Ride 20: Re:Spect
6th of May, 2019 AD
"Hurry up!" the Ippon-Datara cried out as they hovelled with their one foot. "The Rating Game is starting!"
In the Mononoke's secret compound, several Stray Yōkai and affiliates all gathered around a small mid-2000s TV screen connected to a satellite.
"It's a rare luxury that we are able to partake in," Suguru remarked as he sat down next to Chiharu, the screen showing off the opening moves between the Gremory and Phenex Peerages. "... Everyone, be sure to not miss a single moment! Our fight with Yomi's remnants may be steadily shifting in our favor, but do not take this moment of reprieve as a day to get careless!"
It's true, since even after the Mononoke Faction had done the work of both Shinto and various Yōkai Factions (sans Tōhoku, they've been on relatively good terms) without asking for anything in return (literally), the two major powers of Japan's supernatural community did not take kindly to a bunch of vagrants taking their credit.
As a result, their compound (location: undisclosed for a GOOD REASON) has been erected with Re:Live's homebrewed seals and wards to deter any intruders to prevent their only home from being razed to the ground, and some of the more disciplined Yōkai and shikigami have volunteered to patrol the parameter.
In turn, they were recording the Rating Game (on VHS) for them to see on their own time.
"Hey! Is that the Evil Dragon User?!" one young Okuri Inu pointed out, his paw pointing towards the armored Devil running with his Peerage as they began splitting off into separate directions.
The Nukekubi nods with a proud smile. "... Indeed," confirmed Suguru, as a faint fuzzy feeling welled up in his chest as he saw his inspiration take the field. "... Take-nii, you've gotten much stronger ever since that fateful night, haven't you?"
The Mononoke Faction gathered around the screen began clamoring in anticipation.
"You better win, Ryuugamine," Chiharu briskly hissed as her eyes locked onto the projection. "... I trained you and Toujou-san for the past week for a reason."
Back at the Rating Game...
"It's time..." Nidhogg then takes a deep whiff from [Cataclysm Zone]'s gem. "... The electricity in the air... their thoughts and anxieties... it's intoxicating!"
"I agree...!" Grendel cackled in anticipation. "And the best part is that they get to die repeatedly! Oh the joy and ecstasy that their screams will bring...!"
"Keep it down, would ya?" Takeshi begged as he, Yuuto, and Pandora ran into the Amanogawa High School's main building through the back door. "Yep, all the episodes of Kamen Rider Fourze are rushing back into my head...! It's exactly as I imagined it being!"
"Curious, but given that this Kamen Rider Fourze is a fictional show, does building actually exist in real life?" Yuuto asks.
"Actually, yes!" Takeshi answered, much to both Knights' shared shock as they ran down the halls, following Takeshi while the latter feeling at home in this building. "Kamen Rider Fourze actually used Takasaki University of Commerce as a basis for their shoots! I even visited the campus during Junior High to see if I want to apply in the future! Even took the mock entrance exam and everything!"
Pandora blinks stupidly. "... How are you both this smart and stupid simultaneously?"
"Don't question it," Yuuto dismissed as they passed by the sign reading "School Natatorium". "... Alright, this is where we split up."
Pandora then pivots her foot into the school's pool. "... Wish me luck, everyone."
Takeshi then flashes her a thumbs-up as the two boys carry on upstairs.
"Alright, so all that's left is the school's track field..." Takeshi then looked for the nearest window leading them out. "... C'mon, where the Hell is it-?!"
"LOOK OUT!" Yuuto then shoves Takeshi out of the way as he parries the sneak attack from the school's air vents with his summoned pseudo-Demonic Swords, revealing themselves as Ile and Nel, armed with brass knuckles while their chainsaws were stored inside their colored duffle bags.
As Takeshi saw, from the classroom doors emerged Shuriya and Ravel, the four of them surrounding the Gremory pair from both ends of the hallway.
"... Well, we got absolutely played, didn't we?" Takeshi deadpanned as he and Yuuto stuck to each other's backs.
"You won't reach my brother as long as I'm here!" Ravel then pulls out her collapsible baton as its telescoping length then glows red with heat like a Zeon heat weapon. "ATTACK!"
"Disassembling time!" Ile and Nel declared in unison as the pair then charged at Yuuto with their brass knuckles while Takeshi was left to face Shuriya and Ravel.
"[Promotion: Bishop]!" Shuriya then glows gold before manifesting several energy-chakrams and tossing them at Takeshi as Ravel closes in with her heat rod.
Takeshi parries the bladed rings with his fists before dodging Ravel's swing, to which he then counters with a knee to the gut followed up by a swift karate chop to the back of her neck, snapping it in two.
"YOUR ASS IS MINE!" Takeshi then leaps over the slain Ravel to reach for the Pawn...
"NOW!"
Ravel then revives herself with [Immortality], barking the signal as Shuriya's energy rings then loops around his arms, binding him in place before he could reach the Pawn.
"Like I said...!" The younger Phenex then gets up as she reheats her weapon's length. "... YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE-!"
*snag*
But just before she could cut Takeshi across his torso, a tendril of ash grabs her by her wrist as a sinister chuckle was heard from Takeshi's belt.
"Oh, that much I can agree on," Nidhogg replied. "... Stop holding back, whelp."
With a roar, Takeshi then channels his draconic energy through his hands to break his bindings before resuming his beeline towards Shuriya.
"DAI DAI HENSHIN!"
"P-P-[PROMOTION: ROOK]-!"
"[Malice Rise]!"
*BOOM!*
An explosion of dark flames and ashes consume the end of the hallway where the Pawn was standing at, sending the Pawn flying out of the building right from the second floor as the Evil Dragon User unleashes his first Balance Breaker form while running towards her.
"[Abyss Rage Awakening]!"
With a roar, Takeshi then snags the air, pulling a thread of ashes that then dragged Ravel out of the building after she was pulled into the same air vent where the twin Pawns had emerged from and ripping through the metal piping, sending the three to the track field as they all leapt from the building's hole.
"I'LL LEAVE THE REST TO YOU, YUUTO!" Takeshi declared as he leaves the Knight behind to fend off against the Pawns.
"AND WITH THAT, RYUUGAMINE TAKESHI LEAVES THE MAIN SCHOOL BUILDING WITH TWO HOES IN TOW!" Chiha announced. "Never took him for a lady-killer, although today's Rating Game might prove otherwise! Ha!"
"There are gentler ways to ask out women, and 'kidnap and burst out through the walls like the Kool-Aid Man' isn't one of them," deadpanned Raiser. "At least take em out for dinner first."
The Knight smirks as he dodges another coordinated strike from the twin Pawns, realizing that his longswords were a terrible weapon in small corridors like this, but wasn't really incumbered by that fact.
"It's a good thing we learned how to cheerlead!" Ile remarked.
"Yeah!" Nel then banged her steel knuckles against each other, generating sparks from the collision. "It sure beats tearing down walls every time we use chainsaws!"
The twins then resumed their attack, cartwheeling and hopping over each other's backs without any lag in-between, pushing Yuuto on the backfoot.
"You're so screwed, big bro!" Ile taunted as she delivers another downward pummel before Nel then comes over to deliver her sequence of blows.
"We won't be needing our chainsaws at this rate!" giggled Nel.
"Oh no, what shall I do...?" Yuuto thought out loud as his longsword got jammed inside the wall's plaster.
"HE'S STUCK!" Ile pointed out.
"NOW!" Nel and her twin sister then activate their [Promotion: Knight] to move in for the killing blow. "DON'T GIVE HIM ROOM TO BREATHE-!"
"What a splendid idea." Yuuto then claps his hands twice, causing several [Cyclone Call] and [Dust Devil] blades to poke out of the walls' plasters, trapping the twins inside a sphere of swirling winds and dust generated from all directions.
In a perfect 4-2 ratio, the combined effect of the blades held together, leaving the Pawns inside either too dizzy (from the turbulence spinning them around like a ball) or too blinded ([Dust Devil] is a weak blade in terms of killing power, but its production of fine dust was good for a quick fistful of eye) to react, let alone break out.
"By the way..."
*FWOOSH*
In Yuuto's hands was [Fire Brand], glowing bright and burning hot.
"... Are you two familiar with dust explosions?"
Quickly, he then tosses the flaming blade into the whirling sphere of dust-infused air before booking it.
"KABOOM!*
Yuuto narrowly gets out of the way of the blast as he ducked behind the hallway corners for cover. "... Thank you, Ryuugamine, for teaching me math and physics."
"2 POINTS FOR TEAM GREMORY!" Chiha's voice announced. "THAT MAKES 0-2!"
"He even followed the whole rule of 'cool guys not looking at explosions.' GREAT JOB, KIDDO!" Raiser praised the Knight.
"And now I'm worth more..." Yuuto then looked up to see his Point value go up from 4 to 6. "... Better book it."
"RUN YOU FUCKER!" The secular nun then lets out a demented cackle that echoed throughout the spatial bubble's PA speakers.
"The Gremory Peerage gets first blood, leaving the Phenex behind in the dust!" Raiser announced.
"Hmph, don't get too cocky just because you disposed of some weaklings..." Revive grumbled as he partook in his wine.
"I agree, Lord Father." Ruval then looked towards the cuts where Takeshi was facing off against his youngest sibling and her Pawn, whom he can notice has gotten more limber with her [Promotion] techniques. "... The Game's afoot, after all-"
"Now we'll cut to our very important, and-soon to be-overworked staff..." Chiha introduced, "the Mad Doctor Shift Squadron!"
With the deranged bikuni's introduction out of the way, the scene then cuts to the charred remains of Ile and Nel landing on the operating table.
*click*
Several operating lights shone upon the pair of charred cadavers as the doctor with the eyepatch noted their conditions.
*clang*
*clang*
Both the nurse and bag-doctor sharpened their bone saw and machetes respectively as the German doctor brought out his electrical surgery saw.
"TIME TO OPERATE!"
*BZZT*
Several of the Underworld's nobility watched in horror as the fiendish four did their work, restoring their bodies and clothes back to flesh and skin as screams of agony were heard from their patients with techniques that were an affront to all creation.
Burned skin and meat were excised like if the doctors were scraping off the black parts of a toast, their fleshy remains were then injected with [Phoenix Tears] as their exposed chests were connected with an active car battery by their jumper cables, shocking them back to life as their flayed bodies grew back to their original proportions, bones, flesh, skin, and all, like plants sprouting at accelerated speeds.
It was as if the four doctors were descendants of infamous alchemist (and real) Victor von Frankenstein themselves. A few vomit out of sheer disgust after ten seconds had passed, to which the nurse then kicks the revived twins out by their buttocks and into the door leading them back outside.
"... Lord Father," Ruval spoke as he tried to keep his chunks down, "... I think I know where the several purchases of the [Phoenix Tears] might've gone."
Lord Phenex didn't even bother holding back his bile. "... Damn you, Re:Live!"
"Our doctors will ensure that all of our contestants are in good hands," Chiha reassured the audience. "... NOW BACK TO THE CARNAGE!"
Meanwhile, Pandora found herself alone at the school's pool, the water spirits being plentiful here.
"They should come in handy," the Knight remarked as she coaxes the water spirits into her body, using her saliva as a conduit before swallowing them. "... Ugh, I'm still not used to doing this. Thankfully, earth and wind spirits aren't an issue ever since last week's mapo tofu."
For the first time in her life, Pandora is grateful for having a weak stomach that allowed her to cut the production time and cost for her to cultivate her own body's supply of spirits... disgusting as the methods were.
"Need to hurry..." she briskly remarks as she makes her way into the changing room, only for her to run into Akeno. "... Miss Himejima."
"Ara," the Queen remarked. "What are you doing here?"
"Water equals water spirits. Thought it'd be obvious," she answered. "Anyway, have you seen any of the Phenex Peerage around?"
"I think I saw a few of them pass by the mess hall," Akeno replied. "Be careful, Othrys-san. They're stronger than they look."
"Thanks for letting me know." Both girls then run past each other. "... You faker."
A tendril of water then grabs Akeno by her waist as it then pulls her to the door where the Knight had come in from, to which Pandora then bites her thumb, generating a massive blast of fire that singes the Queen, burning off the facade and revealing herself to be Mihae.
"HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT IT WAS ME?!" the Bishop cried out as her tanto-claw clutched around the door's hinges.
"She calls me 'Pandora-chan' and something like that," the Knight revealed as she took off her shades. "... And for the record, I'm not blind. Your proportions were off by a few centimeters, especially around the chest area."
"It's true," Chiha confirmed with a nod. "Big booba doesn't necessarily equal generically big booba."
"You are a more worldly person then I am, Chi-chan," Raiser sighed.
She then activates her Charm directly into Mihae's eyes, bringing her under her control as their eye colors match, pacing about and around her as to not incur the 10 Point penalty for camping.
"Make it quick, where are the rest of your teammates located?" asked Pandora.
"... Second floor classrooms... the mess hall... school's gateway... we split off from those parts," she murmured.
Pandora would ask for more, but she can already tell that her Charm was wearing off due to Mira's ki purifying her intrusive presence.
"Thanks for the tip." Pandora then grabs Mihae by her thumb. "... You can go now."
*SNAP*
Breaking her thumb and releasing from her Charm, Mihae was then dragged back into the school's swimming pool before submerging.
She tries to escape, but the Charmed water spirits inside the natatorium held her down like an octopus, slowly constricting her the more she struggled, replacing her oxygen with water and leaving her to drown to death.
As soon as her heartbeat stopped and her lungs were more water than air, Mihae was released by the spirits, her lifeless body floating back up to the surface face-down.
"3 POINTS FOR GREMORY! PANDORA OTHRYS IS NOW WORTH 6 POINTS!" Chiha cackled as Mihae's corpse was teleported to the doctors. "HOLY SHIT! THAT WAS COLD! IT'S NOW 0-5 IN TEAM GREMORY'S FAVOR!"
"Had a few close calls myself along with my bros back at Waikiki, I'd tell you what!" Raiser commented. "Remember kids! Don't run near the pool!"
The entire Sitri Peerage who watched that sequence unfold felt their stomachs drop like stones.
"... Note to self," Genshirou remarked with a muted tone, "don't make Pandora mad."
"That was brutal, even if she's coming back..." Reya commented as she tried not to vomit.
"Yeah, it went from FPS to Horror in a flash..." Ruruko nervously chuckled. "... Gremory-senpai recruited some scary-ass people into her Peerage."
"Yep," nodded Tsubasa.
"I'm starting to feel a tad inadequate," Tomoe commented as she continued staring at the projection, still unable to shake off her nerves of their Knight's recent kill. "... And I just learned that I almost pissed myself."
Momo, meanwhile, was blushing like mad. "... President?"
Sona sighs before handing her an empty water bottle. "... Do it where no one can see you."
As the Bishop goes to relieve herself elsewhere, the Student Council President keeps her eyes locked onto the screen.
"... I suppose anything goes on a battlefield," Tsubaki said.
"There's 'anything goes,' and then there's Gremory." The King then begins taking mental notes on their performance for future reference. "... You sure got one Hell of an interesting lineup this year, Rias."
"Hurry up, Team Phenex...!" Chiha's voice echoed from the school's PA system. "... You're embarrassing yourselves at this point!"
Yubelluna growls, making her way across the school's third floor as she tries to find an open space where she can fight without her explosion magic blowing up in her face.
"Should've taken the track field before the Evil Dragon User hadn't gone and occupied it..." she grimaced as she went upstairs and reached the school's rooftop. "Ah! Much better-!"
*ZAP!*
The Phenex Queen dodges the lightning bolt from above, revealing herself as Himejima Akeno.
"Ara, you're a quick one," the Gremory Queen remarked as she flew with her half-Devil and Fallen Angel wings. "Then again, I never expected the 'Bomb Queen' herself to be an easy quarry."
"So the same can be said of you being a hybrid," deadpanned Yubelluna as then popped a few small blasts from her palms. "... Shall we?"
"It's time for some Queen-on-Queen action between Himejima Akeno against Yubelluna!" Chiha announced. "I'd totally let those two dommy-mommies step all over me like a welcome mat any day of the week!"
"Some of my boyfriends are into that sort of thing," Raiser commented. "Our kinks aside, LET'S SEE SOME BLOOD SPILLED!"
Both Akeno and Yubelluna take flight as they begin clashing their prowess against each other.
The Phenex's Queen scatters smaller magic circles from her hands like throwing stars, all of them exploding like firecrackers as Yubelluna flies through the smoke with her hands clasped together.
Akeno dodges a swing from the other Queen's hands, but the latter spreads them open below herself to propel herself upwards with a high kick, causing the Gremory's Queen to dodge and counterattack with a lightning bolt.
Yubelluna narrowly dodges the thunderbolt, to which she then exploits her opening by using her hand blasts to propel herself towards another direction.
"Running away, aren't you?!" Akeno then gives chase as she then continues laying down the fusillade of demonic lightning upon the other Devil.
The fleeing Devil then counters by throwing a larger magic circle at Akeno, to which the latter dodges as she then forms a bow and arrow with her lightning.
"Your back's open~!"
The thunder arrow strikes one of Yubelluna's wings, causing her to fall back onto the school's rooftop as Akeno then moves in for the kill.
"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!
In a surprising move, the Queen then stamps both of her feet down, her soles briefly shining with her signature magic circles before they explode on contact, triggering a massive dust cloud to explode before Akeno's face, temporarily blinding her and ceasing her advance.
"Good grief..." the Gremory Queen coughed out as she then used her wind magic to dispel the smoke around her. "... Now what was she trying to accomplish with that-?"
Akeno then dodges a magic circle thrown at her, which exploded behind the school rooftop's accessway and reduces it to rubble.
"Ara." Akeno then finds Yubelluna standing behind her, who was now barefoot. "All that for a sneak attack? How basic."
"Keep talking, it'll numb the pain." The Phenex Queen then points her open palms behind herself before using her hand blasts to propel herself towards Akeno for a melee.
Akeno wastes no time adapting, imbuing her whole body with lightning to turn herself into a mobile taser. After the first physical collision, Yubelluna backs off, allowing Akeno to take the offensive very easily.
"What's wrong, 'Bomb Queen'?" Akeno taunted as she thrusted her palms and low kicks at Yubelluna. "Afraid of a little static?!"
The Phenex Queen then summons a pair of magic circles on her palms as she then thrusts them towards the Gremory Queen, generating a moderately-sized explosion with each thrust, allowing her to create some distance between herself and her opponent.
I felt holy energy from that initial shock! Yubelluna thought as she kept Akeno back with shotgun-style buckshot explosion magic. ... The feathery wings were an indication, but this all but confirms it-!
"You're afraid of me just because I can use holy energy in tandem with my demonic, am I wrong?" Akeno pointed out, causing Yubelluna's composure to slip. "Ara, didn't anyone tell you that you're absolutely adorable when you're flustered?"
"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Yubelluna then propels herself with her own explosion magic shot from her feet, now increasing her aggressiveness against the opposing Queen to finish up the fight.
Akeno then strengthens her body with her own collection of combined energies as she tapped into her Queen piece's full potential, the two Queens in an elegant brawl of fists and sorcery.
Yubelluna uses her explosion magic to add quick bursts of speed behind her attacks and movements, each shot leaving behind a small puff of pyroclastic smoke that didn't hurt Akeno in anyway, but was more than enough to blind her for either an evasive action or a counterattack.
Akeno easily adapts to Yubelluna's sudden shift in behavior, liberally using her elemental magic specialties to counter Yubelluna's single-element specialty. She blew off her plumes of blinding smoke with her wind magic, countered the blasts with her combination of fire and ice magic to either burn them out faster or dampen the incoming blasts, and her holy energy-infused lightning magic covered her whole body to not only act as a deterrent to limit the Phenex Queen's options (a complete Achilles' Heel for a Queen according to popular theories around Rating Games), but also to occasionally pull Yubelluna in to give her a nasty shock.
Bit by bit, it appeared that the two were evenly matched, but Yubelluna's weakness, while addressed and actively trained against to deter its overall hinderance, Akeno was simply better at being Queen than Yubelluna in that the latter's experience in participating in more Rating Games than the former had ingrained her prior tendencies as routine.
In short, Yubelluna's habit of acting like a "third Bishop" began to rear its ugly head once more as Akeno's on-field experience proved wonders in this Rating Games' ruleset.
I have to get out of here-! But just before Yubelluna could escape, she finds that her feet were encased into the very rooftop itself, trapping her as Akeno readies her killing blow.
"By the way, I noticed that your explosion magic now requires a touching action in order to be triggered, no?" the Gremory Queen smiled as spires of ice trapped and shreds Yubelluna's hands inside, pulling her down and leaving her torso to arch upwards towards the sky. "But for giving me such a good time, I'll let you off with a parting gift."
From the sky directly above Yubelluna, a hybrid magic circle formed by demonic and holy energy shone over her, but its internals around its circumference were written in Eastern Magic Scripture.
"KI TOO?!" the Phenex Queen cried out.
"WHAT?!" Both Chiha and Raiser cried out in shock at this display of energy hybridization, a rare feat even among the supernatural.
"This one's for you, Kiku-chan!" The Gremory Queen then unleashes her strongest attack combining her three different sources of energy inside of her being. "[Yōjutsu: Divine Rage - Ōikazuchi]!"
A massive death ray-style pillar of lightning then engulfs the Phenex Queen whole, cooking her inside-out until she was nothing more than a charred husk.
"5 POINTS FOR GREMORY!" Chiha's voice announced from the PA systems. "THAT MAKES 0-10 WITH TEAM GREMORY DOMINATING THE COMPETITION!"
"Get the lead out, ladies!" Raiser added. "No one likes when a competition gets too one-sided!"
"I guess I'm now the new 'Bomb Queen'," she taunted as Yubelluna laid roasted before her feet were whisked off to the doctors.
But unbeknownst to Akeno, she failed to realize that death wasn't an instant process.
Right as Yubelluna was being teleported back to the Mad Doctor Shift Squadron, she'd placed her finger onto a certain tile on the rooftop before infusing the last of her demonic energy into it.
And right as Akeno tried to step out...
*click*
The entire rooftop then shines bright with the biggest magic circle left behind by Yubelluna, to which Akeno was inside of.
"When did she-Ah!"
Akeno then recalls the smokescreen earlier, specifically the one that had destroyed Yubelluna's shoes.
She realizes that she did not aim for a sneak attack with that diversion, but rather, she'd ran around Akeno before lapping halfway back to throw the Gremory Queen off from her real objective.
She could try to escape, but the bomb was already about to go off without the spell's master around, nor she could in time, even if she utilizes a part of her Queen's skills to tap into the Knight's speed, nor the Rook' defenses were going to help her, give how compound and large the circle is.
"... Well played."
*KABOOM!*
"AND IN A MAJOR UPSET, TEAM PHENEX CATCHES UP BY SCORING A WHOPPING 12 POINTS BY TAKING OUT TEAM GREMORY'S QUEEN POST-MORTEM!" Chiha announced as the projection shows the main school building's entire rooftop going up in smoke. "HOPE THEY LIKE THE ADDITIONAL VENTILATION, BECAUSE THE ENVIRONMENT IS DESTRUCTIBLE!"
"Talk about gaming the system!" Raiser cackled in elation at this sudden turning of tables. "Any bets on Yubelluna deliberately taking the L to score a bigger W?"
"Well, regardless, by the time Yubelluna gets her ass back on the field, she's gonna be worth 12 Points!" the bikuni pointed out. "Let's hope that she watches her ass for the rest of the Game or else her little sacrifice fly is gonna end up benefiting the other team!"
"Well, I'll be damned!" Azazel commented as he, Shemhazai, and Re:Live watched the Rating Game unfold. "... And I was afraid that your rules might end up skewing in favor of one side over the other!"
"I'm honestly hurt when you say that, Lord Governor," deadpanned the superhero. "... And yes, their point distribution is dependent on how strong each of them are."
Shemhazai then looks back at the Gremory-Phenex Rating Game [Bounty] board posted on the Underworld's internet. "... The Kings, I understand them being worth the most, but why is the Evil Dragon User worth more than the Gremory Queen, let alone, the second-highest bounty overall?"
"... You wanna know the reason why the boy's worth so much?" Re:Live addressed. "... Well, it has to do with the reason why Dame Lucifuge isn't present and one of my agents had to fill in the vacant spot."
The two Cadre-Rank Fallen Angels connect the dots before coming to the same conclusion.
"... You mean?!"
"I'm not joking, Shemhazai," the superhero all but confirms. "During the last legs of the training camp, the boy gave Grayfia a good hiding that rendered her deaf out of one ear and unable to see the color blue for a whole week."
Azazel, rather than be concerned, was laughing his ass off at that revelation. "HOLY SHIT! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" The Governor continues laughing before he wipes a tear from his eye. "... Oh man, and here I thought that I was planning on killing that brat because he's User Number Fifty-!"
A murderous intent emanates from Re:Live. So evil and dense that it caused Azazel and Shemhazai both Fallen Angels who have been in the thick of the Great War between the three Biblical Factions and lived to tell the tale as heroes of said war were taken aback at the superhero's bloodlust.
"... I said nothing," Azazel retracts his prior comment.
"Water under the bridge, Governor," Re:Live replies calmly. "... Don't go swimming in there. It's dirty."
Shemhazai then lets out a sigh of relief and resignation. "... Still though, I still think your rules are kind of unbalanced," the Vice-Governor pointed out, desperately trying to switch over to another topic. "I mean, doesn't the system incentivize focusing down on high-value targets?"
"Unlikely," they remarked unflappably. "It's anyone's game at this point."
"Really?" Azazel raises an eyebrow at their remark. "... How so?"
Re:Live then tilts their head towards the projection of the Rating Game showing Mira, Burnet, and Marion running through the school's outdoor commons area.
"Just shut up and watch."
*BOOM*
Mira flinches as she, Marion, and Burnet run across the school's outside commons area as they hear an explosion from afar.
"... That has to be the Evil Dragon User," one of the maids remarked.
Mira grimaces as she clutches her ringed staff's shaft. "... Soon," she said to herself. "... We'll have to fight him soon."
"I think the explosion came from the track field!" Burnet pointed out. "... I can sense Lady Ravel and Shuriya from there! We should hurry-!"
*SHATTER!*
A hand then breaks out of a window as it seizes Mira by her head before pulling her in through the jagged window shards.
"Ara, what's the rush, ladies?" Rias' voice remarked from the other side. "Come on in."
A pair of magic circles bearing House Gremory's heraldry appear behind the maids, triggering an explosion that sends all three Pawns flying into one of the first floor classrooms.
Mira was thrown into the wall whereas the maids rolled across several desks before landing roughly.
"Welcome, whores of House Phenex."
The three Pawns then see Rias sitting atop of the front desk where the teacher would normally be at, lightly tapping a yardstick across her shoulder while bearing a smug smirk across her lips.
"Welcome to your supplementary class," she greeted. "I will be your instructor for today's lecture, Rias Gremory."
Mira then takes the front while Marion and Burnet begin casting their curses and enhancements respectively-
"Destroy."
But in an instant, both of the maids' specialties were nullified in an instant as their magic circles shattered, leaving Mira completely open for Rias' reprisal.
The Pawn was sent flying all the way back to the classroom by a kick into her gut, to which Rias gets off of her desk as she walks towards the three of them.
"In case you're wondering how I managed to evade your presence..." Rias boasted as the two maids tried to fight back, only for their demonic energy to not come out at all. "... Here's why."
Rias then undoes [Lock Control] onto herself, letting her High-Class presence flow freely.
"And with that, class is dismissed!" Rias then channels her [Power of Destruction] through her yardstick. "... The school infirmary will be the direction towards your death."
*SLASH!*
Rias decapitates both the maids and Mira with a single swing of her yardstick, to which it then snaps into splinters upon a single use.
"3 POINTS TO TEAM GREMORY!" Chiha announced. "THEY HAVE NOW CLOSED IN THE GAP TO THE SCORE OF 12-13!"
"The Gremory's King is now worth 13 Points!" Raiser announced as Rias slides the door open and walks out to the hallway. "Careful ladies! She bites!"
"Oh I'll do more than bite..." Rias remarked to herself as she then breaks into a sprint to reconvene with the respawned Akeno.
"SEIYAAA!"
Takeshi then crashes himself between Shuriya and Ravel, the latter acting as the former's shield with her [Immortality].
"[Promotion: Knight]!" The Pawn then zips around the track field before throwing her blade rings at the Evil Dragon User.
"OH HELL NO!" Takeshi then parries the blade rings with his [Mayhem Striker] as Ravel then unleashes a blast of her [Hell Fire] upon the Evil Dragon User.
The Pawn easily tanks the blast before grabbing her with his ashen tendrils and lifting her off of the ground.
"Sorry, but I had hotter flames."
They then rip apart Ravel like a paper doll before her [Immortality] brings her back.
"[Promotion: Rook]!" Shuriya then engages Takeshi in close combat, only for the latter to immediately shut her down with a single swing of his dane axe.
"How disappointing," Nidhogg taunted as Shuriya was then picked by her neck by the Evil Dragon's tendril. "Is there no one else out there that dares to challenge us?!"
"THEN HOW ABOUT US?!"
Entering the track field were none other than Karlamine and Siris, both of whom brandished their blades as they closed in on Takeshi.
"FOUL DRAGON!" Karlamine declared. "WE SHALL SMITE THEE FROM THIS WORLD!"
Siris first runs head, leaping into the fray as she smashes her two-handed flamberge towards Takeshi, to which he then parries with his [Mayhem Striker], but that left him open for Ravel and Karlamine to pincer him from opposite directions with their respective weapons.
Takeshi is forced to ditch the axe, forming a pair of thick gauntlets around his arms to parry the pincer attack from both sides as Shuriya then throws her giant ring of demonic energy towards him.
He leaps back, only to find himself surrounded 4v1 and without his weapon.
"We hold the advantage," the ponytailed Knight remarked as she brandished her flamberge.
"And thanks to Lady Yubelluna, we were able to close the gap," Karlamine confidently declared. "I have bore witness to her valorous deed of self-sacrifice from afar!"
"Awesome!" Shuriya cheered. "Now we can take his 8 Points and extend our lead!"
"Everyone! Remain vigilant!" warned Ravel. "Remember, he's this generation's Evil Dragon User! We are not fighting an ordinary Pawn! He's as dangerous and unpredictable as they come!"
"Oh, I definitely agree," Takeshi replied in a wry and cocky tone. "Shall we begin?"
"Knights, move in!" Ravel ordered. "Me and Shuriya will support you two from afar!"
The four began their work on taking out Takeshi, the two Knights blitzing around the Evil Dragon User, carefully coordinating their slashes with their blades while the Bishop and Pawn shot their [Hell Fire] and demonic energy rings at him.
"[Promotion: Knight]!" Takeshi then matches the two Phenex Knights' speed pace for pace, easily dodging their swings while steadily making his way towards his dropped [Mayhem Striker].
"DON'T LET HIM GET TO HIS WEAPON!" Ravel barked out as she then moved in to intercept Takeshi with her heat baton, to which the latter dodged and grabbed her hand and pulled her in. "UNHAND ME, YOU BRUTE!"
"Funny," scoffed Takeshi. "I distinctly recall your nee-sama doing the same thing to my President. And tell me, what was his insistence again after he was told 'no'?!"
"HOW DARE YOU!" Karlamine then runs in to intercept Takeshi, to which the latter throws the Bishop into the Knight's sword, impaling her through the blade as he makes his way back to his axe.
"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Siris then imbues her wavy blade with her personal lightning magic, swinging out an electric crescent projectile to intercept Takeshi's beeline towards his [Mayhem Striker].
In that moment, Shuriya then throws her demonic energy ring around Takeshi, looping into him and binding his legs together, causing him to trip and fall.
"HE'S DOWN! GET HIM!" Ravel then unleashes her blast of [Hell Fire] before Karlamine and Siris unleash their flurry of elemental slashes, which were then topped off with Shuriya throwing a giant energy blade ring at where the Evil Dragon User had been laid down.
*KABOOM!*
"... Did we get him?" Siris remarked.
Ravel then tries to listen for the PA announcement confirming their kill. "... Shite! We didn't! KEEP FIRING-!"
*SLASH!*
[Mayhem Striker] then decapitates both Ravel and Shuriya at the same time, the former growing her head back while the Pawn fell dead in an instant.
"1 POINT FOR TEAM GREMORY!" Chiha announced. "IT'S NOW 12-14!"
Karlamine then looked at where the axe had come from, only for said Sacred Gear to come back around on its own.
"Shit!" Siris then pulls her fellow Knight back as she parries the flying axe with her flamberge. "Are you alright?!"
"I'm well!" she replied as a low grunt was heard, revealing Takeshi as he came out of the smoke, completely unharmed and catching his flying [Mayhem Striker].
"Shit... thought I got a double kill with that one..." he grumbled to himself. "... Man, you really are like your brother, aren't you? You're both shits that are too big to flush!"
The Bishop was now seething in anger, her cheeks reddening in fury. "CEASE YOUR VULGARITY, PEASANT!" she cried out. "I WILL NOT MAKE LIGHT OF YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS AGAINST THE SANCTITY OF MY HOUSE!"
"Blow me like you do to your nee-sama, bitch." Takeshi then flips Ravel off as a deliberate sign of disrespect, further angering her.
"THAT'S IT!"
*FWOOSH!*
Ravel Phenex begins burning in rage with her [Hell Fire], her eyes glowing amber-orange in response to her stoked emotions.
"KARLAMINE! SIRIS! ON ME!" She then whips out her baton as its shaft glows red-hot. "WE SHALL AVENGE OUR HONOR, HERE AND NOW!"
Nidhogg chuckles in pride as their primary target fell for their ruse. Such a simpleton, that little stelpa.
As the trio closed in, Takeshi then swung his [Mayhem Striker] into the ground, unleashing a wave of [Helfrost] that froze all three of them in place, only costing a mere 100 (out of 94,000) years of his own lifespan.
"Let's test if [Immortality] can withstand Helheim's embrace!" Takeshi then presses both sides of his [Cataclysm Zone].
"[Charge]!" announced the Sacred Gear. "[Malice Overflow]!"
He then raises his [Mayhem Striker] into the air, its axe blade growing in size as he then runs towards the three frozen in place.
"[Abyss Blast Impact]!"
With a single stroke of his [Mayhem Striker], Takeshi cloved through three members of the Phenex Peerage before they shattered all at once.
"9 POINTS FOR TEAM GREMORY!" Chiha announced. "TEAM GREMORY RETAKES THE LEAD WITH A SCORE OF 12-23!"
"Don't get too cocky!" warned Raiser as Takeshi looks as his own Point value swelling to 18. "Remember the following saying: 'God gives, God takes'! So watch your ass, Evil Dragon User Number Fifty!"
"No need to tell me twice..." Takeshi rolled his eyes beneath his helmet before he left the track field in search of his next prey.
"That's fine...!" Grendel giggled like a schoolgirl who has a date coming up with her senpai. "Now they have a reason to come to us! Saves us the trouble of having to find them ourselves!"
"I'm still fresh, whelp," Nidhogg pointed out. "It'll take more than one ambush to deter me-"
"Then how about another?!"
From the third floor, Ile, Nel, Ni, and Li jump down towards where Takeshi was running towards, encircling him upon landing.
"DAMMIT! JUST A BUNCH OF SMALL-FRY!" the Evil Dragon of Wrath cursed.
"We're taking those 18 Points back from you right now!" Both Senri then transform into their snow leopard forms as the other twins pull out their chainsaws before revving them up.
Takeshi then slams his [Mayhem Striker] onto the pavement, declaring his intent.
"Pry it from my cold, dead hands, you sluts."
The five Pawns all begin their vicious melee in the school's alleyway next to their generators.
"AND TEAM PHENEX'S PAWNS MAKE AN ATTEMPT AT SCORING 18 POINTS WITH ANOTHER AMBUSH!" Chiha announced. "WHAT A LUCKY GUY! WHO DOESN'T LOVE A DOUBLE-TWINSOME?!"
"Fantasies aside, our Evil Dragon User is going to have to be careful or his Team's gonna lose the lead!" Raiser added.
"That's it! Keep going, Ryuugamine!" Kikuchiyo exclaimed as she and the rest of the gathered Tōhoku Yōkai Faction watched the Rating Game at their main base, the Risshaku-ji Temple (currently closed to the public). "Kick their fucking asses!"
A low chuckle was heard, revealing himself as the Namahage, Kambei, now sporting a massive wooden eyepatch resembling a part of a face and eye, and one of his arms bound around a sling and cast. "Damn boy's got some guts, I'll give him that much!"
Heihachi was still drinking, the Shōjō drinking himself silly with whatever booze he can get his fuzzy hands on. "... Those four-*hic* think they're so smart... that they're outnumbering him... four to one-*hic*!"
The Kawauso, Shichirōji (just finished mourning his twin brother, Gorōbei), looked at the drunkard in confusion. "... What do you mean, Heihachi-san?" he asked. "I mean, in hunting, don't larger numbers usually work to their advantage?"
"In this instance, it isn't."
Standing behind the gathered Yōkai was a giant woman with a massive scaly tail in place of her legs, akin to a Greek Lamia, but way bigger and thicker. Dressed in a fur-collared furisode and her jet-black hair hanging past her curled-up tail revealed the woman's head to be horned, jutting out of her temples and upwards in a set of three pointed stumps.
"Kiyohime-sama!" Kikuchiyo said. "... What do you mean?"
The leader of the Tōhoku Faction slithers up towards the Kasha as she points her finger at the projection showing Takeshi fighting off the Senri and chainsaw twins with ease.
"They utterly lack coordination with their new powers," Lady Kiyohime explained. "It's clear that they're used to fighting together, but their fighting styles... don't seem to match with their current habits beyond the fundamentals."
"... Ah! I see what you mean!" Shichirōji remarked. "It's like using a shotgun after using a bolt-action for a long time! They have the experience with their old ways of fighting, but their strengths they've gained recently are still catching up!"
"Meaning that they're still high on gaining their new powers and haven't broken them in properly," Kambei commented as the chainsaw twins were pushed back before the Senri were tossed onto them. "Meanwhile, the Gremory Peerage have a lion's share of actual battlefield experience that allows them to surgically strike the Phenex Peerage where it hurts hard enough to compromise their superior numbers."
"But... *hic* that ain't it... chief..." Heihachi slurred out as the Evil Dragon User then surrounded the two twins in a dome of ashen shurikens. "... Remember... one wrong move-*hic*... and the other Team will steal back... Points..."
Lady Kiyohime nods in agreement. "... This whole Rating Game can be a demonstration of experience versus tactics. The former is acquired through time spent in a world rife with chaos and chance, while the latter is built from study and rules."
"AND TEAM GREMORY SCORES ANOTHER 4 POINTS!" Chiha announces as Takeshi reduces the four Pawns to bones before running past them. "HE'S NOW WORTH 22 POINTS! CAN NO ONE STOP HIM?!"
"You know what they say about tempting fate," Raiser ribbed. "Soon enough, the score of 12-27 will be flipped on its head if Team Phenex plays smart! Remember, everyone gets another go!"
The scene then cuts to the Mad Doctor Squadron painfully regrowing the four Pawn's flesh and skin from their bones after kicking Ravel out of the operating room.
Kicking the doors down, Koneko then makes her way into the school's basketball court/stage.
"A little musty in here..." she grumbled to herself as she then picked up a basketball before bouncing it as she continued walking around the court. "Wonder who's stopping by-"
"AHH-CHA!"
Instinctively, Koneko dodges the back attack before throwing the ball at her assailant, revealing herself as Xuelan shredding through the leathery ball with her swipes.
"You left the door open," the Phenex Rook declared. "Now I shall claim your 3 Points!"
The two Rooks began their brawl, with Xuelan coating her hands and feet with her fire magic as Koneko armors up with her Senjutsu to deter her blows.
Xuelan kept herself in close proximity to the Nekomata to prevent her from counterattacking, her Leopard Kung Fu closing whatever gap that Koneko might create, with each of her attacks letting her step forth in rapid succession as she delivers her rain of precisely-aimed strikes-
*SMASH*
"... Huh?" Xuelan was left in disbelief as Koneko parries the incoming strike with a headbutt.
She then grabs the other hand before pulling her in, smashing her forehead into Xuelan's nose, concussing her as her Senjutsu pierces through Xuelan's Rook traits before punching her in the gut and then performing a judo flip over her back.
The Phenex Rook bounces off the court floor on her back, right as Koneko then executes her finishing stomp aimed towards her neck-
*CRASH!*
With a roar, Isabela breaks through the wall with a shoulder tackle before leaping into Koneko, grabbing her raised leg and pinning her down with a Texas Cloverleaf.
"NOW!" Isabela cried out, signaling the other Rook to snap out of her daze and perform her own finisher move as Koneko was downed.
Running and flipping towards Koneko, she first builds up momentum before delivering her fiery axe kick-
"Not a chance!"
An ashen tendril then snags Xuelan by her raised leg before it then snares her up towards the ceiling as it uses the rafters as a pulley. But just as she cuts herself free from the line, Takeshi was already below her, grabbing both her ankles as he cradles her shoulder and neck next to his own before splitting her legs wide open, showing off her panties to all those who were watching this live broadcast.
"Oh my...!" Raiser remarked like George Takei. "... What a daring color!"
"Hope you like the view, boys!" Chiha then lets out a cackle before snapping a pic on her phone.
Screaming in panicked embarrassment, the Phenex Rook then tries to unfurl her wings to escape from her shoulder rest, but Takeshi counters by sliding her shoulder and neck into his crotch, catching them between his thighs into a Triangle Choke as the two Devils plummet back onto the court floor.
"ULTIMATE SCAR BUSTER!"
Upon Takeshi landing hard onto his back with Xuelan's neck constricted around his crotch, the impact snaps the caught appendage in two.
"3 POINTS FOR TEAM GREMORY!" Chiha announced. "THAT BRINGS IT UP TO 12-30! SHEESH, STOP HOGGING ALL THE KILLS TO YOURSELF, WOULD YA?!"
"Now the Evil Dragon User is worth an even 25 Points!" Raiser pointed out. "Hurry up, Team Phenex! You're making asses of yourselves!"
Without hesitation, Isabela then tries to take Koneko out to allow her team to score some points, but said Nekomata then gets up into a handstand with the Phenex Rook still holding onto her.
"You got this, right Koneko-chan?"
She nods as the Gremory Rook then reverses the Texas Cloverleaf into a Moonsault that slams Isabela face-first, breaking her hold and allowing her to escape.
"Alright then, she's all yours!" Takeshi then leaves the basketball court.
Isabela then rushes towards the Nekomata, trying to get her into a pinned position once again, but the latter Rook simply begins zipping around with her [Kasha] technique, allowing her to grab her from behind before slamming the goggled woman down headfirst into a suplex hold.
"I-I'M NOT DONE!" The Phenex Rook then slams both of her fists into the floor, causing both of them to bounce up into the air to give her time to reorient herself to pull another reversal hold, but Koneko purges her [Kasha] from her ankles to trigger an explosion that disoriented them mid-air, allowing the Gremory Rook to grab Isabela by her hair while arching her head back...
*CRACK!*
The shards of glass from Isabela's anti-magic goggles enter into her own eyeballs as they were shattered by Koneko's headbutt, completely blinding her as she then seizes the Phenex Rook by her neck and then slams her head into the court floor.
"[Tsurube-Otoshi]!" Infusing her ki into her own body while adding onto her Rook's bulk, Koneko increases in body density to crush Isabela's head into the floor and concrete below with a devastating Chokeslam-Brainbuster combo, taking her out.
"ANOTHER 3 POINTS FOR TEAM GREMORY!" Chiha announced. "AND THIS TIME, IT WASN'T FROM THE EVIL DRAGON USER!"
"Toujou Koneko is now worth 6 Points as the score moves to 12-33!" Raiser pointed out. "HOLY CRAPCAKES! I CAN'T EVEN WATCH THIS SHEER MASSACRE!"
"We're still in the first hour of the Game, Rai-chi," the bikuni replied as Koneko made her way elsewhere. "They still have time to turn things around!"
"Back at it again..."
Yubelluna then lets out a growl after she was revived from her prior death at the hands of Akeno, now her head worth 12 Points due to her trap killing the other Queen post-mortem.
She first found herself back at the Principal's Office, then her nerves felt tingly from the nasty shock that she'd received before her "treatment" by those quacks, and after the initial delirium of being dead had passed, she then makes her way throughout the school building, now finding herself at the canteen in search of her next prey.
"The current Point disparity is unacceptable..." the Queen grimaced as she opened the door, running into Yuuto. "Now I'll take your 6 Points!"
Without warning, Yuuto and Yubelluna engage in combat, with the former jumping from table to table while raining different kinds of elemental blades towards her direction.
"Well, Lady Yubelluna, you're certainly worth your 12 Points," the Gremory Knight deadpanned as he then dodged another explosion magic that sent the tables he was standing on flying. "In that case, I'll be taking your said Points myself!"
The Knight then summons [Land Cleaver] to then send a sharpened edge of earth from below the canteen floor, to which Yubelluna dodges by shooting an explosion from her hand to pivot her position before blasting a flurry of smaller explosion magic circles towards Yuuto.
Yuuto then summons [Blast Ogre] beneath one of the tables in front of him, causing it to explode and fly towards the magic circles flying towards him, causing the Queen's barrage to prematurely detonate, separating the two Devils with a curtain of flames and smoke.
"Good thing we turned off the sprinklers beforehand, right Rai-chi?" Chiha ribbed.
"Well, there's a time and a place for some sexy rain like that scene from Flashdance, but the Game's moderator insisted that they give everyone a fair shake," Raiser explained. "But enough of that little trivia. BACK TO THE SLAUGHTER!"
Yuuto then found himself clashing against Yubelluna's unique application of melee combat using her explosion up close as if she's using landmines or Claymores like boxing gloves, only deterring her blasts with his [Frost Bite] and [Cyclone Call] swords.
Seeing that the Knight was about to plan for his own counterattack, the Queen doesn't even give him a chance to execute his plan.
*KABOOM!*
She can use her explosion magic with her feet?! Yuuto thought as he was sent flying into the kitchen as Yubelluna closed in towards where he was falling. "[FULL RELEASE: GRAVITY NAIL]-!"
*BOOM!*
With her other feet, Yubelluna then propels herself towards where Yuuto was falling, his gravitational prison missing its intended captive with said Queen now standing right before him while his hands were empty.
"Fall."
With a double palm-strike that was enhanced with her own explosion magic, Yuuto was struck onto his chest as he was sent flying into the canteen's very kitchen, with him landing on the stove.
"Not yet...!" he growled as he got up while Yubelluna drew a kitchen knife from one of the racks as he readied to defend himself to the last. "I can still fight-!"
*thwack*
With all her strength, Yubelluna then throws the knife next to where Yuuto had landed.
"It's over, boy." The Queen then turned around before walking off. "You're already dead."
*hiss*
A faint odor then fills the kitchen.
Yuuto then looked towards where the knife had embedded itself into, revealing it to be a gas pipe that was still working.
In a canteen caught on FIRE, to which Yubelluna had already left the room that he was in.
"... Aw fuck."
*KABOOM!*
"AND THAT'S 6 POINTS FOR TEAM PHENEX! BRINGING THEM UP TO A SCORE OF 18-33!"Chiha announced from her commentator booth as the entire canteen was engulfed in a propane explosion. "ABOUT DAMN TIME, LOSERS! I HOPE YUBELLUNA LIKES HER STEAK WELL-DONE!"
"Although it's a bit concerning that the same person within the Peerage was the only one who scored any kills," Raiser commented. "Hell, she's now worth 18 Points herself, meaning that she's a tempting target."
"True, but it can also be said that their total point value is indicative of their overall individual competence," the bikuni remarked.
"So are you saying that the Evil Dragon User is the most competent one out there?" asked the Devil.
"On paper, yes," the secular nun answered. "But execution? Eh... regarding competency rating, we'll have to save that for after the Game ends. For now, BACK TO THE CARNAGE!"
"They're catching up...!" Pandora heaves as she makes her way to the school's faculty office as she acquires a map of the place, trying to find where the sprinklers are to use them to her advantage. "I seriously hope Takeshi's plan works..."
Running down the hallway, she then makes her way out the door before running into Riser at the school gates.
"Uh-oh..." Raiser remarked out loud.
"Whatever the other Gremory Knight has planned is now officially down the shitter," Chiha deadpanned.
"Of all the rotten luck..." the Knight grimaced as she prepared herself.
"Ah, the infamous 'Calamity Witch' herself," the Phenex scion remarked as he turned to face the girl. "... Tell me, what made you abandon terrorism and find yourself in my Rias' good graces?"
"Heard of me?" she deadpanned as she readied her spirits.
"Who hasn't?" Riser blasély replied. "'Pandora' is such a novel name, just like your wench of an ancestor who played herself."
Pandora herself briskly sighs before glaring at Riser with what defiance she could muster. "... I'm not her. I'm me."
"And what difference does it make?" Riser then spreads his phoenix-like wings before unleashing a storm of blazing quills towards Pandora with a single flap, the latter dodging with her Knight's speed and her collected wind spirits to act as a barrier around herself.
"Using wind magic to shield yourself?" Riser smirked as he then flew up towards the sky. "TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME!"
Flapping his wings, the King uses his [Gale Wings] to stir up a twister towards Pandora. The latter activates her Charm to take control of the wind spirits within the attack, but Riser then imbues the cyclone with his [Hell Fire], switching it from wind to fire, nullifying her attempt at controlling it before it slams itself against the girl.
Pandora had luckily managed to charm some of the fire spirits in time to numb some damage, but even then, a King's strength was something to behold.
"So this is what it feels like to fight against a High-Class...!" Realizing that she had no clear avenue to defeat against Riser, Pandora retreats back into the main school building.
"Showing your back to the likes of me?!" Riser then gives chase as he then shoots up the school's windows with his fusillade blazing quills. "HOW BOLD OF YOU!"
Pandora slightly shrieks as the windows shatter next to her as she evades the machine gun fire of flaming feathers, hastily making her way towards the school's swimming pool.
"I ALREADY GROW TIRED OF THIS FARCE!" With all of his weight behind it, Riser then smashes through one of the windows before resuming his flight indoors. "COME OUT ALREADY! RELINQUISH YOUR 6 POINTS WITH YOUR BLOOD-!"
Suddenly, a thick tendril of water snags Riser from his left before pulling him into the swimming pool's depths.
"I'm not taking any chances with you!" Pandora then invokes her wind spirits inside of her body to travel with the waters in a spiral-like motion. "I'll extinguish your flames first as I eat away at your [Immortality]!"
Riser had now found himself below an active whirlpool.
"[Water & Wind Union: Charybdis]!" declared Pandora as she uses her Charm to maintain the pressure before slowly adding shards of rock into the spiral to turn her whirlpool into a blender. "NOW PERISH-!"
*BOOM!*
The entire pool explodes, its content of water sprinkling around and onto Pandora as the Knight stared pie-eyed at Riser, who only lost his shirt in the process of his escape.
"I admit! You're strong as they say, Pandora," Riser remarked. "But alas, I am not one of those who merely 'say,' my dear. I am a Devil of action, and sadly, beautiful as you are..."
*SCHLUCH*
Before Pandora could react, she finds Riser's hand stabbed into her chest and out her back.
"... You're in my way." Riser then pulls his arm out before walking away from the Knight. "... I will claim Rias as my own-"
*CRACK!*
A slab of the pool's tile was thrown into the back of his head.
"YOU DARE?!" Riser then turns back, only to witness that Pandora was keeping herself upright and alive with her earth and fire spirits respectively.
"... I dare," she growled, blood coming out of her mouth as she kept herself alive using her fire spirits stored within her blood to act as a secondary circulatory system. "... We... of House Gremory dare... a lot of things!"
The floor below her then swells up, carrying Pandora as she begins shooting blasts of molten earth and sharpened volcanic rock during her ascension.
"NOT YET!" The earth below Pandora's feet slithers up to the air like a flying snake, with its rider relentlessly pelting Riser with her spells that he shoots out of the sky with his volley of flaming feathers. "NOT YET!"
Her very veins began glowing a heated shade of orange through her skin as she then unleashes shelling barrage of obsidian shards that all explode in front of Riser as she then jettisons herself from her earthen wyrm with a sharpened shard of ice in her hand.
"Trivial."
Riser then blasts her out of the air with a burst of [Hell Fire] from him spreading his wings outwards, sending her charred corpse to the bottom of the emptied pool.
"6 POINTS TO TEAM PHENEX!" announced Chiha as Riser leaves the destroyed natatorium. "THE SCORE'S NOW 24-33! THE GAP IS CLOSING IN AND WE ARE NOW PAST THE FIRST HOUR OF THE GAME!"
"Remember, it's anyone's game at this point!" Raiser reminded everyone (both the audience and the competing Peerage members). "SO DON'T LET UP! YOU GUYS ARE FAR FROM DONE!"
Riser huffs haughtily to hear his older brother jabber so carefree and whatnot. "... What does he know?"
A sense of bitterness wells up inside the King's heart to hear Raiser so happy despite him being disinherited before him, he could speak his mind while retaining a position of prestige in the Underworld and loved by many throughout the classes.
"... What do you know about this conflict that you have no part of, Brother Raiser?"
Riser is now worth 13 Points.
"You alright, Akeno?" Rias asked after she'd run into her Queen returning from respawn.
"My feet feel a bit tingly from being blown up," she answered as the two continued running side by side. "Otherwise, I'm still well enough to fight."
"Good." Rias then peeks around the corner before applying her [Lock Control] onto herself to hide her high demonic energy signature. "So who do we fight next?"
"I'd say Yubelluna, given that she's worth the most amount of Points within the opposing Peerage," Akeno suggested. "But we can't disregard the other members as well. I'd say we target either their Bishops, Knights, or Rooks to extend our current lead."
"Quantity over quality? Knew you were a daring type to take on so many all at once," Rias remarked with a smirk.
"Ufufufu, what can I say?" the Queen giggled. "A certain Evil Dragon User has also inspired me to take bigger risks."
Rias rolled her eyes in lack of shock. "Oh that incorrigible Pawn of mine..."
Then a fireball was shot towards the pair, with Akeno intercepting it with her lightning magic.
"Mind the King, Lady Mihae!" Marion stated as she, Burnet, and the Bishop appeared before the Gremory pair. "Her [Power of Destruction] can also affect our spells now!"
"Shit, you already figured it out..." Disappointed, Rias then manifests several golf ball-sized orbs of her own demonic energy around her. "... Alright. I hope you bitches like breathing from your skin."
The volley fires, with Marion casting her curse to weaken the volley's output enough to allow Mihae to block it with her barrier.
"Brilliant, you can also use Eastern Magic." Rias smacked her lips as she saw Burnet cast an enhancement spell to supplement the Bishop's incoming fireball from her claws. "Akeno?"
"Yes President!" Immediately, Akeno then applies her own rudimentary knowledge of Eastern Magic to devise a counterspell, summoning a massive spire of ice that shoots towards the fireball to cancel it out.
"The enhancement wasn't enough-?!"
Burnet was then cut off by Rias kneeing her in the gut and then throwing the maid into Marion, who in turn, was corralled by Akeno.
"Leave the rest to me, President!" The Queen then grabs the two maids by their hair before throwing both of them over the fence and following them in while Rias proceeds to kidnap Mihae in broad daylight and throw her into one of the classrooms.
"S-STAY AWAY!" The Phenex Bishop began firing fireballs at the King, but the latter manifests discs of her own [Power of Destruction] to automatically block all incoming projectiles by destroying them without having to put in as much effort as she would normally take using her House Bael trait pre-training camp.
She steadily approaches the Bishop, undoing her [Lock Control] onto herself before stopping right in front of Mihae, cornering her against the wall before slamming her hand next to where her head was at.
"Blame it on your shitty King for picking a fight with me."
*KABOOM!*
The walls next to the classroom door explode from Rias' demonic energy blast, painting the surrounding hallways with Mihae's insides all over, with the Gremory King walking out onto the sanguine muck she'd created herself.
"Now where are you, you pompous son of a bitch..." she hissed as she began her hunt for Riser.
"ANOTHER 3 POINTS FOR TEAM GREMORY! BRINGING RIAS UP TO 16 POINTS!" Chiha manically cackled out at the King's stone cold-retaliation. "CLEAN UP ON CLASS 1-A!"
"The score's now 24-36!" Raiser announced. "The Gremory aren't gonna give up their lead without a fight!"
Sirzechs chuckles bemusedly. "Why of course," he remarked as he looked at the projection as the others were just as engaged as their host. "Why should any self-respecting Devil be told to roll over like a dog just because they're told to?"
"Your younger sister is not exactly disproving the others' criticism's of being a power-hungry delinquent," Revive scoffed as he sipped his goblet of wine.
Sirzechs, rather than show any offense at that snide comment directed at his little sister, who he loves very much (bordering on spoiling her), simply laughs.
First it was a small chortle. Then once he places his drink on the table, his laughter booms into a grandiose, deep bass of a laugh, unnerving the guests as they normally see their current Lord Lucifer composed.
"... Oh, Lord Phenex." Sirzechs then places his hand onto the older noble's shoulder, the latter sweating nervously even as the former was beaming. "... Dost those eyes look like they belong to someone who cares what others say?"
Instantly, Sirzechs then twists Revive's view towards the projection, with the older Devil looking at Rias before gasping in horror.
"... Impossible!"
Revive then remembers a certain time in his past, long before he made it big as the Underworld's most economically successful businessman.
Back when he was a mere combat medic during the Great War, following behind his father, Lord Reviver Phenex, the "Immortal Firebird," he'd also closely followed Lord Gremory while he was merely called "Zeoticus," still have yet to earn his title as Lord of House Gremory from his Lady Mother.
Every time he'd returned from the battlefield, dragging another fresh gang of prisoners in tow, Revive would sometimes catch the look of his eyes. For someone that was merely a boy at that time, his eyes weren't that of a mere boy forced into the role of a soldier.
They were eyes of steel. Tempered, focused, and locked onto a certain goal in mind that drove him beyond the mere role of that of a common footman and eventually towards his infamy as "Hell's Jailor."
"... By the way, I must confide to you of how I became Lucifer, Lord Phenex," Sirzechs remarked, snapping Revive out of his mild PTSD-induced funk. "I did not earn it just because I was the strongest Devil in my generation nor is it because I had the most support of my peers. I earned the position of Lucifer simply because I wanted it more than anyone else."
Revive stemmers as he tries to keep composure upon figuring out what Sirzechs was implying. "... Those are the words of a selfish child, Lord Lucifer! That is ill-befitting of someone of her station!"
"Which is why she will win," the Lucifer answered with the utmost confidence, looking into Rias' eyes as no longer just a beautiful dreamer who wanted to visit the mortal plane, but as a soldier who would fight tooth and nail for her freedom. "... Us Devils are selfish creatures, after all. Desire is power for us, and my little Rias understands what she wants and how she'll get it."
He then picks up his goblet before raising it towards Rias.
"You and the previous generation call it 'immature' or 'crass,' but I call it 'pure'." Sirzechs then gulps down his wine with the utmost satisfaction.
"Alright, who's the next one on the chopping block?" Koneko remarked to herself as she climbed her way to the second floor from the outside, climbing through a window before making her way out of the classroom and into the hallway. "... Bit of a tight fit, but I think I can make it work."
Instantly, she then dodges a thrust from behind before grabbing the shakujō by its brass neck before tugging it towards her and thrusting her elbow behind herself.
A dry cough indicates that she hits her mark, revealing none other than Mira. "... How?"
"Your weapon's louder than you, that's what." Instantly, Koneko then coils her arms around the Pawn's neck over her shoulder before slamming her own butt onto the floor, allowing gravity to do it work by snapping Mira's neck upon the landing's impact with a Stunner + Reverse Guillotine Chokehold-combo.
"1 POINT TO GREMORY!" Chiha announced. "Nothing extravagant, but it's better than nothing!"
"The score's now 24-37, with Toujou Koneko now worth 7 Points!" Raiser states as said Nekomata gets up before rolling her shoulders. "7 Point lead or not, she now needs to watch her back-!"
Then a rippling gale slash lighting itself ablaze rushes towards Koneko, the latter dodging in the nick of time as she limbos underneath it.
"AND SPEAKING OF WHICH...!" the Devil announcer lampshades. "HERE COMES A NEW CHALLENGER!"
Standing before the Nekomata were Karlamine and Ravel, the latter's body flickering with her activated [Hell Fire].
"Huh, thought one of the Knights was the chivalrous, honorable type," deadpanned the Gremory Rook.
"I have no time to abide by my own principles when my King's very existence and pride are at stake!" The bandaged Knight, upon making her rebuke, then rushed in, drawing her dagger and wielding it in tandem with her longsword.
Koneko nimbly dodges the Knight's swings with her Nekomata's limber physiology, using the tight space of the hallways to her advantage while Ravel pelted her with balls of [Hell Fire] and demonic energy while steadily advancing towards the pair.
Huh, so they intend to push me back both up close and from afar until I hit the corner. Clever, Koneko internally remarked as her ki ebbed and flowed within her like a steady spring of water. Not that I'll let them though-
*SHATTER!*
One of her ears then picks up one the sound of glass shattering, to which she leaps further back to narrowly dodge a flamberge's wavy blade bursting from one of the walls before it clove through the plaster, unleashing an electric crescent with its swing arc.
Koneko gets grazed by her shoulder, feeling numb as if she were bitten by a venomous snake as Siris reveals herself by ripping herself through the walls and joining Karlamine and Ravel in their advance.
"Oh, screw you, you damn gorilla-bitch," Koneko grimaced as she now had to face three of Phenex Peerage's members at once.
Going for broke, Koneko then goes into her Nekoshō form and unleashes her ki reserves in full.
"Brace yourselves!" Karlamine and Siris then tap into their Knight piece's traits to not give the Gremory Rook a single inch back as the two sides clashed in the middle of the hallways.
Meanwhile, Ravel then shifted her line of fire to the windows towards her left to deny Koneko an easy escape route. forcing her to fight the two Knights as the Bishop supported them from the rear.
Koneko refused to give them the satisfaction of making their gambit work. With all her strength, she then powers through the two Knights' flurry of slashes, healing her nicks and cuts through an automatic application of Senjutsu to keep her physical body in a state of homeostasis during her counterattack.
"DESPERATE TO CLOSE IN THE GAP, TEAM PHENEX'S KNIGHTS AND THEIR BISHOP ARE PUSHING BACK AGAINST TEAM GREMORY'S ROOK!" Chiha commented on the 1v3 clash. "BUT TEAM GREMORY'S ROOK ISN'T GOING TO MAKE IT ANY EASY FOR THEM!"
"BOTH SIDES ARE NECK AND NECK! ONE SLIP-UP FROM EITHER SIDE WILL COST THEM EVERYTHING!" Raiser added as the exchange proceeded.
During the rapid exchange of offense, Karlamine tries to thrust her longsword towards the charging Nekomata with a speedy jab enhanced by her wind magic, but it misses as Koneko easily slips through the thrust.
It was a diversion, as Karlamine then had prepared her dagger to swing towards the Rook's head in case her first attack had failed. However, the Nekomata wasn't easily fooled.
"WHAT?!" Karlamine then finds her parrying dagger lodged into the wall's plaster to her right, to which she then yanks it out as hard as she could, creating a smokescreen of white dust between her, Siris, and herself.
"She can't see us like this!" Siris reassured as her flamberge then crackled with electricity. "I'LL MOW HER DOWN!"
The ponytailed Knight then thrusts her wavy blade, unleashing a tempestuous strike that covers the whole hallway before them, clearing the smokescreen and leaving a gaping hole at the end of the hallway.
However, one thing was now missing.
"WHERE DID THE FUCKING MIDGET GO?!" Siris cried out as there wasn't even a single trace of blood or clothing in the ruined hallway before them.
Just as Karlamine then takes a step back, the ground behind her collapses into the first floor, with Koneko grabbing her legs to drag her down underneath.
"HOW?!" Siris cried out before she spotted a small gap underneath one of the rubbles, denoting her escape method. "SNEAKY LITTLE BITCH!"
"FOLLOW HER!" Ravel then jumps into the hole formed by the Rook that had somehow escaped Siris' attack, with the other Knight not too far behind.
"Shit! What's the color of her panties?!" Chiha cried out as she clutched her tengai.
"Which one?" deadpanned Raiser as the cameras then switched to the ones on the first floor, showing Koneko smashing Karlamine's head into the classroom door's window before flipping her around and snapping her back with her knee, trudging her neck through the doorframe until both it and her trachea were split in two. "... And that 3 Points for Team Gremory, bringing the score up to 24-40!"
"She's worth 10 Points now!" Siris pointed out. "I'LL TAKE HER DOWN MYSELF!"
"I got your back!" Ravel then resumes her volley of [Hell Fire] as Siris tears through the school's hallways with her two-handed flamberge in her attempts to take out Koneko no matter what.
The Nekomata dodges the wild swings of the Knight, who was abusing her Evil Piece's speed trait to close in the gap between themselves as the Bishop continued suppressing fire.
"You two are so annoying...!" The Rook then summons a pair of flaming wheels next to her ankles before rolling on them like a pair of skates, boosting in speed to run herself across the walls, floor, and even the ceiling.
"HOLD STILL!" Siris roared as her electrified two-hander tore through the building's walls and ceilings while Ravel tried to keep a bead on Koneko, but for a mere Rook, she was about as fast as her Knight.
When Ravel compared the two's respective speeds, Siris was obviously faster, but Koneko traded in speed for agility. The former was encumbered by the limited space whereas the latter used her smaller size and three-dimensional movement potential to her full advantage to run literal circles around the Phenex Knight and Bishop.
But why isn't she attacking? Ravel thought until she realized that the gashes left behind by Siris were becoming worryingly frequent.
And it was right then and there when the Bishop realized what the Rook was planning.
"SIRIS! GET OUT OF THE WAY-!"
"Too late." Koneko then does the last of the work by punching the last support holding up the ceiling where she was rolling on down onto Siris' head.
*CRACK*
But it wasn't just the second floor, but also the floor above it, including the stairwell leading up to the school's rooftops.
"FUCK-!"
Siris tries to outrun the collapse, but Koneko was able to stun her for a second by kicking her [Kasha] around the Knight's neck and lasso her back into the cave-in range, burying the Knight alive underneath several tons of concrete, steel, and dense mortar.
"ANOTHER 3 POINTS FOR GREMORY!" Chiha announced as Koneko revealed herself to be unharmed. "AT THIS RATE, I DON'T KNOW IF THE WHOLE SCHOOL'S GONNA BE STANDING BY THE TIME THIS GAME IS OVER!"
"Gremory's Rook is now worth 13 Points, and the score is now 24-43!" Raiser pointed out. "And to be fair, it's your guys' idea to make the environment completely destructible."
Koneko then rolls her shoulders before cracking her neck side-to-side. "Hold still, Phenex bitch," she remarked as the Rook wound back her fist while crouching down. "I wanna see if you can be my own immortal punching bag."
The Bishop suddenly freezes in place upon Koneko uttering those words that the Evil Dragon of Wrath had uttered to her older brother.
"No... no...!"
Koneko then sprints forth with a crouching runner's start, thrusting her fist towards Ravel's sternum to hopefully knock her out with a single blow and bypass her [Immortality].
"... NOOO!"
In blind panic, Ravel fumbles to bring out her collapsed baton as the Rook's fist impaled itself through her chest.
But just as Koneko could pull it out, the Bishop, still panicking, grabs onto the Nekomata's wrist long enough for her other hand to retrieve her weapon, extending it with a flick of her wrist and its shaft lighting up hot-red...
*SLASH!*
Before Koneko could finish her off, her own head had been taken off of her neck by Ravel's panicked swing of her heat baton.
"... Did I do that?" she gasped as she came face-to-face with the exposed neck stump of the Nekomata that she had made for herself.
A sudden wave of nausea then overwhelms her...
*BLEGH*
... To which she then vomits into Koneko's open jugular, much to everyone's (including herself) collective disgust.
"... Team Phenex gets 13 Points, bringing the score up to 37-43, and Ravel up to 6 Points," Raiser announced. "... Now if you excuse me, I need to go somewhere else to puke."
"... Milady?" one of House Phenex's butlers remarked as he spotted Lady Romary trembling on her sofa.
Seeing what her daughter was also seeing, the matriarch begins hyperventilating before promptly fainting on where she sat.
"MILADY!" All of the butlers present then retrieve their Lady from her couch before taking her back to her bedchambers. "AND SOMEONE TURN OFF THE PROJECTION!"
"But what about the live footage-?"
"YOU CAN WATCH IT LATER ON YOUTUBE!" The older butler shuts down the younger one's concerns."
In the projection, Raiser could be seen leaving the commentator's booth holding in his mouth with his hands while Chiha leans down and vomits inside of her own tengai hat.
"Why are we showing this on TV?" Azazel deadpanned as Shemhazai vomited over the ledge overlooking the Grigori's Main Administrative Building. "... You do realize that kids are watching this too, right?"
"Counterpoint, they're Devils," Re:Live pointed out, completely nonplussed by this display of gore and bile. "Best to start their education early as possible."
Shemhazai (and everyone else who were watching) was too busy spilling his guts out to the world to even make a snarky remark.
After her embarrassing display, Ravel successfully pulls Koneko's arm out of her chest and allows her [Immortality] to perform its intended function.
Once Koneko's corpse disappears, Ravel begins crying her eyes out.
"Now I'll never be wed...!" she bawled with the realization that even if Riser's Peerage won, her societal reputation has gone down the proverbial toilet after embarrassing herself on national TV in the worst way possible.
"Ara, to think I'd feel some sympathy for a Phenex."
Snapping out of her funk upon hearing a sultry voice that wasn't Yubelluna, Ravel then turns her head around to spot Akeno approaching her from behind where she was knelt, carrying both Marion and Burnet by their necks, the maids' faces turning blue from the lack of air due to their strangulation.
"But then again..." the Gremory Queen remarked as she apprehensively looked to the side. "... You kind of brought this upon yourself, so... schadenfreude? Yes, I think I'll go with that!"
*SNAP!*
With a single squeeze from each of her hands, Akeno dispatches the two Pawns by breaking their necks with her killer grip.
"... 2 Points to Gremory... Their Queen's now worth 9 Points... bringing it up to 37-45..." Chiha groaned as she refused to show her face in the commentator's booth, even going as far to take the mic down with her below. "... Someone go get me something to cover up my face with... my basket hat is full of vomit."
"I gotchu..." Raiser then comes back into the booth with an extra-large barf bag in hand (unused), to which Chiha wastes no time taking and poking eye holes into the paper bag and wearing it over her head.
"AND WE ARE BACK!" The covered nun then returns to her prior persona as the Queen and Bishop get ready to confront each other next to the faculty office's entrance.
"Alright, that's another one down," the eyepatch-wearing doctor dryly remarked as the nurse punted Karlamine and Siris back out.
Another corpse falls onto their bloody operating table, with Koneko's head landing on her vomit-stained chest before the scrub-wearing doctor caught it before it could hit the cutting room floor.
"... Close... one," the gaunt doctor remarked.
The nurse then looks into the open jugular before sighing. "... Someone go get the stomach pump. Or an industrial-grade vacuum."
The German doctor then brings back two devices that weren't either of those things (but they both suck). "... Which one's which?"
Takeshi was now facing Yubelluna after spotting her exiting the school's (exploded) canteen, intending to both avenge Yuuto and take her 18 Points.
Explosions of both the fiery and ashen variety were flung around like soybeans at Setsubun.
"THE STATE OF THE SCHOOL'S FRONT GATES REMINDS ME OF LOS ANGELES!" Chiha cackled at the bloodshed between the Pawn (worth 25 Points) and the Queen. "THERE'S SO MUCH ILLEGALLY-PURCHASED FIREWORKS THERE THAT EVERY DAY IS THE FOURTH OF JULY!"
"You've been to LA?" Raiser commented. "Last time I went there, the air was full of shit."
Takeshi smashes his [Mayhem Striker] onto the brick-layered road before unleashing a wave of explosive ash towards Yubelluna, who counters it with her own explosion.
"As expected of Riser's top wife..." Takeshi grimaced. "I can see how you keep up with him every night."
"If you're trying to get into my head, it isn't working," Yubelluna pointed out.
"Poop." Takeshi then swings his dane axe towards the Queen with several ashen crescents spinning towards her, but Yubelluna then dodges his attack by propelling herself with her miniature explosions bursting from her hands.
Upon closing the gap, the Queen then tries to perform a point-blank explosion right into his head, but then a clump of ashes wrap her hand around into a sphere before compacting itself like a leaden ball.
*BOOM!*
Takeshi manages to block the dampened explosion with the flat of his axe before his heels skidded against the ground before stopping. Yubelluna on the other hand...
"... SON OF A-ARUGH!"
... Lost one of her hands, now nothing more than a fingerless stump after being caught inside her own explosion.
"Guess your momma never told you to play with fireworks," Takeshi deadpanned as he then rushed Yubelluna down with his axe, but the latter powers through her pain and counters with another explosion magic.
Both Evil Dragon and User weren't impressed as all her attacks did were scatter its ambient ashes around the open area, letting them be saved up to be used for later.
Good thing ashes don't ignite as well as dust, Nidhogg snickered internally as his host continued wailing on the Queen, not giving her an inch to fight back as his axe dug into her shoulder. "... Put her out of her misery, whelp. She's not fun to play with anymore."
And just as Takeshi was about to deliver the finishing blow...
"THOU SHALL NOT!"
*CLANG!*
His axe strike was deflected by Karlamine and Siris' combined parry, sending Takeshi flying back as both Isabela and Xuelan switched in and rushed him down with their martial arts.
Takeshi pushes the two Rooks back, only to be assailed by Ile, Nel, Ni, and Li all at once, the four Pawns attacking him in quick succession before retreating.
"DAMMIT! HOW ARE THEY PERFORMING CASTLING WITHOUT THEIR KING?!" Takeshi exclaimed just before Shuriya then threw a giant ring blade made of her own demonic energy at him, only for him to deflect it on time with his [Mayhem Striker].
Mira then appears behind Yubelluna before administering one of her [Phoenix Tears] onto her mutilated hand, letting it grow back its fingers.
"Thank you," the Queen said.
"Don't thank me," Mira replied. "Thank Ravel-sama for coordinating this attack."
"Wait, WHAT?!"
*KABOOM!*
One part of the main school building explodes, revealing Ravel flying away from Akeno, dodging her barrage of lightning while clutching onto a megaphone that she got from the faculty office's emergency kit during their scuffle.
"THE EVIL DRAGON USER IS AT THE SCHOOL GATES!" the Bishop screamed through her appropriated bullhorn before it was shot out of her hands.
He could see that the others from his Peerage were trying to come to his aid, but they were all intercepted by Riser with his flaming wings shooting their fiery quills like a mobile machine gun nest.
"Well, this is a bummer," Takeshi grimaced as he looked out at his gathering of opponents. "Six Pawns, two Rooks, two Knights, and a Queen. If it weren't for the fact that I killed all of you a week prior, I'd assume that all of you were coming onto me."
Yubelluna grumbles before turning back. "... I'll aid Lord Riser," she stated as she switched her position with Mihae. "The rest of you, keep him there."
"Yes, Yubelluna-sama." The Japanese Bishop bows before brandishing her tanto-clawed gloves. "It is time, my fellow sisters of battle...! WE SHALL AVENGE OUR DISGRACE BY TAKING HIS HEAD!"
It was now eleven versus one, to which the latter faced without fear or hesitation.
"BRING IT THE FUCK ON!" Takeshi then smashes his axe into the ground. "[PROMOTION: QUEEN]!"
"LET'S FUCKING GOOO!" both Chiha and Raiser cried out in unison as the two sides charged towards each other.
Takeshi then clashes his axe with swords, fists, and spells alike, striking though all of them in coordination with his ashes that he'd saved up in the air to enhance his strikes.
He then turns a majority of them into spikes and shurikens, intending to kill them all right then an there, if not cripple their ambush formation.
But as the fusillade landed, most of them crumbled upon contact while those who were hit were mostly unharmed.
"WHAT?!" Takeshi then looked around to see who was responsible, and spotted Marion and Burnet holding each others' hands while they glowed sinisterly and brightly respectively.
"We are the maids of House Phenex..." Marion declared.
"... And we will not allow you to disgrace us any further!" Burnet and her fellow maid then begin surging with their dualistic power.
The dark aura begins crippling Takeshi, while the light aura invigorates the rest of the gathered Phenex Peerage.
"[Advanced Art: Equinox Blessing]!" both maids declared.
However, rather than the dark curse debilitating Takeshi, Nidhogg begins absorbing it into himself and converts it into his and his host's strength.
"THIS IS NOTHING!" The Evil Dragon User then slams his [Mayhem Striker] into the brick road. "COME AT ME, YOU TÍKUR!"
Both sides rush towards each other with bloodlust.
"[Promotion: Rook]!" Both Ni and Li transform into their snow leopard forms as they pounce onto Takeshi, to which the latter flicked away with his expanded wings from his armor, the four sails now acting as additional appendages to fight with.
Both leonines then begin radiating with ki, using it to purify Takeshi of the curse that his Evil Dragon was absorbing, slowly chipping him away with each of their strikes of their claws.
"[Promotion: Knight]!" Next, Ile and Nel take out their chainsaws and revving them up, joined by Karlamine and Xuelan as all six of them rush the Evil Dragon User down with their combos.
Xuelan smoothly integrates her Leopard and Dragon Style Kung Fu to both strike first and counterstrike all of Takeshi's moves before knocking him back with a Bajiquan shoulder smash into his sternum. Karlamine then follows up with her sword strikes being uninterrupted thanks to her parrying dagger redirecting all of Takeshi's attempts at parrying, and then Ile and Nel jump off the Knight's back as they then take each other's hands and begin swinging each other around like a two-person windmill of deadly proportions.
Takeshi was forced back into the defensive before he then let out an explosive Dragon's roar that sent the six flying, but that only made way for Isabela, Siris, and Shuriya to have their own turn.
"[Promotion: Queen]!" The Pakistani dancer then summons several demonic energy rings as her chakrams as the goggled Rook made her first move, delivering several flicker jabs that Takeshi dodged and parried with his axe and fists, only for the latter to be grabbed and dragged down into a grapple.
Just before Takeshi could counterattack, Siris then leaps into the air before diving down with her flamberge pointed downwards towards him.
"YOU'RE MINE!" the Knight declared as the Rook held him down.
"That's my line, stelpa."
*SCHUCK*
Her head was then impaled with an ashen spike through her head.
"3 POINTS FOR TEAM GREMORY!" Chiha announced. "HE TOOK ALL OF THOSE HITS AND CAME OUT LIKE A BADASS!"
"He's now worth 28 Points as the score goes to 37-48!" Raiser added.
As the Knight's corpse fell, Takeshi then lifts up Isabela's own body as a shield and lets her get impaled on the flamberge in his place, taking her out and freeing himself before throwing his [Mayhem Striker] into Shuriya's head, spitting it open into two.
"ANOTHER 4 POINTS TO GREMORY!" Chiha announced. "HIS BOUNTY IS NOW UP TO 32 POINTS!"
"But Team Phenex has the perfect opportunity to close the score gap of 37-52!" Raiser pointed out. "It's anyone's game at this point!"
Now Playing: "Don't Lose Your Mind" by S.S.P.D. Steel Sound Police Dept (Kamen Rider Drive)
Takeshi then begins his counterattack and retrieves his axe from the Pawn's corpse.
"HERE HE COMES!" Mihae then begins supporting fire with her fireballs as the rest of the Peerage moves to claim him.
"We're wasting time, whelp!" Nidhogg remarked with frustration as his host blocked the fireballs with his axe. "FINISH THEM OFF ALL AT ONCE!"
"GLADLY!" Takeshi then presses both sides of his [Cataclysm Zone]while still retaining his charge.
"[Charge]!" announced the Sacred Gear. "[Malice Overflow]!"
With each swing Takeshi swung with his [Mayhem Striker], the ashes around the axe begin forming manifestations of Nidhogg himself as the Evil Dragon slowly formed himself from the ashes generated with his attack.
"HOLY SHIT!" Raiser cried out in shock. "IS THAT NIDHOGG?!"
"MORE LIKE A MANIFESTATION, BUT JUST AS DANGEROUS AS THE ORIGINAL! MAINLY BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL IS PILOTING IT LIKE A VIDEO GAME AVATAR!" the bikuni pointed out. "Thank the Buddha that we're safe behind the booth!"
"HE'S DOING SOMETHING!" Mira cried out as she continued her ki shots from her shakujō staff.
Karlamine then rushes in with her blades. "NOT IF I CAN HELP IT-!"
*CRUNCH*
The Knight's upper body was crushed between the ashen Dragon's jaws as its form swelled with each strike.
Wasting no time, Takeshi swings his [Mayhem Striker] wildly, sending Nidhogg forth to kill the rest of the gathered Phenex Peerage in order to add onto his team's Points as much as he could.
Ile and Nel try to slip through with their acrobatics, but are snapped up all the same. Ni and Li tried to force themselves through, but failed and got mulched.
Isabela and Xuelan try to stop his advance by tapping into their Rook's traits, but the Evil Dragon freezes them in place with his [Helfrost] breath before Takeshi shattered them with his axe.
"DON'T ASSUME FOR A SECOND THAT I FORGOT ABOUT YOU STELPUR!" Nidhogg roared out as his manifestation then began shooting volleys of coarse ashes from its mouth to shred them alive at where they stood.
Mira began to panic as she saw Marion and Burnet be reduced to bones upon being caught in the blast of ash.
"MIRA!" Mihae screamed the Pawn awake from her stupor. "DON'T GIVE UP!"
When Mira snaps out of her funk, she then sees Mihae charge towards Takeshi as her attempt of defying him, but it was in vain.
*CHOMP*
Mihae's head rolled into Mira's feet as the rest of her body was devoured by Nidhogg before her bones were spat out.
"A TOTAL OF 16 POINTS ADDED TO GREMORY'S SCORE CARD!" Chiha announced with a mix of crazed laughter and terrified cackle. "... Rai-chi, how much is our Pawn worth right now?"
"Uh, so far, the score between Phenex Gremory is now 37-64... and Takeshi's bounty prior was worth 32 Points..." Raiser then begins muttering incoherently to himself as he does his math. "... Sweet Satan, HE'S NOW WORTH 48 POINTS! JUST TAKING HIM OUT WOULD TURN THE WHOLE GAME AROUND!"
"IT'LL TAKE A FUCKING MIRACLE FOR TEAM PHENEX TO WIN THIS RATING GAME NOW!" Chiha pointed out.
Nidhogg cackles as he and Takeshi stare Mira down, the latter on the verge of passing out from fear of being faced down by another Evil Dragon wanting to rip her to shreds.
"Did you hear that, whelp?" the Evil Dragon of Envy remarked. "How about we snuff out the very last flicker of hope before her eyes?"
Takeshi then pressed both sides of his [Cataclysm Zone] once more as he approached the last Pawn standing. "Tell your fuckboy of a King that I'm coming for him next."
The slow advance then breaks into a run with Nidhogg himself slithering next to him. After running a couple paces, Takeshi then unfurls both pairs of his armor's wings as he then jumps towards the sky, with the Evil Dragon's manifestation following him up.
"Oh how I love slaughtering the weak!" Nidhogg cackled as Takeshi twisted and spun his body in the air with his feet pointed up like an Olympic high diver. "BURN THIS MEMORY OF YOUR DEMISE INTO YOUR SOUL FOREVER!"
"[Abyss Blast Fever]!" Takeshi was then propelled by Nidhogg's [Helfrost] breath as he was sent towards Mira in a superpowered Rider Kick dive.
"IS THIS IT?!" Raiser commented. "IS THIS THE END FOR THE PHENEX PEERAGE?!"
Mira simply stood before the roaring maw of the Evil Dragon once more, utterly helpless.
... Just what was the point? she thought, the grip around her shakujō loosening. ... Him, the entire Gremory Peerage... they're all monsters.
A brief flash of the day of her demise was glimpsed before her eyes like a waking daymare.
... Am I just doomed to mediocrity? she thought, this feeling of inadequacy overwhelming her as her perception of time slowed to a crawl. ... My family's right. I'm worthless.
... But in spite of that, Mira couldn't deny the one fact: she was still here.
She was here, right here, right now, in the present, where her family doesn't exist in person.
The fear that had gripped her heart began to hurt.
... I hate this.
Her grip around her ringed staff tightened.
I hate this!
She wasn't simply living towards death anymore.
I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS!
This time, she remembered why she's here and now. The Phenex Peerage was counting on her.
"I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS!"
*FWOOSH*
The point of her shakujō then emits a fan of verdant energy akin to a Tengu's hauchiwa fan.
In blind desperation, Mira then swings her staff towards Takeshi in her act of defiance, which instead generates a tempestuous funnel of wind that blows away all of the ashes that made up the surrounding atmosphere, including Nidhogg's manifestation to the material plane.
"WHAT?!" Both Takeshi and Nidhogg exclaimed as their finisher was canceled at the last minute.
"ARE MY EYES SEEING THINGS RIGHT NOW?!" Raiser cried out as Chiha began cackling like a crazy person.
"I KNEW SHE HAD IT IN HER!" the bikuni declared as Mira then swings down her fan-staff like a hammer, generating another crushing gale of wind that swatted down Takeshi into the brick road face-first, knocking him out of his Balance Breaker state as he laid within a vaguely hand-shaped imprint on the dirt.
"WHAT THE HELVÍTI IS GOING HERE?!" Nidhogg cried out from [Cataclysm Zone]'s gem as Mira, going off of pure adrenaline, wildly swung her staff that generated a ripping twister towards where Takeshi was laid at.
The Evil Dragon User tries to escape, but ends up being swept up into the vortex, leaving him flailing in the air.
"I WON'T LOSE TO YOU! NEVER AGAIN!"
As Mira wound back her shakujō like a javelin, the feathers summoned from the pointed tip morph their verdant energy into something akin to an avian.
"[YŌJUTSU: TENGU DAOSHI]!"
Mira then throws her entire ringed staff towards where Takeshi was trapped at, and just as he escaped from the cyclone's grasp...
*SCHUCK*
The falcon spear thrown towards him impales directly into his chest, the blooded ringed tip coming out of his back as the rest of him plummeted back onto the earth.
*THUD*
And with it, Takeshi falls, right before he was teleported elsewhere, leaving the blooded shakujō behind.
"AND IN A MAJOR UPSET, TEAM PHENEX SCORES 48 POINTS!" Chiha screams into her mic as Mira falls to her knees in disbelief at what she had done. "THE TABLES HAVE TURNED AS THE SCORE IS NOW 85-64!"
"You said it would take a miracle, and HOLY SHIT!" Raiser begins cackling in elation as Mira's Point value goes up to 9 from Takeshi's default 8 Point value. "WE'RE NOW OFFICIALLY DOWN THE WIRE, PEOPLE! ONE HOUR REMAINING!"
"... I-I did it?!" The Pawn dryly heaved out as the reality of the situation sets into her head. "... I-I did it. I FUCKING DID IT-!"
Then suddenly, six [Blast Ogres] appear around her.
"MIRA!"
In a blur, Riser rescues his Pawn from Yuuto's [Full Release] technique, lifting her up by her arms as a massive explosion sets off where she initially stood.
"Riser-sama!" Mira cried out with a mixture of joy and relief. "... I did it! I slew the Evil Dragon User!"
"You did a wonderful job, Mira," Riser approved. "Come now! We have the rest of the Game to win!"
The two then set off towards where they could vaguely sense where the swords came from.
"It's a freaking miracle that the Evil Dragon User could be stopped!" Raiser commented to his co-host.
"I admit, I'm also shocked as well," the bikuni replied. "But remember everyone, just because one giant win netted you a lot of Points doesn't mean that the game is set! It's still anyone's game at this point!"
"COME ON, TAKE-NII!" Suguru cried out towards the TV. "YOU CAN'T LOSE LIKE THIS!"
Admittedly, Chiharu was worried as well, and so were the kids watching the Rating Game.
"... Re:Live training them did yield some results, I admit," the Oni said to herself. "... Even so, the Game's still not over by a longshot!"
"Yeah! Chi-nee is right!" one Obariyon remarked. "Let's keep cheering for Take-nii! GO TAKE-NII!"
"YOU CAN DO IT, TAKE-NII!" the rest of the orphaned Yōkai cheered at the projection.
"You might as well give up now!" Ravel remarked as she blasts [Hell Fire] at Akeno as the latter dodged before shooting another bolt of lightning at her.
"What do you mean, 'give up'?" the Gremory Queen asked. "The Game's not yet over, you know."
"Your little ace in the hole has proven to all of the Underworld that he's not invincible," the Phenex Bishop declared as she kept up her volley. "Face it, without him, you can't beat my older brother!"
Akeno then lets out an amused giggle. "Remind me, but what are the rules of this Game again?"
Suddenly, Ravel remembered the addendum to the Rating Game's rules that she'd ignored during her high of hearing of the Pawn's demise. "... Oh no."
Akeno simply smirks in the most smuggest way imaginable. "... You better learn how to pray to God by the time he comes back."
"You know," Takeshi said as he found himself lying on the floor of his Team's respawn area (the Mad Doctor Shift Squadron didn't need to do anything as Nidhogg brought him back to life; now only 90,000 years remaining). "... It's a funny feeling."
"Of what, exactly?" Nidhogg asked.
Takeshi smiles before letting out a small chuckle. "... Pride," he answered. "Pride, in someone else."
Suddenly, the gem of the [Cataclysm Zone] turns dark green.
"... Unfortunately, it is all overshadowed by this feeling of UNYIELDING RAGE!"
Yuuto found himself sliding backfoot after his attack was deflected by Yubelluna's explosion magic.
"Give it up, boy," she stated. "What sort of insanity are you infected with to make you think that you stand a chance against me after losing to me?"
"For one, the whole propane explosion-trick is a once-and-done thing," the Knight pointed out as he then brandishes [Flame Delete] with his [Pain Killer] to heal his own wounds. "And that's the problem. Your explosion magic, while powerful, is predictable after the first time."
Koneko was then spotted throwing both Xuelan and Isabela over towards their Queen as she was pursued by Ni and Li in their snow leopard forms, and Rias was chasing after Riser (still carrying Mira) as Ile and Nel tried to reach up towards her, with Marion, Burnet, and Shuriya trying to shoot the Gremory King down.
"Fancy running into you here, President," Yuuto remarked as Rias landed next to him. "... And if you're wondering, yes, I'm still willing to fight even after we lost our lead."
"Oh my, if you were desiring me all this time, why didn't you simply wait for me to come get you?" Riser asked in a mocking tone. "I'm no stranger to being chased by beautiful women, after all, but I am a gentleman to you."
"Bite me," Rias deadpanned as Koneko fends off the Senri twins before throwing them over her head, allowing the two cat-adjacent Devils to reunite with their respective Peerages. "... Koneko, are you well enough to continue?"
The Nekomata spits to her side. "... Imma make shamisen out of those two cats' hides by the time I'm done with them."
"Milord!" From the forest came Marion, Burnet, Mihae, Karlamine, Siris, and Shuriya.
And now, gathered at the school's front gates, the two Peerages stare each other down confrontationally.
"You might as well surrender now, my dear Rias," Riser boasted. "Once I take the last 15 Points, I'll be taking your hand down the aisle in short order."
"You'll have to get past us first." Akeno then begins radiating with an electrical aura as Yuuto brandishes his pseudo-Demonic Swords while Koneko flares up her ki.
"... Uh, elder brother?" Ravel asked.
"Make it quick," Riser replied.
Several members of the Phenex Peerage began exchanging concerned looks with each other.
"... Where's their other Knight-?!"
*KABOOM!*
The loud explosion rocked the entire space, with a fiery mushroom cloud rising up from behind the main school building.
"... Was that Takeshi?" Yuuto asked before realizing where the explosion had occurred. "... AND WAS THAT OUR RESPAWN POINT?!"
Rias nodded. "... And he's super-pissed."
Riser then lets out a growl. "It doesn't matter at this juncture! We'll take this Game's victory right here and now-!"
*SPLAT*
In an instant, Ravel and Yubelluna were taken out via a pair of unhinged sliding doors splitting their heads open, with the former bottoming out of her [Immortality]'s limits as she and the Queen fell.
"... 24 Points for Team Gremory," Chiha chuckled at this sudden reversal. "... We've now entered sudden death with a score of 85-88."
"Holy shit, the Evil Dragon User came back swinging out of the gate!" Raiser commented with a low chuckle. "... He's now worth 16 Points, by the way."
Both Peerages go completely silent as all that's left to do is to eliminate the entire opposing Peerage to score their victory.
"... Mira, come with me!" Riser then takes his most trusted Pawn towards where the Evil Dragon had emerged. "EVERYONE ELSE! DEFEND YOURSELVES!"
Rias smirks confidently. "Alright, everyone," she spoke. "You know the drill."
She then flares up her [Power of Destruction] as her hair and pupils glowed red.
"Kill 'em all."
Standing in the middle of a burning crater where he'd unleashed his anger, Takeshi heaved as his arms, legs, and face were covered in the manifested [Berserk Devastator].
His body was heaving in and out heavily, both the Pawn's and the Evil Dragon's minds slowly synchronizing with each other's.
Their anger over their defeat was boiling. Flames that have licked a thousand different kinds of victims days since the Wild Hunt's rampage melted rock into magma and trees into charcoal, continuing to expand and spread out from there.
"... Hey Grendel," he said with a breathy voice as the flames crackled around them. "...This anger of mine... this feeling of humiliation... is it all real?"
"Very." The Evil Dragon of Wrath then lets out a low chuckle. "... Guess it's as good a time as any."
"And that's my cue to leave," Nidhogg remarked. "... Good luck, whelp."
A burning feeling welled up in the Devil's chest, pulsating like his own heart made of rage and pain, with each beat thumping like a drum as both Takeshi and Grendel's shared anger began to synchronize with each other closer than ever before.
No words of affirmation needed to be said as the two walked out of their epicenter of destruction.
"... Can I ask?" Takeshi said as he looked at his own hand before clenching it into a fist. "... Can I ask that you lend me your terrible powers, o 'Hellfire Bringer of Hoarfrost'?"
From [Cataclysm Zone]'s verdant gem, Grendel then lets out a booming and bassy cackle, elated that he and his host finally agree on SOMETHING.
"Don't blame me when your body breaks in two, got it?"
From above, Riser and Mira spotted the Evil Dragon User, standing in the middle of the burning forest.
"RISER-SAMA!" Mira then readies her shakujō.
"ON ME!"
The Pawn then summons her hauchiwa from the tip of her ringed staff before swinging out a heavy gust of wind as Riser then blasts his [Hell Fire] into her attack, combining them both into a giant firebird projectile that dove towards Takeshi.
"... Let's do this, you damn brat."
Takeshi then presses both sides of his [Cataclysm Zone].
"Yeah..." The Evil Dragon User then smirks underneath his helmet. "I'M ALL FIRED UP NOW!"
"[Atrocity Rise]!"
*KABOOM!*
"... Did we get him?!" the Pawn remarked as she and her King saw the Gremory Pawn be engulfed in flames at where he stood, only for the inferno along with the surrounding conflagration to began to drawing inward.
"WHAT?!" Riser's eyes then widened as he and Mira sensed the Evil Dragon User emerging from the flames.
Within the converging flames that were all entering into Takeshi's [Cataclysm Zone] like a vacuum, the flames feeding him causes his [Berserk Devastator] to begin growing and spreading throughout his body. Pained groans were heard as the scales of the gauntlets and greaves spread their scales throughout their body, covering the Evil Dragon User in cancerous growths resembling green knives, almost mutating him into a pseudo-Dragon as his body squirmed and thrashed in unimaginable agony.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!" Raiser commented in horror, the cameras showing Takeshi's transformation in gruesome detail.
"JUST KEEP ROLLING!" Chiha ordered.
As soon as the growth reached his neck, a shrieking and terrible roar shook the very air that the Phenex King and Pawn were flying at, disorienting their hovering as the jaw-like mask was pushed up towards where his visor was by the scale's growth. And as soon as the mask is completely laid over the visor, the spread stops in its tracks, causing the Evil Dragon User to slump over while remaining standing, now resembling a humanoid cactus.
"... Is he dead?" Raiser asked.
"Nah, his marker should indicate that he's dead," the bikuni pointed out as she checked her phone. "His vitals are still active, meaning that he's still in the game!"
"NOT FOR LONG!" Riser barked out. "MIRA!"
"YES, RISER-SAMA!" Mira then swings her shakujō staff to unleash several air slashes as Riser shoots a volley of his fiery quills from his phoenix-like wings, the two attacks combining into a flock of mini-firebirds that all swarmed towards the motionless Evil Dragon User.
*crack*
Then a faint glow of heat emerged from the fracture.
"He's moving...! He's moving!" HE'S FUCKING MOVING!" Raiser panicked as more cracks began to form around the cancerous scales.
"SET THE CAMERAS TO GLARE PROTECTION MODE, STAT!" Chiha ordered as the footage then shows Takeshi coils his arms into a cross as the both lights of his fractures and belt shone as bright as the sun.
"[Crime Force Awakening]!"
*KABOOM!*
Takeshi then lets out an explosive roar that made his cancerous scales explode off of his body into a pillar of raging fire that causes other, smaller fiery explosions around itself, laying further devastation across the desolate land while unleashing a storm of molten shrapnel that blasted everything that wasn't touching the ground out of the sky...
"MIRA!" Riser then uses his own body as a shield to protect his Pawn as they weren't an exception to this anti-air, cushioning her landing with himself and letting his [Immortality] take the brunt of the punishment. "... Are you okay?"
"Thank you, Riser-sama...!" Mira then looked at the silhouette standing in the inferno. "... I sense it...! That... thing!"
Coming out of the hellish radiance was the Evil Dragon User in his new Balance Breaker. The base undersuit was now red-ocher in color, his shoulders and chest covered in jagged and barbed-looking green armor resembling a cross between Dragon's scales and a skin of a briar's stem, each spike tipped red as if they were topped with the blood of its victims, and around the ribs and back were vent-like openings that spewed quick puffs of flame, flaring out to ready itself for full ignition. [Berserk Devastator] now sported an altered appearance, with the scales being bigger and sharper, each row resembling a serrated edge of a saw or a predator's jawline, the heel-disks were thicker and more rugged-looking, resembling a cross between serrated circular saws and a pair of all-terrain tires, each being more than enough to crush rocks and iron alike underfoot, and on the knees and and dorsals glimmered a mercurial silver, revealing Grendel's silver eyes that burned like flames, trailing a wisp like row with each movement.
And over the mask encased-visor, the clamp briefly opens up to reveal the same grilled visor underneath...
*CRUNCH!*
Only for the set of jaws to crush the grill in between its fangs, orienting itself and the scraps into a thick head crest now resembling a monarch's crown and a caiman's row of teeth over its set of silver compound eyes, which were standing over a metallic mouth-plate that resembles an angular, shark-like jaws, almost as if the imprint was left behind by the initial mask like a couch's indentation of its prior occupant.
Now Playing: "VOLCANO" by Kentaro Maeda (Ikki) and Subaru Kimura (Vice) (from Kamen Rider Revice)
"Phase Two... [Savage Predator Incarnation]." Takeshi then lets out a low snarl as he slowly approaches Riser and Mira. "Evil Dragon versus Phoenix and Tengu...! LET'S SEE WHO'S FLAMES BURN HOTTER!"
Without warning, Takeshi then propels himself towards the Phenex pair with his Balance Breaker's built-in thrusters. Riser then meets the attack with his own punch, but as soon as the two fists collided, Takeshi easily overpowers Riser, sending him flying with his right arm split across its twain.
"USELESS!" Grendel barked as his host then followed it up with a volley of rapid-fire fisticuffs that swarmed the Phenex King, pummeling his body like a sandbag against a pro boxer's jab session. "IT'S USELESS!"
"RISER-SAMA!" Mira then tries to stab the Evil Dragon User in the back with her ki-infused shakujō, but Takeshi simply ignites all of his rear thrusters, blasting a massive jet of flames that both blew the Pawn back into the cindered forest's charred depths and make her crash through several of its tree-sized charcoals, and lets him further his advance against Riser, pushing him further away from his Pawn in order to separate the two.
Riser then tries to fight back by unleashing his [Gale Wings] to blast a dense cyclone and to escape from his relentless assault, but the Evil Dragon User simply walks through it, absorbing the wind into the [Cataclysm Zone]'s gem to further fuel Grendel's flames, making them burn even hotter and brighter.
"IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?!" Takeshi then grabs Riser by his hair before headbutting him into his nose to stun him, preventing him from activating his [Immortality]. "BECAUSE NOW IT'S MY TURN!"
Keeping an iron grip around the King's golden locks, Takeshi then punches him in the gut to make him keel over forward before grabbing him around his waist and flipping him around, spiking his back into a rocket-powered knee strike.
"IT'S THE WHIRLWIND BACKBREAKER!" Chiha screamed out.
"Didn't the guy who used that move get banned from every Pro Wrestling Circuit in Japan due to several cases of physical assault?" Raiser commented. "Didn't know he still had fans."
Rather than let him drop, Takeshi then transitions his knee strike into a high kick, pitching Riser up like a soccer ball right before following the King up into the air before catching Riser's neck by his heel-disks.
Just as Riser regains his consciousness, the wheels then spin Riser's neck into his thighs, preventing his escape with a reverse Triangle Choke before firing all of his thrusters, sending them both plummeting back to the ground in a supersonic descent.
"ROBIN SPECIAL!" Takeshi then lands on a handstand as Riser's neck snaps upon his landing.
"[PROMOTION: KNIGHT]!" Mira then quickly reappears from the burned forest before switching to [Promotion: Bishop], unleashing a heavy blast of wind from her staff.
"[Promotion: Bishop]!" Takeshi then meets the Phenex Pawn's projectiles by flinging Riser himself as his own fiery projectile, spurring his trajectory with Grendel's burning flip-kicks, unleashing a barrage of scorching crescents into the wind projectiles that sandwiches Riser between two barrages of elemental blasts that assailed him from both ends.
Mira stops her barrage upon seeing that she was hurting her own King, but with that opening made, Takeshi then rushes in with his [Promotion: Knight], grabs Riser by his ankles, and then swings the scion of House Phenex like a baseball bat, smashing both Riser and Mira's skulls into each other's, letting the former go as the two rolled into each other and landing together in an undignified heap.
Just as Mira tries to use her last vial of [Phoenix Tear] to heal her own wounds, her arm was immediately seized and lifted up until her eyes were staring directly into the Evil Dragon User's mercurial eyes.
"No..."
The Evil Dragon User then swings her downwards, smashing her face into the dirt as she was forced to let go of the vial upon the descent.
"Items...!"
Takeshi then stomps her head into the discarded [Phoenix Tear] while keeping his grip around Mira's wrist, the shattered glass and magical panacea alike pierced into her face and skin with each stamp, both healing her fractured skull and fucking her face up even more in the same instance.
"EVEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRR!"
He then flings Mira into the air before following it up with a fiery, rocket-powered uppercut to her chin, splitting her lower jaw in two as the rest of her was sent flying towards the spatial boundary's sky limit.
"Chill, Barbatos Goetia!" Chiha commented.
"Now I'm wondering if anyone in House Barbatos played Tales of Destiny 2..." Raiser pointed out.
But just as she was about to hit the ceiling, Riser then catches Mira out of the air before biting his thumb and letting her drink his blood as a [Phoenix Tear] substitute.
"... Riser-sama," Mira heaved out as the glass shards embedded into her cheeks were pushed out by the regeneration process. "... We need-We need to retreat! We need to find more advantageous ground-!"
*BZZT*
Then all of the sudden, both Mira and Riser's minds were assaulted with an unknown force that burned their minds like an acid bath, disorienting the latter and forcing him to land before the Evil Dragon User, on his knees and growling in pain against his aura radiating with an overwhelming and infectious bloodlust.
"... You... YOU DAMN MONSTER!" Riser cried out as Mira was crying tears of blood and flailing her legs and body around in unimaginable agony.
"Thinking of running away?" taunted Grendel, his voice being heard from the silver eyes of his [Berserk Devastator]'s dorsals and knees. "If there's one thing I despise the most, it's that I am beset by cowards who only talk a good game!"
Riser then tries to power through his headache that felt like rail spikes being driven into his brain, but his clumsy flail was easily dodged by Takeshi before he delivers another knee strike into the scion's gut.
"Riser...sama...!" Mira groaned out as the pain inflicted onto her all but paralyzed her.
"The Evil Dragon User has both Riser and Mira on the ropes...!" Chiha commented. "AT THIS JUNCTURE, HE CAN EASILY RUN OUT THE REMAINING 30 MINUTES!"
"FORGET THAT! THIS IS PRACTICALLY TORTURE!" Raiser panicked as he, the bikuni, and everyone else watching saw Takeshi violate their minds with his bloodlust. "I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN KEEP AIRING THIS!"
"... Get up," ordered Takeshi. "... I still have a few more punches for you, and a few more for that bitch who dared to strike me last week! You think you killed for less, Riser?! THEN I'M GOING MAKE SURE THAT YOU WISH YOU WERE DEAD!"
Answering his declaration, both Riser and Mira get up with great difficulty, the latter using her staff as support.
"Even without this perverse bloodlust... I'd sooner die then retreat from the likes of you!" Riser growled as his pupils glowed golden and his fiery wings burning even hotter.
"The humiliation I felt on that day...!" Mira's body then glowed azure as her own ki flared with her own demonic energy, the two sources of energy harmonizing into a compound aura as she spread her Devil wings. "... I WILL AVENGE THE DISHONOR THAT YOU'VE INFLICTED UPON ME AND ALL OF HOUSE PHENEX!"
"And therein lies the problem...!"
Takeshi then grabs one of the (invisible) cameras from the side before holding it up like a mic.
"You two sit there, boasting how proud and renowned you and your House Phenex are in the Underworld! How they are the most resplendent, and how immortal they are!" Takeshi spoke into the camera drone, boasting the swagger of a Pro Wrestler hailed by a screaming crowd around the ring. "WELL LOOK WHERE YOU STAND RIGHT NOW!"
He then kicks up a rock from the ground before mounting one foot onto it like Captain Morgan.
"YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR LEGENDS, AND YOUR FOREFATHERS AND YOUR SO-CALLED PRIDE, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN A DAMN THING TO ME!" he declared. "MY NAME IS RYUUGAMINE TAKESHI! PAWN OF THE OCCULT RESEARCH CLUB AND PROUD VANGUARD OF HOUSE GREMORY! I AM THE FIFTIETH INHERITOR OF THIS MALEVOLENCE! AND I AM WHERE LEGENDS LIKE YOU GO TO DIE! REMEMBER MY NAME AS I SEND YOU ALL TO THE DEPTHS OF YOUR DEFEAT!"
*KABOOM!*
A row of explosions burst from the earth behind Takeshi as he finished his declaration.
"Sheesh, when the Hell did this turn into a WWE Promo?" deadpanned Chiha. "... Not that I'm complaining!"
"How the Hell did he install pyrotechnics during a Rating Game?!" Raiser commented in confusion. "... Also, if you don't mind, STOP FUCKING UP MY CAMERAS!"
Upon hearing Takeshi's declaration to defeat them, both Riser and Mira's inner rage begin to swell up from the depths of their hearts, ready to answer his challenge.
"That's it...! GET ANGIER!" the Evil Dragon of Wrath howled with elation. "HOLD NOTHING BACK! SHOW ME HOW RADIANTLY YOU OH SO BURN, CHILDREN OF [HELL FIRE]!"
The scion of House Phenex grinds his teeth in frustration. "Firebird... Fenghuang...! The [Hell Fire] of our House that was praised as being that of the immortal Phoenix!"
"... In the name of the King I pledged my life to!" Mira answered as her whole body stirred up with wind. "... I WILL FULFILL MY DUTY!"
Both flames from Takeshi and Riser burned brighter and ever-so hotter by the second.
"Do not look away..." Grendel spoke to the audience, one of his silver eyes on [Berserk Devastator] staring directly into the camera. "... You are all now in the presence of a King."
Riser and Mira make the first move as Takeshi stands his ground with his arms wide open.
"[PROMOTION: QUEEN]!"
"ONE OF US SHALL BURN, RISER!"
"IN THE NAME OF THE GRAND MARQUIS PHENEX, TASTE MY [HELL FIRE] WITH YOUR OWN BODY AS IT TURNS INTO ASHES!"
"AND WE ARE BACK TO THE OTHER FIGHTS!" Chiha announced as the projection then shows the entire school's front gates turning into a veritable warzone, with both Peerages holding nothing back at each other. "... Does the Underworld have their own version of the Broadcast Law?"
"... Debatable," Raiser vaguely answers. "Anyway, let's see how the rest of the Peerages are handling themselves!"
Most of the Underworld's gathered nobility at the viewing party murmured amongst themselves as they tried to comprehend what they've just seen.
"The Fiftieth Evil Dragon User is making an utter joke of House Phenex..."
"I heard rumors that this Rating Game is meant to cut loose their youngest son."
"Poor child... to be Lord Phenex's sacrifice..."
"And for what?"
"At least his oldest son will be his heir apparent. So it's not that huge of a loss."
All Revive Phenex could do was stand and listen to his peers badmouth him with hushed slights and indirect tuts around him.
"... Lord Father... I-!"
"Save your breath, Ruval," Lord Phenex scoffed before sipping on his wine while watching the Phenex Peerage wage war against House Gremory's servants. "... If I were to renege on my prior decision, the damage to our House's reputation would be irreparable. Let them say what they want to say. It's my decision to make, and that's final."
Even if Ruval wasn't the most attentive of the siblings, he couldn't shake this uneasy feeling in his gut.
Am I... Am I supposed to condemn my own younger brother to exile all because of his own stupidity? he thought as the goblet in his hand trembled with uncertainty. ... Even if it were his choice... I can't stand by and leave him out to dry!
Sirzechs was the only one who bothered to take notice of the next Lord Phenex apparent worry.
"... Perhaps I should make a few calls." The Lucifer then pulls out his phone before walking away from the crowd.
Back at the school's front gates, both sides were unleashing everything they had left against each other in order to secure their victory.
Rias was playing disruption, using her [Power of Destruction] to systematically dismantle any spells or techniques that had more than two steps before activation, still abiding by her "pull out, not push in"-method of taming her powers. At the same time, she activates [Lock Control] on all of her allies, unlocking their natural limiters to let them unleash their powers in full, at the cost of her own not being as apparent.
Mihae was throwing several Genjutsu techniques to slow down the Gremory Peerage's advance while letting her allies advance unimpeded, acting as their commander in Yubelluna's decision, monitoring the flow of the battle while battling Rias' own mastery of warfare.
Akeno was taking on Isabela, Xuelan, and Shuriya up close, the former using all of her Queen piece's full potential whereas the latter group tapped into the very essence of their Rook's traits to endure the former's lightning attacks while the Pawn used [Promotion] in quick succession to adapt to the ever-shifting situations of the battle.
Yuuto clashed blades with Karlamine and Siris, the three Knights blitzing about the battlefield in a blur, with only their sparks indicating their locations of their clashes. As the Phenex Knights unleashed their barrage of elemental slashes, with Karlamine letting loose a barrage of wind slashes while Siris broke the brick-laid road with her lightning-imbued smash attacks, Yuuto summoned his pseudo-Demonic Swords in unnatural angles and perspectives to throw them off-guard, ranging from simple sword rains, projectiles coming from the side, or even using them as unorthodox elemental landmines that exploded with their natural element upon coming into close contact.
Koneko was dealing with the rest of Phenex's Pawns, with the Nekomata chasing down Marian and Burnet in order for them to stop annoying her and her team with their rear support, but the two maids were well-defended by Ni and Li, using their [Promotion: Knight] to conduct hit-and-run attacks with their brass knuckles and chainsaws, while Ile and Nel, in their snow leopard forms, acted as speedy and nimble shields thanks to their physiology mixing well with their [Promotion: Rook].
"QUANTITY VERSUS QUALITY! TWELVE VERSUS FOUR! PHENEX VERSUS GREMORY!" Chiha screams into the mic as the final battle rages on. "NOW THIS IS WHAT A REAL RATING GAME SHOULD BE LIKE! WHO SHALL PREVAIL IN THIS DOWN-TO-THE-WIRE STRUGGLE FOR SUPREMACY?!"
"The Phenex Peerage retain a numbers advantage, but the Gremory Peerage have stronger members on average, making the former's efforts do jack shit!" Raiser pointed out. "SWEET SATANS! I'M LITERALLY AT THE EDGE OF MY SEATS, PEOPLE! BETWEEN THIS AND THE EVIL DRAGON USER'S SECOND WIND, I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS GAME WILL END!"
"COME ON, RIAS!" Sona screamed into her laptop as she and the rest of the gathered Student Council watched the livestream with rising tensions in their chests. "I KNOW YOU'RE BETTER THAN THIS! JUST WASTE THOSE PHENEX FUCKERS!"
Genshirou's eyes widened at his President swearing out loud. "... Did she just-?"
"Oh you poor, naive little fool..." Tsubasa then places her hand onto the Pawn's shoulder. "... Don't let your admiration for our President blind you to the fact that she's just like everyone else here, okay?"
Ruruko was biting her nails like a woodchipper as her eyes remained locked onto the laptop screen. "... Come on, come on, come on!"
"I'm feeling a bit... clammy right now..." Tsubaki then wiped her sweat off her brow despite having a small puddle of them below her feet.
"Vice-President, here..." Momo then hands her a bottle without looking.
"Uh, Hanakai-san?" Reya remarked. "... That's your urine."
The two flail in panic as Tomoe catches the bottle.
"... I'll get rid of it." The Knight then speeds out the door.
Meanwhile, somewhere else within the Grigori's Main Administrative Building, a lone figure was watching the Rating Game in his own quarters.
Standing in the dim room with the light of the projection being the only source of light revealed a burly, middle-aged man with a rich black hair and a trimmed beard, with his eyes locked onto Akeno in particular.
"... Our baby girl has grown up so fast, hasn't she, Shuri?"
"WE CANNOT MAINTAIN THIS STALEMATE FOR MUCH LONGER!" Mihae cries out as another one of her magical formations gets canceled by Rias' bizarre application of her [Power of Destruction].
However, she noticed a lag between this recent attempt compared to the previous attempts.
"... She's getting tired," the Bishop thought out loud. "EVERYONE! THE KING'S EXHAUSTED! CONCENTRATE ALL ATTACK ONTO HER!"
Everyone else then disengaged from their prior fights with Mihae assisting in their retreat with her hasty application of Genjutsu and Yōjutsu.
"WE WON'T LET YOU!" Yuuto then taps into his new powers. "[FULL RELEASE - DEVIANT MAKE: ATTACK 1,2,3]!"
Slamming both of his hands onto the ground, Yuuto then unleashes both a wave and a rain of swords that were each a fusion of [Fire Brand], [Cyclone Call], and [Dust Devil].
[Attack 1,2,3] blasted the whole field ablaze with dust explosions that quickly turned into a massive firestorm.
"NOT ON OUR WATCH!" Ni and Li both tap into their ki to bulldoze through the hellish blockade.
"DISASSEMBLING TIME!" Ile and Nel then took out their chainsaws to break through the swords.
"[Promotion: Bishop]!" Shuriya then conjures a massive energy ring that bundles up all the swords before throwing them away elsewhere. "WE'RE IN THE CLEAR, EVERYONE!"
Marion then curses Yuuto to weaken him while Burnet enhances the Pawns' strengths for their final offensive push.
"EVERYONE, ATTACK!" commanded Mihae as the rest of the Peerage advanced.
"Tagging in." Koneko then throws Yuuto aside as she is then joined by Akeno to meet the Pawns, Knights, and Rooks in their forward march. "... Senpai, you ready?"
"Born ready." Akeno then forms a bow and arrow with her lightning as the Rook runs ahead to meet them head-on.
"[Promotion: Rook]!" Shuriya then joins Isabela and Xuelan in their joint effort to hold Koneko back, the three of them slowing her down long enough for everyone else to slip through.
"TAKE OUT THE QUEEN, HURRY!" Karlamine exclaimed as she brandished her longsword and dagger.
Then a faint glow was spotted where they were running towards.
"LOOK OUT!" Siris then pushes Karlamine away in time as she takes the brunt of the explosion, coming out slightly rattled before spotting Yuuto leaning behind Akeno's back.
"I won't... let you... pass!" The Knight then summons [Land Cleaver] to uplift a wave of sharpened stone towards the Pawns and the Knight, forcing them to take flight.
"Right where I want you." Akeno then conjures her composite magic circle in the sky above their heads. "[Yōjutsu: Divine Rage - Ōikazuchi]!"
The death ray-lightning descended towards all five of them.
"I WON'T LET YOU!" Mihae then rushes in with Marion and Burnet as her wingmen. "STOP THAT FUCKING DEATH RAY!"
"[PROMOTION: BISHOP]!" Both maids then tapped into their boosted powers in order to stop that devastating attack from landing.
Burnet then donates her own demonic energy to further boost her enhancement spells into Mihae and Marion, and the latter pair then unleash their strongest debuffing spell they could conjure at the moment.
"[DEVIANT YŌJUTSU: WITCHING HOUR - USHI NO KOKU MAIRAI]!"
The combined demonic energy with ki then clashed against the massive thunderbolt, weakening it during its descent.
"Oh no you didn't!" Koneko then throws the two Rooks and one Pawn off of herself. "NOT ON MY WATCH!"
Her heels then summon a pair of [Kasha] as roller blades to travel towards where the Bishop and her Pawn was doing their work, disrupting their concentration with a hard axe kick that scattered all three of them.
The lightning strikes, but at a weaker, more manageable output.
"GO WITHOUT US!" Karlamine then joined Siris as both Knights confronted the Knight and Queen.
"We'll take care of everything else here!" Isabela told the remaining Pawns as she then joined Xuelan in stopping Koneko. "GO!"
The remaining Pawns, Ile, Nel, Ni, and Li, all looked at each other with a nod before making their final attempt at their last points to win the Game.
"[PROMOTION: QUEEN]!" All four Pawns then made their advance towards Rias.
"Heh..."
... Who smirked.
"All according to his plan..."
*CRACK*
Then a massive red skeletal arm sprouts out of her back before swatting the four Pawns aside before the spectral appendage swept the rest of the field of its combatants, with Yuuto, Akeno, and Koneko dodging it, like if they all saw it coming beforehand.
Miraculously, no one managed to get eliminated from the surprise attack, but really, it didn't change the fact that Rias had completely reset the board with one fell swoop.
"What the Hell happened?!" Mihae cried out. "... That felt like the [Power of Destruction], but at the same time... not?!"
Rias chuckled before bursting out into a full-blown maniacal, evil laughter that would make any supervillain proud. "Oh you poor, poor, fools," she gloated. "... In spite of your training being with none other than Re:Live themselves, did you honestly think that you can outsmart all of us with your pea-brains?"
"What are you talking about?!" Shuriya pointed out before her eyes widened at the Gremory Peerage's formation. "... No way!"
"Yes way!" Akeno beamed. "The 'King's Gambit'!"
The entire Phenex Peerage's eyes widened like pie plates.
"HOLY FUCKING SHIT! DID SHE JUST SAY THAT THEY PULLED THE 'KING'S GAMBIT'?!" Raiser screamed out in shock.
"You mind telling me and the rest of the audience what the Hell are you talking about?" Chiha requested. "Not all of us are as well-informed on Rating Games or Chess."
"Allow me to explain!" the party Devil replies as he adjusts his shades. "The 'King's Gambit' is THE definition of 'high-risk, high-reward'! In Chess, it involves the King ordering the Pawn in front of them to take the first move, exposing their weak point at turn one. It could mean either an instant game over... or it could leave the opposition in a prime kill zone for the rest of the pieces to gobble up in a feeding frenzy! In Rating Games terms, it involves the King ordering one or all of their Pawns to take a dive at a certain location in order to leave the attackers open for a devastating assault that forces both sides into a no-holds-barred final showdown, and depending how well the King prioritizes their initial targets, it could mean either total domination or an embarrassing wipeout!"
Upon hearing the words "let the Pawn take a dive," all of the gathered Phenex Peerage began to PANIC.
"You guys... deliberately planned... the Evil Dragon User... to LOSE?!" Mihae exclaimed.
Koneko then blows a raspberry. "To be honest, it was senpai's idea."
"We were a bit shocked when we first heard of such a thing coming out of his mouth," Yuuto commented. ... Then again, it's kind of our fault that we keep underestimating his intellect.
"What do you mean, you'll take a dive?" Rias remarked after Takeshi finished sketching out Amanogawa High School's interior map on the clipboard.
"Given the rules of this game, there's an element of 'rubber band A.I.'-logic involved," he explained. "Simply put, the moment I gather as many points as I can, because let's face it, the Evil Dragons want blood..."
"Damn straight."
"... So I'd say we let them get cocky the moment they turn things around in their favor," Takeshi suggested. "After all, cooler-me is the one who trained them, so there's a shift in their overall psychology... but it's very easy for them to get tunnel-visioned to think that I'm their sole threat."
"So how do you plan to go about this?" Yuuto asked.
"Here's the general beat map."
Takeshi then flips the paper around to then draw out his chart with everyone else watching over him.
"First, we'll dominate the competition in the first hour or so, I'd say the threshold being around when our side reaches 40 Points," he began. "Then, I'll lure the majority of Phenex Peerage to the front gates where I'll either dominate the competition or lose badly, but really, I kinda want to go for both. After that, they'll get cocky and revert to some of their old bad habits typical of a Devil and initiate a final battle at where I fell either out of coincidence or as a symbolic gesture. Either way, once their backs are turned against me, that's when I'll come back in."
"Wait," Koneko remarked. "Can your Balance Breakers be used again after they're first knocked out?"
"Nope, and that's where the biggest gamble comes in," Takeshi pointed out. "... Mainly, it's that I'm hoping that I unlock Grendel's Balance Breaker as my comeback."
Rias' eyes widened. "That's way too risky and you know it!"
Takeshi confidently smiles. "I know," he answered. "Which is why I have a backup plan in case my initial gambit fails."
He then turns towards Pandora.
"... Me?"
Takeshi then hands her the paper he sketched on.
"... When you have the time, can you check this spot?"
The pen pointed towards the school's storage room repurposed from an old school building.
"Oh the sheer pressure we all felt throughout the whole Game...!" Akeno barely stops herself from orgasming on the spot as she wipes off her drool with her wrist. "... Takeshi-chan can be quite daring when he wants to be!"
"In a word, you all got fucking played." Rias then flips the gathered Phenex Peerage off. "And if the timing serves right..."
*ring-ring-ring-ring-ring-ring*
Suddenly, the main school building behind the Gremory Peerage begins sounding off with fire alarms.
"... I think now is the time for all of us to really rain on your parade."
*CRACK*
*SPLURCH*
Then the red skeletal arm cracks as another one burst from her back followed up by a row of ribcage-like protrusions encasing her like a cockpit. Once fully loaded, Rias' feet then leave the ground as she was lifted up by her arms and vertebrae, the ribs and arms all locking into a pair of shoulder blades and spine, the latter clicking in place before swinging forth a massive skull whose red spectral hollows then glows topaz-gold, combining both her [Power of Destruction] and tempered by her [Lock Control] stabilizing her wild powers in order to create this monstrosity, stretching out the once-miniscule output of her House Bael's trait like a block of taffy.
"A GASHADOKURO?! HERE?!" Mihae panicked.
"Way too heavy metal for my liking...!" Isabela commented.
"Tch tch tch." Rias wagged her finger, with the skeleton construct mirroring her movement. "This is merely a prototype of my new powers. I affectionately call it [Avatar of Destruction: Hakaizer]!"
The giant skeleton construct then puts on a soldier's ballistic helmet over its crimson dome as it then pulls a double-corna cross while letting out a shrieking howl as jets of flame burst behind them like an opening to a heavy metal concert.
"HOLY SHIT!" Chiha exclaimed.
"EXCLAMATION MARK!" Raiser added.
Oh sweet Satans, I bet Takeshi would love to see this right now... Rias thought while seeing the gathered Phenex Peerage going pie-eyed and slack-jawed before them. ... Normally, I'd stomp them flat right here and there, but what fun would that be?
She then runs her own demonic energy through her vocal cords, amplifying her following declaration with her [Hakaizer]'s skull acting as her loudspeaker.
"YOU WANT A WAR, YOU BITCHES AND WHORES?!" Rias screamed out as everyone else on her side readied for battle. "THEN I'LL GIVE YOU A FUCKING WAR!"
"And there we go...!" Pandora then unscrews the valve, letting the waters run through the piping. "Now all that's left to do is wait for my chance..."
She then looks at the paper that Takeshi gave her at the start of the game, along with an additional paper with the location of where the sprinklers could be reactivated.
"Why did he label it the 'Rabbit Hatch'?" she mused to herself as she made her way towards her next location. "The locker was too inadequate of a size to raise any rabbits inside..."
As she runs through the halls, Pandora then looks at the paper once more to get a read on where she should go next.
"Okay, so if my direction is right, then I should take the next turn to the left-"
*KABOOM!*
A massive fiery blast goes off before her, sending her flying back before skidding across the hallway.
Turning the corner was none other than Yubelluna and Ravel, the latter's baton glowing red-hot from her channeled [Hell Fire].
"... You!" the Bishop growled. "All of this... was all part of your plan, wasn't it?!"
Pandora shrugs, sneakily putting her paper away. "... Honestly, we were just... 'winging it,' as they say nowadays."
Using her Knight's speed, Pandora then makes a break for it.
"GET HER!" Ravel then unfurls her wings as both she and Yubelluna chase her down the school's hallways.
During the pursuit, the Queen uses her explosion magic to help her make sharp turns quicker as the Bishop carries her like a set of wings, both to offset them from crashing into each other during the chase and to conserve their collective energy in case Pandora has something planned.
"What is she even planning?!" Yubelluna cried out as they turned another corner.
"IT WON'T MATTER ONCE WE TAKE HER POINTS!" Ravel then cuts her thumb before letting the Queen have some of her blood as a supplement to keep up her energy.
As Pandora keeps running, she realizes that she won't be able to elude her pursuers for long, especially with the Queen's explosion magic acting as their shared accelerators.
"... Okay, so how close am I to my location?" She then pulls out her papers to get a read of where she is. "... Alright, guess I won't be needing this anymore!"
Tearing the papers apart, she then scatters them behind herself before letting her wind and fire spirits do its work.
"It's a good thing I pissed myself after I died," she said to herself before blushing. "... Oh gods, I am becoming a pervert, am I?"
The scattered paper shreds fluttered upwards towards the sprinklers.
"THERE SHE IS!" Yubelluna exclaimed as she and Ravel spotted Pandora turning another corner.
"ONE LAST BOOST! FULL THROTTLE!" The Bishop then unleashes her [Hell Fire] combined with the Queen's explosion magic for an enhanced boost...
*fizz*
But the combined flames ignited the paper shreds left behind, trailing up all the way into the sprinklers' built-in smoke detectors...
*RING-RING-RING-RING-RING-RING*
*PSST*
"ARGAHHH!" Ravel panicked as the whole school was now raining indoors. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"
Yubelluna's explosions are shrunk due to the dampening of her hands and feet. "Shit, the Knight has somehow reactivated the sprinklers!"
"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" Ravel cried out as she tried to use her [Hell Fire], but the sheer quantity and frequency of water being sprayed over their heads reduced its lethality to regular fire. "DAMN IT ALL! WE'LL SIMPLY BEAT HER UP THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY!"
As soon as the two Phenex Devils give chase, Pandora then goes inside one of the rooms before locking herself inside.
"Damn it all, I knew I should've nicked that raincoat from the faculty office..." groaned Pandora as she is forced to Charm the water spirits to not make her wet underneath the deluge. "... Well, time to get to work."
"THERE!" Ravel's voice cried out behind the door. "I CAN SENSE HER IN THERE!"
"ALLOW ME!" Yubelluna then tries kicking the door down, but nothing happens. "SON OF A BITCH!"
"Thank you earth spirits for making the doors and its hinges diamond..." Pandora mumbled to herself as she continued with her work.
"LET ME!" Then a glowing shaft breaches through the door. "I'LL CUT IT OPEN! READY YOUR EXPLOSION MAGIC UNTIL WE GET INSIDE!"
With those words as warnings, Pandora accelerated her work as the door was being slowly breached.
"Almost there... just a little more... get the ratio right..."
The horrible scraping sounds scratched against her eardrums as Ravel cut her way through.
"YOU CAN'T HIDE FOREVER, YOU DAMN TERRORIST!" the Bishop screamed into the ever-widening breach.
"WE'RE WASTING TIME! I'M KICKING IT IN!" Yubelluna cried out.
"DO IT!"
*BOOM*
With a hard stomp into the doors, Ravel and Yubelluna run into the classroom.
"YOU'RE MINE!" Ravel then unleashes her [Hell Fire] towards Pandora as Yubelluna lets loose her explosion magic...
*SHATTER!*
... Right as Pandora jumps through the window structurally weakened by her Charmed earth spirits.
"RUNNING AWAY?!" Yubelluna exclaimed.
"Nah," she quipped. "... I got you right where I wanted."
Illuminated by her flames, both Ravel and Yubelluna discovered where they were in right now.
They were indeed, in a classroom... specifically, the chemistry class.
All of the sprinklers' waters have been concentrated into their conical flasks, and underneath every jar was an active Bunsen burner inhabited by overclocked fire spirits.
The amount of heat that the flames gave out caused the water to boil, with the wind spirits splitting the evaporated water through the bottleneck and into the air as their elementary particles of hydrogen and oxygen.
Together, they were water. Separately, they were an especially volatile compound.
With one flicker of [Hell Fire] activating the dormant fire spirits within the air...
*KABOOM!*
Both Yubelluna and Ravel were consumed by a massive, fiery explosion that burned all traces of oxygen within the classroom, turning the whole place into an incinerator that burned through all of Ravel's [Immortality] in one sitting and the Queen being blown up to smithereens by the sheer force of the blast.
"8 POINTS FOR TEAM GREMORY!" Chiha cackled in elation. "PANDORA'S NOW WORTH 11 POINTS! BUT HONESTLY, I DON'T THINK THE BOUNTY EVEN MATTERS AT THIS JUNCTURE! EVERY POINT COUNTS UNTIL THE BUZZER RINGS!"
"Hmph." Pandora then puts on her shades as she slowly walks away from the classroom...
*KABOOM!*
... As her Charmed fire spirits were allowed to run wild as she walked away.
"AND BRING UP THE SCORE TO 85-96 IN GREMORY'S FAVOR!" Raiser pointed out. "I would've given her more points for abiding by the rule of 'cool guys not looking at explosions,' but sadly, I'm not the one writing the rules! AHAHAHAHA!"
Who knew that Takeshi's choice of watching the Deadpool duology the day before our training camp could've come in handy?
"ORAAA!"
Takeshi smashes his fist into Riser's face as the latter retaliates with a blast of his [Gale Wings] and [Hell Fire], only for the attack to do no damage.
"Pitiful." Grendel then bears witness to his host clapping the King's ears to disorient him before delivering a heel disk-boosted dropkick into his stomach.
"RISER-SAMA!" Mira then stirs up a cushion of wind with her shakujō before unleashing a barrage of cutting gale towards Takeshi, only for the Evil Dragon User to walk through the attack as if it were a mere breeze. "HOW?! WHY ARE NONE OF OUR ATTACKS WORKING?!"
"Because I have no tolerance to those who sit back and let their powers do the fighting for them!"
*CLANG*
*CLANG*
Takeshi bangs his [Berserk Devastator] against each other.
"If you want to hurt me...!" Takeshi then shifts into another fighting stance. "... THEN COME AT ME YOURSELVES!"
Running out of all other options, both Riser and Mira switch to close combat as both of them run towards Takeshi for the final showdown.
"AND HERE THEY COME!" Chiha announced as Riser then swung a fiery punch towards Takeshi, only for the serrated armor plate to shrug off the attack without its wearer doing anything. "AND HE NO-SELLS IT!"
"THAT EVIL DRAGON USER IS BUSTED AS FUCK!" Raiser cried out.
"My turn." Takeshi then begins pummeling Riser with another barrage of fiery fisticuffs, eating through the King's demonic energy reservoirs through his repeated activation of his [Immortality] trait, reviving him after each vital area was punched in, gouged out, or mulched to puddy.
"[PROMOTION: ROOK]!" Mira tries to intercept the Evil Dragon User by thrusting her staff into one of the vents located on his ribs...
"AW HELL NO!" Takeshi then grabs Riser by his unhinged jaw before throwing the King into the Pawn as a distraction, canceling her attempt at helping her liege.
And just as the two tried to get up, Takeshi was already on top of them, winding back his fist for another megaton blow.
"MILORD!" Mira then shoves Riser aside as she readies her wind barrier to hopefully block his incoming attack...
*tap*
The Pawn then looks down to see that the left hand of the Evil Dragon User had placed its fingertips onto her chest, quickly curling its fingers in at the same time when Mira realizes that she fell for a feint.
*CRACK!*
"IT'S THE MOTHERFUCKING ONE-INCH PUNCH!" Chiha screams into her mic as Mira was sent flying over Riser while vomiting blood.
"HOLY SHIT!" Raiser cried out as the Pawn landed further behind Riser, who was slowly getting back up. "I THINK HER HEART STOPPED WITH THAT ATTACK-!"
*BZZT*
Mira suddenly screams as her whole body was puppeteered by this awakened primal instinct, forcibly restarting her heart even after half of its chambers ruptured from that attack alone, walking in the boundary between life and death like an actual zombie fueled by rage alone.
"Get up," ordered Grendel as Mira was forced to move against her will. "I know you got more... SO STOP HOLDING BACK!"
Within this awakened primal instinct, Mira then dives deeper into her soul to further channel her own hidden power.
"Mira!" Riser exclaimed as he powers through his own pain brought upon by Grendel's infectious madness. "You...! What drives you to this point of madness?! WHAT IS THE VERY REASON WHY YOU PUT YOURSELF THROUGH THIS?! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND HOW CRUCIAL THIS IS FOR RIAS?! IF SHE DOESN'T GO THROUGH WITH THIS, THEN ANOTHER LINEAGE WILL GO EXTINCT, AND IT WILL ALL BE YOUR FAULT!"
Takeshi scoffs. "... No," he answered. "I'll never understand, nor I even want to understand."
He then slams both sides of his [Cataclysm Zone].
"Stop telling her what is important in her own life like if you own her already. Stop putting words in her mouth that she doesn't want to speak your bullshit. And above all else...!"
"[Charge]!" announced the Sacred Gear. "[Atrocity Overflow]!"
"STOP GOING AFTER MY PRESIDENT AND HER DREAMS OF FREEDOM!"
Now Playing: "Revolution" by Hiroshi Kitadani (from Kamen Rider Ryuki)
Several jets of flames shoot out from both the thrusters and the gaps of the scales between his armor plating, unleashing an inferno from his own body that made House Phenex's [Hell Fire] look like a mere spark in comparison.
Then the flames began to coalesce into a unique form, slowly turning humanoid and compact, forming behind Takeshi like a specter as it fully realizes itself into reality.
Standing back-to-back with Takeshi was Grendel, in his own version of [Savage Predator Incarnation], only bulkier, more barbaric, hunched over, and primal.
"It's been a good while since I got to stretch my limbs out in the open!" Grendel's manifestation cackled. "LET'S DO THIS SHIT, BRAT!"
Takeshi nods as he and Grendel bump their forearms before splitting up to cover both flanks.
"MILORD!" Mira then sprouts out a pair of beige falcon's wings, flying towards the pair with her newly awakened-powers that she never knew that she had until now.
No longer resisting this primal urge, Riser then embraces Grendel's madness as his phoenix-like wings swelled in size as he runs towards the pair with his Pawn, both of them transforming fully into their avian forms, that being the firebird and a storm-bird respectively.
Takeshi meets Mira in her avian form, the two clashing martial arts whereas Grendel pounced onto Riser's firebird form and began wailing and mauling on him like Monster Hunter's Rajang treating a Flying Wyvern like its personal prison bitch.
"WE'RE COMING DOWN TO THE WIRE!" Raiser cried out. "ONLY TWO MINUTES REMAINING!"
Takeshi, upon hearing this, decides to end this fight once and for all, making his advance towards Mira as the two clashed fist to fist.
"I WILL NOT LOSE TO YOU! NEVER AGAIN!" Mira then thrusts her shakujō towards Takeshi like her old bo staff, but with increased mastery and tighter spread in her barrage.
Takeshi says nothing in return, instead pulling her closer into his spiked armor to gore her body upon collision, to which Mira tries to escape, but at the moment when she tries to pull back, Takeshi stomps her feet into the ground to pin her where she stood before performing a Dempsey Roll leading into a flurry of haymakers that rocked Mira's head around her neck like a maraca.
Once she was dazed, he then delivers a full-body shoulder smash propelled by the built-up momentum.
*CRUNCH*
Mira was sent flying off of her feet as Grendel then jettisons Riser into the Pawn before breaking off into a run with his right arm extended outwards.
"No way...!" Mira gasped as she recognized Takeshi's technique. "... ISABELA'S BOXING AND XUELAN'S BAJIQUAN?! HOW DID YOU PICK THOSE UP?!"
"I'M A FAST LEARNER, THAT'S WHAT!" Takeshi declared as he then fires up his thrusters as he slaps his biceps. "[PROMOTION: ROOK]!"
"GRIT YOUR FUCKING TEETH!" The Evil Dragon of Wrath then clotheslines the Phenex pair as he then runs towards Takeshi, who was also running towards them with his left arm open.
"IT'S THE CROSS BOMBER!" Chiha screams out as the two Evil Dragon duo cross their arms between Mira and Riser's necks, the converging impact slipping and sending them flipping and spinning to the air, to which the Evil Dragon User and Evil Dragon follow them up into the air with their rocket-powered jumps.
"WHAT ARE THEY PLANNING NOW?!" Raiser commented as he, the bikuni, and the rest of the audience saw Takeshi and Grendel grab each one of their ankles, rest both of their shoulders onto each of their own, and sticking back-to-back, both then stretched open their shared occupants' legs as they began to plummet back to the earth like a burning meteor.
"Buster...!"
"[Violent Dual Remix]!" the Sacred Gear announced during their descent, their minds now in perfect sync.
"... DOCKIIINGGG!"
*KABOOM!*
Upon landing, a massive explosion was triggered, sending out a massive cloud of pyroclastic smoke rising into the air.
Once the smoke clears, Takeshi and Grendel were seen, sitting with their backs against each other's, holding up the now-unconscious Riser and Mira on their shoulders and their legs pried open.
The Evil Dragon duo then lets them go, dropping them onto the hot dirt as the buzzer rings.
"AND THAT'S TIME!" Chiha announces. "AND HERE'S THE FINAL SCORE!"
Throughout all of the projections broadcasting the Rating Game, the final score was the following:
Team Phenex: 92 Points
Team Gremory: 118 Points
"TEAM GREMORY WINS!"
"FUCK YEAH!" Sona screamed out of her lungs as she happily hugged Tsubaki and Genshirou, the latter enjoying it more than he should.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Sitri Peerage were mentally exhausted to remain standing, with Momo, Reya, Tsubasa, Tomoe, and Ruruko all slumped on the floor, covered in sweat and heaving like they just came out of running a marathon.
"... I... I think we all need a vacation," the Rook remarked.
Azazel was laughing like a lunatic while Re:Live watched stoically until the Governor finally stops his hysterics.
"... Got it all out of your system?" the superhero deadpanned.
"... Yeah... yeah... yeah," nodded the strongest Cadre. "... Actually, not really."
Azazel begins laughing like a hyena as Re:Live groans before leaving the meeting room.
As they walked through the halls, they then suddenly stopped in their tracks.
"... So," Re:Live said. "How was it watching her from afar, Baraqiel?"
The bearded Fallen Angel then walks out behind him, facing Re:Live's back. "... She's grown," he answered. "... And to think I was fearing for the worst."
"She's your daughter, you deadbeat," Re:Live pointed out. "... When are you going to talk to her?"
Baraqiel growls in apprehension. "... I know that she'll never forgive me, so why bother?"
The superhero scoffs as they walk away.
"Stop mourning Shuri and save what's left of your family," the superhero advised. "... I didn't retrieve her ashes as a charity, you know-"
"SO WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE HER?!" the Fallen Angel cried out. "... You knew that I would be ambushed by half of the Shinto Pantheon on that fateful night, so why?!"
Re:Live simply walks away once more, this time, no longer turning back.
"... I can't be her hero." Their words echoed down the hallway. "That's your job as her father."
"HE DID IT!"
"OF COURSE HE DID! I WAS THE ONE WHO TRAINED THEM!" Chiharu squealed as she and Suguru hugged each other tightly and bounced in place while the rest of the children cheered loudly.
"Take-nii's so cool!" one of the Stray Yōkai remarked with admiration.
"I want to be like him someday!" another child stated.
"Then I'll be sure to train you tykes up even harder!" the Ippon-Datara remarked.
Suguru couldn't help but smile at the abandoned children's declarations of hope and admiration. Do you see this, Take-nii? the Nukekubi thought. You are their light in this cold and bleak world that has damned them for being unable to fit in. I swear... I will make you proud! Not only for my sake and everyone else's, but also to those who have yet to find salvation in a world that has long forsaken them!
"And that's game," Kikuchiyo smirked as she and the rest of the gathered Tōhoku Faction nod in confirmation.
"The boy has now caught my interest..." Lady Kiyohime remarked as she slithered back to her raised pedestal. "... To think, the Evil Dragon User would bond with two Evil Dragons when his predecessors failed to even bond with one."
"Yep." Kambei nodded as he dragged the utterly-wasted Heihachi by his ankle back to his room. "... Pity that he was already taken. I would've loved it to have him in our inner circle."
Shichirōji shakes his head. "No," he objected. "... Personally, I think he's happier where he is right now."
"Holy fucking shit...!" Takeshi chuckled as both Riser and Mira teleported out of the arena. "We won?!"
Grendel lets out a wicked cackle as he slaps his hand onto Takeshi's back. "And without a scratch on that little meat body of yours. Good job!"
Then the fiery manifestation begins to fade away.
"Hey," the Evil Dragon of Wrath said with a muted voice."... I won't lie. I enjoyed myself."
Takeshi nods as he gives him a thumbs-up.
"Be sure to bring me out when there's another good fight going on, alright?" he humbly requested. "My life... It's more fun now."
Grendel's physical manifestation then fades away into embers as the rest of ORC come running to him.
"TAKESHI!" Rias cried out.
"Hey," he greeted back before realizing some were missing. "... Where's Yuuto and Koneko?"
"Right here...!" From another edge of the forest came out the Knight and the Rook, the latter carrying the former.
"... I swear, those Phenex bitches hit harder than they look," the Nekomata groaned.. ".. Gave 'em a good hiding before I ate shit. Again."
"I took out their Queen and Bishop with your plan, Takeshi," Pandora shared. "I won't lie... but if it weren't for your... advice... then I would've lost back there... so... Thanks."
Akeno smirks with amusement at the possible chemistry between. Ara ara, are sparks flying between those two? she thought. Either Takeshi's a greedy one indeed... or Pandora-chan's heart is starting to open itself up.
"So that's your new Balance Breaker..." Rias then took a closer look at his spiked armor. "... Yep, definitely screams 'Grendel' from every pore."
Takeshi then looks around before spotting a camera drone whose cloaking was glitching out slightly. "Hey President, I have a request."
"Alright, what are you suggesting?"
He then whispers into her and everyone else's ears as the camera drones then reveal themselves.
"And here are our winners, Team Gremory!" Raiser spoke through one of his drones. "Tell me, how do you all feel about your hard-earned victory?!"
Rias then walks up to the camera before stating the following:
"Mere words won't be enough to convey how we all feel now, everyone," the King spoke to the audience before taking a step back as the rest of the Peerage lined up next to her.
"The Magician of Hope!" The Knight then goes into her pose. "Pandora Othrys!"
"The Fool of Fate!" The Pawn then also goes into his pose. "Ryuugamine Takeshi!"
"The Chariot of Soul!" The Rook then strikes her limber pose. "Toujou Koneko!"
"The Emperor of Sword!" The other Knight then poses with his blades. "Kiba Yuuto!"
"The Empress of Storm!" The Queen then strikes a semi-seductive pose. "Himejima Akeno!"
"The Priestess of Power!" The King then strikes a regal and proud pose. "Rias Gremory!"
The six then line up behind their King in order from leader to latest recruit.
"The six champions of liberation and freedom, striking down those who dare to snuff out its flames...! Rias declared. "We are!"
The six lined up then coordinated into a line-up pose with each of their stances flowing smoothly into their sequence like that of an ocean's wave.
"OCCULT RESEARCH CLUB! GREMORY PEERAGE!"
*KABOOM!*
"... Okay, who keeps installing pyrotechnics without my heads-up?!" Raiser cried out as another explosion blasts behind the posing Peerage.
At Lord Sirzechs Lucifer's viewing party, about 99.9% of the guests were left speechless at this spectacle.
However, that .1% who was trying not to laugh his ass off was none other than Lord Sirzechs Lucifer himself.
"... I think my younger sister is in good hands," he remarked as he was trying not to spill his wine all over his own clothes. "... He's pretty amusing, all things considered.
"Alright, Rating Game's over," Chiha announced. "Be sure to tune in next time for our highlight reel!"
"I'm DJ Razor...!"
"... And I'm Chiha!"
"And we'll see you all in Hell next time!"
At [Section Heorot]...
After the Rating Game was over with Gremory's victory, Takeshi, upon hitting his futon (bed is being occupied by Pandora), suddenly found himself before Grendel, lounging on his throne as he now sports a thick silver band around his waist acting as his girdle.
"... I'm in a good mood today, brat," the Evil Dragon of Wrath scoffed. "... I'll humor you."
"Nothing special," Takeshi remarked. "... Except for the new look you have. Kinda dig it."
Grendel then scratched his reverse scale. "... Better than collaring me like some dog, that's for sure."
However, both of them knew that Grendel's silver band's placement meant more than that. In a way, Takeshi had inspired Grendel to an extent.
"... I think this calls for a celebration." The Evil Dragon then gets up from his throne before bringing over a smaller barrel of his mead. "A toast. To you not dying like a pussy."
"Kanpai." Takeshi then lifts the barrel of mead into his mouth as the golden-amber liquid is poured into his mouth, tasting like a mix of gasoline and pure, concentrated pain. "... Oof, that kicks like a mule!"
Grendel then cackles as he immediately downs his own share with a single gulp. "Now that's the spirit!"
The Evil Dragon then gets up before walking over towards a certain section of [Section Heorot].
"Throughout my imprisonment with the others of my ilk, I have sort of... developed a hobby," he revealed as he and Takeshi faced the tapestry depicting his battle against Beowulf. "Mainly, recording those who have earned my approval and the right to proceed further in."
The tarp was removed to reveal a memorial of some sort, with the sign "Wall of the Worthy" scratched on top of it, along with a list of names and years that recorded their dates of passing Grendel.
The Wall of the Worthy
Jacques de Molay - 1313
Gilles de Rais - 1436
Kirigakure Saizō - 1611
Chen Yucheng - 1855
Prisoner #13666 - 1941
Ryuugamine Takeshi - 2019
Takeshi's own name looks as if it was recently scratched in, as indicated by the slight hiss and wisps of smoke coming from the blackened letters.
"From hereon, your suffering will be even worse than mine, brat," Grendel warned.
"Figured," Takeshi remarked. "... I will take your lessons to heart and proceed with all I got."
Grendel chuckles as they both stare at the memorial of those who passed. "... Your spirit is quite adamant," he commented. "... Pray that it holds up, for the next one will test it to its limits."
Takeshi says nothing, only nodding in acknowledgement that things will get harder from now on.
"... I'll see you tomorrow, then." Takeshi then disappears from [Section Heorot], with Grendel making his way back to his throne.
"... Growing fond of the whelp?" Nidhogg's voice spoke from [Section Náströnd]. "Thought I never see the day."
"Bah! He's more worthy of my time than our previous Users, corpse-breath." The Evil Dragon of Wrath then sits back down on his oaken throne.
"You do know who's up next, right?" The Evil Dragon of Envy then shudders. "... I swear to all of Asgard, that eight-headed deviant is where all goodness and decency goes to die."
"True enough," Grendel replied. "Call it a gut feeling... but I have an itching feeling that he'll not make it easy for that damned snake."
11th of May, 2019 AD
Darkness.
He floated in an endless sea of darkness.
"... So, this is the power of the Evil Dragon," he muttered to himself. "To think that they'd bring a Phenex low... How vexing."
Then from above, a faint light shone.
"... Brother..."
Riser's eyes widened. "... Ravel?! Is that you?!"
Flailing, Riser then heads towards the light as the darkness tries to pull him back in, but to no avail.
"Elder brother!"
Riser then opens his eyes, finding himself in vigilance with the rest of his Peerage, with Ravel herself holding his hand.
"... How long was I out?" he asked as he noticed an oxygen mask over his mouth.
"About a week," Yubelluna explained.
Riser then looked around to see Mira in her own bed next to his, the Pawn being covered in bandages, neck brace, and halo screwed around her head, almost as if she was run over by a truck.
As the realization set in, Riser bites his lip as he winces before the cold, hard truth.
"... We lost," he said. "And now... I am to be banished from my House, and stripped of all of my titles, privileges, and obligations."
*RING-RING-RING*
"We got it!" Ile and Nel head over to the phone before picking it up. "... Lord Riser, we got visitors!"
The doors then slide open, and all of the Phenex Peerage go into varying states of shock upon who they were seeing.
"YOU!" Karlamine then drew her dagger and pointed at his throat. "The Rating Game is over! WAS HUMILIATING MY LIEGE ONCE NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU?!"
Takeshi then lifts up a basket of assorted fruit before them. "... I also have a visitor's pass, and I'm merely a plus one."
"To whom?" asked Siris as she reached for her flamberge.
"To me." Ruval then shows himself behind Takeshi, dressed in a crisp maroon suit and orange tie with a firebird tie clip, looking similar to how Riser first showed himself to the Gremory Peerage, but more sharply and formally dressed.
"... L-Lord Ruval!" Marion stammered.
"We humbly apologize on their behalf!" Burnet then drags Karlamine back before making both Knights bow alongside her.
"At ease," the Phenex scion reassured before facing Riser. "... By the way, Raiser and Lady Mother send their regards."
Riser grumbles as Takeshi sets the fruit basket on a counter between Riser and Mira.
"How did you and Lord Ruval come to be acquainted with each other?" asked Yubelluna.
"Yeah, it's kind of weird that the eldest son of the House you just shit all over would be on good enough terms to be with you," Isabela commented.
"Yeah, yeah!" Ni and Li exclaimed.
Ruval groaned before getting a pair of chairs for himself and Takeshi. "... All of you, first, sit down. Now."
Everyone situates themselves as the eldest son begins explaining how he and Takeshi got to know each other.
"... Raiser was inviting Takeshi for a private interview on his way back from school earlier this week," he revealed. "He complied, on one condition: that he gets my number and have him accompany me in my visitation."
"My interview starts tomorrow," Takeshi pointed out. "And I was planning to visit you guys on my own, but my guess on you guys hating my guts was on point... so I needed someone to advocate for me."
"... Really?" Xuelan deadpanned. "If you already know that much, then why bother?"
Takeshi then turns towards all of the Phenex Peerage before bowing his head. "... I want to apologize."
"For... for what?" Mihae asked. "If this is some kind of joke, then it isn't funny."
"Nah, I... I kinda said some horrible things to you all and well... I admit, I got a little too heated for my own good," Takeshi explained.
"Indeed, killing all of us several times over during the Rating Game wasn't enough of an indication of your remorse..." Ravel grimaced. "... My head still throbs from being hit by your little temper tantrum, you barbarian!"
"Enough." Everyone then turns towards Riser as he was the one to cool the tensions. "... I'd also like to apologize to you too."
Takeshi blinked in surprise. "... Pardon?"
Riser then looks up to the ceiling as he gives his response. "... Looking back at my 400 years of living, I come to the realization that I was merely acting the way my noble peers were taught to act," he said with a hint of contemplation. "... I was an arrogant fool that thought that the world solely revolved around me because of my birthright, my manifested House traits, and the position that afforded me a lot of sway within the Underworld's politics. Now lo and behold, brought low even after I was trained to kick my bad habits... you have shown me that even my bestest efforts weren't enough to prevail over you."
Takeshi scoffs with a small smile. "... Funnily enough, I thought the same thing about you as well," he agreed. "... But, when you and Mira fought me, I sort of had to... reassess my opinion."
Takeshi then looks at the Pawn before speaking.
"At first, I thought that Riser was nothing more than a shallow fuckboy who only saw all of you girls as his trophies," he answered. "But as the Rating Game continued, something felt... off. Like my initial impressions of you all was... flawed, in a sense. You all genuinely love each other, despite everything."
Riser scoffs in disapproval. "... I can assure you, that in itself was a recent revelation-"
"Nah, it ain't recent," Takeshi rebuked. "That kind of loyalty towards not only the King, but to each other... it's real. It's... genuine. You gals aren't just his harem. You guys are meant for each other."
"... So why the initial vitriol?" Mira grimaced in pain of her halo's screws digging into her skull.
"... Because I am also that loyal to all of ORC as well," he revealed. "They're the ones who taught me how to live. And for that, I'm willing to fight tooth and nail for them. It's because of them that I am able to be somewhat proud of my own life. It's because of them that I have a life to fight for. So when I heard you were more than willing to tear all that apart... well, I had the power, so might as well use it to protect all those who I hold dear."
"Don't sympathize with us, Evil Dragon User," Shuriya huffed. "... You don't know how we lived our lives before we met Lord Riser."
"That's fine, I don't need to." Takeshi then turns towards the door before leaving. "... I don't know when we'll ever meet again. But, should we, by some random chance, run into each other, let's not meet as enemies, but as real men."
Riser snorts in bemusement. "... I will allow it, Sir Ryuugamine."
Takeshi then gives a finger salute before leaving the room.
Ruval then sighs as he then takes out a paper before handing it to Riser. "For you."
The King then opens the form to reveal the stipulations and agreements regarding his wager.
"I tried to convince Lord Father to call off the deal, but he wouldn't budge," the eldest son pointed out. "... That said, I couldn't bear the thought of leaving you out to dry... so I pulled some strings, called some people, and arranged a new place for you and your Peerage to stay."
"... Really now?" Ravel replied before looking at the terms and conditions herself. "... My Satans, you're serious."
"If we take what this says at face value...!" Yubelluna remarked.
"Indeed," Ruval revealed. "... You're all but a Stray Cluster in name only. But as long as you acquire powerful sponsors and stay out of trouble, then none of the divine powers have a reason to smite you all where you stand."
Ruval then gets up before handing Riser a small box.
"Here," he said. "You'll be needing these for your new life. I'll tell Lady Mother that you're doing alright."
With that last piece said, the eldest son of House Phenex leaves the room, leaving Riser to open up the box with the rest of his Peerage staring around him.
"Well?" Mira exclaimed as she couldn't lean over to what the others were seeing due to the bolts around her halo screwing her head in place. "What is it-Ow ow ow ow...!"
12th of May, 2019 AD
Takeshi lets out a yawn as he and the rest of ORC were all riding in a limousine across the road in the Underworld, with Re:Live as their chauffeur.
"Still cannot believe a whole week flew by in an instant..." the Pawn grumbled as he fidgets in his black suit with a crimson-red/magenta dress shirt underneath. "... Or the fact that the Underworld's skies are grape-flavored."
"Ugh, wouldn't like the taste of that, senpai," Koneko remarked as she nuzzled her silver-gray colored dress with a white flower skirt and a small, black leather, and gold-buckled handbag from Louis Vuitton.
"Question," Pandora raises her hand as she shifts in a regal gothic dress similar to the one she wore during her time with the Stray Fallen Angels, but modified (by Akeno) to be a bit more ritzy with its inclusion of opera gloves and hints of pink frills in her black dress and fascinator with a thick black veil pinned to her periwinkle-colored rose on her headpiece. "... Why do we have to take conventional transport when teleportation exists?"
"Security measures," Re:Live answers as they continued driving the limo, adjusting their cabbie cap over their helmet. "If anyone can come in and out wherever and whenever they pleased, then there would be more bodies to clean up after in the Underworld."
"It is an important event where the Underworld's elites and nobility gather, so of course our venue taking strict measures would be expected," Yuuto answered as he sat across Takeshi dressed in a white long coat with a black turtleneck sweater with a silver sword pendant with a blue gem at its crossguard hanging from a silver chain hung around his neck, and tight black pants with brown leather loafer boots, giving the Gremory Knight a more "sophisticated casual"-look that would make him look like a J-Pop heartthrob.
"And besides...!" Akeno then leaps into Takeshi's lap next to where Koneko was nuzzling in, her simple, yet opulent-looking black kimono with a red obi and patterns of white and red Japanese spider lilies trapped in spider webs on the fabric failing to hide the fact that her boobs, even when compressed (kimonos aren't well known for cleavage room unless they were shoulders-free, which is not formal), were still massive enough to squish against his chest like a pair of pillows. "You never get these kinds of benefits when we're forced to transport from two different points instantaneously, ufufufu..."
Koneko puffs her cheeks in envy. "Senpai..."
"Now now, you two, play nice," Rias sighed, dressed in a revealing and striking crimson-red party dress that revealed her hips, navel, and cleavage with a black suit jacket hanging over her shoulders like a cape, making her look utterly ravishing to all those who had working eyes. "Satans forbid if you two end up ripping up his suit that I worked hard to get before we arrive..."
"Speak for yourself," Nidhogg deadpanned from [Cataclysm Zone]. "The whelp's in Heaven despite being in Hell."
"N-NIDHOGG!" Takeshi blushed in the same shade as his dress shirt's color after being outed.
"Ara?" Akeno then smirks like a gremlin finding itself in a power grid. "... Shall we continue to cuddle him, Koneko-chan?"
Koneko then flashes a thumbs-up as the two continue sandwiching him with their bodies.
"They better serve hard liquor there," Grendel remarked.
Rias sighs as she pulls out her phone. "... I'll notify the bar staff."
Yuuto then notices Pandora looking a tad uneasy. "... Is something the matter, Othrys-san?"
"No no, it's... alright," she dodged her fellow Knight's concern. "... I'm not carsick or anything, really!"
"Shouldn't be," Re:Live remarked. "I installed anti-nausea seals on the limo's passenger area and the tires are basically hover units powered by ambient natural energy."
"I'm fine! Really!" Pandora then lets out a deep sigh. "... Really."
Admittedly, she wished that she had the courage to be the third girl who was cuddling against Takeshi.
The limo then comes to a stop at a checkpoint.
"We're here for the venue organized by House Gremory," Re:Live then showed the security guard their invitation.
"Proceed." The magic barrier blocking their way then dissipates, allowing the vehicle to travel further in.
As they enter past the gate, Takeshi and the others look out at the windows at a cityscape resembling a modern-day metropolis with some medieval fantasy aesthetics that altogether meshed surprisingly well with the violet-skied Underworld.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Iblis, Hell," Re:Live introduced as the limo drove through the illuminated streets of the Underworld metropolis resembling the night streets of uptown Ginza or Paris. "Population: 666,666 and counting. Known for its upper-class accommodations for any of the Underworld's nobility, it serves as the center of luxury, commerce, and entertainment in all of Hell, dubbed the 'Mammon's Mecca' by many who visit it, named after the monument where the titular Satan once built his gilded palace, Gemul, where it then collapsed upon its architect after insisting that they bring more gold and jewels to further decorate his project."
The limo then stops before a massive, palatial residence fit for royalty, with a valet approaching them to open the doors for them.
"Everyone, out." Re:Live then gets out of the car before letting the parking attendant take the limo elsewhere. "Careful with that thing! That thing's not cheap!"
As ORC then head towards the palace's entrance, they are greeted by Grayfia, who is now wearing a pair of glasses (for her colorblindness) and sporting an earpiece (acting as her hearing aid) over her damaged ear.
"Greetings, Lady Rias and company." The maid then bows with a curtsy. "I have been expecting all of you."
"And that's my cue." Re:Live then walk off elsewhere. "... By the way, I'm the one leading the security detail, so this place is the safest place in the Underworld as of now. Pray that you're not the ones compromising it. Understood?"
The Peerage nods before they are all led into the palace by Grayfia, with Rias immediately entwining her arm around Takeshi's.
"... I'm not gonna lose." Koneko then entwines her own arms around Takeshi's other arm, with the Pawn himself being both over the moon and confused as to what he should do next.
"Oh dear," Yuuto sighed as he resisted the urge to take a picture. "... I wonder how the other boys in our class would react when they see this?"
"Probably murder," Takeshi grimaced. "... Anyway, nice place you got here, President. Almost as nice as your family throwing a party for our victory despite... you know, circumstances."
"Oh they are not pleased to know that their only daughter is in her rebellious phase~!" Rias giggled. "Then again, my elder brother, Sirzechs, Satans bless his soul, is the one who organized this venue in the first place. Apparently, the viewing party he held during our Rating Game was such a huge success that according to him, the Underworld's nobility now wants to see all of us in person."
"Which is why I expect you all to be on your utmost best of behavior," the maid states as she leads Peerage through the royally-decorated hall. "Remember, this is not for merely pleasure, but also to gain their favors in order to secure more lucrative contracts for your Peerage in the future. House Gremory's reputation is on the line here, so I humbly beg you all to put your best feet forward, for it may be the only chance each of you are given."
"Kinda too late given that I basically dislodged Riser's spine on national TV," Takeshi pointed out. "That and... well, them."
The maid sighs as she pinches the bridge of her nose. "... I've already informed the staff that the Evil Dragons are a lost cause."
"Good," Nidhogg said from [Cataclysm Zone]. "Saves us the trouble of having to educate those bjáni ourselves."
"Keep the liquor flowing, and I'll behave," Grendel vowed. "... Mostly."
"I really hope that the bottle of Yamazaki we saved will be worth it..." Grayfia sighs as she could feel her professional demeanor fraying seam by seam. "... We are here."
Upon noticing their arrival, the guards outside the double doors then open their way in.
"Whoa..." Takeshi gasped as he and the rest of ORC were greeted with the interior of a lavishly-decorated hall, with a large assortment of tables with a few rows reserved for serving food and drinks buffet-style staffed by immaculately-dressed chefs, a bar set up at one corner of the hall operated by a sharply-dressed mixologist serving cocktails for its patrons, several crystalline chandeliers hanging over the halls, letting their soft illuminations light the hall like if it was midday.
A large number of the nobles were accompanied by their ensemble of their own servants, either socializing with their peers haughtily or busying themselves gorging on whatever food and drink they have on hand.
Grayfia then hands one of the other servants the invitation, to which his eyes widen as he goes to inform the rest of the color guard to sound their bugles, catching the guests' collective attention.
"MAY I PRESENT, TONIGHT'S GUESTS OF HONOR!" the crier announced. "LADY RIAS GREMORY AND HER PEERAGE!"
Takeshi then walks deeper into the crowd while following the rest of ORC, feeling a tad uneasy at the amount of stares they were receiving.
"So that's the infamous Gremory Peerage that has been making waves recently..." one curious noble remarked.
"Bah, a bunch of upstarts, those lot!" a snobby noble remarked with hostility.
"Isn't that the Evil Dragon User?" one noblewoman pointed at Takeshi and his manifested [Cataclysm Zone] around his waist while her other hand was holding a glass of champagne. "... And the infamous Calamity Witch is next to him?"
"House Gremory's delinquent daughter has interesting tastes for personal company..." an older noble scoffed with a subdued hostility.
Wow, I can definitely feel the love in the air... Takeshi deadpanned internally. ... I prefer Junior High.
Ah... feels just like home, Nidhogg purred with a soothed hum.
I heard of something called the 'ballroom blitz' before we came here, brat, Grendel commented. How about we give that a try? It outta bring up the drab mood present here!
Counterpoint, cooler-me is the head of security for this venue, Takeshi pointed out. ... I'm dressed nicely today. I'd rather not ruin it with a German Suplex.
Enjoy yourself, whelp, the Evil Dragon of Envy chuckled sinisterly. ... I already am.
Wimp. The Evil Dragon of Wrath then retreats back to his [Section Heorot].
Then as soon as the Evil Dragons left him alone, Takeshi noticed several of the older nobles approach Rias.
"A superb match, Lady Rias!" one noble praised her.
"Your family must be proud of your victory," another noble added.
"A thrilling match as your Peerage's debut!" a third noble stated with elation so fake that Rias had to resist the urge to puke. "I can say that speaks a lot of your Peerage's talent!"
"And I for one, cannot wait for you to lead your servants to the Top Ten-no, perhaps even to the seat of Champion!" an enthusiastic noblewoman said. "Regardless, we look forward to watching your Peerage with the utmost interest!"
"... Why thank you," Rias replied to the other noble's attempts of sucking up to her with her composure barely intact.
As more nobles gathered around the Gremory King like a school of koi fish swarming around their feed, Takeshi and the others couldn't help but look worried.
"... Should I use my 'predisposition' to thin the crowd?" asked the Evil Dragon User.
"Unless you want to post a public apology video on YouTube, I highly advise against it," Grayfia warned.
"Not that those things actually work..." Koneko sighs. "... You know what, we'll each do our own thing around here."
"I'll stick with Miss Himejima..." Pandora then stuck to the kimono-wearing Queen like glue before putting on her veil to dampen her Charm. "... Crowds terrify me."
"I'll go do some PR with the noblewomen and see if they have any decent contracts we can secure for our Peerage," Yuuto stated.
"And I am going to stuff myself until I am round as a ball." Koneko then beelines towards the buffet line, leaving Takeshi completely alone in the crowd.
"... Well, shit," he sighed before slapping his cheeks to get the blood flowing. "Can't make a home run without taking a few strikes. Let's do this!"
With that in mind, Takeshi then makes his way through the gathered partygoers, passing by many occupied tables and nobility socializing amongst themselves.
On his way, he couldn't help feeling a bit of unease and anxiety as he picked up the other guests and snippets of their conversations.
"House Gremory are in dire straits if that delinquent becomes the next Lady Gremory..."
"She better not get a swollen head from one victory..."
"It was a close match to begin with..."
"A 'King's Gambit'...? Who is she trying to impress...?"
"We might need to reconsider our dealings with her House and their affiliates..."
"That monster walks freely among us..."
"Did you see how he fraternized with that abomination...?"
"Two Balance Breakers... Lord Bael was right..."
"Not to mention... Calamity Witch... we might need to make our move soon..."
Takeshi groans at that last comment before looking around to see if Pandora was nearby, only for him to sigh in relief that she's nowhere near this slander.
"So many lines are being crossed..." he muttered under his breath.
"Pay their ramblings no heed," a bassy, yet youthful voice spoke to Takeshi. "They are mostly all bark and no bite."
Takeshi then turns around, greeted by a handsome, but ripped-looking man dressed in a white tuxedo and black bowtie with purple eyes and dark-brown/black hair with a pair of sharp sides of his hair accentuating his overall masculinity along with his statuesque height.
"Ah, thank you for the heads up," Takeshi remarked with a small bow. "... And you are? Forgive me, sir, but I can't help but see a resemblance."
The man chuckles as he lightly sips his glass of champagne. "No need to be so stiff, my good man," he reassured. "Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Sairaorg Bael, future Lord of House Bael, and King of my own Peerage. Formalities won't be necessary."
"A pleasure," Takeshi then extends his hand. "My name is Ryuugamine Takeshi, President Rias' vanguard."
Sairaorg then takes his hand before firmly shaking it. "Mm, a firm shaker as well," he noted on Takeshi's warm and firm grip. "Way to assert yourself without saying anything. Full marks!"
"Thank you." Takeshi bows graciously. "... And forgive my possible assumption, but are you perhaps related to my liege and her Lady Mother?"
"Indeed. She and I are paternal cousins," Sairaorg confirmed. "... I must say, looking at you up close, and I can tell you're brimming with power. Granted, some or most may find it... unpalatable, but for me personally, I look forward to seeing you stronger."
Takeshi nervously grumbles to himself as he was left flustered from this genuine compliment feeling like a drop of water after an exodus through a desert. "... Thank you," he stammered. "... But honestly, those Rating Games are a bit inane for my tastes, but if it comes to it, then I will fight on my President's honor!"
"Good spirit!" Sairaorg then firmly pats Takeshi on his back. "When we meet on the battlefield, I promise that I will hold nothing back. So you better bring your A-game with you on that fateful day."
"I am very poor at holding back my full power, so I thank you for your future consent, Sairaorg-san." Takeshi then takes a glass of champagne from the server's tray before sipping it, faintly spotting Koneko carrying back several plates stacked high towards the ceiling with food much to everyone's horror and shock. "... You know, I find you very easy to socialize with compared to everyone else that is not my Peerage. Are you an outlier among your peers, perhaps?"
Sairaorg nodded in confirmation. "... You know, I think part of it has to do with my upbringing," he explained. "... Did you know that I was born without inheriting House Bael's [Power of Destruction]?"
Takeshi blinked at that testimony. "... Must've been rough."
"Oh trust me, Lord Father was pissed," Sairaorg revealed. "Only my Lady Mother, Misla Vapula-Bael, Satans bless her soul, stuck by me through thick and thin. From my formal education to developing my own strengths, I have her to thank for spurring me to become better than my given station. Heck, I even beat up most of my younger half-siblings to near-death and forced Lord Father to make me his heir."
A low chuckle was heard from [Cataclysm Zone], revealing it to be coming from Grendel. "That's good," he complimented. "Prove to those cowards that you're the strongest with nothing but your strength! That is the true reason for living!"
Sairaorg nervously chuckles. "To think that an Evil Dragon would praise my efforts..." he remarked with a lopsided grin. "... Regardless, when you awaken all seven of history's most Evil Dragons by the time we fight, I will test my strength against you and rise to higher heights... and even higher still should I prevail."
Takeshi smirks confidently. "Don't assume that you're the only one who has such aspirations, Sairaorg," he declared. "I will be the one to defeat you and prove that I am the strongest. No ifs, and, or buts."
The Bael scion beams with a toothy grin. "Now that's what I like to hear!" He then extended his own hand towards Takeshi. "To our future bout! And to our greatest challenge!"
Takeshi then firmly shakes his hand.
"... Can we exchange our numbers?" the Evil Dragon User requested as he pulled out his smartphone and wagged it. "Not gonna lie, but I kinda want some of your tips so I can get cut as you."
"One second!" Sairaorg then pulls out his phone as the pair exchange contacts. "Fair warning though, my sessions are brutal."
"Looking forward to it," Takeshi remarked as he smiled at the thrill of pushing his body to its maximum and beyond. ... Am I slowly becoming a masochist?
Pain is the weakness leaving the body, brat, Grendel pointed out. It is your ultimate reward, so savor it, and more to come!
"Ah," another voice remarked. "I finally found you, Sairaorg."
Turning around, Takeshi then spots a well-dressed pair consisting of a devilishly handsome-looking man in his early 40s with striking crimson hair that was tied into a loose ponytail with a simple black hairband, bright and intense-looking blue eyes like that of a raging ocean, and a well-groomed goatee with two pointed ends resembling a Devil's horns, alongside with a mature, but gracefully aged and curvaceous woman who eerily resembles an older, flaxen-haired version of Rias.
"Ah! Uncle Zeoticus! Aunt Venelana!" Sairaorg remarked at the pair. "Are you two doing well? How is your youngest rascal faring nowadays?"
"We are happy, and our youngest is hale and healthy as he could be," the woman answered. "... By the way, I've overheard Lord Furcas discussing matters of great importance with Lord Bael. Specifically, about you."
"No more needs to be said," Sairaorg replied before heading off. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Takeshi. Let us meet again in a less... densely-populated venue."
"Take care." Takeshi then sees off the Bael scion before being confronted with the two adults. "... Gonna take a shot in the dark, but are you perhaps my President's Lord Father and Lady Mother, the former once known as 'Hell's Jailor' during the Great War?"
"Oh, so our little girl has told you about us that much?" the older man remarked. "Well, it'll be rude to not introduce ourselves, but indeed, I am Lord Zeoticus Gremory."
"And I am Lady Venelana Bael-Gremory, her mother," greeted the woman.
"A pleasure." Takeshi bows. "I am Ryuugamine Takeshi, President's Pawn and Fiftieth Evil Dragon User. My liege has spoken highly of you two."
The two Gremory parents looked at each other. "Has she?"
"Her current tendencies have proven otherwise..." Lady Venelana pointed out before scrutinizing Takeshi, causing him to become slightly uncomfortable around his President's parents. "... Tell me, what pushed you to go that far against our arrangement?"
Takeshi lets out a sharp sigh as he begins to speak from his heart. "... Personally, I am against it because I know that the President wasn't all for it," he revealed. "Put a gun to her head, put her neck to the axe, but I know that deep down, she is not the kind of Devil who would simply accept her lot in life as is. If that were the case, then she wouldn't have brought all of us on board her Peerage in the first place."
Takeshi continued to speak as Rias' parents listened.
"... It's because of her ideals of freedom... that helped me realize that there's more to my life than the Evil Dragons," he continued. "She showed me how to live, so the thought of her giving up her own life for someone that doesn't even see her as a person but as an obligation... a bitter bile rose up to my throat. I want to keep her free, Lord and Lady Gremory. I want to fly alongside her beyond the horizon so that I can see her vision for her future come to fruition! And once that's done... then I will have the will to carve out my own path in the rotten world I was born in."
Zeoticus sighs as he hands his glass of champagne to his wife. "... Son, I'll be blunt," he said. "Your little stunt at the Rating Game caused me and my staff no shortage of headaches. Several of our planned business deals fell though, our contracts were canceled, and our reputation being on the verge of a public relations nightmare, with this gala being our band-aid at best. But... that's only my sentiment as a businessman and current Lord of House Gremory."
He then places his hand onto Takeshi's shoulder.
"As a father... I thank you," he declared, much to Takeshi's (and everyone else's) shock. "... Because of my responsibilities, I couldn't always be there for my daughter. Your performance at the Rating Game showed me all that I needed to know. I am grateful that you are my Rias' trusted Pawn and vanguard. And I am also grateful that you cherish her as her own person rather than some bloodline fodder. Me and Venelana were one of the luckier ones to end up having a loving relationship that lasted over 700 years and still. My children, whether they're the current Lucifer or a High Schooler, deserve the world and so much more."
Venelana smiles at her husband's declaration towards Takeshi. "And there's the man I know and love back when we first met after the Great War," she commented. "... I can safely assess that you'll fit right into our House-"
"Spare me your flattery," Nidhogg commented. "Because all I hear are excuses rooted in incompetence."
The atmosphere goes ice-cold as the Evil Dragon of Envy speaks out loud from [Cataclysm Zone].
"Nidhogg, what the Hell?!" Takeshi hissed before looking around. "... For the record, he does not speak for me!"
"Thank you." The Evil Dragon of Envy then clears his throat before speaking his malicious mind. "... The way you speak of how your current circumstances failed to meet your daughter sounds more akin to your House being kicked around by others."
Zeoticus glowers at Nidhogg's statement. "... You have no idea what me and my forefathers had to go through just to keep our place in the Underworld."
"I do, and I have zero sympathies for you and the rest of your First World-problems," Nidhogg deadpanned. "... Face it, you shouldn't be the ones being kicked around. Instead, you should be the ones kicking others around. After all, your eldest son didn't become Lucifer just for fun, didn't he? You two have been looking at the gift horse in the mouth for centuries. Abuse your station to improve yourselves. It's what a sensible person would do."
"... That's a crass method," Venelana rebuked.
"Counterpoint, you're all Devils," the Evil Dragon revealed. "Since when were you all law-abiding citizens when I remember you lot as a horde of evildoers tempting the weak to sin just for fun? Where did that fire go when you and your ancestors flew the skies proud and unencumbered, spitting in the face of Deus Trinity with your existence alone? Then again, it's not like we stay dead for long, so I guess that's my own brand of myopia."
Many of the guests who heard this were in varying states of shock.
"Does he not know what he's saying...?"
"His rhetoric wouldn't be out of place with the Old Satan Faction..."
Takeshi blinks at that last part. "... Old Satan Faction?"
"Basically, descendants of the original Six Satans who want to abolish the Evil Piece System and the current administration at Gehenna, wanting to bring back the 'Golden Age' of the Underworld or that hogwash," Zeoticus explained. "In short, terrorists."
"I see..." Takeshi sighed. "... All right, I think I heard enough. And that goes for you too, Nidhogg."
The Evil Dragon of Envy scoffs. "... It's the 21st Century, you all can stand to be a bit more selfish," Nidhogg pointed out. "At least, that's what the whelp says. His words, not mine."
Just as Takeshi was about to protest after the Evil Dragon manages to flip around "he does not speak for me"-disclaimer on its head, Nidhogg disappears, much to his consternation. "... I can already feel my self-esteem crumbling."
"I will not hold it against you," Zeoticus reassured. "... Even I would go insane of having to deal with their inane nonsense after a month."
"Regardless, heed this, Sir Ryuugamine," Venelana declared with a narrowed look. "... I will be watching your performance closely within my daughter's Peerage from hereon. Should you do anything that will endanger either my daughter or Satans forbid, the rest of the Underworld, then I will act upon my own will, my daughter's interests or protests be damned."
"I understand," Takeshi consents. "... But I won't submit to this evil I am given without a fight. That much you can trust me on."
Venelana's frown then softens into a small smile. "... See that you do, Sir Ryuugamine." She then turns towards her husband. "Now, my dear. We mustn't tarry around here for too long. The rest of the Underworld's Council of Nobles are not to be kept waiting."
"Do we have to?" groaned Zeoticus. "They're a bunch of boring assholes..."
"Honey..." the wife scolded.
The husband sighs in defeat as he was dragged away by his wife, like how a child would be dragged away by their disapproving mother.
Once they were gone, Takeshi then let out a deep sigh before making his way to the bar, realizing that some alcohol was needed to nurse the headache that was Nidhogg's PR nightmare of a speech.
"Hello," Takeshi greeted as he sat on the stool before the counter. "Yamazaki, 16 Years Old. On the rocks."
He has all the James Bond films he watched to thank for teaching him bar terminology, the cold drink sliding into his hand.
"Here's to underage drinking..." Takeshi then takes a nip of the alcohol, the sharp tinge of the fermentation with a slight floral and tropical fruit flavoring. "... Not bad."
He then let the pleasures of this luxury whisky saved just for him take him away as he sat on the stool, completely out of it and trying to block out all the noise ringing around him.
... I can see why you like to drink, Grendel.
Helps me calm down and fuels my flames inside, the Evil Dragon of Wrath explained.
"Bartender." An older man then sits next to him. "Blue Label. Straight."
The drink then slides past Takeshi before it was caught by the man sitting next to him, to which he then lights a small torch in his finger before lighting the liquid, igniting it on the cup.
That fire looks familiar... Takeshi then sees the man drink the burning whiskey like it was water, somehow managing to not burn either his lips or well-groomed facial hair. "... Perchance, are you Lord Phenex?"
"... Really now?" the older man replied as he turned his attention towards Takeshi. "What gave it away-?"
The two find themselves staring at each other, feeling a sense of déjà vu coming from each other, with Takeshi looking at a man who looked like a more older, world-weary version of Riser, while the older man could see the belt radiating with malicious draconic aura around his waist.
"... You are literally the last person on this Hell-forsaken Earth I wanted to see, boy," Revive groaned as he then offered his glass for a refill. "... What do you want?"
"Nothing much," Takeshi replied before offering his glass for his own refill. "... In fact, I feel like I've asked for enough."
"You don't say..." Lord Phenex then takes his drink before downing it. "... Thanks to you, my House's reputation is marred, and I am forced to exile my youngest son and only daughter. I hope you're proud of yourself."
Takeshi grumbles as he nips his drink. "... Honestly, I have nothing to be proud of," he revealed. "I did what I had to do in order to preserve my way of life."
Those words somehow resonated with the Phenex patriarch. "... You and everyone else here, I swear."
The two continued drinking side to side, somehow managing to tolerate each other's existences in that both seem to have a lot in common with each other more than they like to admit.
"... Your son fought like a real man," Takeshi revealed.
"You weren't so bad yourself, boy," Lord Phenex scoffed. "... What were all of those flashy moves you've done throughout the Game?"
"Pro Wrestling." Takeshi smirked as he held up his drink. "The strongest fighting style there is!"
"Bah! Who cares about martial arts?! Revive rebuked. "The truly strong are born strong and use their powers to dominate their lesser!"
"So what does that say about me and your kid?" Takeshi shot back.
Lord Phenex scrunches his grimace. "... Oh to Hell with you, boy."
Yet in spite of that, the two kept sharing the same bar.
"... You know, I had high hopes for my youngest son."
Takeshi's eyes widened upon hearing that claim. "Really now?" he remarked. "How so?"
Revive grumbles before setting down his half-finished glass of whiskey.
"... You are aware of House Phenex's traits, correct?" the Lord began to explain. "Well the truth is, Riser was the only one who inherited all three of my traits. My eldest son and only daughter inherited only [Hell Fire] and [Immortality], but my second oldest could only manifest [Gale Wings]. Imagine that, a phoenix that can die only once."
Takeshi then takes another nip from his glass before setting it down. "... So what? He got the boot?"
"Politically speaking, he was completely useless," Revive bluntly stated. "Silver lining, he's doing pretty well on his own, and ever since he founded Razor Broadcasting Network, I brought him back to the House as one of my principal cash-cows."
Takeshi blinked at what Lord Phenex had insinuated. "... You're saying DJ Razor was Riser's older brother?!"
"At least he enjoys his freedom." Revive then finishes his whiskey. "... But still, I have to confess something to you, boy."
"I'm listening." Takeshi then offered his glass for another refill.
Lord Phenex is then offered his refill of whiskey before sharing his confession.
"... The truth is, my wife, Romary, was originally a human."
Takeshi blinked. "... A Reincarnated Devil?" he remarked. "... Surely, that's nothing special-"
"From the year 1075 AD, boy."
Takeshi's eyes widened at the revelation of the date.
"... So how did you make her into a Devil despite the Evil Piece System not being a thing after the Great War ended?" he asked, trying to keep his voice down.
Revive sighs as he begins to explain his full story.
"... I... I didn't know what I was thinking back then," he explained. "I was just a field medic ever since the start of the Great War. During one of my deployments, I was separated from my assigned battalion until I washed up ashore at a ruined Benedictine monastery. As far as either the Angels or their Fallen cousins were concerned, I was a nobody, so no one bothered looking for me. I saw her, laid on the sand surrounded by the corpses of her fallen fellow monks and sisters, her decency and chastity ravaged by her assailants, barely clinging to life."
Revive then looks down onto where his heart would be located.
"And behold, being the overly sentimental fool I was, I donated my heart to some random human woman because I pitied her," he revealed. "She inherited none of my traits from the transplant, but in essence, she was a Devil all but in name."
Takeshi grumbles to himself as he could see how the story would progress. "... And I'm guessing that it didn't end well?"
"... The current Lord Astaroth raked me over the coals for it," he revealed. "Then he proceeded to use her as a hostage to blackmail me into taking even more dangerous missions, sometimes alone and deep into enemy territory, out of presumably what I can assume at the time, being nothing short of sheer spite. Thankfully, by the time the Great War ended, and with me dying several times over, he honored his end of the deal and had her returned to me unharmed."
Lord Phenex then chugs his drink before slamming the empty glass down.
"After that, the eldest of House Astaroth's children, Ajuka Astaroth, brought me and Romary on board for a certain project that he was working on," he said, to which Takeshi figures out what he was implying.
"The Evil Piece System...!" Takeshi gasped.
Revive nods in confirmation. "Turns out that the rumors of me beguiling a human spread like wildfire," he revealed. "So in the end, we were forced to cooperate in exchange for having Romary be implanted with organs from the members of the now-eradicated House Andromalius, but while their trait, [Karma Star], failed to manifest and thus, lost forever, it did complete her transition into a pseudo full-blooded Devil, albeit a very weak one. And that's how the Evil Piece System came to be, and how Ajuka became the current Beelzebub. With his behind-the-scenes endorsement and profile-building, House Phenex rose up the Underworld's ranks as one of the most prosperous nobles, and how my wife Romary was able to live in peace long enough to conceive four children with me."
Takeshi then looks around the venue, seeing no signs of a woman resembling Ravel. "... She's a bit of a homebody, isn't she?"
"I cannot fault her for it," Revive remarked. "... After all, I was the one who brought her down here without consent."
Then the Lord looks down at his glass before looking at his own cast reflection.
"... Sometimes I cannot help but wonder," he reflected. "... Were all my actions up to this point my own impulses or was it from my own interpretation of keeping the House that I was given to by my own Lord Father, Reviver Phenex, and me acting accordingly?"
Takeshi lets out a sigh. "... Honestly, I think you're going about it the wrong way, Phenex-sama."
Takeshi then offered his glass for a refill.
"Might be rich coming from someone who has only lived about 17 years... but I think life is all about making mistakes," he explained. "... Sometimes, we are guided by our impulses because we believe that it's the 'right thing' to do at that moment. We may look back on it as a blunder, but honestly, I personally think that all we can do is be proud of actually making the choice in the first place rather than doing nothing, and promise ourselves that we'll do better next time, even if we can't keep it."
Revive scoffs. "... Given that you're an Evil Dragon User, I suppose that your whole life is a mistake."
"Hey, when life gives you lemons." Takeshi then downs his whisky, feeling a bit calmer now. "... And besides, if you're worried about your kid, Riser, then maybe you can bring him back someday?"
Revive then looks at him with an incredulous look. "... Boy, are you not aware how wagers and their stipulations work?"
"Well, from what I heard from it, there was nothing that gave away that the exile had to be permanent," Takeshi pointed out. "And besides, you brought your second son back after he hit it big, so what's stopping Riser from doing the same thing and becoming his own man that you can be somewhat proud of? Or, I don't know, set up an entirely new set of agreements and terms to condition Riser to come back to House Phenex as an option rather than an order? Sometimes, the carrot works as well as the stick. That, and you're the one writing those contracts, so you can bend the rules a little."
"... And what of my reputation?" Revive pointed out. "You do realize that I'll come off as a softhearted fool at best, right?"
"Then make the conditions for his return as draconian as possible," Takeshi suggests. "... He has the potential to become a bigger man, Phenex-sama. I think you need to be the one guiding him with a gentle, but firm hand. After all, it's not like you left him to his own devices after he manifested all three of House Phenex's traits and called it a day, right?"
Revive then goes slack-jawed as Takeshi had inadvertently pointed out his greatest mistake.
"... What have I done?" he gasped in horror.
Then the bartender begins clapping.
"Splendid demonstration of your oratory skills, Sir Ryuugamine," he said as his gloved hand reached for his glasses. "I now know for sure that my younger sister is in good hands."
Takeshi then blinks. "... Younger sister?!"
The two Devils then find themselves sitting before none other than Sirzechs Lucifer himself, dressed like a common barkeep with his suit vest, red bowtie, and dress suit.
"L-L-LORD LUCIFER?!"
The Lucifer then snaps his fingers, forming a monochromatic bubble around the three of them.
"Careful not to raise your voice, Lord Phenex," the Lucifer suggested with a smile before turning towards Takeshi, the younger Devil flinching. "... It is a pleasure to meet you in person, Takeshi Ryuugamine."
"I... uh, how-HOW ARE YOU HERE AND STUFF?!" Takeshi stammered out. "AREN'T YOU LIKE THE DE FACTO LEADER OF THE UNDERWORLD OR SOMETHING?! SO WHY ARE YOU SKIPPING OUT ON WORK?!"
Sirzechs chuckles. "... Let's just say I have paid interns."
At Gehenna's Main Administrative Building...
Within Sirzechs' personal study, there were several mice and Shiki-Ouji familiars scurrying about, carrying mountains of documents in their arms while a tengai-wearing bikuni was sitting on his Corinthian leather desk chair, stamping documentations like a typewriter.
"WHY AM I STUCK ON CLERICAL DUTY?!" Chiha whined as more stacks of paper were placed on the desk before her. "YOU TOTES SUCK, RE:LIVE!"
"Hell's strongest Devil, and can't even be bothered to do his paperwork himself..." Takeshi deadpanned. "... I mean no offense."
"No, no, it's understandable." Sirzechs then takes out two jars of freshly-squeezed grapefruit and cranberry juices. "... Then again, I wouldn't miss it for the world if I can see my younger sister bask in her first steps of glory in person."
"Doting as ever, Lord Lucifer..." Revive grumbled as the Lucifer disguised as a bartender then took out a large bottle of vodka.
"You'd be surprised what my position can let me get away with," he revealed as he then opened the three drinks before taking out a shaker. "... By the way, I heard from my dear Grayfia that you gave her a good hiding."
Takeshi grimaces. "... Yeah, not exactly my proudest moment."
"Can you demonstrate how you did so later down the line?" Sirzechs asked as he began pouring all three drinks into the silver container.
"... Lucifer-sama, as much as I'd love to show you, I'm afraid that I cannot guarantee your safety," Takeshi warned Rias' older brother as he remembered her advice of saying "no" when necessary. "Tempting as it is, I'd rather not earn the position of Lucifer by killing you for it."
"Bah! What's there to be worried about?!" Revive remarked as the "bartender" shook the shaker. "You're looking at none other than Lord Sirzechs Lucifer himself! The strongest Devil of his generation-!"
Then Lord Phenex stops himself as he and the Lucifer looked into Takeshi's absolutely dead-looking eyes as the conversation was further pressed.
"... Just take my word for it," he begged.
Sirzechs sighs. "... Very well." He then takes out a pair of chilled cocktail glasses from below the counter. "I'll simply ask Grayfia myself later on."
The Lucifer in incognito then pours the shaken drink into the glasses before placing a slice of lime on the rim of their glasses.
"My treat!" Sirzechs said. "Sea Breeze cocktails! Take it with you for the rest of the gala, because Satans know that most of the people attending don't know how to have fun for once... Oh well, their loss."
Takeshi and Revive take their cocktail before sipping it.
"Whoa! That's delish!" Takeshi exclaimed.
"Mixology is a bit of a hobby of mine." The Lucifer then puts his glasses back on, turning his crimson hair to brown and trying itself into a high man-bun. "With that said, I hope you two enjoy the rest of your evening."
Revive silently bows before leaving with the cocktail in hand before Takeshi follows suit.
You know, after hearing him encourage me, I think I can afford to hold my head up a little high around here, he thought as he looked out towards the crowd of nobles with a cocktail in hand. I just needed to hear something, even if it didn't mean much.
You are overly sentimental, whelp, Nidhogg pointed out.
I take whatever little moments of peace I can get, he replied as he is then approached by five different nobles. "... Can I help you all with anything?"
The one leading the entourage was a well-built looking man with shiny, jet-black hair that was slicked back, his piercing violet eyes that stared Takeshi directly into his soul, dressed in a mono-black formal wear that made him look like a Professor Snape-cosplayer doing his own thing. Overall, the man was all-business, no bullshit; a stalwart professional through thick and thin, but to the point of bitterness.
The second was another man with short pale-green hair with a blond undertone and sky-blue eyes, dressed in a brown-and-gold 18th Century nobleman's outfit belonging to the halls of the Palace of Versailles. However, in spite of his well-maintained appearance, the dark bags under his eyes that he didn't even bother putting makeup over indicated that this man needed sleep.
The third was a mature, well-endowed woman with long azure-colored hair that was tied and bundled up into a high-rise braid, forest-green eyes that were both calming and unnerving at the same time, and a pair of curled-up ram horns perched above her slightly pointed ears, and dressed in a fancy blue and black Victorian ballgown with a cage-like crinoline holding up her dress' skirt, topped off with a folding feather fan held in her gloved hands. Out of her contemporaries, she looked the most otherworldly and Devil-like, but the most civilized and genial; a paradox to the contemporary senses and norms, but nevertheless powerful with an edge of ruthless sadism.
The fourth was a tall, lanky, and gaunt-looking man with shoulder-length snow-white hair, placid skin verging on sickly-looking, and eyes that were completely red without pupils or irises, dressed in an all-white tuxedo, loafers, cape, and top hat, the latter two bearing a distinct black-and-white checker pattern underneath and around the hat's band, and accentuated with a brass-tipped and pommeled cane in his hands. Overall, this man was absolutely unsettling to look at, almost like a ghost taking corporeal form through its own willpower.
And finally, their fifth member was an honest-to-God lizardman with orange hair, his green scales covering its caiman-like snout and his bestial-bipedal form being barely contained in his custom-ordered dress suit that was a blue and orange in color. Out of the five, he was the most difficult to discern, showing no outward emotions besides a mild hint of scrutiny towards the Evil Dragon User.
"... Introduce yourself, boy," the bitter-looking man ordered in a curt tone. "Surely, your parents have taught you proper manners."
Takeshi then bows. "I am Ryuugamine Takeshi. Pawn of the Gremory Peerage, and Fiftieth Evil Dragon User."
"Good lad," the lead man replied. "You are in the presence of Lord Rustal Bael, current Lord of House Bael, and Chairman of the Underworld's Council of Nobles."
"I am Lord Gaelio Agares, Head of the Council's Internal Disciplinary Inspection Committee," the exhausted-looking man introduced. "... Don't get too relaxed just yet, Sir Ryuugamine. You're still under scrutiny for your existence."
"I am Lady Carta Paimon," the azure-haired noblewoman greeted with her smirk hidden behind her fan. "... Looking at you up close, I can tell you're quite the character."
"I am Lord Iok Vassago," the pale man introduced. "... So you're the stinker that's been making waves in the Underworld? How droll."
"... I am Lord Ein Sallos," the Lizardman said stoically. "... Take care to not make us regret our decision."
Takeshi bows in acknowledgement. "... I have you all to think for letting me live, your Eminences."
"It was a vote of 3-2 in your favor," Rustal revealed. "... For the record, I voted against you."
A slight shudder was felt in Takeshi's back.
"For me, I was in that little Rias' favor of keeping you around," Carta remarked. "... And seeing you squirm is worth it."
"Rules are rules," Gaelio curtly stated. "... I take all incoming threats to the Underworld as seriously as my station demands."
"I just voted for you so that the little minx that you call 'King' can live long enough to regret her decision," Iok mocked. "... Or will she? I bore witness to your performance in the Rating Game, and oh boy, I am glad that you're on our side! ... For now."
"Thank you," Takeshi replies stoically, showing no weakness.
"... It's only fair to give you a chance," Ein revealed. "... Your actions will determine your future with us, Sir Ryuugamine. Keep that in mind."
Takeshi sighs in relief before downing his cocktail to calm his nerves. "... I am curious, though," he said as he placed his empty glass on the waiter's tray. "What was it that determined my President's choice to allow me to stay within her Peerage?"
Lord Rustal Bael grumbles before explaining. "... Tell me," he asked, "are you aware of the Underworld's current situation?"
"... I can guess that it's not favorable by any stretch, Bael-sama," Takeshi answers. "Forgive me, but the difference between the Underworld's politics and Earth's politics are so minuscule that I am trying to process the whiplash coming from how... same it is. Different names and labels, and the same kinds of snakes in its corridors."
"Good enough," Gaelio remarked. "... We only humored you by bringing you into our fold due to the fact that the other supernatural Factions are gathering power with Sacred Gear Users and Satans forbid, the 13 Longinus, the strongest Sacred Gears ever to be manifested by Deus Trinity."
Takeshi then looks down on his [Cataclysm Zone]. "... So what is this thing classified as?" he asked. "I mean, I can tell it has a lot of power, but it doesn't scream 'Longinus' to me."
Carta chuckles bemusedly. "... To be fair, none of your previous Users have unlocked its full potential, and yet its powers rival, and sometimes, surpass the Longinus in terms of sheer destructiveness," she explained with a hint of condescension in her voice. "By our gathered estimates, we theorize that it has the potential to be the strongest Sacred Gear in all of existence... provided if it doesn't kill you in the process."
"I know it's rich coming from us Devils, but there's such a thing as being too greedy," Iok mocked as he wrapped his arm around Takeshi's shoulder. "... After all, we were stretching the rules a bit when we let that red-haired minx keep her freak of a Bishop in her Peerage, but you? Good Sir, you are the walking definition of a 'nutcase'."
"... We are aware of the risks involved," Ein stated. "... The Great War... is like your human world... with its nukes... and mutually-assured destruction... So what if one side gets... stronger 'nukes'?"
"Yeah, not exactly encouraging me to run for Underworld's Parliament sometime in the future..." Takeshi sighed.
"Now now, what's with all the long faces?" A cheerful voice remarked behind Takeshi, causing him to look up to an older-looking man resembling Rustal, with his black hair and purple eyes, but looking more content and happier with his life in spite of his advanced age, yet still held an aura of dignity belonging to a hero. "It's a party, for fuck's sake! We're not working right now, so will it kill you all to smile a little?"
Rustal groans. "... Honored forefather," he groaned. "... You really need to slow down. You're not as young as you were back during the Great War."
The older Devil simply laughs as he snatches a goblet of red wine from one of the servers' trays. "And you're too young to act three times your age! No wonder why me and my missus named you 'Rusty'!"
Takeshi nervously chuckles as the older Devil runs circles around the Underworld's Council of Nobles without a care in the world. "... Might be rude to ask, but are you perhaps Sairaorg's grandfather?"
The older Devil laughs after drinking his wine. "... Boy, you and him might as well be brothers from different mothers," he teased. "I am glad that I brought you on board with us! Man, it would suck if my strongest grandkid had no friends outside of his own Peerage!"
He then chugs his wine and places the finished glass onto another server's tray.
"... I am THE King Zekram Bael!" he proudly declared. "Son of the original King Bael of the Underworld's 72 Pillars, and Hero of the Underworld!"
A feeling of elation and joy welled up in Takeshi's heart as he saw this elderly man that reminded him of the original Kamen Rider.
"... A pleasure to meet you!" Takeshi replied with a beaming smile.
Zekram simply laughs as the other five nobles were repulsed by this showing, leaving the two alone to socialize.
"So my boy!" the older Devil said. "I saw your performance, and to Hell what your naysayers and skeptics say! Your performance was that of a hero's!"
"You bet!" Takeshi excitedly replied. "... Nothing less for the one I swore my life to."
"Good!" Zekram then places both his hands onto Takeshi's shoulders. "I am glad that little Rias' trust in you isn't misplaced! So you better keep up the good work, you hear?"
"Yes, Milord." Takeshi bowed.
"Now, now, no need to be so stiff!" The old Bael then offers him a glass of champagne. "We got more of these whippersnappers acting all so proper nowadays, they forgot what it means to live!"
The two then share a drink.
"... The Underworld needs to change," Zekram pointed out. "The way the current administration is heading is so ingrained in survival that in the long-term, we'll become obsolete. We need more Devils like you, my boy. You, Rias, Sairaorg, and the current Lucifer. Strength and passion held together hand and hand! Desire and ambition to rise out of our mere need to simply exist! And to show that we need to go forward towards the future without fear! Not to drag our keisters back to the past like those Old Satan Faction-twerps that only seek to lord over their lesser! True power is to cut open a new and untrodden path! My comrades did not die during the Great War just so that our children and their children continue living in fear of extinction!"
"I concur!" Takeshi consents. "No risk, no reward! A superhero prevails at the moment where they escape a pinch!"
Zekram laughs at Takeshi's display of guts. "Keep that spirit burning!" He then places his fist against the Evil Dragon User's chest. "You may-nay, you will be the one to conquer [Cataclysm Zone] after forty-nine failed attempts!"
"I will," Takeshi answered with resolve. "... I won't let them or those who seek my death be the end of me."
Zekram nods. "... Here."
He then takes out his Nokia before snatching Takeshi's phone as they exchanged numbers.
"Tell my daughter and her little girl that grandpa said 'hello'." The old Devil then clicks his tongue before handing his smartphone back to Takeshi and then leaving. "When we meet again, Ryuugamine!"
Takeshi lets out an elated sigh as he was glad that not all of the Underworld was either completely against him or just supporting him to watch him fail for their amusement.
... I'm not against for a more engaging story that is your life, whelp, Nidhogg commented.
I think I fought him once, Grendel revealed. It was a draw... but I fell dead first. I'm glad that even when he's old as shit, his fire still burns bright as ever.
Takeshi smiles. "Life's too interesting to make encounters boring."
Then he sees the crowd gathering around something coming in. Takeshi walks up to it and spots a giant, several-tiered cake being rolled in by a trolley so massive that it required three Devils to push it, two to pull it, and five to keep it stable.
"We will now serve tonight's dessert!" the head chef announced. "A 13-layer Black Forest Cake with no amount of luxury black chocolate spared-!"
*POP!*
Then from atop the cake, a certain, partially dyed-pink hair appeared with a pair of ringed fingers holding up the topmost layer like a shield.
"WHAT UP, MOTHAFUCKAS?!" a certain DJ's voice cackled out, revealing himself to be none other than Raiser Phenex. "FREEDOM OF THE PRESS, BAYBEE!"
The venue's lights then dim as the chefs and other staff attending to the guests suddenly remove their clothing to reveal a veritable camera crew that just walked out of the screens of TMZ, with one of them lifting up Takeshi to a chair on a risen platform as Raiser makes his way towards the built stage, using his [Gale Wings] to fly over the cake without stepping on it, nor staining his gold-yellow and black suit that made him look absolutely gaudy.
"Ah fuck, I forgot about the interview..." Takeshi grimaced as he was carried to the spotlight. "... Then again, no one saw this coming."
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" Zeoticus cried out before Raiser showed his press pass and invitation, both of whom signed by none other than Sirzechs Lucifer himself.
"Think of this as your chance to regain some good publicity, my man. Oh, and me and my crew are also under the same stipulation," the DJ snickered before making his way towards the stage. "Are we rolling?!"
One of the cameramen flashes a thumbs-up as the DJ takes his seat next to Takeshi.
"ALRIGHT! WE'RE LIVE!" Raiser then snaps his fingers to get one of his men to lower the boom mic. "HELLO, BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE OF THE UNDERWORLD! This is DJ Razor, live from Iblis, Hell! I am with my interviewee and main topic. Ryuugamine Takeshi, Pawn of the Gremory Peerage, and MVP of the Phenex VS Gremory Rating Game!"
Meanwhile, the rest of ORC managed to squeeze their way through the crowd close enough to get a proper view, with Koneko managing to take the entire top layer of the cake that Raiser had tossed aside.
"... Still edible, by the way," the Nekomata remarked as she kept eating the birthday cake-sized layer.
"So, Ryuugamine-san, I have a question for you!" Raiser began. "During the Rating Game, what was on your mind when you were claiming Points left and right? What did you feel when you were finally defeated, and then making a huge comeback by taking our Phenex's King and Pawn?"
Takeshi composes himself before giving his answer. "... I wanted to win," he answered. "I wanted to win because my life was at stake. But as the fight went on, I realized that the other team were also fighting with their lives on the line, just like me. So when they took me down and nicked my 48 Points... I was proud of them. They were taking me seriously rather than as some jumped-up cannon fodder. Of course, it was then followed up by a feeling of unrelenting rage, which spurred me to push myself and my Evil Dragon even harder. And then that's when I won for my Peerage."
"How inspiring!" Raiser commented as he checked the streaming chat. "... And the consensus amongst our demographic is within the same wavelength! Personally speaking, you were kind of a badass back there! Not bad for what was your very first Rating Game!"
"... Only because of those inane addendums," grumbled Rustal as Zekram tried to hold in his laughter.
"Here's our next question," Raiser continued. "... What was that thing you did with your Balance Breakers? You know, where you sort of... eh, manifested a serpentine ash-Dragon and a fiery clone of yourself during your fights?"
Takeshi smiles. "That was me fighting alongside the Evil Dragons themselves."
A few nobles gasp at this confirmation.
"The boy's used to playing with fire, it seems..." Carta scoffed with a hint of bemusement.
"Isn't that a bit dangerous?" Raiser pointed out. "Or are you sure that they'll behave after you've tamed them?"
Takeshi shook his head. "Not 'tame,' but 'synchronize," he revealed. "... As soon as I learned that Sacred Gears, in principal, are miracles made manifest through our own souls, I hit upon a certain epiphany,"
Rias smiles as Takeshi stands up.
"... The Evil Dragons are not merely parasites that latch onto my soul out of pure happenstance," he explained. "They're a part of me that I was born with without my knowledge. I can curse myself and loathe my own existence for this terrible lot in life for as long as I live, but that solves nothing. I had to learn how to live with them as a part of my life that I cannot remove. In a way, the longer I stick by them, the more I learn to start loving myself, because logically speaking, one should be proud to be even alive in a world they're born in. Living is a miracle in of itself, and I think that can be said regardless whether you're human, Devil, Angel, even gods. We're here. We can do something with this world. I don't want to waste any chance that I was given, whether that was the President letting me into her Peerage, the others slowly accepting me as a person, or even the Evil Dragons teaching me about life that I never knew about."
Sirzechs smiles behind the counter. "... He's learning," he remarked as he wiped the glasses. "You know how to pick and choose them, little sister."
Takeshi then sits back down. "... So yeah," he said. "... Might sound like platitudes, but it's those little lies that you have to make it come true is the reason why we're here to live. The Evil Dragons are a part of me, so I will learn to accept them as the others failed to. I may never escape their evil, but I will never submit to them, only accept them as they are."
A few nobles murmur amongst themselves at Takeshi's speech.
"Evil Dragons being accepted?" Gaelio hissed. "... Ludicrous."
"Damn brat doesn't know how the real world works..." Iok growled before smirking. "... Or will he exert enough power to change how the world works?"
"... He's a destabilizing force," Ein commented. "... Will it be in our favor?"
Elsewhere, different reactions were elicited.
"As expected of my aspirant challenger," Sairaorg remarked with a firm nod. "His will is surely to be tested and come out stronger by the end! I can't wait for us to fight in our strongest!"
Venelana then gazed towards Zeoticus. "Dear," she remarked. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
The Gremory Patriarch nods in agreement. "... He and Rias are birds of a feather, indeed."
Lord Revive Phenex grumbles. "... Living itself as a miracle?"
He then recalled how many times he died and came back due to his [Immortality], and how in spite of that, his father, the previous Lord, Reviver Phenex, died of old age.
"... Perhaps we all take life for granted."
"Man, that's some heavy shit right there..." Raiser tried to subtly wipe his misty eyes behind his shades. "... Moving on, what were all those wrestling moves that you did during the Rating Game? What were they for and why did you use 'em?"
Takeshi grins. "... Didn't you know?"
Then suddenly, Takeshi then flips himself out of his seat before sliding the chair closer towards where he landed, stepping one foot on top of it and posing.
"Pro Wrestling... the strongest fighting style there is!" Takeshi boldly declared with his finger pointing up towards the ceiling. "It is not enough to merely grapple your opponent into submission! You gotta look majestic and heroic while doing it! Pro Wrestling is THE martial art of superheroes!"
"Ara ara..." Akeno resisted the urge to giggle while Yuuto nervously chuckled, Pandora was stunned into silence, and Koneko continued stuffing her face with cake. "Takeshi-chan is kind of adorable when he embraces his superhero-side."
"Definitely wears his heart on his sleeve, that's for sure..." Rias acknowledged.
The other nobles, however, were less than impressed by his declaration.
"Pro Wrestling? In a Rating Game?"
"He intends to turn our customs into a novelty show...?"
"How did he end up beating a Phenex of all Devils?"
"Now I'm confused on what we should be concerned more about..."
Raiser snickered at the Evil Dragon User's proclamation. "... Well, ladies and gentlemen, guess this is the Rating Games' new meta!"
Lord Rustal Bael then spotted his heir apparent having a very interested look in his eyes. "... No."
"You don't get to tell me what to do, Lord Father!"
"Now onto our final question for the evening..." Raiser then looks at his teleprompt he wrote the day before. "... About your Peerage's flawless execution of the 'King's Gambit,' who came up with such a bold plan and how was it conceptualized?"
Normally, Takeshi would answer it, but given that he was confident enough to have some sway over the conversation...
"... It's our trade secret," Takeshi teased, channeling Akeno's mannerisms with a coy tilt with his head and a disarming smile.
"Oh, come on!" Raiser bemoaned. "You gotta tease us like that?! Especially at the end of the interview?!"
Takeshi giggles. "What else can I say?" Takeshi remarked. "... We of the Gremory Peerage are full of surprises to keep our current and soon-to-be fans on the edge of their seats. Keep watching us, everyone! We'll put on a show that none of you will ever forget!"
With that proud declaration, the stream's chat goes berserk.
"Wow...!" Raiser chuckled as he looked at the comments. "... You know how to work a crowd, Ryuugamine-san! Now the audience wants me to interview the rest of the Peerage!"
"Wait," Pandora remarked at this proposition for a surprise interview. "WHAT?!"
And so, the rest of the Gremory Peerage were interviewed, with the only notable thing happening in the interview being that Pandora was too terrified to answer a single question and spent the latter half of the camera time fainted while sitting.
Once the interview was done, Raiser formally apologizes for the sudden interview, the camera crew leaves the venue without so much as leaving a trace of their existence (and reveal that the servants they were posing as were given a paid leave by Raiser himself), and the afterparty got underway to the nobles that still had enough energy to keep going.
At the Afterparty...
"Takeshi..." Rias mumbled as she and the Pawn walked down the hall arm-to-arm. "... Are you alright? Did my parents give you any grief?"
"Could've been much worse," Takeshi answered, both of them slightly drunk and really exhausted from the constant emotional whiplash from having to rub elbows with other nobles. "... I can see why they are happily married for centuries. Their personalities bounce off each other very nicely."
Rias giggles. "I'm glad," she remarked as she turned towards the balcony. "... Could we stop here for a moment? I want to show you something."
The two Devils stop and step outside, looking upon the vast horizon of the Underworld and its sky, which, in spite of its otherworldly shade of violet, the stars shone like the ones in the mortal plane.
It is almost as if Takeshi had never left his own world.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Rias remarked as she looked up with Takeshi. "... You know, the older Devils were vehemently against installing a day-night cycle within the Underworld's 'sky,' citing that it makes the Reincarnated Devils long for the home that they 'no longer have a place in'."
"Sounds like a huge pain in the butt," Takeshi commented.
"Their protests have mostly died down nowadays," Rias reassured. "And the best part is that our skies are magically designed to adjust to the light pollution."
Takeshi nods. "... Indeed," he remarked. "... But I get the feeling that you didn't bring me all the way out here just to show me this."
Rias fidgets before tugging on the hem of his suit jacket, catching his attention towards a now-blushing Gremory heiress.
"... First, I want to thank you for giving your all against Riser and his Peerage," she began. "Thank you for being angry on my behalf, being able to express what I cannot say out loud lest I lose face."
Takeshi smiles. "Anytime."
"That said..." Rias then looked towards the side, a little bashful of having to hide something from him. "... Why did you go as far as you did during the Rating Game?"
Normally, Takeshi would simply answer that he's just doing his due diligence as her Pawn, but that would be a flat-out lie.
He had to tell her the truth. He had to lay his feelings bare.
"... I love you, Rias."
Rias blinked as her face reddened. "... Eh?"
"President, I love you...!" Takeshi wept as he poured his heart out. "... I was a fool to deny these feelings I had, and my anger towards Riser was the fact that he just wanted to marry you out of obligation rather than respecting you as your own person. You brought me back to life... and now I want to spend the rest of my life with you... and all of ORC. You showed me how to live after my last 17 years of my life being dead. I want to fly by your side, Rias. I want to grow old alongside you as we live our lives without regrets."
Rias began breathing heavily as she tried to register his confession. "... I... I didn't know that I meant so much to you."
Takeshi nods as tears seeped from his eyes. "... I was so empty until I met you guys," he revealed. "You, Koneko, Akeno, Yuuto, and Pandora... I can't thank you enough for enriching my life... so please, let me come into yours. Let me fight by your side as your vanguard in your fights to come... and let me offer my everything to you, Rias Gremory."
Rias then hugs Takeshi into her breasts. "... There, there," she whispered into his ear. "... I must also apologize for being a fool to deny my feelings as well."
*chu*
The two then suddenly kiss, with neither side resisting their passions. Lips locked, mouths opened, and tongues intertwined.
Sharing their nothings under the starlit sky of the Underworld, the pair stuck to each other like glue for a few minutes before they separated, a trail of their shared saliva glittering between their mouths.
"I love you too, Ryuugamine Takeshi," she confessed. "I feel as if... you're someone I can trust more than as a member of my Peerage. You're not just another Devil to throw at my enemies. You're someone that I can trust with my own life and so much more... it's almost... empowering to be around you. Like a hero from a children's fairy tale come to life... my knight in shining armor taking me away from my tower."
Takeshi smiles. "... Are you okay with this knight of yours being a little greedy?" he asks. "... Because I feel like my heart is yearning for more... I want all of ORC into my life... and yeah, including Yuuto."
Rias smiled reassuringly. "... It's alright," she confirms. "... There's nothing to be scared of for wanting more."
"... I'm scared of possibly hurting him if I do go for it," he confessed. "I have Akeno's consent and I want to give Pandora more time to sort out her life first... All of these feelings... they're all so new to me... I want more... but I'm scared."
Rias wraps her arms behind Takeshi's back. "I'll be there with you all the way."
He smiles, now calmed down. "... Thank you, Rias," Takeshi said. "... Thank you for giving me a chance to begin with."
Rias lets out a giggle as she hugs tighter, with Takeshi caressing her hands gently. "... Come with me."
The pair then find themselves inside a lavishly-decorated bedroom with a king-sized bed placed at the middle.
"Party revenues often have private rooms like these when some guests get a little... frisky," Rias remarked as she locked the door.
Takeshi was now utterly lost for words at what was about to happen next as Rias drops her party dress to the floor and strips herself down to her thong.
"Oh come now, you've already seen me naked."
Boldly, the King then shoves Takeshi down onto the bed as she begins slowly unbuttoning his dress shirt.
"... I'm not against it or anything," Takeshi remarked. "... But I'm more worried about your parents, or Satans forbid, your older brother, finding out."
Rias smirks as her hands then creep towards his pants. "... They don't need to know-"
"AHEM."
Both Takeshi and Rias were so deep into their passions that they forgot about a certain Sacred Gear housing Evil Dragons on one of them.
"If you two are going to fornicate and reproduce, then could you do it in a place where it's less dense in ambient magic?" Nidhogg remarked. "I have nothing against the act, only that I prefer to be dormant while you two fuck like animals in heat."
... With that, the atmosphere was RUINED.
"You suck, Nidhogg...!" Takeshi groaned as he and Rias laid next to each other, their faces covered with their hands, and groaning in sheer disappointment.
"You're so evil...!" Rias winced as the Evil Dragon of Envy laughs at their displeasure.
"Damn straight," Nidhogg remarked.
"... I don't get it," Grendel remarked. "How the fuck are you supposed to get a hard-on when you're not fighting?"
"Asking the wrong Evil Dragon, meathead."
And so, Takeshi and Rias groaned as their libidos were put on ice in short order.
"... Well, my boner's gone," Takeshi grimaced.
"And so are my ovaries..." Rias sighed. "... Such is the life of an Evil Dragon User, huh?"
Takeshi nods before the door opens, revealing Koneko, with a hairclip in hand that she used as a lockpick.
"I heard everything," the Nekomata remarked. "But don't worry, I know a place."
As Rias dresses herself, Takeshi then looks into her phone.
"Kuoh Town has a notable Red Lights District that we can stop by and get freaky," she suggested. "I reserved the place for next Sunday and... senpai, I have to ask you and the President... but can we upgrade to a threesome so we can all lose our virginities together with each other's consent?"
Takeshi blinks. "... Yeah, I'm down." He then turns towards Rias. "What about you?"
"We already saw each other naked, so might as well go the distance then," Rias remarked as she tugged her dress back on. "... And I won't lie, but there have been a few times where I wanted to get a little freaky with you, Koneko. Do I have your permission to rock your world along with Takeshi's and vice-versa?"
The Nekomata then makes a dirty gesture, sticking her thumb between her index and middle finger as her version of a thumbs-up. "... Fuck yeah."
As the three young Devils begin to anticipate their upcoming little escapade, a sudden thought hits Takeshi's mind like a runaway train. "AH!"
The two girls give notice. "What's wrong?!"
"So much shit happened during Golden Week and the week after that it slipped my mind...!" Takeshi groaned as he frazzled his hair in frustration. "FUCK! HOW COULD I FORGET THIS?!"
"What?! What is it?!" Koneko exclaimed as Takeshi gave his revelation.
"... Midterms are this following week," he revealed. "... And we didn't study for shit."
Rias and Koneko's faces pale upon that realization.
"NOOOOOO!"
As the three young Devils lamented at their careless oversight, the only other sound that could be heard echoing down the halls were Nidhogg's laughter.
"... Your misery is my nectar, whelp."
Arc 4: Firebird and Dragon - COMPLETE
To Be Continued...
And thus, that's the end of this reboot's "Chapter 20."
Hands down, one of the longest chapters I've ever written in my fic career, and if I had a nickel for every chapter that I write in late November that surpasses 40k words, I'd have two nickels.
Not a lot, but I'm surprised that it happened twice in a row. Eh, silver lining, I'm taking a break from writing until 2025 rolls around.
Before we move onto the chapter, I have to say something both about what I found online and the PMs I've been getting. It's small, but something that needs to be said.
First of all, I saw my reboot's entry in the fandom wiki. Whoever's writing it, feel free to PM me for any pointers or anything that needs to be asked. And thank you for acknowledging my reboot's existence.
Secondly, please stop sending me art commission requests. I do not have a disposable income and I prefer if your portfolios are a bit more developed. Nothing against you artists who like my work, but I want to spend my money the way I want, so please, stop asking for it.
With all that out of the way, onto the chapter's development itself.
First of all, the Rating Game in general was my attempt of expanding upon the original and my attempt to give everyone a chance beyond mere cannon fodder. The [Bounty] system was admittedly a bit hard to keep track of (to the point where I had to make a spreadsheet) and the [Rocket] rule was so vague that it was more of an incentive rather than a rule to keep people fighting each other as fast as they could. Overall, not perfect, but came out better than I thought.
Still though, the Phenex Peerage gave the Gremory Peerage Hell. 92-118 isn't a bad score. Re:Live trained them well, but Takeshi has exploited Tokusatsu cliches to his advantage in order to steal the game last-minute.
And the Gremory Peerage's Rating Game specialty has been revealed: "High Risk, High Reward." The tactics such as the "King's Gambit" is pretty much indicative of how the Gremory Peerage operates ever since they brought in Takeshi: take big risks in order to achieve bigger results. After all, if the rest of the supernatural world considers the Evil Dragon Users as a massive risk to be around (at best), then why bother playing it safe?
One last note: in Takeshi and Grendel's [Violent Dual Remix], Buster Docking is based off Kinnikuman's Buster Variation Part 6, and used by Nemesis and another member of the Perfect Large Numbers in the Kinnikuman Perfect Origin Arc anime.
Second, the hospital visit. Yeah, Riser and his entire Peerage are effectively exiled from the Underworld, but at least Ruval was willing to foot the bill just so that he doesn't leave them out in the cold and drive them into becoming actual Stray Devils, so in a way, they'll make a return as their own independent faction.
Silver lining, they fought like demons, and some of them even unlocked new powers because Grendel kept spamming his infectious rage to the point where the whole "Power Born of Madness"-trope was invoked. Crippling as his rage is, it's a bit of a double-edged sword should it be abused.
And speaking of whom, Mira's now in a halo, because I thought that episode from Brooklyn 99 where Gina had to wear one after getting creamed by a bus was kinda funny (in a morbid way: no offense to those who are actually injured that gravely IRL).
And finally, the post-victory gala.
There's so much shit going on in there, that I'll just leave you with this: make what you will of it and tell me in the comments. And yes, I named the five members of the Underworld's Council of Nobles after Gundam characters, specifically after Gjallarhorn-aligned characters from Iron-Blooded Orphans.
Regarding House Andromalius' trait, [Karma Star], think Seven Deadly Sin's [Full Counter] used by Meliodas, but can be used in ANY range. And Romary is THE definition of "Small Role, Big Impact" in that her circumstances were the basis of the Evil Piece System developed by Ajuka Beelzebub, adding another layer of House Phenex's prestigious status within the Underworld.
As for ORC's formal outfits, a few are touched-up versions of the original dvdryms' descriptions, but I added new designs for most of them, with Akeno's formal dress is based off Shirogane Ato-ko/Atlach-Nacha's kimono from Nyaruko: Crawling with Love! and Rias' formal dress is based off Red Hood's [Nonsense Red] skin from Goddess of Victory: NIKKE.
Oh, and midterms. Devil or human, it's everyone's existential nightmare, doubly so if they neglected to study for a WHOLE WEEK.
Anyway: here are the ancillary characters voice fancast:
- Lord Rustal Bael: Takaya Kuroda (JPN), Jason Marnocha (ENG)
- Lord Gaelio Agares: Katsuyuki Konishi (JPN), Yong Yea (ENG)
- Lady Carta Paimon: Kimiko Saito (JPN), Tara Platt (ENG)
- Lord Iok Vassago: Ryōhei Kimura (JPN), Khoi Dao (ENG)
- Lord Ein Sallos: Kouji Ishii (JPN), David Wald (ENG)
- King Zekram Bael: Hiroshi Fujioka - aka, THE Kamen Rider Ichigo (JPN), Neil Kaplan (ENG, who voiced a couple major Power Ranger monsters since Mighty Morphin')
And with that, I'll see you guys in the next chapter.
Hope that this was big enough to keep you satiated for a whole month as I roll out a new upload schedule for 2025!
Enjoy your Thanksgiving and have a nice holiday season! My family's gonna take a trip to Seattle, Washington during Christmas week, and before that, I have several Gunpla model kits and Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake to tackle.
Have fun!
[Cataclysm Zone]'s Data Entry: [Savage Predator Incarnation]
Punching Power: 15 t
Kicking Power: 10 t
Maximum Jump Height: 8 m
Maximum Running Speed: 100 m in 10 seconds
Toku References:
- The Mad Doctor Shift Squadron's debut operation is based on the various (quack) doctors (disguised Yōkai of the week) in Kakuranger, particularly the ones from "Today is Friday in California"-meme.
- Lord Revive Phenex quotes Narutaki from Kamen Rider Decade upon discovering why Re:Live purchased a lion's share of his merchandise (both mass market and premium stocks) in bulk.
- Pandora's maneuver against Riser to outspeed him is based off the Road Dopant's powers of creating roads midair from Fuuto P.I.
- The way Ravel and Yubelluna were taken out by Takeshi via a flying door (after his explosive display of rage) is a tongue-and-cheek reference to Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger, where in the opening arc, the titular characters before their debut henshin, they instead shoot the enemy footsoldier, the Kudacks, with their [Geartlinger] morphers after pulling the trigger, rather than doing their transformation.
- Takeshi's line before activating Grendel's Balance Breaker is meant to both allude Shuriken Sentai Ninninger's Igasaki Takaharu's catchphrase and Igarashi Ikki's pre-henshin catchphrase from Kamen Rider Revice.
- Grendel's Balance Breaker, [Savage Predator Incarnation], borrows elements from other Kamen Riders, with Kamen Rider Revice's [Volcano Rex Genome] as base, Kamen Rider Bravo's [Durian Arms] and [Kingdurian Arms] for the general armor plating aesthetic (with Gekiranger's [Super Gekiranger] form's jet boosters), and Kamen Rider Gaoh's jaw-motif visor. Its transformation sequence is based off Kamen Rider Shin's first henshin from Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue.
- Takeshi performs the Whirlwind Backbreaker used by Gouriki the "Golem"/Gorilla Malgam from Kamen Rider Gotchard on Riser.
- Yuuto's [Full Release - Deviant Make: Attack 1,2,3] is named after one of [Type Tridoron]'s combined Shift Tires [Attack 1.2.3] from Kamen Rider Drive.
- Rias' [Avatar of Destruction - Hakaizer], is named after Goshikida Isao's brainwashed form from Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger, with the addition of a soldier's helmet and flame jets being a reference to Young Noble Junior/Gashadokuro from Ninja Sentai Kakuranger.
- Takeshi and Grendel's [Violent Dual Remix] is based off Revice and Vice's [Revi Giffard Finish] in regards to its tag-team gimmick, and going off Kamen Rider Ryuki, the finisher itself is a combination of Kamen Rider Tiger's and Kamen Rider Verde's [Final Vent]s, but more leaning towards Kinnikuman-style of Pro Wrestling.
- ORC's post-victory roll call and pose is a fusion of Gaoranger's roll call and ToQger's team pose.
- Takeshi's formal outfit is based off Kadoya Tsukasa/Kamen Rider Decade's civilian outfit from Kamen Rider Zi-O, while Yuuto's formal outfit is based off Kaito Daiki/Kamen Rider Diend's civilian dress from the same series.
OC Fancast:
- Mad Doctor Shift Squadron: Hidenari Ugaki (German Doctor), Rie Tanaka (Nurse), Takashi Kondo (Scrubs), Yasunori Masutani (Eyepatch Doctor)(JPN), Derek Stephen Prince (German Doctor), Laura Post (Nurse), Kaiji Tang (Scrubs), Reagan Murdock (Eyepatch Doctor) (ENG)
- Lady Kiyohime: Aya Hisakawa (JPN), Michelle Ruff (ENG)
...
And given that I'll be gone (for a while), here are the Epilogues!
Enjoy!
13th of May, 2019 AD
After the rush and haste of the Rating Game has passed, Kuoh Academy's Occult Research Club go back to their lives as regular High School students.
"Hrmmm..."
... With varying results. Admittedly, Takeshi's announcement of the upcoming midterms wasn't something that all of them were prepared for.
In fact, it may have to do with some that they neglected to study for a whole week after having to fight for their very existence during Golden Week.
So, an emergency study session for the upcoming midterms was declared.
"Koneko, did you cover math?" Takeshi asked.
"I hate math..." the Nekomata whined.
"Now, now, Koneko-chan," Akeno chided. "No snacks until you finish studying your lowest-performing subject. Think of this like we did for the Rating Game, only that we don't have to die repeatedly."
"I'd rather die repeatedly," Koneko pouted.
Everyone else continued studying around the same desk in the main ORC office. All contracts were suspended under the pretense of "emergency restructuring," and for the last few hours after school, there was nothing but quiet.
However, it was anything but subtle, as Takeshi, Rias, and Koneko kept exchanging quick glances at each other while sitting at different sides of the table, each exchange of looks progressively getting hornier and more desperate as it went on.
Akeno noticed this and was trying her best not to laugh at the sheer tension being built up between the three (and looking forward to the "after action report"), Yuuto was relatively clueless (and thus the most focused out of the group), and as for Pandora...
"... Excuse me." She then gets up. "... I need to go relieve myself."
Akeno then sees her out of the office. "... Don't take too long, okay?"
As soon as the Queen closed the door, Pandora then ran to the restroom and sat inside, her heart feeling like they are wrapped in briars.
"... What is this... feeling?" she sobbed as tears dripped onto her hands. "... Why...? Why does it hurt so much?"
Unable to comprehend this feeling at all, Pandora began to cry into her knees.
"... I don't understand!" she sobbed. "I don't understand..."
"Well, thank our lucky stars that you were the one who made the Rating Game have a wider broadcast range," Azazel spoke as he and Re:Live walked down the halls of the Grigori Administrative Building. "I mean, God forbid were I forced to bend some rules regarding mine and the Satans' non-aggression pact, wouldn't you agree?"
"I only did it because I don't want to listen to your inane rambling, Governor." The superhero then kicks the doors leading into the main conference room, where Baraqiel, Shemhazai, and a strikingly-handsome young man with light silver hair with slight dark undertones and hazel-colored eyes, dressed in an ensemble black leather biker's jacket over his plain white t-shirt with matching black pants and leather shoes, currently nesting a smartphone in his hand watching something, with his ears plugged in with a pair of sports air pods.
"Would you please stop doing that?" Baraqiel requested.
"No." Re:Live then took his seat as did the Governor. "... Alright, enough talk. What's the status with our plans?"
"So far..." Shemhazai then checks his proceedings. "... Smoothly, surprisingly enough."
"I managed to establish a line of communications with one of your intermediaries," Baraqiel revealed. "They sent me a reply. Their associates are willing to play ball."
"Good." Re:Live then turns towards Azazel. "And what about you? Did the Four Great Satans come to a consensus regarding your appeal?"
"Trust me, it's hard getting them to agree on anything, especially in regards to me," the Governor remarked. "That said though, I did manage to get Lord Beelzebub interested after I offered your data regarding [Cataclysm Zone] and it's never-before-seen 'synchronization' phenomenon as a colleterial... and with the current Lucifer forming a rapport with your little superhero-in-training, all that's left is to make Asmodeus and Leviathan come to agree with us, although, given that the latter's younger sister goes to the same school as he... maybe I can smooth things over between them to form a bridge or some sort?"
"Prioritize on convincing Asmodeus first," Re:Live suggested. "Our agreement with Leviathan will solve itself for us. On another note, I personally can't believe that Beelzebub wanted more even after I helped him stabilize the King Piece to make it usable in the Evil Piece system. Still, it's better than nothing, I suppose. Keep up the good work."
"Will do!" The Governor then turned towards the young man. "So Vali? Got anything to tell us?"
The young man grumbles before pausing the video. "... Nothing much," he answered as he put his phone and air pods away. "Just beat up some thugs drunk on power. Bunch of cannon fodder who know nothing."
"Unfortunate, but at least this confirms one thing," the superhero pointed out. "... Our agitators are about to make their move."
"So do we strike first, or wait until we catch them with their pants down?" Azazel asked.
Vali then scoffs before getting up from his seat at the table. "... I'm leaving the logistics to you old-timers," he grumbled as he walked out of the door. "I'm going to train."
The young man then leaves the conference room with a huff.
But as soon as he was alone in the hallway, the young man's dour look softened into a smile, and his dull eyes gleaming with a hint of subtle excitement.
It's been a good while since I saw you in a good mood, Vali, a low, growling and bassy voice echoed inside his mind. ... Something catches your interest in your dull life for once?
He merely huffs as he takes out his phone and air pods once again, resuming the Rating Game footage that he was watching prior.
"You know, at first, I thought that the current Evil Dragon User would be another mindless beast," Vali confessed. "... But seeing him closer, that's not the case. His movements are flashy, yet deliberate. Showy, yet purposeful. Almost like a Tokusatsu superhero that kids would wake up to watch every Sunday at 9 AM."
The video then shows both Takeshi and Grendel performing their Buster Docking as the clock ticked down to its last minute, clenching victory by a hair's breadth.
"... You never changed, my friend. Even after all these years," he remarked with a wry grin upon seeing Takeshi and the rest of ORC pose like Super Sentai. "Or perhaps you've changed so much that I only assumed that I had left you far behind, only for you to show up right behind my back."
"... Got what you need right here," a middle-aged man in a hoodie and sweatpants then handed someone a small cardboard box.
The stranger then hands the desperate man an envelope packed to the gills with yuan bills.
"Thank you!" the man replies with a bow as he leaves the box behind. "Now I can pay my month's rent!"
As the man scurries away, the stranger then turns back with the package in hand before running into Alkaid.
"Business as usual, my friend?" the masked ringmaster remarked at the stranger, revealing themselves as a humanoid figure dressed in a black hooded raincoat, dark-green waders with black-tipped rain boots, and a graphite-black colored 3D-printed polygonal mask completely covering their face.
"... People are so desperate nowadays." The masked stranger then takes out a box cutter. "Loyalty to country or family can be compromised by waving around banknotes."
The two figures then open up the box to reveal several stacks of papers and a few sealed petri dishes with a biohazard label taped onto their lids.
"... Remind me, but that man was merely a janitor working in a government facility at Wuhan with bare-minimum clearance, correct?" Alkaid asked.
"Sometimes, I get the feeling that we overestimate their integrity." The masked stranger then takes out a roll of duct tape before resealing the box. "... Or their intelligence. Pick one."
Alkaid then taps their cane at one of the many security cameras laid around the city that they were in right now.
"Why pick just one?" the ringmaster deadpanned before something vibrated in their coat pocket. "... Hold that thought."
They then pull out their phone before reading a message on it.
"What is it?" the masked stranger asked.
Alkaid sighs before putting their phone away.
"Our top agent has completed his mission at Myanmar and has now caught a flight to Belgrade as we speak."
"Oh my God, it's May, so why am I freezing my tits off here?!" Raynare cried out as she shivered upon arriving at Okhotsk, Russia.
"Welcome to Russia, where even the rain is no different from snow," deadpanned the fox-masked swordswoman as she was unfazed by 0 degree Celsius-temperature. "... Come on. Get your fatass moving unless you want to be served as cold cuts."
Reluctantly, the Fallen Angel follows the woman with the Holy Sword sheathed behind her back. Too cold and too busy shivering to even give lip, she kept following her without complaint.
The pair then stop at an ocean cliffside. "We're here."
"For what, exactly-" Suddenly, Raynare gasps upon spotting a pair of blackened wings walking behind a thickly-dressed man. "... A Fallen Angel?! Here?!"
The pair then meet by the cliffside. "Ah, Raynare," the cloaked Fallen Angel greeted. "I see you have been doing well for yourself."
Raynare was sweating, but she could feel her dews freeze upon her skin.
"No need to be so tense, my wayward child of God," the elderly man accompanying the Fallen Angel reassured. "... If it may ease your nerves, then shall we get down to business?"
"Indeed, Father Valper Galilei," the masked swordswoman answered as her hand gripped around her jian. "... We shall begin."
*SLASH!*
It was too fast.
The moment that the masked swordswoman had sheathed her blade once more, Raynare's head was severed from her neck as it, her prayer beads, and her headless body plummeted towards the ocean below.
*SPLASH*
"... The disposal of a traitor."
Father Galilei then applauds. "Splendid performance, Yozakura!" the elderly man complimented. "To think that you were able to fool that interloper for so long! The Church were a bunch of fools to discard you!"
"Spare me your flattery, I'm here to work," the masked swordswoman scoffed. "... Under Lord Kokabiel's orders, I am to escort you to Japan, where we are to gather the fragments of [Excalibur] and other Holy Swords throughout the country."
"Right," the Fallen Angel agreed. "We mustn't tarry here for much longer! Lead the way."
The masked swordswoman then bows. "As you wish, Lord Gadreel."
Belgrade, Serbia. A city bustling with people as the country's capital.
This was not their story.
But instead, this was a story of a hooded man wearing a dark-blue leather trenchcoat over a spandex-like top that showed his muscled physique through the tight fitting. The winds brushed against his military fatigue-like pants held up by a pair of thick leather belts buckled around his waist, and grinding against the pavement were a pair of black military-style combat boots. Holstered over his shoulder was a thin and long shinai bag carrying something inside.
Staring at the Temple of the revered Saint Sava of the Orthodox Faith, the man then walks across the street, approaching the sacred site guarded by two priests.
"Excuse me, good sir," one priest remarked. "I must apologize, but the Temple of Saint Sava is closed off to visitors."
"Unless you have an invitation, then I'm afraid you'll have to come back tomorrow afternoon-"
*SLASH!*
Instantly, the shinai bag was discarded, revealing a European-style longsword with a pearlescent blade that is notched thrice on both edges near the bottom and the fuller, a reddish-purple grip with an image of a black wyrm wrapped around the handle, and a golden hilt with a red crucifix engraved into the crossguard's center, returning to its black sheathe held in the hooded man's hands.
With a single draw, the two priests fall dead, their heads severed cleanly from their necks.
"I got your invitation right here."
Without caution, the stranger then forcibly kicks down the front gates, breaking through the locks and triggering the Temple's alarms and causing everyone to be notified of his unwanted presence as he advances without fear.
"Slaughter them all," he declared as several footsteps approached from all directions, brandishing his celestial-looking blade that began emanating with a sickly, dark aura. "... [Ascalon]."
Note: The following segment is my very first attempt at writing erotica. Given the nature of the fic's source material, this was inevitable. All characters involved are fictional and are not based off any people in real life or it's merely a coincidence.
Please do not try these acts in real life unless one acquires a mutually consenting party.
Reader discretion is advised.
19th of May, 2019 AD
Takeshi couldn't believe that this was actually happening.
Standing on the streets of Kuoh's Red Lights District, he, Rias, and Koneko stood before an honest-to-God love hotel in broad daylight.
Granted, all of them were wearing disguises (with Rias casting a spell to make them utterly imperceptible to outsiders), so there was no danger to them being blackmailed, but still, it didn't change the fact that they were about engage in a threesome despite not being legal adults by law.
Then again, they lost the rights to abide by conventional moral values when all three of them were drinking like fish back at the gala to the point of slight inebriation. At this point, all that was left to do was to commit to the rest of the country mile.
"... So," Takeshi remarked with a nervous chuckle. "... We're really doing this."
Rias and Koneko nod.
"Alright," the President remarked. "Housekeeping."
"Pandora?"
"Out with Akeno and working with her over the weekend," Takeshi confirmed.
"Our school uniforms, bags, and spare underwear?"
"Check." Koneko then held up their bags.
"Energy drinks?"
"Check."
"Phones and chargers?"
"Check."
"Tits?"
"Out."
"... Everyone frustrated and horny after a whole week of abstinence and the Hell known as midterms?"
"Very," Koneko heaved out, actively resisting the urge to pounce someone right now.
"Alright! We're all in the clear!" Rias confirmed. "Onwards!"
And so, the three entered the love hotel without delay, securing a room for themselves for an overnight stay.
"... By the way, I told my mom and dad I'm just staying at your place overnight," Takeshi pointed out as they entered their room, consisting of a king-size waterbed, shelves of sex toys for both genders, a box of condoms and bottles of lube on the bedside table arranged in a gift basket, and a visible shower stall that with all the amenities. "... I really need to stop making them worry."
"It's understandable, given what happened during Golden Week," Rias remarked as she began stripping as did Koneko. "... Even put on my sexiest underwear just for you, Takeshi. How does it look?"
Takeshi gulped at Rias' lacy red lingerie causing his primal instincts to awaken in him something fierce, his crotch starting to feel a bit too tight and hot.
"... I have no words," he remarked as his shirt was then stripped by Koneko from behind, who in turn was down to her basic pink striped panties and bra.
"I know I'm not as flashy as the President..." the Nekomata remarked as she took off her panties before placing them on his head. "... But that doesn't mean that you can ignore me."
"Right, sorry about that, Koneko-chan," Takeshi heaved out as he sat down on the waterbed, feeling a bit more heated then he was ever before as the girls completely stripped themselves nude right in front of him without a single care in the world.
"We'll wash up first," Rias said as she took Koneko into the visible shower stall.
"You can watch, but no touching yourself," Koneko instructed with a flirtatious smirk. "... For today, you're ours."
With those orders in mind, Takeshi simply sat on the waterbed, watching the two girls wash themselves right in front of him, with only his pants and Koneko's panties hanging on his head.
This... is a new kind of feeling, Nidhogg commented. Personally, I have nothing against it. Only that it confuses me more than anything else.
I don't why this is supposed to feel good at all, Grendel remarked with absolute confusion. What is the point of touching someone where you're not ripping into their flesh and snapping their bones like twigs?
... I think I just have to learn this as I go, you two, Takeshi replied. For now, just leave it all to me. No need to bother yourselves with it if it annoys you.
With that, the Evil Dragons go silent as Rias and Koneko come with only towels covering their modesty.
"Alright, Takeshi," Rias said with a smirk as she and Koneko kneel down towards his crotch level. "Time to see what you're packing in there."
Both girls then grab the edges of his trousers and boxers before yanking them down, revealing his phallus to the rest of them, now at full-mast.
"... I feel like I'm being judged," Takeshi commented as the girls stared at his boner. "... And not because of my Evil Dragons for once."
Koneko chuckles. "Then I guess we better take care of this 'Evil Dragon' right here, right, President?"
With that, both Rias and Koneko began slobbering on his cock, their tongues slid from base to scrotum, sucking and kissing on the latter as their eyes were locked onto Takeshi's own.
"No touching~!" Rias said as she continued with her work.
"Just lie down and think about Kuoh..." Koneko murmured as her tongue licked his shaft.
"Oh fuck...!" Takeshi heaved out. "... I'm going fucking crazy from a double blowjob... OH FUCK! MY BRAIN IS MELTING-I'M GONNA NUT-!"
Then suddenly, the girls stop their fellatio.
"Eh...?" Takeshi moaned out. "... What the heck? Why-Why did you stop?"
Rias grumbles with a pout. "... We just cleaned up, you know."
Koneko then pats his testicles gingerly before pecking it with a kiss. "Save your nut butter for us, senpai."
Both girls then take off their towels and reveal their steamy nude bodies fresh out of the showers. Just as Takeshi could fathom what was going on, he suddenly finds Koneko laid down on the waterbed, her legs spread open, and her pussy exposed.
"... It's going to be my first time, after all," the Nekomata bashfully remarked. "... Help me loosen up, senpai."
After gulping, Takeshi then proceeds to bury his face into his kouhai's vagina, slurping it like how she did with his penis.
The Rook did her best to endure the euphoric sensations that were firing into her brain, her heartbeat steadily increasing as both she and Takeshi were beginning to synchronize with each other's libidos.
"Good boy." Rias then stroked Takeshi's head, with the latter being receptive, as evidenced by him licking even more furiously into Koneko's pussy, causing the girl to start mewling with rising arousal. "Eat her out until there are no leftovers."
"Senpai..." Koneko groaned as her head began to feel funny. "... I'm-I'm gonna... I'M CUMMING!"
Koneko then lets out a loud mewl as she orgasms from Takeshi's very first attempt at a cunnilingus.
"Good job!" Rias praised Takeshi as Koneko was left gasping for air. "Now to seal the deal..."
The President then spreads Koneko's pussy wide open, revealing her pink hymen within her folds.
"... Koneko," Takeshi said. "... Just asking for your permission, but may I take your first time as you will with mine?!"
Koneko then spreads her own genitals out for her first love.
"... I'm all yours, senpai," she replies with earnesty. "... Make me into your woman!"
Then something snaps within Takeshi's brain as his primal instincts take over.
"KONEKO!"
Without hesitation, Takeshi then rams his erect cock into her pussy, breaching through her hymen and into the rest of her vagina.
"... Are you okay?" Takeshi asks Koneko as the latter sheds tears.
"... It stung a little," she confessed. "... But it's also starting to feel good now. Please... move inside of me."
Takeshi complies as both Devils begin grinding their hips into each other's own.
As he looked down onto her, laying on her back, completely helpless as her modest breasts swayed with the torque of his thrusts, an illogical, borderline-inane feeling overwhelms his better judgment.
"Koneko...! Koneko-chan!" Takeshi heaved as he and the Rook continued fucking without mercy.
"Fuck me! Fuck me, senpai!" begged the Nekomata as her ears and tails popped out of her hair and lower back. "GIVE ME YOUR KITTENS! I WANT TO BE THE ONE TO CARRY THEM!"
Responding to her desperation, Takeshi then presses his whole body weight behind his thrusts, going from missionary to mating press.
"KONEKO!" Takeshi then forcibly kisses his first girlfriend in the lips, the pair's tongues intertwining with each other's mouths until they were getting drunk off of each other's spits.
Meanwhile, Rias herself couldn't help but masterbate to this sight, feeling a little left out, but even hornier as she saw her two subordinates go at it with each other, their thrusts getting faster and harder with each passing minute.
"FUCK! I'M GONNA NUT FOR REAL THIS TIME!" Takeshi exclaimed as he could feel his dick swell up with semen.
"DO IT INSIDE!" Koneko then locks her legs around Takeshi's waist. "GET ME PREGNANT BEFORE I GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL! SHOW THE OTHER BOYS IN MY CLASS THAT YOU OWN ME!"
Now completely losing all inhibitions, both Takeshi and Koneko grunt and scream like animals in heat until reaching their shared climax.
Takeshi practically buried Koneko with his own body, his half-buried dick twitching and spilling white fluids from Koneko's pussy, mixing in with her virginal blood.
As soon as the ejaculation stops, Takeshi then pulls out of Koneko, now seeing her completely dazed and euphoric, her lips covered in his drool, and her vagina leaking his nut butter.
"Koneko?" Takeshi asks. "... Are you okay?"
Koneko mumbles incoherently as she was still under the effects of orgasming twice in a row.
"Don't worry, she's fine." Rias then comes up to Takeshi from behind before stroking his dick. "... By the way, it's my turn."
Without delay, Rias then proceeds to eat his cock whole to get it back to full-mast.
"Wow, less than ten seconds," she commented. "Impressive recovery time."
Takeshi nods. "... You want me to help you loosen up as well?"
"I got a better idea."
And so, Rias and Takeshi get on top of each other and proceed to do the sixty-nine next to the half-fainted Koneko. Takeshi greedily ate up Rias' pussy while brushing his nose up against her clitoris and well-groomed pubic hair, whereas Rias took Takeshi's erection all the way to the base and down to her throat.
Takeshi couldn't help but move his hips deeper into her throat, shoving his dick deeper inside until he could feel his scrotum touch her vocal cords. Rias then in return, shoves her own pussy deeper into Takeshi's face, letting his tongue touch her elastic hymen that felt like a fleshy gummy.
No words needed to be said. All they could do to reply to each other's passions was to simply cum into each other's faces.
Takeshi felt his mouth and nose be spritzed with Rias' vaginal fluids, whereas Rias swallowed Takeshi's hot cum like she was chugging beer.
Once both release each other from their presses, Rias then lets out a small burp while Takeshi was starting to feel extra-delirious of having to deal with two girls at the same time.
"... Not gonna lie, but I like the taste," Rias teased.
"For your first time, you're kinda ruthless," Takeshi confessed, causing his King to giggle.
"Well, you can say that we Devils have high sex drives," she explained. "... But sadly, our fertility rate is only a fraction of a human being's."
"... Oh." Takeshi then realizes why the Underworld felt so underpopulated, and why Rias' parents, Zeoticus and Venelana, only had three children despite being married for over several centuries. "... Suddenly, I get it why some Devils down there are so... desperate."
"It's sad, but it's the truth we have to reckon with," Rias pointed out as she gave her Pawn a quick kiss while gently stroking his cock. "... And you know, I was thinking that I was going to lose my first time to someone else before my marriage if Riser did win-"
Takeshi then pulls Rias in for a hug.
"... Please, don't," he begged. "Please don't throw away your dignity like it's nothing...! To be forced to be in that kind of position... that's just too cruel!"
Rias hugs Takeshi back. "... You're such a kind soul, Takeshi," the King declared. "Perhaps you have what it takes to be the greatest and the most beloved Evil Dragon in all of history."
With that out of the way, Rias then offers herself to Takeshi with her arms open.
"... Come," she said. "... Take me away to a world that I have not yet laid my eyes on, O my knight in shining armor."
Unlike Koneko, Takeshi makes sure to treat Rias a bit more gently this time. Perhaps it was due to the fact that this is no longer his first time. Perhaps he wanted to show Rias the respect she deserves. Perhaps Rias' strong spirit that has inspired him tempered his libido.
"... You're so warm, Rias," Takeshi declared as his dick was wet with Rias' virginal blood. "... You're like a sun... gentle and warm for the coldest of hearts to thaw."
Rias chuckles as she pats Takeshi's head. "... Then fly towards it, my dear Evil Dragon."
With her consent, Takeshi begins humping his hips into Rias', feeling his cock slide in and out of her vagina, slowly building up warmth with each friction generated between her walls and his scrotum.
The initial sense of adoration began to erode against his primal instincts, causing him to pick her up and pull her in closer to his face.
"President, can I kiss you?"
"You may." Rias and Takeshi then swap each other's spit into their respective mouths and tongues, their interaction becoming more uncontrolled and primal.
The soft moans grew louder until they were verging on maddened howls.
Normally, Takeshi would switch to another position to drive his dick even deeper into her pussy, but his heart wanted to see Rias as she would see his face.
"Thank you for bringing me into your world, Rias...!" Takeshi said as his hips desperately pumped in and out like a well-oiled piston. "Please! I want to stay with you all for the rest of my days! I want to make more memories with you all! And soon... I want all of us to be a family!"
Rias the pulls Takeshi's head into where she could whisper the following into his ears:
"Then put it in me like you mean it, mister."
Then all bets were off. Now Takeshi was scissoring Rias with his dick plunging in and out of her pussy, thrusting harder and rougher as the two's libidos reached critical mass.
"FUCK! PRESIDENT!"
"DO IT INSIDE OF ME!" she ordered. "SHOW ME YOUR DEDICATION, TAKESHI!"
Both scream in ecstasy as Takeshi's semen floods into her baby room.
Once the deed was done, the two separated from each other before recoupling with their hands only as they laid next to each other, bare and sweating like pigs.
"... I think I can get used to this," Takeshi remarked.
Rias chuckled. "... Me too," she replied. "... But remember, no sex during or inside of school grounds, okay? Last thing I want to happen is Sona getting on my case."
The two then share a small laugh.
"... Speaking of which," Takeshi remarked. "How the Hell am I still second place to her in Kuoh's overall academic performances?! I studied my butt off long before I joined you guys and it's still not enough!"
"... Well, have you ever tried asking her yourself?" Rias suggested.
"Dammit, it's usually the simple options that doesn't seem to work with us..." Takeshi grumbled. "... Maybe we can arrange something between the two Peerages to get together and stuff. After all, I always finish my summer homework in the first week of summer break... perhaps we can collaborate?"
"Huh," Rias remarked. "And so, your unsung genius strikes again..."
"Gonna put that on my digital calendar-"
But just as he reaches for his phone, Koneko suddenly wakes up and pounces onto his dick.
"Koneko-chan?!" Takeshi panicked as the Nekomata rode his erection as her eyes were looking a bit more feral than usual. "... Oh no."
"'Oh no' what exactly?" Rias asked before Takeshi gave his answer with a deathly terrified-look.
"... I think we triggered her heat cycle."
"NYAAA~!" Koneko, now completely out of her mind, begins ramming her crotch into Takeshi's without mercy.
Rias tries to pull her off, but the Nekomata hisses before scratching her, seeing her as another competition as her mating instincts are taken to overdrive.
But as Takeshi was about to faint, Koneko then snatches an energy drink, uncorks it, and proceeds to make Takeshi chug the bottle, causing his dick to become diamond-hard and swell up to the thickness and length of her forearm.
Rias then takes a closer look at those "energy drinks" and discovers that they are basically liquified boner pills.
"... That's it."
Walking over to the counter, Rias then pulls out a double-headed dildo before adjusting it and lubing it up.
"Sorry in advance if this hurts a little...!" the King remarked as she emptied the rest of the bottle into Koneko's asshole. "... But for the love of Satans, CALM THE FUCK DOWN!"
"NYAAAAAA!" As soon as she felt her anal virginity be taken by Rias, an entirely new sensation within her was triggered.
"Mmph?!" Rias was shocked to find Koneko so limber and flexible as the Nekomata saw her no longer as a competition... but as another prospect mating partner, marking her with a very aggressive French kiss, their taste buds touching each other's directly.
Once she separates from the Nekomata's lips, both Rias and Takeshi could swear to the Satans that they can now see glowing pink hearts in her pupils, much to their shared horror at what they've unleashed.
"... Fuck it."
"WE'RE DOING THIS UNTIL DAYBREAK, BABY!"
And so, the rest of the night was spent fucking like wild animals. Takeshi fucked Rias, Rias fucked Koneko, Koneko fucked Takeshi, and in one special case where Takeshi couldn't get it up after they had run out of "energy drinks," Rias fucked Takeshi in the latter's prostate to get it back up and running.
Everyone in the room lost all of their virginities. No quarter was given as Koneko continued to propel her aroused body and feline instincts to their limits and beyond.
And by some miracle, they finally managed to calm Koneko down... after using everything that the love hotel had to offer, with Koneko's asshole now a perfect circle as she herself was completely conked out face-down on the waterbed, sawing logs as the other two Devils sighed in relief.
"... How did you know about the whole cat mating cycle and stuff?" Rias asked as she and Takeshi laid next to each other naked and sweaty (again).
"... Wikipedia," he answered. "... That and I used to be around a lot of cats during Junior High, so I got to know them and then some. Even contemplated going all 'crazy cat lady' if my life didn't work out."
"Oof." Rias grimaces. "... Well, I'm glad that you're here with us. And hey! Your first girlfriend is part-cat, so... mission accomplished?"
"Ha ha." Takeshi dryly laughs before kissing Rias on her cheek. "... Anyway, with all that said and done, I think we can now use some shuteye-"
YOU CAN COUNT THE MEDALS: ONE, TWO AND THREE!
LIFE GOES ON ANYTHING GOES COMING UP OOO!
Takeshi then crawls over to his phone, reading 7:00 AM.
"Oh Satans below..." Takeshi groaned as he turned off his alarm. "... We literally went all night."
Rias blinks before realizing that today's school day and their next job is to make sure that they don't come to school smelling like sex. "... Help me wash up and dress Koneko before we leave."
And so, the three Devils hastily made their way out of Kuoh's Red Lights Districts just in time to grab a beef bowl and canned coffee for breakfast at 7-Eleven before coming on time for school.
A few held their suspicions, but none were conclusive... for now.
"... So, this is it."
Standing before an abandoned hole in the wall establishment was Riser and his entire Peerage, with the leader holding the note with the address of their new home base.
"To think we'd be back in Hokkaido once more..." Ravel remarked with a bemused snort. "... If I didn't know any better, I'd say that Re:Live planned for all of this."
The now-exiled Peerage of Riser found themselves in the streets of Sapporo, Hokkaido, all of them carrying their bags with their belongings and dressed in conventional civilian attire. Even Riser himself had now cleaned up his act, sporting a pair of (purely aesthetic) glasses that made him more of a bookish gentleman than the flamboyant playboy that was originally.
In fact, everyone looked like they fit in the modern human world.
"They even have handicap support..." Mira, still having a halo around her head and shoulders while being trolleyed by a wheelchair, pointed at the ramp leading into the front door.
"Door's a push too," Yubelluna added. "... Shall we?"
The group of sixteen then come inside, finding themselves inside a dusty, but rustic looking bar-cafe that had been long unoccupied.
"Well, the note did say that this place is a bit of a fixer-upper," Riser pointed out. "... Alright, everyone put your bags in a safe spot and let's get to refurbishing.
And so, the exiled Peerage began cleaning the place up, restoring the place to its former glory with their knowledge of magic and aesthetical eye.
"Hey Mira, just asking," Shuriya remarked as she pulled out a vacuum, "but how did you have those... Tengu powers?"
The wheelchair-bound Pawn grumbles. "... Honestly, the fact that I have said powers within me this whole time brings up more questions than answers."
"Hey, we're still learning about ourselves, and I think that's not a bad thing," Mihae pointed out as she restores the last table to full. "... And there! All of the first floor, done!"
"Thank the Satans for magic," Isabela said as she then rolled Mira upstairs as her wheelchair floated in the air. "... That said, I hope your rebab works itself out soon, Mira."
"The feeling of my legs came back a little while ago, so I think that's progress," the Pawn remarked.
"In any event, we'll take care of things down here," Marion stated.
"I'll keep watching over everyone else in the meantime," Burnet suggested.
"Hey, the kitchen's pretty big!" Siris pointed out from the inside.
"There's a restroom with a sink inside too!" Karlamine added. "There's a shower stall in here as well, but I don't think all of us can fit inside."
"Guess we'll have to use the bathhouse down the street then..." Yubelluna sighed.
"Yay! Bathhouse!" Ile and Nel cheered.
"Coffee milk!" Ni and Li exclaimed.
"I think we need to get the electricity, gas, and water running..." Xuelan pointed out as Riser, Ravel, Isabela, and Mira went upstairs, finding themselves in a multi-door hallway with each of them leading into a room inside.
"I think there's enough room for all of us here," Ravel pointed out. "Sleeping arrangements, on the other hand..."
Riser shrugs. "We'll worry about when the time comes."
He then enters one of the rooms at the end of the hallway, revealing an office-like room inside, with desks, chairs, and shelves.
"... This place looks familiar," Mira commented.
"ORC?" Ravel pointed out. "... I'll take that as a yes."
"I ain't saying no to another source of income," the Rook remarked as she adjusted her goggles. "We can take our commissions from here."
"Right." Riser then places the small box that was given to by his older brother before his exile was officiated onto the desk. "... Now let's see what's inside."
Opening the box, the four then look upon the following contents:
A smartphone with a charger.
A credit card (with a note reading "starting value: 666,666 yen - don't spend it all at once").
A list of phone numbers with the contact to the local government agencies, Re:Live's associates, and the most befuddling, the Ainu Pantheon.
And a note written by Romary Phenex, their mother, reading the following:
"Don't forget to call or text me at least once a month! I will always love you no matter how far you are from me! -Love, Mom"
Her phone number was written right below.
"... Brother?" Ravel remarked. "... Are you... crying?"
Riser shook his head as he wiped his eyes. "... I'm not!"
Then the rest of the day was spent putting the finishing touches on the cafe. It was still far from operational, but at the very least, it was livable for a day or two.
"Alright, and with that, I now officially declare the newly-organized 'Riser Peerage' reopened for business!"
The rest of the Peerage applaud as Riser declares their resurgence.
Small as it was, for them, this was a big step into their new lives.
But just as Riser was about to deliver the rest of his speech, his phone then rings.
"Hello?"
"It's me."
It was Re:Live, their filtered monotone being recognizable without the speaker on.
"I'm short on time, so I'll make this quick," they stated. "I'll pay you 9,000,000 yen in exchange for you lot to pick up something for me in Eastern Russia and bring it back here. Contact one of my associates nearby if you need to get there ASAP. You'll know when you find it."
A rotten wasteland of withered vegetation, sludge-like waters, defaced graves, and pitch-black clouds of thunder and rain stretched as far as one's eyes could perceive.
The air was pure miasma. Pink-purple mists rolled across the paradise that has been long abandoned by the gods themselves.
Then, a low rumble rocked the gravelly earth, causing it to swell as an otherworldly and alien silhouette slithered up to the dead world.
"*Yawn* ... Man, how long was I out?"
The monster then looks around its surroundings.
"Ah... I see what's going on here..."
The monster began trudging through the sludge and gravel of their home.
"New world, new rules, but the same ol' people!"
A low chuckle cracked from this creature's form, revealing it to have eight serpentine necks and phallic-looking heads carried by its massive frame being dragged forth by a pair of clawed limbs, each tip dripping with a caustic substance that caused the rocks and graves to hiss as they landed on the rock and ooze.
"And as a great man once said..."
The fog-choked lands tremor at this monster's presence, the very hills parting and prostrating before them like if they were a god.
"... Wait until they all get a load of me."