko chose Kokonoe.

The stage this time was [Factory]. And this time, Takeshi showed no mercy.

Azrael was the definition of a "berserker" character. His attacks are deceptively long-reaching, can parry projectiles, or even break guards. Kokonoe was more of a technical "set-up" character with high payoffs should her charges go through, which is then incentivized by her array of utility to harass and debilitate her opponent.

Koneko wasn't even given a second to breathe, let alone, let her accomplish anything substantial with her character, allowing Takeshi to win two out of three bouts in succession, with the last one finishing Kokonoe off with Azrael's Astral Heat, [Patriot Apocalypse].

"... Meanie," Koneko pouted as "ASTRAL FINISH" flashed on her screen after the explosion.

Takeshi was cackling in the afterglow of his one-sided victory. "Now we're even, Toujou-san!"

Koneko grumbles as the character select screen appears once more. "... And now it's payback time, senpai."

She chooses Nine the Phantom.

"... I wouldn't have it any other way!" Takeshi replied as he chose Susano'o.

Their final round begins, the selected stage being [Sacrifice], a ruined perversion of Shinto culture rotting in the blood-soaked wastes of a once-pure world where once upon a time, the divine made it their home.

The first match begins, with Koneko taking advantage of Nine's elemental mastery, smothering the screen with elemental spells and giant constructs after stacking elemental orbs of fire, water, and wind to gain an early lead. However, Takeshi, knowing how Susano'o works, opts to build his killing prowess blow-by-blow, unlocking his limiters with each successful hit, blocking the spells that were being pelted towards his character, and even resorting to use his Exceed Accel, [Chitagiru: Rengeki] in order to maintain his momentum while whittling his opponent's health down within killing range.

However, it was for naught, since after the 90 second time limit was called out, both characters were in a draw after a nail-biting confrontation.

The next round was the tie-breaker. In other words, sudden death.

"My worthy opponent, prepare to fall before the might of the God Blade!" flourished Takeshi as he gets into character.

"... My flames will leave nothing but ashes left of you, Takehaya Susano'o," Koneko played along as their final match began.

Now Playing: "MUST DIE" (sung by Jun'ya Motomura)

Koneko then moved first, already laser-focused on stockpiling her elemental spells just as Takeshi busied himself releasing his character's restraints. Both players relentlessly exchanged blows, their health bars edging closer towards their boundaries of defeat as the timer ticked down second by second.

Koneko then seized the advantage as she brought Takeshi's character to red health.

Nine, now gained enough elemental spells in her stockpile, prepares to unleash the deadliest variant of her Distortion Drive, [Moesakaru Randō no Gokusō Saika -Azurite Inferno-], to deliver the killing blow. However, Takeshi, in a legendary reversal, commands Susano'o to use up all of his rebuilt Overdrive Gauge to cancel her out of her Distortion Drive, then combos her into the red, and just to add salt on the wound after unlocking all of his limiters...

"Learn of your foolishness..." Takeshi recited (in-character) as he unleashed Susano's Astral Heat, "... of defying a God."

Koneko watched as [Kyo'ou no Houkou: Orochi Messatsu] smothered Nine and the entire screen into never-ending tide of darkness with the swing of his sword, resulting in a 99999-damage attack as "ASTRAL FINISH" flashed upon their screens in Susano'o's close victory.

"And that's game clear!" Takeshi declared his victory, only to find that a sizable crowd had gathered around him and Koneko's cabinets. "... Holy crap, when did they all get here?!"

Koneko blinked before heading towards where Takeshi was standing. "This way."

They push through the crowd before making their way towards the vending machines.

"... That was kinda intense," Koneko remarked as Takeshi then bought two cans of Pocari Sweat for the two of them. "... Thinking of participating in EVO?"

"Funny you should mention that," Takeshi sheepishly replied. "... I tried to join, but I got disqualified because, well... I couldn't keep my 'predisposition' in check as well back then."

Koneko then glanced aside towards Takeshi's waist where his anonymous Sacred Gear would be at as they both drank out of their cans. "... Just a guess," she brought up before finishing her can, "but do you think that 'predisposition' of yours might be because of your Sacred Gear?"

Takeshi blinked for a second before coming to the same realization. "... Huh," he then looked down at his waist in contemplation. "... In hindsight, that makes a lot of sense."

Koneko then disposes of her can in the nearby recycling bin. "... Well, we'll talk about it later," Koneko remarked as Takeshi finished hydrating. "... I still wanna play more. You pick."

Takeshi rolls his shoulders before eyeing towards the bright neon lights. "... How about a dance-off?"

The two of them then got onto the DANCERUSH STARDOM machine.

"Challenging me to a physical contest?" Koneko raised an eyebrow. "... Are you trying to throw the match?"

Takeshi smirked as he got onto the machine at the same time as Koneko did. "Hardly," he replied with absolute confidence. "... So let's settle this Mano-a-Mano!"

The two of them competed over the soundtrack "Hastur" by USAO.

Despite the physical disparity, the point of this rhythm game wasn't endurance, but rather, coronation between foot placement and focus on the incoming beats. In essence, both Takeshi and Koneko were evenly matched, the latter's risker physical maneuvers on the dance floor providing enough leeway for the former to keep up in terms of scoring.

In the end, both of them ended up with the exact same score of 92.032, much to their mutual shock.

"... Not bad for a normie, huh?" Takeshi grinned at Koneko. "Also, I think a few guys saw your panties when you were breakdancing."

"Not like there's much to see underneath," Koneko then lifted up her skirt, revealing a pair of bike shorts underneath. "... I came prepared."

Takeshi snorts in amusement. "... Well, I'm thoroughly rested," he remarked. "My brain feels normal again. So... uh, thanks."

Koneko gives him a thumbs-up before her stomach growls. "... There's a café nearby," she remarked. "My treat."

"Like I'm gonna say no to free food," Takeshi chuckled as Koneko led him out of the Game Center, the sun already setting by the time they got outside.

He then pulls out his phone, reading 4:52 PM.

"Senpai?"

"Hold on, let me text my mom," Takeshi then gets himself and Koneko into a selfie before sending it to his mother, reading the following:

"Currently with Gremory-senpai's friend. Gonna be with her friend group. Be back tonight."

"... In case you already don't know," Takeshi remarked. "... My mom and dad have been on pins and needles ever since... well, you know."

Koneko nods in understanding. "... Ask next time," she remarked. "... It's rude to take a picture without permission."

"Right, sorry about that," Takeshi bowed his head as the two walked into Doutor café.

Upon waiting in the line, the two settled on their orders of two German Hot Dogs and large Uji Matcha Latte (for Koneko), and a Tapioca Royal Milk Tea and a Lettuce Hot Dog (for Takeshi). After finishing giving their orders, the pair then secure a window-side seating.

"Best spot in the house," Koneko boasted as she looked out the side, the street buzzing with people coming in and out of the nearest station. "... And perfect timing too."

Takeshi couldn't help but agree with her assertion as they both saw the sun's descent fade into a deep orange afterglow, not unlike Taiyou Sentai Sun Vulcan's opening. He wasn't a stranger to seeing beautiful sunsets, but sharing this view with someone else felt different.

"Here's your order!" the waitress then set down their food and drinks onto their tables. "Enjoy!"

The two of them consumed their morsels before they began conversing with each other.

"Wow," Takeshi remarked as he saw Koneko devour her two hot dogs instantly. "... You sure know how to pack away, Toujou-san."

"Please, this light compared to what I usually have," she replied before her eyes looked at his food. "... Come on. Eat. You're gonna need the energy for tonight."

Takeshi nods as he proceeds to finish his meal before the two then sit across from each other with their drinks in hand.

"... Sorry," Koneko suddenly apologized. "... For pushing you too hard out of the gate."

"No need to apologize," Takeshi replied. "After all, I asked for it specifically."

"But still-" she tried to continue, only for Takeshi to shush her with his finger.

"If this whole hang out was meant to be an apology, then I'll tell you this," Takeshi remarked. "I'm okay now. I'm glad that you and Gremory-senpai made us have fun together, and really, let's hang out again, just the two of us."

Koneko pouts before sipping on her matcha latte. "... Flirt."

The two then sit together in silence before Koneko breaks it.

"... Still though," she continued. "I admit, despite your initial slip ups, you've proven to be a fast learner."

"What can I say?" Takeshi shrugged. "I have good enough teachers and a Hell of a motivator."

The thought of Selia being still alive after the Lamia tasting his blood caused his said blood to curdle.

Koneko smiles slightly. "... Not once you asked us to go easy on you," she pointed out. "Even as you were being beaten into the ground, even as Himejima-senpai's 'love taps' were... doing what they were doing to you... you never called it quits. In fact, your reflexes and strength are now on par with us, senpai. I'm honestly relieved that your spirit helped you out in this short time period."

"Yeah well..." Takeshi scratched the back of his head, "... one doesn't expect to survive a wave of punks back at Ishinomaki without developing some grit."

Koneko stirred her drink with a straw. "... You know, despite everything, you and the Pervert Trio look like great friends."

"Oh hardly!" Takeshi rebuked.

"You're rather patient with them compared to the Kendo Club who almost lynched them on sight," she pointed out.

"Even my patience has a limit, Toujou-san," Takeshi replied with a slight huff. "... But I guess part of the reason why I kinda enjoyed my time here compared to... well, my old stomping grounds... is that I found people willing to talk to me as a person rather than as a potential menace. Granted, they're not exactly the greatest people... but still, I have to admit, if it weren't for those knuckleheads at least acknowledging me as a human being, I might've lost my soul a lot sooner."

"... Wow," Koneko remarked as she sipped her latte, now a little runnier than it was when ordered. "... So is that why you egged me on to judo flip them?"

"Admit it, Naoto was getting a little creepy," Takeshi pointed out. "... That and well, I don't hate them. I just wish they grew past their perversions and become the best they can be. Life and manhood isn't solely about staring at boobs and watching porno-"

"You borrowed some of their DVDs in the past, didn't you?" Koneko asked with a slightly judgmental stare locked at him.

"... Yes," Takeshi bowed his head in shame as his cheeks were flushed red. "... A Momozono Momo AV before she went mainstream as the lead actress for Kaben Rider Pinky. I admittedly enjoyed both of her works."

Koneko snorts. "... Not so perfect after all," she deadpanned before smiling. "... But hey, at least that shows that there are people in the world who care about the ostracized and vice-versa."

The pair then shared a chuckle while the rest of the patrons watched.

"Ah, young love. Aren't they the cutest?" an effeminate and fashionable man cooed.

"I remember when my husband and I did the same when we were young..." an old lady commented.

The two of them picked up on the eavesdroppers before composing themselves to look natural. Normally, Takeshi would use his "predisposition" to tranquilize the crowd, but even he wouldn't use it right now, lest it kill the atmosphere and Koneko's hard work of bringing him out here in the first place.

He then clears his throat before speaking. "... You've fought Strays before?"

"Too many," Koneko shook her head. "Every society has their outliers. Japan has the Yakuza and the Hangure, just as the Church and the Underworld have their steady supply of Strays."

That last bit causes Takeshi to nearly choke on his tapioca. "... Hold on," he remarked before clearing his throat. "... You're saying Deus Trinity's churchgoers have their own ne'er-do-wells?!"

Koneko's face then goes ice-cold. "Senpai, if you see a Stray Exorcist, don't think of them as human anymore," she advised. "They're errant psychopaths armed to the teeth with holy weapons, willing to chop up their fellow men without hesitation as they would to the same to any Devil they come across. You know what to do when you spot them or vice-versa."

Takeshi sighs. "... You know, if these Strays are a problem, then why haven't the higher ups done anything substantial to address the problem?"

"Same reason as why Japan has a declining birthrate," answered Koneko. "... Make no mistake, senpai. Civil as we are, Devils are still creatures of sin. And those in power are either more likely to benefit from a broken system than actually fixing it, or the problem is so pervasive that it is ingrained into the very status quo we all live under."

He sighs again, sipping on his milk tea. "... It's the same no matter where you go, huh?"

"No walk life can be defined as 'simple,' senpai," Koneko pointed out. "... President has banked herself on solving the issue with the Strays from the ground up. All I can do for her is support her to the bitter end. Many call it futile or stupid, but-"

"I call you guys 'heroes', since you guys saved my life!" Takeshi earnestly praised her, causing Koneko to slightly blush. "... And if I'm correct, Gremory-senpai is that 'Gemori,' correct?"

Koneko's eyebrow twitches upon hearing his deduction. "... Shin Megami Tensei?"

Takeshi nods as he then shows Gremori on his phone, a royally-dressed horned human woman riding atop of a camel's humpback.

"... Senpai, whatever you do, don't show this to the President," advised Koneko. "... Just don't."

"... Okay," Takeshi then puts away his phone. "... That said though, going by context... and that Gremory-senpai is named after one of King Solomon's 72 Ars Goetia... her family's a big deal in the Underworld, isn't it?"

"Hailing from one of the surviving 32 Houses of Underworld's Nobility, President is indeed, from the esteemed House Gremory," Koneko revealed. "... Ask her yourself if you want to know more about her, but for now, I'll say this. Tonight's operation has her very reputation on the line, and if we don't solve this Stray issue by midnight, she's going to be a laughingstock among her peers, our possible demises notwithstanding."

Now Takeshi knew how much was in stake for this fateful night. It wasn't just a matter of his own family's safety anymore. It was his savior's own pride on the line that is spurring her guardianship across this town he'd found himself in.

He could almost understand her better now. The need to prove oneself for a cause that was from the outlook, pointless. Takeshi's own blemishes weren't even close to what Rias was shouldering for what it's implied for her whole life.

That didn't, however, invalidate either of their reasons for living. His heart was now set ablaze with resolve, now tempered with the joy of life and the courage to face death head-on.

Koneko's phone then vibrates before she looks at the notification. "It's from Kiba-senpai," she then read the text. "... It's time."

The two of them got out of their seats, finished their drinks, paid their bill (mostly Koneko, by her insistence), and left Doutor.

"... Senpai," spoke Koneko as she then turned to a corner leading into an alleyway, away from public view. "Whatever happens next..."

A magic sigil bearing House Gremory's mark then appears before their feet.

"... Don't die."

Takeshi nods as he takes her hand before entering the teleportation array.

"I won't."

The two of them then disappear from Kuoh's Commercial District without a trace.

At the Abandoned Warehouses...

"You know, Cordelia," spoke Nell as the Succubus applied crimson nail polish on her pointed nails, "as soon as this mess is resolved, I'm thinking of asking you to join our group."

"Sorry, Nell," the Arachne rejected. "I'm a free agent, so if you want me around, you're gonna have to pay up front like my current client."

"Heh, that's a shame," Denas remarked with a snort as the burly centaur buckled his bronze-colored girdle around his waist like a championship belt. "Those nimble fingers of yours are already helping us out a lot."

"Well, I'm glad the Sacred Gears that I stole from your former master's abode will help you all for tonight's fateful confrontation," Cordelia remarked as she pulled out her sack. "Trust me, my career didn't get started until I nicked this [Aeolus Sack] from another one of my former rivals during my greenhorn days. Since it can store enough wind inside to blow a ship across the sea, of course its capacity is enough to carry a small treasury's worth of goods."

"I'd say," Valdes agreed as he then placed the horse skull engraved with tribal markings onto his disembodied head before the skull then transformed into a blazing phantom equine which the Dullahan then mounted upon its back. "With our Sacred Gears, not even the famed House Gremory will be a match for us!"

"Which one?" Arnett asked as a small leather-bound book fluttered its pages as it orbited around the Witch's head. "The peerage belonging to tits-for-brains running this town or her extended family?"

"Does it really matter?" Enishi growled as he then clasped on his last leaden shackle around his ankle after binding his wrists. "Soon enough, they'll be the one bowing before us."

Astrid then returns from her patrol, her owl familiar landing on her free arm.

"Anything?" asked the Arachne as the Dark Elf then presented her findings from her avian familiar's eyes.

Projected from it were the whole town being enveloped in a magical barrier.

"They've thrown down the gauntlet?!" Selia hissed, the Lamia rattling in her scales for a bloodbath.

"So it seems," Talon nodded, the Gargoyle's hands motioning the reloading sequence for his MP5K loaded with holy ammunition as practice.

"Then I suppose they're ready then," Cordelia nodded as she then clapped her hands, gathering the Cluster together. "Everyone, listen up, I have something to say before we go."

The group then gathers around the Arachne as she begins to make her speech.

"Now, I know what you're thinking, that we're stronger thanks to my help, but if you think that will be enough to guarantee your survival, dispel those notions from your minds, now," ordered Cordelia. "Despite our boost in power, keep in mind that we are in fact facing a High-Class Devil and her minions. So, with that in mind, my advice is to not only not underestimate those brats, but fight with everything you have because I assure you, our enemies shall be doing the very same."

The Cluster silently agreed that she made a point.

"So aside from the ones holding personal grudges..." She then glanced towards Selia and Talon, "those seeking freedom for their comrades..." she then looked towards Nell, "those who seek closure..." she looked at Valdes, "those who wish to kill to their heart's content..." she then looked at Denas, "those who wish to be left unburdened..." she then looked at Arnett, "those wishing to find their family..." She then looked towards Enishi, "and those who are here because of money..." she then eyed towards Astrid, "I myself have no personal stake in this foray save for your collective survival. I've done all I can within a limited amount of time to aid you all in your endeavors. Despite that, I choose to stake my own life because I believe in you all. I believe that if we all live past next week, then greatness shall be in our grasp should we be able to labor for it. And should we die, then we'll make them remember us for the rest of our killers' lives, and show that we Low-Class Devils and Creatures aren't to be taken lightly! They fucked with our lives due to their higher positions and powers, so we'll show them that the rules don't matter to us!"

The rest of the Cluster roars in agreement as Cordelia then pulls out a bottle of wine along with several drinking bowls from her Sacred Gear.

"So let us toast, for this may be our final night of peace before our final act," the Arachne remarked as she then poured the drinks for everyone. "... To your freedom."

"To our freedom!" the Cluster and their associates clanged their cups.

Just Outside of Said Warehouses...

"... Gremory-senpai," spoke Takeshi as he and the rest of ORC, "... this place is like the warehouse where Toei films all of their fight scenes!"

"... What?" Rias replied, befuddled at his remark.

"Someone's spirited," Yuuto remarked as the rest of ORC ignored Takeshi's nerdgasm. "President, we're ready to move out on your command."

Koneko then rolled her shoulders and neck to brace herself for the coming fight.

"Ready, Koneko-chan?" asked Akeno as she stretched her arms before her.

"Born ready," she nodded. "Right, Ryuugamine-senpai?"

He nods as he manifests his Sacred Gear. "Hell yeah."

"Good," Rias then takes the lead of her Peerage (and Takeshi). "Ryuugamine-kun, this is it. Everyone is going to fight for their very lives. And I expect you to do the same."

"I know," he answered as he tempered himself into an equilibrium. "... This ain't a game anymore. If I die here, it's game over."

Rias nodded in approval. "As long as you understand," she remarked. "... And once again, I thank you for joining us. Your bravery to face death in spite of your odds is truly legendary."

"That's because I have a Hell of an inspiration," Takeshi referred towards Rias, the latter chuckling at his compliment.

"With all that said," Rias then takes a deep breath, "... let's do this everyone."

She then slides open the rusted doors leading inside the ruined complex of abandoned warehouses.

"Occult Research Club, move out!"

As the Gremory Peerage then entered the complex, the barrier around Kuoh Town could be seen momentarily before disappearing.

Night settles upon this sleepy town, unaware that a fight for the populace's very survival was taking place within their town's very heart.

... Save for one, such as the cloaked stranger who'd been following the Gremory Peerage and Takeshi in secret ever since this morning.

"... It begins."

Upon clicking their tally counter to "003," they then follow in where the group had entered.

In the darkest recesses of the abyss, a low, guttural cackle could be heard echoing from the depths.

"... The hunt... begins."

To Be Continued...

And with that, here's the reboot's "Chapter 3." Added more foreshadowing and "call-forward" gags within it. Find it if you can!

I have to say, writing this was kinda fun, especially amalgamating parts of the original Chapters 2 and 3 into a cohesive "calm before the storm"-segment. Next chapter is going to amalgamate Chapter 3 and 4's fight scenes, so look forward to my attempt.

Dunno how it compares to the original, but I already committed to it, so there's that. Anyway, contexts have been altered from the original, characterizations have been elaborated, and Sona Sitri of the Student Council and Sitri Peerage make an early appearance as Rias' consultant for their forensics. A bit of a contentious decision on my part, but given the (admittedly) one-sided rivalry between her and Takeshi, I thought playing to the "Dramatic Irony" would be hilarious as Sona herself hears Takeshi get his ass milked during his (off-screen) training.

Speaking of Takeshi, his arcade visit and café date with Koneko serves a different context. Rather than on a whim, it's used as a way for him to decompress (from the training due to the Cluster needing to be dealt with before the end of 16th) and to explore his characterization. He likes playing mechanically complicated or aggressive characters in fighting games, serving a paradox between his own "studious" and "delinquent" personas that the general public has placed upon him. And his "friendship" with the Pervert Trio is explained, in that while he doesn't like them as people, he admits that them being around and acknowledging his existence as a person did wonders for his mental health after a whole Junior High of implied friendlessness. As a result, he's a lot less paranoid of other people, but at the same time, it's made him a bit more socially awkward. He's more conscientious of other people's social cues (hence, retroactively, he's going to be less chunni compared to his original iteration, but he will have those moments), but he can't deliver as well as he'd like to (a side effect of taming his "predisposition").

And for the Cluster, rather than make them one-note villains, I'm sort of deconstructing the whole "Starter Villain"-trope, in that while they're effectively fodder for the story, they have their own goals, dreams, and relationships that are about to scattered to the wayside should they fail. Cordelia's inclusion isn't meant to give them a fighting chance, but to kinda let the readers know who they are (right down to giving them Sacred Gears matching their personalities, their names to be revealed in the next chapter), in that while they're morally bankrupt (as rouge Reincarnated Devils), they're ultimately fighting for their own survival. Hell, Astrid (whom I based off Kuroinu's Chloe, but SIGNIFICANTLY more dressed in an ensemble partially based off of Espinas armor from Monster Hunter Rise) and her status as a mute mercenary is ultimately a microcosm of the Cluster as a whole: they might as well NPC enemies without dialogue in the grand scheme of things.

With that said, I finished this within a few days. Whether its from my planning, using the original fic from dvdryms as a reference, or just the fact that my right wrist has recovered from its arthritis, I dunno how this chapter is going to be received, but I am not questioning my methods, nor the fact that it's been over 2 years since I played BlazBlue: Central Fiction on my Nintendo Switch.

Godspeed.

Toku References:

- Takeshi quotes Hojo Emu/Kamen Rider Ex-Aid when reaffirming his resolve to survive past the current week and winning in a BlazBlue match with Koneko and then Fourze when preparing himself for a dance-off in DANCERUSH STARDOM.

- The warehouse where Ryo's gang, Selia's debut, and the final battle of this introductory arc is taking place is a tribute to the "toku warehouse" used by Toei when they need to film their fight scenes. Dunno what it is called, but I think it's the Takahagi Paper Mill Ruins, but it could be somewhere else.