It's time for the Rating Game challenge to be accepted and the 10 Days of Training to begin! In response to the joke review I received for the last chapter, I realized I forgot to mention something in the end notes. Luke was never a Fire Emblem OC at any point (he was a Persona OC, but that's not the point), but Luke is a fan of the series, and he named his weapon abilities based on the regalia from those games, kind of like how Issei's Dragon Shot was inspired by Dragon Ball. This chapter I tackle Luke's biggest character flaw that he's going to have throughout the story. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!
Not long after he showed up, Riser was drinking the tea Akeno had made.
"Ah, your Queen's tea is delicious." Riser complemented.
"Thank you very much." Akeno smiled back.
She didn't say her usual 'My my' or chuckle. Luke thought. She's definitely not happy about this, either.
Rias was sitting on the sofa and Riser was sprawled out next to her with his arms around her shoulder. She brushed him off, but he kept touching her arm, her hand, and her hair. The rest of her peerage were sitting away from them, including Luke.
He's being completely disrespectful! I've never punched anyone before, but if he starts touching her chest or legs, he'll be the first!
"Cut it out!" Rias furiously shouted as she stood up and glared at Riser.
Riser just gave her a smug smirk.
"Riser, I've told you before! I will not marry you!"
"You've said so before, but you know that's not how this works, Rias." Riser retorted. "You understand the serious situation your household is in."
"I'm fully aware. But as the heir of the House of Gremory, I will choose my future husband! My father, my brother and the rest of my family are rushing it! Besides, they agreed I am free to spend my time as I pleased in the human world until I graduate from university!"
"Indeed. You are essentially free. You can go to college and do whatever you like with your servants. But your father and Lord Sirzechs are worried. They're afraid your household will become extinct. You know how many pureblooded Devils perished in the last war. Even though that war is over, we are still at odds with the Fallen Angels and God. It's not uncommon for heirs to get offed in random skirmishes and the household to become extinct. Knowing that, it's only natural for two High-Class, pureblood Devils to wed. The children born from that union are crucial to a household's survival."
Luke was closely listening to their conversation. Even though Rias had remained silent while Riser explained the gravity of the situation, the resolute expression had not changed.
Riser took another sip of tea before continuing. "The new wave of Devils, those reincarnated from other races such as your servants, are on the rise in both strength and numbers as the old families lose their place. Sure, there are old families who bind their fates with powerful Reincarnated Devils, and that's fine. These new Devils are important for our future, but what of the purebloods? You and I were chosen to prevent the purebloods from going extinct. The House of Phenex is safe because I have two older brothers and a younger sister. But the House of Gremory only has two after your brother left your House: you and your nephew. Thanks to the war, more than half of the 72 Pillars have already crumbled. Our marriage is for the future of our kind."
"Is it true that the House of Phenex is safe?" Luke finally spoke up and asked. "If your family is the one that's better off, then wouldn't that mean you would be marrying into the Gremory family? The stakes aren't as high for you as they are for President. So why go through with this aristocratic procedure?"
"Since he asked so eloquently, I will dignify your Pawn with an answer." Riser said to Rias. "Our marriage would link the Gremory and Phenex families and give birth to more pureblooded Devils who will inherit my family's Power of the Phoenix and Rias's Power of Destruction. As well as that, I have the chance to marry a beautiful woman like Rias."
"My family won't be destroyed! And I will take a husband!" Rias declared.
"I knew you would make the right decision." Riser smiled. "Let's-"
"But I won't marry you, Riser!" Rias emphasized 'you'. "I will wed whomever I acknowledge. Even the sole heir of an old, dying family has the right to choose."
"Tch, you know, Rias, I carry the name of Phenex on my shoulders, right? I won't let that name be smeared. Do you think I wanted to come to this shabby hovel in the human world? To be clear, I despise this realm. The fire and wind in this world are filthy. As a Devil who commands those elements, it's insufferable!"
A whirlwind of fire swirled around Riser, the embers dancing in the room.
"I'm taking you back to the Underworld, even if I have to reduce your servants to ash and drag you there."
The hostility coming from Riser could be felt by everyone in the room. Luke could feel chills running down his spine and Fumiko grabbed his arm as her body shook. Yuuto and Koneko weren't shaking, but they were prepared to fight. Rias met Riser with a red aura around her.
Such power… Luke thought in awe and terror. Riser may be more powerful than that Fallen Angel, Raynare! I feel like those flames will reduce me to ash if I get any closer! But if President refuses to marry him, then we can't let him take her away!
The flames around Riser formed what appeared to be wings on his back. Despite the tension everyone was feeling, Grayfia was completely calm.
"Lady Rias, Lord Riser, please calm down." Grayfia said. "I can't stand by if you continue. For Lord Sirzechs's name and honor, I will not hold back."
Grayfia's tone was quiet, but intense and Rias and Riser became stiff at her words. Riser calmed down his flames, sighed and shook his head.
"'The Strongest Queen'… Even I wouldn't want to get on her bad side." Riser said. "Nor any of the other monsters in Lord Sirzechs's peerage."
This Sirzechs must be President's brother. He must be pretty influential in the world of Devils. Grayfia didn't seem menacing when I first saw her, but if President and Riser are afraid of her, then she must be ludicrously strong.
Rias also relaxed her aura and stance.
"Lord Sirzechs and those from the House of Phenex knew a situation like this might occur." Grayfia continued. "To tell you the truth, these were supposed to be the final discussions. However, they suspected that the issue might not be resolved so easily, so they decided to create a last resort."
"What do you mean, Grayfia?" Rias asked.
"Lady Rias, if you wish to cancel this engagement, may I suggest you settle this by defeating Lord Riser in a Rating Game?"
Rias gasped in surprise at Grayfia's suggestion.
'Rating Game'? I heard President use that term before… That's a competition where Devil Masters pit their servants against each other to see who is best. And being good at it has a major influence on a Devil's social status. But President said that she couldn't participate until she's an adult.
"As you know, Lady Rias, only Devils who have reached adulthood are permitted to enter official Rating Game matches." Grayfia stated. "However, in the event where the entrants are underage, unofficial matches are allowed between pureblooded Devils, Of course, only when-"
"Only when it involves a dispute between the families or households." Rias sighed. "In other words, Father and the others decided to set up a game if I declined… How much do they intend to meddle in my life?"
Luke could feel how infuriated Rias was.
"Do you decline, Lady Rias?" Grayfia asked.
"No, I just didn't expect this opportunity." Rias replied. "Very well. Let's settle this with a game, Riser!"
"Oh?" Riser smirked. "So, you accept? Fine by me. I'm old enough to participate in the official games and I've played more times than I can count. Do you still wish to challenge me, Rias?"
"I will." Rias resolutely answered. "And I will blow you away, Riser!"
"Fine. If you win, you can do whatever you want. But if I win, you will marry me immediately."
Rias and Riser exchanged intense glares.
"Very well. I, Grayfia, have confirmed your decisions. I will be in charge of the game between the two families. Do you agree?"
"Yes." "Yeah" Rias and Riser respectively answered.
"Understood. I will inform both households immediately." Grayfia bowed her head.
Riser glanced toward Rias's servants and gave them a smug smirk. "Rias, don't tell me these are your servants?"
"And what if they are?" Rias raised her eyebrow.
"Heh, then this match will be a cinch." Riser chuckled. "Only your Queen, the Priestess of Lightning, comes anywhere close to my servants."
With a snap of Riser's fingers, the magic circle with the emblem of the Phenex family glowed and over a dozen new figures entered from it.
"Well, these are my cute servants." Riser announced.
Fifteen servants gathered around Riser and Luke's jaw dropped when he noticed that all of them were female.
What the hell?! Is that… a harem?! This prick has 15 girls by his side, and I can't even get a single girlfriend?! Fuck you!
"Master Riser, I don't like the way that boy's looking at us!" One of the girls looked at Luke with disgust.
"Don't worry, my dears." Riser consoled his girls while stroking their bodies. "He's just a Low-Class Devil envying his betters. Let's show him how passionate we are."
Riser began tongue-kissing with one of his servants and she moaned in pleasure as she wrapped her legs around her master's waist. The sight of it was causing Fumiko to bury her red face in her hands.
Now he's just rubbing it in!
Riser finished making out with his servant and started doing it again with another of his girls. He then looked at Luke with a belittling smirk.
"You will never have this."
"Gh!" Luke was gritting his teeth. "I won't let President be taken by a scumbag like you!"
"Come now, deep down, even you desire a harem, do you not?"
"… D-don't try to turn this b-back on me!" Luke exclaimed back with a slight blush on his face.
"There's that stutter." Koneko commented.
"Unlike you, I wouldn't force myself on women!" Luke continued.
"Mira, take care of him." Riser ordered one of his servants.
"Yes, Master Riser." A small girl carrying a long staff complied.
Before Luke could prepare himself, he felt his body suddenly lift off the ground and he was sent crashing through a desk.
"Gah!" Luke coughed. Did she just strike me in the stomach? I didn't even see her attack me!
Riser walked towards Luke and leaned over his aching body. "You're weak. That was my Pawn Mira. She might be the weakest of my servants, but she has far more combat experience than you. She's also a better Devil overall. I heard you possess a powerful Sacred Gear, but that power is all for naught if the user is weak. What's that human saying? Right, 'casting pearls before swine'. That would be you, you worthless Pawn!"
Luke clenched his teeth and fists as Riser laughed.
"Still, our match would be more interesting if you could cultivate that power a bit." Riser placed his hand on his chin. "Rias, how about we have our game ten days from now? I'm fine with doing it now, though I wouldn't find it much fun."
"Are you giving me a handicap?" Rias asked.
"Does that bother you? You can't win a Rating Game with your emotions. You need to utilize your servants' abilities to the fullest. There's nothing wrong with training to prepare yourselves for your first match. Countless times I have seen Devils with powerful abilities lose because they didn't realize their full potential." Riser pointed his hand toward the ground and the magic circle lit up again. "Ten days. That should be enough time to train up your servants." His gaze shifted to Luke. "Don't disgrace Rias, Pawn. Your strength is her strength. See you at the game."
With those words, Riser and his peerage disappeared.
With club activities and Devil jobs cancelled for the day, Luke headed straight home. He told Seth what had happened, and he left with Annabelle for an errand. Luke was lying on his bed as the words Riser said to him repeated through his head like a broken record.
(I heard you possess a powerful Sacred Gear, but that power is all for naught if the user is weak.)
Can I really be strong enough to defeat him in just ten days? He thought. If we can't beat him, then… President… Her happiness is at stake…
The moment he fell asleep that night as whenever his mind drifted off, he would have the same nightmare over and over and over again, so he just spent the night trying to come up with new abilities.
The next morning, Luke entered the living room, dark circles under his eyes, when he saw Seth and the rest of his peerage preparing six large backpacks.
"You're up." Seth said and then noticed Luke's eyes. "All night."
"Y-yeah, I couldn't get any sleep…" Luke said with a groggy voice. "Are you guys going camping?"
"We, including you, are going to be training in the mountains."
"… H-huh?"
"Anna and I spoke with Rias and Akeno last night. My peerage and I are going to help train you all for that Rating Game!"
"Wh… what?"
Seth, Rias, and their peerages were all walking up a mountain road. Luke had to carry a stupidly large backpack and several bags over his arms while walking up an incline, and he was already perspiring an entire lake's worth of sweat.
"Come on, Luke! Pick up the pace!" Rias called out to him from much further up the slope.
"Sh-sh-shouldn't w-we help him?" Fumiko inquired.
"He won't get any stronger if he can't do this himself." Seth replied.
"I'm… I'm… coming…" Luke was panting heavily as he took only a handful of steps.
His eyes were getting heavy, and he could no longer keep them open.
"Buchou, I've gathered some vegetables from the mountain." Yuuto said as he passed by Luke while carrying a backpack without any trouble. "Luke-kun, are you asleep?"
It appeared that Luke had fallen asleep while standing up, but a few seconds after Yuuto spoke to him, Luke shot back to the waking world with a startled gasp and started to pick up his pace a bit.
"Hmm, maybe he got his second wind?" Yuuto guessed.
After a long while, they finally arrived at a wooden hut in the middle of the mountains. It belonged to the Gremory family and was normally hidden from human eyes due to an enchantment that would blend in with the surroundings. Once inside, Luke set down all of the luggage he was carrying and dropped to the floor, letting out a huge exhale as everyone else went to different rooms to change into looser clothes (for most of them it was their sports jerseys). Luke couldn't help but close his eyes again and shortly after he did, he woke up again with a loud gasp and headed to an empty room to change. After changing into his jerseys, he joined the others for training.
Lesson 1: Weapons Training with Annabelle
Using wooden practice swords, Yuuto and Annabelle were trading blows. Both were deflecting and countering each other's attacks. Since he was still new to the way of the sword, Luke would be sparring with Yuuto. Luke readied his stance, but his vision was getting blurry, and he didn't even see Yuuto charging at him as he got struck by the wooden sword.
"Come on, Luke-kun. I didn't even use my full speed. You should have at least been able to block that." Yuuto said.
"I… I-I'm fine…" Luke responded.
"Master Luke, are you feeling well?" Annabelle asked with clear concern in her voice.
"D… Don't worry… about me…" Luke said between breaths. "Need more practice…"
Luke could feel his eyes getting heavy again.
No! I can't fall asleep again!
Luke smacked his hands against his cheeks and perked up. Yuuto and Annabelle looked at Luke with worry.
Lesson 2: Demonic Power Training with Akeno
Since Annabelle needed a break, Akeno was the one to teach Luke, Fumiko, and Hana how to use their demonic power to create phenomena.
"You need to gather the demonic power inward and let the aura flow over your body." Akeno explained. "Concentrate and feel the wave of your demonic power."
"Oh!" Fumiko had a large, glowing mass of power appear in her hands.
"Wow!" Hana's mass of power was even larger than Fumiko's.
Luke was having difficulty concentrating at first, but after a while, he was able to produce a decent-sized mass of demonic power. It wasn't as big as Fumiko's, but he was surprised at how large it was.
"Very good." Akeno congratulated them. "Now, let's try turning that power into a basic element like fire, water or lightning. You need to visualize what you want to happen, but for beginners, it would be best to start with fire and water."
Akeno took out an unopened bottled water and poured her demonic power into it. The water took the shape of a spike and tore the bottle from the inside.
"Hana-chan, Fumiko-chan, Luke-kun, I want you to try copying what I just did." Akeno said.
"Gah!" Luke suddenly gasped.
"W-what's wrong?!" Fumiko asked.
Luke was short of breath and his face was getting pale. "It… It's nothing…"
The three girls looked at Luke with concern.
Lesson 3: Sparring with Alastair and Emery
Koneko was throwing punches at Alastair, who was blocking her strikes, while Luke was sparring with Emery.
Is she going to be using some sort of drunken fist martial art or so-
While Luke was thinking that, Emery performed a leg sweep and knocked him into the ground.
Well, that was stupid of me!
Luke stood back up, but he could feel himself wobbling a bit.
"Did you hit the ground too hard?" Emery asked.
"Must have… must have been one of th-those moments…" Luke responded with a bit of labored breathing.
Emery got her face close to Luke's, causing him to pull back a little.
"… You look exhausted." Emery's expression was that of clear worry. "Is it because you didn't sleep last night? You really should get some rest."
Emery gently tried to grab Luke's hand, but he immediately pulled back.
"I-I'm-I'm fine." Luke tried to assure her. "Let's g-go another round."
Koneko and Alastair looked on at Luke as he struggled with his training.
Lesson 4: Physical Training with Seth
"Come on, Luke! You said you could keep going!"
It was sunset as Luke was making his way up a steep mountain carrying a boulder tied to his back with a rope, with Seth sitting on top of the boulder. Rias was way ahead of them, pulling a similarly sized boulder.
"Luke, you shouldn't be this worn out already." Rias said.
"He said he couldn't sleep last night." Seth said.
"Y-yeah." Luke confirmed. "I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd focus on creating new abilities with my Sacred Gear."
"How many abilities did you create?" Rias asked.
"Let's see… Uh…" Luke counted off from his fingers. "Five?"
"Five?!" Rias and Seth exclaimed in shock.
"No wonder you're so exhausted!" Rias said. "You know creating new abilities takes a huge toll on your energy!"
"Wait, I miscounted. I didn't include the variants." Luke added. "Oh, v-variants are where I… I…"
Luke was suddenly out of breath. He looked back up to Seth and what he saw boggled his mind. Seth had morphed into a platinum-scaled snake and when he opened his mouth, a giant ladder sprung from his throat and crawling on the ladder were thousands of large spiders. The strange thing about these spiders was that they all had the heads of snakes that also released ladders from their mouths with even smaller snake-spiders crawling on them, which were all carrying flags saying 'OPPAI' in big yellow letters.
"President… Are you seeing this?" Luke stared blankly at the strange sight he was witnessing.
However, the normal Seth and Rias just blankly stared back.
"… Yeah, you need some rest." Seth said.
After a full day of work, everyone was back at the hut having dinner. The dishes were made with the ingredients hunted and gathered from the mountains and prepared by Akeno and Annabelle. As he had been starving all day, the aroma was causing Luke's stomach to grumble even more. The moment he put the food in his mouth, he felt the need to savor every single bite and commit the flavor to memory.
"Mmm… So good…" Luke could feel his exhaustion melting away.
"My my, I'm happy you're enjoying it so much." Akeno said. "We have more than enough for seconds."
Whoever's going to be Akeno's husband will be a very lucky man!
"L-L-L-Luke-san?" Luke turned to his side and saw Fumiko gently slide over a bowl of soup to him. "I m-m-made this… for-for you."
Luke took a sip at first, but then started gulping the soup down. It had a gentle, yet flavorful taste to it.
"It's… it's delicious!"
"Oh, th-th-thank you!" Fumiko looked down to her lap and blushed.
Fumiko, too.
"Now then, Luke." Rias spoke up. "What did you learn from this first day?"
Luke swallowed the food in his mouth before speaking. "… Yes. Out of everyone here, I'm the weakest. There's no question about it."
"That's right, but it's mostly due to a lack of experience." Rias continued. "Akeno, Yuuto and Koneko have plenty of combat experience, even though they never once participated in a Rating Game. You and Fumiko haven't seen much combat, but you are valuable assets to the team just with Art Creation and Supreme Aid alone. Your opponents will be aware of that, too. At the very least, I want you to be strong enough to withdraw should the need arise."
"Retreating is also part of a strategy." Seth added. "It can allow you to revise your current plans should something be thrown off. However, it can be easier said than done. If you're at least as strong as your opponent, it's easy enough. If the foe is much stronger, turning your back on them is practically a death sentence. That's why knowing how to fall back safely is crucial to your skillsets. We'll teach you and Fumiko when and how to retreat effectively, though you still need to learn how to fight."
"I-I-I don't know…" Fumiko looked down. "I… don't like the idea of me… hurting people…"
"You're a kind soul, Fumiko." Rias said. "But one day, you may be presented a situation where your hand will be forced to protect what you hold dear."
Luke looked down and noticed that Fumiko was tightening her hands into fists as Rias told her that.
"Luke, did you get any sleep before dinner?" Seth asked.
"Uh, n-no, I couldn't get an-any sleep." Luke hesitantly answered.
"… Everyone, once you've taken your baths, we'll go into night training." Seth said before turning to Luke. "Except you, Luke. You're going to get some sleep."
"I-I'm f-fine!"
"Your face is pale, and I doubt you put on too much makeup." Alastair pointed out, referring to the incredibly dark circles under his eyes.
"Your concentration and form are also way off." Emery added.
"You're also dozing off in the middle of training." Hana stated. "Only to wake up a few seconds later and gasping for air like a fish out of water. It's… very unsettling…"
"Need I add whatever the hell happened during physical training?" Seth asked. "You're trying to hone your skills and that's great, but you're so exhausted that nothing will stick. All of that training you did today will go to waste."
"But-!" Luke tried to protest.
"You're going to sleep and resume training in the morning. Do I make myself clear?"
Luke had no other response. "… Crystal clear…"
After dinner as everyone else was taking their bath, Seth was watching over Luke in the living room to make sure he got to sleep. Whenever Luke fell asleep, he would wake up a few minutes later breathing heavily and sweating. After happening several times, Seth finally spoke up.
"Okay, Luke, tell me what's wrong."
"Noth-nothing's wrong!"
"Bullshit. You're having nightmares, aren't you? That's why you were trying to avoid falling asleep."
Luke turned himself on the couch and faced away from Seth.
Seth sighed. "Not going to talk, huh? Fine." He walked toward the entrance of the hut. "I'm sure you have a lot of problems, Luke… But you have people who are more than willing to listen…"
As his older brother left the hut, Luke just continued lying on the couch.
Yeah… But it's not easy for me to talk to people… You know?
After half an hour, Luke was still doing his best to not fall asleep when he heard another person's voice.
"Still having trouble sleeping?"
Luke sat up and saw Rias had returned from her bath.
"President, sh-shouldn't you be train-training?" Luke inquired.
"I wanted to check up on you. Your brother says you've been having nightmares."
Luke lied back down, face-up. "Yeah… That's why I don't want to fall asleep… I keep having the same nightmare… over and over…"
Rias sat on the armrest, right next to Luke's face. "You're stressed out about the Rating Game… aren't you?"
He didn't respond to her for almost a minute. "… That nightmare I-I keep having… I'm on fire and can't put out the flames… Riser wins… And then… I see you crying… That's the last thing I want…"
"We do have a very difficult match ahead of us. Even if we research a plethora of strategies, the biggest problem is that Riser is a phoenix."
"As in the immortal firebird? Wait! Don't tell me Riser is immortal!"
"The Phenex family got its name so humans could distinguish them from the mythical creature, but they possess the same abilities, including immortality. Even if we managed to land an attack on him, he will regenerate and instantly heal himself. On top of that, his flames can incinerate his targets to ash. Out of the ten official Rating Game matches Riser has played, he has won 8 and his two losses were intentional out of deference to households with close ties to his own. He is practically undefeated, and his performance has made him a candidate for an official title of his own. I felt uneasy the moment Riser was selected to be my future husband. My family must have chosen him so even if it had to be decided with an unofficial game, it would be nearly impossible for me to win. To use chess terminology, it's a 'swindle'. When the Rating Game became popular among Devils, the House of Phenex benefitted more than the other noble families. Before that, Devils didn't really fight among each other often. But in the Rating Game where the King battles alongside their servants, the advantage the Phenex family held with their immortality is undeniable. Which is why their House is at the top of the highest class in the official rankings. Perhaps it was their performance in the game that other Devils realized how terrifying the power of the Phenex family truly is."
"It sounds like this game was rigged from the start."
"Although, I did say 'it would be nearly impossible for me to win'."
"Wait… Then that means… There is a way to defeat Riser?"
"Indeed. There are two options. One is to beat him with overwhelming power and the other is to break his spirit knocking him down over and over. The first method requires God-class strength, which none of us have at this time. The second option would require us to conserve our stamina until we can crush his spirit. His body might be able to withstand any toll he takes, his mind won't. And even his regeneration has its limits as he needs enough demonic power to completely heal his injuries. Also, using holy power will inflict both physical damage he can't heal and mental damage, which will make it easier to crush his spirit. Although, since we are Devils, we can't use that method without seriously damaging ourselves."
So, victory is impossible unless we put in some serious effort, though it's a gamble with a high chance of failure. "… President?"
"Yes?"
"Why-why are you so set against m-marrying Riser, despite your f-f-family's situation?"
"Because I'm a Gremory."
"Hm?"
"I belong to the House of Gremory, and that name will follow me no matter where I go."
"You d-don't like your name?"
"No, I'm proud to be a Gremory, but it's also a burden. Everyone only sees 'Rias Gremory' as 'Rias from the Gremory', never just 'Rias'. That's why I enjoy my life in the human world so much. No one here knows about the House of Gremory. People look at me for who I am. I love this realm. I never got these feelings living in the Devils' society. The only times I enjoy my life as myself are when I'm in the human world." Rias's eyes looked distant as she spoke and then she appeared sad. "I want someone to love 'Rias'. Unfortunately, Riser only sees me as 'Rias from the Gremory'. That's who he loves. That's why I hate it. But I still hold great pride in my family name. It sounds contradictory, I know, but I want to cherish this small dream."
I see. President wants to marry someone who genuinely loves her. "President?"
"Hm?"
"Maybe it's because I grew up in the human world and barely know anything about the Devil world, but to me 'Rias Gremory' isn't the heir to a noble household. 'Rias Gremory' is the kind and caring woman who saved my life, and I won't let anyone take away her happiness. That's… why I-I've been so anxious…"
("This… might sound… ridicul-ridiculous… to a Devil… b-b-but… I kind… kind of… w-w-want to-to make-ke… g-girls happy…")
Rias recalled what Luke said he wanted to do as a Devil, and she gave him a gentle and warm smile. "Thank you. That means a lot to me."
"I know I have this incredible power… but like Riser said, 'that power is all for naught if the user is weak'. I know i-it's because I've o-only been a Devil for a v-very short time, but e-even I can tell th-that there's a… massive gap between me a-and everyone else. Kiba is much more skilled with swords, Akeno truly excels at using demonic power, and Koneko knows the ins and outs of martial arts… That must've taken years of training… I j-just feel l-l-like I have to-to get at their level in only ten days."
Luke suddenly felt a gentle touch in his hair and noticed that Rias was stroking his head.
"It's okay. I don't expect you to be as strong as Akeno, Koneko and Yuuto yet." Rias calmly said to him. "It's like you said, that took them years of training. But you're much stronger than you think. After all, you protected Fumiko from Freed Sellzen and defeated Raynare all by yourself without much training or experience. That's quite the accomplishment."
"… Thank you, President." Luke smiled.
"When you first summoned me, Luke, there was something about you that I can't quite explain. It was as if I could feel a strange, overwhelming power sleeping deep within you."
"My Sacred Gear… right?"
Rias shook her head. "I did sense you possessed a Sacred Gear, but that's not what I was referring to."
"Huh?"
"I'm sure it will come to you one day. For now, let's just focus on your Devil and Sacred Gear abilities. Although, you need to get some sleep first. I'll stay with you until you fall asleep, okay?"
"O-okay." Luke blushed a little.
Luke closed his eyes as Rias gently patted his head and immediately drifted off to sleep. Rias waited a few minutes to be sure Luke wasn't still having nightmares and he appeared to be sleeping soundly and peacefully.
When Luke opened his eyes, it was already early in the morning, but his exhaustion was completely gone, the dark circles under his eyes had vanished and his skin was no longer pale.
"You're looking refreshed."
Luke sat up and saw Seth with a towel hanging over his shoulder.
"Got a good night's sleep?" Seth asked.
"Y-yes."
"I'm glad. You didn't take a bath last night, so you should take a quick shower before you come back to training."
After a study session going over the names of the various leaders and groups of the Devils, Angels and Fallen Angels, weapons training began, and Annabelle was teaching him about form and awareness. Once it was time to try sparring with Yuuto, Luke tried to keep his eyes on him, but the Knight was moving too fast and struck him several times with a practice sword. Even though he was taking a beating, Luke would insist to try again. Eventually, he could feel Yuuto's presence approaching him and was able to successfully block his attack.
During demonic power training, Luke was able to successfully turn the water into ice within a handful of attempts. He then had an idea for a new technique using his demonic power. Wondering what to test it on, he saw an ant crawling on his shoe. He envisioned what he wanted to happen and after a few minutes, the ant was becoming slower and weaker which elicited a smirk from Luke.
Now it was time for close combat sparring. Though Luke took a few hard hits from Emery that sent him flying, he kept getting back up and eventually started dodging her attacks and countering while she was open. Emery smiled at the progress Luke was making and gave him a thumbs up before they resumed sparring.
Luke was now able to steadily pull the boulder with his brother sitting on it. It was still tiring, but he was motivated to see this training through to the end. He turned to his Seth and the elder brother nodded in approval.
A while later, Luke was alone practicing with his Sacred Gear abilities in the middle of the forest, fighting a training dummy with his Falchion. At one point, he accidentally dropped his weapon and the tip of the blade looked like it was about to stab through his foot. However, it just bounced off his foot without hurting one bit, not even from the impact.
"Shouldn't…" Luke murmured to himself as he picked up his Falchion again.
He gripped the blade with his right hand and tightened his grip a bit. There wasn't even the smallest cut on his palm or fingers. Luke swung his sword at the training dummy, and it sliced in half with ease.
It looks like the abilities I create with my Sacred Gear can't hurt me. Maybe it has to do with me being the creator. Wait… I think I have an idea…
After everyone had eaten dinner and the girls finished their bath, Luke and Seth were taking a relaxing dip in the hot springs.
"Aaaaaaaah! Nothing beats a nice bath after a good workout." Seth sighed in content.
"Yeah…" Luke agreed as he relaxed and submerged most of his body into the water.
"Hey, Luke, do you mind if I ask you something?"
"That depends on the question."
"… What do you think of Rias?"
Luke was incredibly hesitant to answer. "…W-w-well… She's kind… compassionate… confident…"
"Do you regret becoming her servant?"
"No, I don't regret it one bit."
Seth noticed the clear lack of hesitation in his voice and smiled. "Good to hear."
Honestly… I think… I do really like President… like… really like her… but… I can't rush this like last time… Besides, she needs a pureblooded Devil husband to help her family… At the very least, he should be a decent person she loves. Riser definitely isn't that man! I will protect your happiness, President! No matter what it takes!
The rest of the 10 days of training went by without issue. On the final night, Luke had a dream. He was underwater in an endless, sapphire ocean that he recognized, and a familiar giant monster stood before him. Unlike last time, he could clearly make out the dragon's features. It had beautiful sapphire scales all over its body and exuded both elegance and terror at once.
I see you have become much stronger.
You're that dragon I saw in my dream the other day. You said you were my partner who lives inside my Sacred Gear, Art Creation.
That is correct. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Sapphire Dragon Emperor, the Paradise Dragon Opheria (Age ?).
Was there something you needed to speak to me about?
Indeed. I have come to tell you the limits of our creation ability. The first two you have already noticed: you can only activate one created ability at a time under normal circumstances and your created abilities cannot bring harm to their creator.
Yeah, I experienced both of those firsthand.
Third: You need to understand the form and function of this ability
Four: You can only create abilities, not objects or living things.
Five: You must have enough energy, be it demonic power, magic, or stamina, to use an ability, otherwise it cannot be created.
Six: The creation of an ability requires three times as much energy as the amount to use it.
I guess that means I can't create overpowered abilities without taking one hell of a toll.
Seven: You cannot create an ability to copy other abilities. My power is born from imagination and simply copying another person's skills without making it is the antithesis of it. Which leads me to the final rule.
Eight: An ability can be inspired by other abilities, whether they exist in this world or not, but if you have seen this ability, you will need to make a significant deviation. In other words, you cannot create abilities you have seen others use in real life.
You said that I can only use one ability at a time under normal circumstances. Does that mean there's a way to use multiple abilities at once?
There is, but in your current state, a steep price will have to be paid and it will only be temporary.
What is that price?
I'm afraid it will cost you some of your life force, meaning your time to live will be reduced. Thankfully, you are a Devil now. You have a lifespan of at least 10,000 years. If you accept this offer, it will only shave a small fraction off of your life.
I-I don't know about this. I think I'll just wait until I'm strong enough to use that.
If that is your decision, then I have no right to complain.
Thank you for your words of wisdom.
It is only natural I would impart my knowledge onto you. We are partners, after all. One more thing before I go. One day, you will encounter the Emerald One and do battle with them.
Who is the Emerald One?
Keep achieving victory, even if it's after bitter defeat, and you will meet them one day.
The dream had ended.
A/N: With the training camp over, all that's left is the Rating Game against Riser. How will things go after Seth and his peerage helped train the Gremory peerage? Well, you'll find out next time.
I focused a lot on Luke's major character flaw this chapter: his anxiety. This isn't going to be a one-time thing either as his anxiety will take many forms. This time it was self-imposed expectations and knowing the consequences should they fail.
As for that WTF hallucination, I tried to come up with random things to create something outrageous, but I don't feel it's as funny as the Avatar: The Last Airbender scene that inspired it. I tried my best.
I also finally introduced the dragon living in Art Creation, Opheria. Yes, this is an OC dragon not based on any existing in mythology. And I've outlined the rules of Art Creation here, which I will offer a refresher here in the notes. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for next time!
Only one created ability can be used at a time, unless in Balance Breaker.
2) An ability cannot bring harm to its creator.
3) The user needs to understand the form and function of this ability as if they were creating a new Sacred Gear.
4) The user can only create abilities or alter the Sacred Gear's form, not objects or living things.
5) The user must have enough demonic/magic power required to use the ability, otherwise the ability cannot be created.
6) The creation of an ability requires three times as much demonic/magic power as the amount to use it, so usually the created ability cannot be used right away.
7) Cannot create an ability to copy other abilities.
8) A form or ability can be inspired by other abilities but cannot create abilities seen as Sacred Gears unless there is a significant deviation. Basically, if the user has seen a Sacred Gear and knows its ability, they cannot create that ability. For example, Luke can create abilities inspired from techniques in video games, anime, manga, or most real-life experiences, but he can't create Kiba's Sword Birth unless he makes a significant alteration to make it his own.
Luke Harem: Annabelle Wright
Issei Harem: Asia Argento
Rias Gremory Peerage: Rias Gremory (King), Akeno Himejima (Queen), Yuuto Kiba (Knight), Koneko Toujo (Rook), Fumiko Kazuya (Bishop), Gasper Vladi (Bishop), Luke Sigmund (8 Pawns)
Seth Sigmund Peerage: Seth Sigmund (King), Annabelle Wright (Queen), Alastair Wright (Rook), Emery Belmont (Rook), Hana Sakuya (2 Bishops)
Melody Morag Peerage: Melody Morag (King), Misaki Shirayuki (Queen), Katherine Petrova (Knight), Spiral Hirano (Knight), Azusa Hirano (Rook), Akira Kazuya (Rook), Hikaru Ueda (Bishop), Asia Argento (Bishop), Issei Hyoudou (8 Pawns)