Hollow Hope

by TheCandyManCant

Rising through the ranks of the Underworld isn't easy. Ancient devils don't like giving up their power. I may not have been born among the Pillars, but I have my own advantages, and a willingness to abuse them to their fullest potential. I will make the most of this second lease on life.(DXD SI)

17. Chapter 17

Rating Games were a fairly new thing on the scale of how long devils had been around, but they'd already been woven into the very foundations of our society. They were a testing ground. They were entertainment. They were a substitute for civil war. They were a breeding ground for camaraderie and mutual growth. All of this and more.

Rating Games took various forms, involving various matchups. Depending on the fight, the Rating Game could draw a crowd as small as a few viewers to so large the entire Underworld tuned in. My match with Bedeze didn't pull that large of an audience, but I was already breaking records for the most viewers watching a debut match.

The arena was packed. The stands and boxes were both filled with spectators. Bedeze was popular, and his fans had come out in force, wearing merchandise and carrying banners showing their support of my opponent.

The design of the arena was simple. Picture a mixture of a football stadium and a coliseum. The seats sit in a circle around the field below with magical projections spread through the air to give different angles on the action. The battle itself wouldn't actually take place in the stadium, but people still came to get the true experience.

No, we would not fight on the small field below. The Rating Game system had been designed by some of the brightest minds in the Underworld. Each match took place inside a bounded arena similar to a pocket dimension. The arena could be shaped to whatever specifications the designers chose, expanding and shrinking as needed. For this match, the arena would be large. Perhaps the size of a city, perhaps the size of a country. We would be fighting for a full day in a simulated war. I couldn't know for sure the terrain, but it would be vast.

The field created by the Rating Game system also locked the contestants away from reality. They could not summon outside help nor bring anything they could not carry with them. When a peerage member sustained sufficient damage to threaten their life, the Rating Game system would retire them, pulling them to safety where the healers waited to save their lives.

An announcer was screaming into a microphone, drawing cheers from the crowd as the time drew closer. On the displays, highlights from Bedeze's previous matches played in slow motion. On one, an entire Peerage was enveloped in a Hole's explosion. On another, Runa stabbed her spear through her opponent's throat moments before he was retired. On and on the replays went. There was no film of me. But then, there wouldn't be. This was my debut after all.

"Are you ready, Balthazar?" Medea asked quietly, standing at my side as we looked down over the arena.

When asked where I wanted my peerage's headquarters to be set up, I'd chosen one of the VIP boxes above the arena. When this was over, I wanted to be able to see the reactions of the people below with my own eyes.

"I am. Are you?"

Medea's fingers wove through mine. "I am eager."

"We're finally pulling the curtain back, huh?"

"It was inevitable. This way, we do it on our terms."

"Have I told you recently that I'm glad you're my Queen?"

"You have, but it bears repeating."

"I'm glad you're my Queen." I pulled her against me, stealing her lips in a chaste kiss. I pressed my forehead into hers as I pulled back. "Let's go."

Together, we walked to the room adjoined to the viewing suite. Everyone looked up as we entered.

Aqua had donned her armor. Her sword was sheathed at her side, but I doubted it would see much use given our intended plan.

Shang Tsung too wore armor, though his was far lighter. Yellow pauldrons sat atop a coat of mithril. A straight, thin-bladed sword rested at his waist. Bladed claws were affixed to his forearms.

Coal had refused armor when offered. He wore a pair of blue pants with no shirt, revealing tattoos of golden bands across his chest and upper arms. The only addition to his appearance was an amethyst earring in his right ear. There was an eager grin on his face.

Matatabi had also refused armor. She stood before us in her devil form garbed in a violet kimono. Two flaming cat tails drifted behind her. Feline ears sat atop her head.

"Is everyone ready?" I asked.

Coal chuckled. "We've been over the plan a hundred times, master. We're ready."

"It is as the dragon says. We are prepared." Shang Tsung said, an eager grin on his face.

A spell circle flared on the wall. We were about to be transported to the arena.

I pulled a slip of paper out of my pocket. Scribbled on the paper were latitude and longitude coordinates. I'd told Serafall I would give these to her. She didn't know that the coordinates were for different planets though. I dropped it through a Hole. Another spell circle encompassed the entirety of the room. We were swept away.

"Caster."

"Yes, master." Medea said immediately, floating to the ground and sitting. A vibrant violet magic circle spread out from her as she began her work. A small Hole opened next to her, granting her access to a pocket dimension filled with energy. Each of us had contributed power to the pocket dimension over the two months we had spent preparing. Medea had a veritable ocean of demonic power to work with.

We would be fighting a war against Bedeze here. I expected us to be able to overpower his peerage, but I would not let arrogance prevent us from winning. We needed a headquarters to operate out of. It would take Medea out of combat for at least an hour even burning through our stored power at an absurd rate, but letting her create a territory in this place was worth the trade.

Shadowy, translucent ravens and cats sped away from Medea in all directions. Even as she focused on the task of creating our safe haven, she coordinated her familiars to act as scouts. Some of her familiars darted through Holes I opened at random intervals around the arena to help her spread her influence. Spell circles flared to life around her head, orbiting around her as she continued to scry the terrain around us.

As Medea worked, I looked up at our surroundings. We were standing in a flat plain. Tall grass rose all around us. There was a forest to our front and rolling hills to our rear. Off in the distance beyond the forest was a tall mountain. The mountain and hills blocked my view of everything else. It was possible this battlefield extended beyond my sight, but I couldn't know for sure without information from Medea's scouts and scryings. She would need some time yet to gather more information.

"I am done, my lord." Shang Tsung said. With Medea focused on creating her territory, Shang Tsung had been in charge of layering illusory protections over us to disguise our location.

"Good." I opened a dozen Holes around us. Purple skeletons emerged from the Holes, hauling building materials with them and gathering around Medea, already starting to construct a basic fortification. It would not be a castle. It would be shabby and finished in an hour, but it would give Medea's magic something tangible to infuse itself into, strengthening her protections.

More Holes opened around us. Mystical metal machines of varying sizes stomped into the plains around us, forming a rough perimeter; the culmination of Shang Tsung and Medea's successful efforts over the last two months.

"Coal, Matatabi, guard Caster."

"I already know my role." Matatabi said, walking, dignified over to Medea. She sat on the ground behind her, facing the opposite direction.

Coal gave me a two finger salute and started walking the perimeter set up by the metal armors.

"Aqua, scout a rough perimeter until Caster's familiars can explore the arena. Make sure there are no attacks incoming. If you make contact, look for an opening. If you can't find one, return. There's no use in letting yourself be overwhelmed so early in the fight."

"Take care, everyone." Aqua said. Her body bled shadows, falling apart in clumps until she morphed into a blob of darkness. She remained a moment more before vanishing.

"Shang Tsung–"

"I also know my role, my lord." Shang Tsung said with a grin. "We have planned extensively."

I returned his grin. "I suppose we have. Shang Tsung, promote to Queen."

A euphoric gasp slipped past the sorcerer's lips as power exploded out of him. His eyes were literally shining when he looked up at me.

"Stay alive."

Shang Tsung chuckled. "It is not I you should worry about, my lord, but them."

A Hole swallowed him.

I took a deep breath, turning to face the horizon. My pieces were in place. It was Bedeze's move now.

The Rating Game had begun.

X

Bedeze Abaddon stared out over the field. It hadn't been ten minutes since his peerage had been transported into the arena. Even still, he was surprised his peerage had not already engaged with Balthazar's.

"Edward, Agatha, anything?"

His two Bishops knelt on the ground behind him, the wind tossing their hair about their shoulders. Magic circles drifted through the air around them. Red circles covered them in protective magics. Blue circles pulsed with power that seeped into the air, seeking out their enemy.

"Nothing yet, my lord." Agatha said, the crone clutched a bone talisman attached to a cord around her neck. Her eyes were glowing a sky blue as she peered through her scryings.

"Alert me immediately when you discover them." Bedeze ordered, leaving his Bishops behind to join his Queen at the cliff.

Moments after entering the arena, Bedeze had spotted the large mountain located in the battleground's center. Upon seeing the mountain, Bedeze had instantly transported his peerage to its peak with a Hole. The mountain's high vantage would allow his peerage to spot assaults coming from all directions. The mountain would be difficult to assault. The cave they'd discovered would make it all the more difficult to fight them here.

Bedeze had thought Balthazar would come to the same conclusion he had. He'd been prepared to sacrifice a number of his Pawns to chip away at Balthazar's forces and drive them away from the mountain. He needn't have bothered. Balthazar did not come to the mountain. Despite his bastard nephew's age, Bedeze had been taking preparations for this battle seriously. As seriously as he did any Rating Game of lesser importance at any rate.

Bedeze did not expect Balthazar to field anything that could conceivably beat him, but he did expect a surprise or two. Still, he had clearly overestimated his nephew. Perhaps Balthazar did not appreciate the type of Rating Game he had been drawn into. In a One Day War, fortifying a fallback location was of paramount importance. The greatest place for such a fortification in this arena was the mountain Bedeze had claimed. Any peon with a semblance of military knowledge would know that high ground and natural barriers served as wonderful places to erect fortifications. Balthazar had not even made an attempt to take this territory.

"Anything?" Bedeze asked, stepping up next to his Queen, his Valkyrie, his demigoddess.

Runa shook her head. "I cannot sense them. They are too far."

Bedeze looked out into the distance. The mountain's vantage let him see to the very edge of the arena. The faintest trace of the red energy barrier at the ends of this world could be seen at the horizon so far away. Encased within that dome was a vast land with varying terrain. Rocky outcroppings surrounded the mountain's immediate vicinity, giving way to greenery. Forests and plains intermingled. An expansive bog spread out in one direction. There was no shortage of trees and hills, limiting the sightlines granted by the mountain.

"We should send scouts to the forests." Runa advised. "If they were in the plains, we would know. They must be hiding somewhere we cannot see."

Bedeze nodded. He had reached the same conclusion. "Matthew, take your team to the bog. Ami, the dense forest with the thicker trees. Patricia, the more sparse forest with the aspens. Inform me of your findings." The pendant Bedeze wore around his neck shined with power. Matching pendants worn around the necks of the members of his peerage glowed in response. The amulets were fairy-made. Each one had cost Bedeze a small fortune.

With the amulets, Bedeze could track the positions of the members of his peerage and communicate with them whenever he so desired. The moment any of them came under attack, he would be able to open a Hole to their location to send reinforcements or allow them to retreat as needed. The amulets were an investment that had paid for itself time and again as the ease of coordination allowed him to win Rating Game after Rating Game.

This was why he had selected One Day War. He had the numbers advantage over Balthazar's meager peerage. His servants were experienced. His tactics were clearly superior to Balthazar's own. Each of his Knights had been trained to command a small team of his Pawns. In Rating Games past, having effective small teams to deal with certain tasks had proved a necessity. His servants were skilled in their teams. He had confidence in their abilities.

Despite his irritating nephew's bravado when they'd last crossed paths, he, Bedeze Abaddon, was the more experienced and powerful party. He would not be defeated by a petulant child.

"I can join the search, my lord." Runa suggested.

"No," Bedeze denied. "I do not expect much from Balthazar, but I will not be caught in a trap. We have a full day to destroy him. Let us ascertain his whereabouts first. I need you, Jean and Seria to remain here with Agatha, Edward and myself. So long as we control the mountain, we control the battlefield."

Bedeze would not commit his Bishops to an open engagement when they were his easiest means of locating Balthazar. Similarly, he would hold his Rooks in reserve because he was confident in their ability to hold this mountain on their own, let alone with their strength combined. His Knights were fast, mobile. If it came to it, his Pawns knew to sacrifice themselves to damage the enemy and allow the Knights to flee. Even if Matthew and Ami fell, so long as they took even one of Balthazar's pieces with them it would be a worthy trade. Balthazar's peerage held a mere six members. Faced with Bedeze's full peerage of sixteen Rating Game veterans, the result of this match was a foregone conclusion. It was only a matter of how Balthazar's pieces would be retired.

"Balthazar spotted! He is in the forest!"

As one, Bedeze and Runa snapped to look down at their necklaces. Ami's voice had just called to them through the paired pendants all members of his peerage wore during Rating Games.

"The rest of his peerage?" Bedeze inquired.

"Absent. He is alone, my lord!" Ami yelled back. The sound of battle could be heard around her.

Bedeze's eyes narrowed.

Balthazar was not a cunning strategist, but Bedeze did not think the boy was a complete fool. Why then would he scout alone?

In a One Day War Rating Game, there were only two conditions where the match would conclude. The first and most common in the rare cases where these games had been held was for the time to expire. The two sides would clash again and again until one King was routed and forced to flee and hide for the remainder of the match. The second condition was if a King was retired. In the event that the enemy King was retired, the match would end in an immediate victory.

Bedeze did not believe Balthazar was a fool, so why was his bastard nephew alone in the forest? Did his peerage lack the ability to scout on their own? Was he forced to rely on Hole to gather information?

"My lord, we must capitalize on this." Runa urged at his side.

"He will flee the moment we arrive." Bedeze knew well what Hole was capable of. Balthazar would be able to use it to flee the moment he felt truly threatened.

"Bedeze Abaddon's Pawn retired."

Bedeze frowned as the announcement was made, echoing around the arena. That would leave Ami and two Pawns against Balthazar.

"Who fell?" Bedeze asked.

"Denise!" Ami's voice called back. She was breathing heavily. "A flaming skull hit her in the neck before she could erect a barrier."

Bedeze came to a decision. If nothing else, chasing Balthazar around would serve to exhaust his nephew.

"Jean, Seria, hold this position." Bedeze commanded his Rooks. When he received affirmations, he opened a Hole.

Bedeze and Runa appeared directly behind Ami. When the green-haired woman realized the presence of her King, Ami motioned to Bedeze's two remaining Pawns. They regrouped, forming up defensively around Bedeze. Runa had summoned her armor and weapons. Her shield was held up in front of Bedeze protectively.

Bedeze frowned as he looked through the trees. Splinters of exploded bark littered the forest floor. The soil was upheaved where spells and weapons had struck the earth. Floating above the destruction, his wings spread wide behind his back was the source of all of Bedeze's recent troubles.

"Nephew," Bedeze said, a disappointed tone to his voice. "I expected better from you. If you wished to retire from our game so early, why challenge me to a Rating Game in the first place? We could have settled this far more simply without the interference from our peerages."

Balthazar smiled, wide and cruel. "Where would be the fun in that?"

Bedeze's eyes narrowed. This was a side of his nephew he had yet to see. Was Balthazar one of those types to lose themself in battle? Perhaps he had taken the boy too seriously. He could have left his peerage on the mountain if Balthazar wanted to settle this one on one.

"If this is how you wish for things to end, then I will oblige you." Bedeze had hoped to make Balthazar's defeat more humiliating, but a One Day War that lasted less than ten minutes should be humiliating enough.

A large Hole opened up behind Balthazar, positively crackling with power. A Hole opened around Balthazar, but it was not fast enough to allow him to completely escape the blast.

Trees were torn from their roots under the force of Bedeze's attack. A meager taste of what he was truly capable of. With this stupid ploy, Balthazar had proven he was not worthy of anything more.

Balthazar tumbled out of the Hole he'd fled through. His body careened into the ground a fair distance away. Smoke drifted up from his ruined clothes. Limbs were bent at unnatural angles. Truly, Bedeze had been expecting better. Was Balthazar's Queen the only secret to his success? This was pathetic, undeserving of the name Abaddon. Balthazar did not deserve the Queen. Edward had been disappointing him of late. Perhaps once Balthazar was disgraced, he would take the Queen as his new Bishop.

"Await the true lord of your house beyond the arena." Bedeze said coldly. Another Hole opened directly above Balthazar.

A shockwave swept through the space as the Hole detonated.

"That was terribly disappointing." Bedeze said as he waited for the announcement of Balthazar's loss. Any moment now he would be transported from the arena.

"I concur."

Bedeze's head snapped towards the voice.

Emerging from the smoke left in the wake of Bedeze's attack was a man who assuredly was not his nephew. A black-haired young man with golden tattoos dotting his body walked boldly forward. Golden energy shone bright from the many wounds in his body as they mended themselves before Bedeze's eyes.

Ami and Runa dashed in front of him protectively, brandishing their weapons at this figure who was not his nephew.

"Who are you?" Bedeze demanded.

The small man began to chuckle. Green mist-like energy shimmered along his body. Bedeze watched as the body of the man changed before his eyes. He grew taller. His skin tone altered. His form donned yellow and silver armor.

"My lord sends his regards." a cruel voice said from curled lips. In a green flash, the body of the man shifted once more. A female now stood before him wreathed in blue flames. With a feline roar, the flame exploded in all directions. Trees were set alight as an azure volcano erupted.

Runa stepped forward. Golden energy gathered around her shield, expanding outward in a magical bastion that absorbed the flames, deflecting them away from Bedeze and his present peerage.

"We should regroup, my lord." Runa called. Maintaining the shield was no strain for her, but Bedeze concurred with her position. He had not expected this. They needed to assess this unexpected enemy.

A Hole opened behind the group. They backed towards it together. They did not make it.

The shapeshifter who had turned into a living flame had stolen their attention. Bedeze Abaddon was on guard, but it had not occurred to him to fear the shadows themselves.

While the shapeshifter spoke his theatrics, a point of darkness slunk along the forest floor, unnoticed by the arrogant Abaddon and his overzealous peerage. The shadow had been lying in wait, seeking its chance.

As Bedeze stepped back towards his Hole, he did not see the shadow rapidly rise out of the ground, coalescing into a bipedal form. He did not see the flash of silver energy that heralded the arrival of its weapon. He did not see as the beam of golden light lanced towards him from the tip of a misshapen key.

Bedeze Abaddon felt something impact his shoulder. The impact was insignificant. He had weathered far worse. Bedeze heard a sound like a deadbolt latching. Bedeze Abaddon, true Lord of the House of Abaddon gasped in shock, clutching at his chest as he blindly stumbled backwards towards the safety of his Hole. Something was wrong.

He kept stumbling. His Hole was gone.

"My lord!" Runa cried, panic writ on her face.

Bedeze followed the path of the golden lance of light back to its origin. The shadow had coalesced into a young woman with bleached blue hair. Shining silver armor donned her form. Her hands seemed as if they were made from tangible shadow. She held a weapon the likes of which he had never seen in her unnatural grasp. She was smirking victoriously.

Bedeze was enraged.

He thrust a hand towards the woman, willing a Hole filled to the brim with his power to turn her to dust.

No Hole manifested. He could not feel his power. Bedeze remembered this feeling. He was afflicted by it every time he'd fought him in a Rating Game. That accursed Belial, stealing away what made Bedeze special. This insignificant bitch had just done the same.

"Bedeze!" Runa cried.

Power erupted through the space, easily dwarfing the nova made by the shapeshifter. Runa's aura spread wide around her. Murder was in her eyes. With a thrust of her spear, she sent a beam of violet light towards the living flame.

The shapeshifter tried to dodge, but they were too slow. A screech of pain sounded from the fire. The volcanic eruption halted. Green energy flashed. The shapeshifter once more assumed the form of the young man with black hair. Golden light poured from a gaping hole in his chest, desperately knitting the wound back together as blood spurted out of his chest.

The blue-haired woman melded into shadow once more. She rose out of the shapeshifter's shadow. She wrapped her arms around him from behind and pulled him backwards. A large vortex shaped like a keyhole appeared behind them, whisking them away.

"Bedeze, are you–"

"Ami! Take Jean and go after them! Destroy that girl!" Bedeze growled. He grabbed Runa's hand. He had not expected Balthazar to have a Belial in his peerage. He hadn't even known there were any Belials who would accept a place in a peerage. He would have gladly traded Edward for that girl.

This changed things. He needed to eliminate that girl to regain his access to Hole. He could not do it himself. He was weakened without Hole and he would not risk an amateur attack spelling his end. Once his peerage retired the girl, he would rejoin the fight, but he could not risk himself now. Balthazar had gotten lucky once. Bedeze wouldn't give him a chance to be lucky twice.

"Castle!" Bedeze called, summoning a power he had rarely utilized.

Bedeze and Runa reappeared atop the mountain they had claimed as their stronghold. Bedeze's two Bishops and one of his Rooks were waiting for him there. The other Rook was gone. Jean was in the forest with Ami, having traded positions with his King.

Castling was a power available to all HIgh Class devils that possessed a peerage. When utilizing the ability, the King and another piece may trade places with one of the King's Rooks. Bedeze would need Runa to stay at his side now in case Balthazar tried to capitalize on his momentary weakness. He would have to let his Rook settle things with the girl.

His Rook and Knight would retire the Belial. Then, Bedeze would express his displeasure with his nephew in violence.

Bedeze touched the pendant around his neck, glaring hatefully into the distance from high atop the mountain. "Everyone be aware, Balthazar has a Belial in his peerage. Female. Blue Hair. She carries a strange sword. She has sealed my ability to use Hole. Eliminating her is our top priority. Matthew, Patricia, return to the mountain with your teams. I cannot reliably transport you anymore. We need to regroup. Jean, Ami, hunt that girl down and retire her. When she is dealt with and my power is restored, we will resume our search for Balthazar."

Several voices spoke through the amulet in quick succession as Bedee's servants voiced their compliance.

Bedeze had lost a single Pawn. Runa had dealt an assuredly fatal blow to one of Balthazar's pieces, though Bedeze could not be certain which piece the shapeshifter was. He would know when the announcement of their retirement soon came.

In the meantime, one of his Knights, his Rook and two Pawns were hunting the Belial girl. The remainder of his peerage would return to the mountain and fortify their position.

Balthazar had scored a single hit against him. Bedeze supposed that was commendable.

It would not happen again.

X

Medea frantically upended two vials, pouring their contents over the gaping wound in Shang Tsung's chest. Coal's healing wasn't working fast enough.

While he could assume our forms and copy our powers, Shang Tsung was far weaker than the original when using our borrowed strength. He would need to absorb us completely to steal our full strength. None of us were willing to part with our souls, so he had to make do with the lesser versions of our strength. The power he gained from promoting to Queen supercharged his copied abilities, but the Queen promotion was no longer active.

He still wore Coal's face. The healing ability he was copying was the only reason he had not already been retired. Whatever attack had hit him had removed a baseball-sized gap clear through his chest.

"I…struck a blow, my lord." Shang Tsung said through grit teeth.

I grabbed his grasping hand, clutching it tight as he grunted in pain.

"He gave me an opening to lock Bedeze's power. He can't use Hole anymore." Aqua said from where she stood behind us.

"Well done." I said, making eye contact with her before looking back down at Shang Tsung and giving his hand a squeeze. "Both of you did well."

"I…live to serve…my lord." Shang Tsung said through grit teeth.

"Is he going to be able to fight?" I asked Medea. If she couldn't heal him, I would forcibly retire him. There was no use in forcing him to continue if he was in this state.

"He–"

"No!" Shang Tsung hissed. "I… I will heal. Do not send me away. There is still…more I have to contribute."

I looked at Medea.

She pursed her lips, considering the gold light pouring out of the wound as she dumped another potion over it. "He will heal. He will need to recover before he fights again."

"Shang Tsung, you will remain in Caster's territory until she clears you to fight. You will do nothing but lie there and heal. Argue and I will retire you." I said, looking the man in the eye.

He nodded, sharp, relieved. "Thank you, my lord. I will–" He winced in pain. "I will wait."

Medea's head perked up, looking at something off in the distance the rest of us couldn't see. "There is a group approaching. They are spread out to investigate the land. They do not know we are here, but they are looking for us."

"How far away are they?"

"They are still several miles away. They are getting closer."

I considered our options for a moment. "I don't want us attacking them when they get closer. They'll know we're in this general area and organize their search to sniff us out." It was still too soon to reveal ourselves. The skeletons hadn't finished setting up our fortifications. Medea needed more time to properly empower her territory. Even burning through the power in my pocket dimension as she was, she needed more time.

"We need to lead them away, make them think that we're based somewhere else." I said.

"Leave it to me."

I looked up. Coal had joined us. There was an eager grin on his face.

"We've already discussed this, master. I'm the best choice for sustained engagements. They can't put me down."

I considered Coal for a moment. "Medea, how large is the group?"

"There are only four of them. A Rook, a Knight and two Pawns." Medea answered, her eyes still focused on the hole in Shang Tsung's chest. My Pawn was slowly healing, but he would still be down for a while.

"That's barely enough to give me a challenge, master. I'll be fine." Coal said, radiating confidence.

After a moment, I nodded. We needed to draw Bedeze's attention away from here until Medea's territory was set up and Shang Tsung was fully healed. "I'll drop you on the other side of the mountain with some of Caster's familiars. If you get into trouble, I'll send Matatabi to back you up."

Coal threw his head back and laughed. "Thank you, master! I will not fail you!"

I opened a Hole in front of him. Several spectral birds and cats flew through the Hole at Medea's direction moments before Coal stepped through himself.

"How much longer until your territory is set?" I asked.

"I will need another hour." Medea said.

"Coal can distract them for that long. If they send more pieces after him, we'll adapt. There might be an opening we can exploit if they send too many pieces against Coal." Bedeze's peerage outnumbered us. Each loss hurt us far more than it did him. Shang Tsung getting injured so quickly was not ideal, but Aqua had managed to pull him away before he could be retired. He would be able to fight again.

The trade for my Pawn being out of action for an hour? One of Bedeze's Pawns and his ability to use Hole. What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall in their headquarters right now. I could just imagine Bedeze seething. I'd watched many of his past Rating Games in preparation for this. I knew his tactics. He relied on Hole to move his peerage around the arena and outmaneuver his opponents. It was also his main avenue of personal attack. Aqua had just shredded his typical playbook.

He didn't know it yet, but this was the beginning of the end for Bedeze.

X

Coal's feet squelched into the ground as he stepped out of the Hole.

Frowning, he looked down. He was standing in a dank bog surrounded by gnarled trees and knee-high mist.

He grunted. "I would've preferred somewhere more flammable. I can make this work."

Coal rolled his arms, stretching them high above his head. He rolled his neck, limbering himself up to prepare for the fight to come.

"I'm sure there's a lot of commotion in Bedeze's camp right now and I'm sure it's very interesting, but I'm gonna have to ask you to spare me some attention right now." Coal spoke, his words not aimed at anyone in particular. Still, he knew he would be heard. The entire arena was covered in remote viewing spells. He was hoping they'd focus on him for the moment so he could say his piece. The people outside would be paying rapt attention to the arena after watching Aqua seal Bedeze's power.

Coal smirked. The girl did good. There were probably a lot of people on the outside shitting their pants right now at the thought of her little Keyblade. Or maybe not. Maybe they thought what she'd done was like that Worthless thing the Belials could do. They might think that Bedeze's present weakness was temporary.

They'd be wrong, but they couldn't have any way to know that. None of them had even heard the name 'Aqua' prior to today. They hadn't heard any of their names.

They'd hear them now. And they wouldn't forget.

"My name's Coal." Coal continued, bending down to touch his toes to limber up his legs. "Most of you will have no idea who I am. I don't really care about pride or prestige these days. The Hell I was trapped in did a good job of making all that shit seem pointless. No, I've got something else to say."

Coal spread his arms wide, taking a deep breath. When he exhaled, smoke shot out of his nostrils. "My name is Coal. I am Balthazar Abaddon's Pawn. Don't make problems, and I won't care about you one way or the other. But if you try to hurt my master or my friends like this pansy Bedeze…"

Coal glared at nothing. Muscles warped. Skin gave way to dark scales. Golden eyes shone bright and terrifying from behind a snout of razor-sharp teeth that growled out a low warning.

"Then I will show you the monster that caused Jason and his demigods to flee in terror."

His piece said, Coal flew straight up into the air. The bog was left behind him as he rose into the air. He floated in place, his body coiling around him as he roared in challenge.

The arena grew still in the wake of his challenge. Coal waited.

His sensitive ears heard a rush of air. Wings beating. There, a shape moving away from the mountain at speed. Tan fur, brown wings. A large lion's body propelled through the air on powerful wings. A sphinx. An old sphinx, easily the size of a small building. Large though it was, the sphinx could not match Coal's size.

Coal had seen recordings of Bedeze's Rating Games the same as the rest of Balthazar's peerage. He knew each member of the usurper's peerage. This sphinx was one of Bedeze's Rooks; Seria.

A screech reached Coal's ears. The sphinx was calling out in challenge.

Coal's thunderous roar met her call. He launched himself forward, flying fast, closing the distance to the sphinx.

They met in the air with a scattering of crimson. Seria's claws raked across Coal's body, tearing through his protective scales to the flesh below, carving deep gashes out of his body. Coal's teeth closed a moment too late to capture Seria's body, instead carving through her flank. The sphinx limped higher into the air, hoping to capitalize on a nonexistent advantage.

The surprised hiss as golden light healed Coal's injured in a moment was music to the dragon's ears.

Coal launched himself up after the sphinx. Seria rolled away, maneuvering herself into a dive, fleeing their confrontation.

"The dragon heals instantly!" Seria shouted ahead of him. "I need help!"

The Sphinx was injured. Coal was not.

Coal caught up to her, closing his jaws down around her wing.

Seria shrieked in pain. Her claws slashed into Coal, desperately flailing against him in an effort to dislodge the dragon. Coal weathered her assault without so much as a grimace. Seria's flailing may as well have been akin to a kitten swiping at him next to Regulus's blows.

Coal's serpentine body wound around the sphinx. Seria's wings were pinned to her sides. The duo began to plummet from the air. Coal clawed the sphinx again and again, opening greater wounds. Blood fell like rain. His powerful jaws closed around the sphinx's neck. There was a flash of white light and Seria was gone.

"Bedeze Abaddon's Rook retired."

Coal floated in the air, shaking the sphinx's lingering blood from his body. HIs eyes narrowed. Up ahead, five devils were flying towards him at speed. They moved in an offensive formation, approaching like a spearpoint. These were not the devils he had been sent to lead away.

The devil in the lead had blonde hair and wore dark robes. Coal recognized her as one of Bedeze's bishops; Agatha. She was the only member of Bedeze's peerage to possess a Sacred Gear.

Agatha held her hand high. She was clutching something; a small box with a small figurine atop it. A music box.

"Dreamless Sleep!" Agatha shouted. The music box in her hand glowed a soft blue. A gentle lullaby tickled Coal's ears.

Coal felt his eyes droop. Fatigue seeped into his very bones. For the barest moment, unconscious slumber threatened to claim the great dragon.

The amethyst earring still affixed to his draconic ear glowed bright with violet power. Coal's eyes snapped open. The dreariness was gone, replaced by rage.

Medea offered every member of Balthazar's peerage armor and weapons in preparation for this Rating Game. Between his scales and his healing, Coal had no need for armor. His claws, his teeth and his fire were his weapons. Coal wanted nothing, but Medea still gave him a gift; an enchanted earring. Coal could recover from any attack, but he still had not found a reliable way to counter curses. Medea's gift was enchanted to do just that.

Coal delighted in the way Agatha's eyes widened in terror as her Sacred Gear failed to pull him under its spell. He had seen footage from other battles where she had employed the Sacred Gear. Rare were the opponents that could resist its effect. When Agatha used it, the target was almost always eliminated soon afterwards. Not this time.

The devils scattered as Coal tore through the air towards them. A man with blue hair wielding a sword and shield flew forward to meet him while the others moved to surround him. This was Matthew, Bedeze's Knight. The Bishop and the Pawns attacked with spells and arrows while the Knight met his fangs with steel.

Coal whipped his tail around to strike at the Knight. Matthew raised his shield in time, but the force of the blow still blew him backwards through the air.

One of the Pawns shot another arrow that deflected off of Coal's scales. With the Knight still recovering from Coal's attack, there was no one to protect the Pawn as Coal turned his attention on the young man.

Coal's maw opened. A torrent of orange fire shot towards the Pawn in a wide cone. The Pawn threw up a hasty shield. It wasn't enough.

"Bedeze Abaddon's Pawn retired." came the announcement.

Coal's head was batted to the side as the Knight returned at speed, ramming into the dragon's head with a shield charge. The Knight disengaged as Coal's teeth snapped towards him. The Knight glared as Coal began laughing. The dragon grinned as his body coiled around him in the air.

He was having fun.

X

"The group of devils is still moving towards us." Medea reported. "Coal has engaged a separate group. The ones moving towards us have not deviated in the slightest."

"Keep an eye on Coal's fight. If he needs help, let me know immediately." I said, staring at the mountain in the distance. Medea's familiars were watching Coal's fight. She'd seen Seria fly away from the mountain to meet Coal. Bedeze was probably setting up his base of operations in the mountain. It would provide a good vantage point and be very difficult to assault if properly defended. At least, it would be under normal circumstances. It wouldn't be an issue for us.

"I expect he will manage, but I will monitor the exchange all the same." Medea said. "What do you wish to do about the other devils?"

"Either of us could deal with Jean, but I'm saving myself for Bedeze. I'd assume you still want a piece of Runa?"

"You would assume correctly."

"I'd thought as much. How long until Shang Tsung is ready to fight?"

"He could fight now, but it will be several more minutes until he is fully healed."

"Then we'll buy a few minutes before we bring the mountain down on Bedeze's head. His Pawns won't pose much of a threat, but I want Shang Tsung and Aqua with us to deal with the other Knight and Bishop. Matatabi…"

The blue-haired cat woman rose to her feet. "The group still approaching, yes? I will deal with them." She walked away slowly. Tails of blue fire swayed behind her as she departed.

"We could strike them now." Medea said as we watched Matatabi go.

"He underestimated us and is suffering for it. I won't make the same mistake. Once you finish setting up your territory we'll make our move. I want a position to fall back to in case something unexpected happens."

"As you wish, my King."

My eyes turned to the mountain far away in the distance. What was going through Bedeze's head right now?

X

This isn't how it was supposed to go.

"Bedeze Abaddon's Pawn retired."

"The Dragon just got John too. We need support!" Matthew's voice screamed through his amulet.

"Agatha, put the blasted beast to sleep!" Bedeze ordered in a rage.

"I can't! He is resisting the effect!" Agatha replied, sounding panicked.

"My lord, we need Jean." Claire, the last of the Pawns he's sent with Matthew, said. Her voice was shaky.

Bedeze grit his teeth. He couldn't recall Jean. He needed Jean to eliminate the Belial before he could rejoin the fight himself. Once he regained the use of Hole, that dragon would be nothing but a worm before his might.

"Agatha, Claire, withdraw. Matthew, lead the dragon away from the mountain. Once Jean and Ami retire the Belial I will retrieve you." Bedeze said.

"Yes, my lord." Matthew accepted his orders without a word of dissent.

At his side, his Queen had a considering frown on her face. "Balthazar has five pieces. His Queen we know. The Belial is likely his Knight. The Dragon is clearly his Rook. The shapeshifter we already know about and was simple enough to send fleeing. The other Pawn will likely be just as simple to dispose of."

Bedeze allowed himself a breath. His Queen's logical reasoning had done much to calm him. He hadn't expected Balthazar's Rook to be so strong, but the dragon wouldn't be enough. His peerage was experienced. He trusted Matthew's ability to stay in the game while keeping the dragon occupied. Balthazar's Queen would not be able to defeat Runa in combat. The Belial likely had nothing of note to contribute other than Worthless. Once the dragon and the Queen were dealt with, the Rating Game would be over. He needed Hole back so he could dispose of the dragon.

"Jean, Ami, move faster. Remove the Knight quickly."

"I am tracking her scent, my lord. I am close." Jean's voice responded through Bedeze's amulet.

"Send me to go with them." Runa requested.

Bedeze shook his head. "No. Until I can use Hole once more, I am vulnerable. I need you here with me. I will only send you away if the Queen reveals herself." Bedeze turned to his second Bishop. "Have you located them yet?"

"I apologize, my lord. They are still evading my scryings." Edward said, refusing to look him in the eye.

Bedeze growled, turning away. After this Rating Game, he would be finding a new Bishop. Edward had been making a habit of failing to contribute as of late. Bedeze was a top Rating Game competitor. If a Bishop could not manage to contribute in a match against his failure of a nephew, how would he contribute against a true threat like Diehauser? That girl Lord Paimon possessed had potential. Bedeze would approach Lord Paimon to see if he would be willing to trade an ingot of mithril for her.

"My lord, we have found the second Pawn." Jean's voice spoke from the amulet.

Bedeze gripped his amulet, feeling Jean and Ami's location. They were in the plains beyond the mountain. Bedeze started walking to the entrance to the cave they had claimed as their headquarters so he could see Jean's position with his eyes. "Retire her and move on. The Belial is your target."

"She… My lord, there is something strange about her."

Bedeze's eyebrows furrowed. "Explain."

There was no response.

X

Matatabi glared at the brutish devils across the field from her. This man was her enemy. Already, she held no care for him. His rudeness only served to irritate her. He would truly speak to his master as if she was not here?

"You are quite rude, mutt." Matatabi said, baring her teeth. The others were moving to encircle her. She did not care. The brute had offended her. The rest were nuisances.

Matatabi had paid little attention to the boring briefings and meetings Balthazar had held with his peerage to go over the different abilities of Bedeze's peerage. What did it matter to her which devil could do what? She would burn them away with her flames or sunder them with her claws all the same. She only paid enough attention to fool Balthazar into thinking she'd listened raptly. She knew the names of these creatures, but that did not serve her. She did not need the packets and folders to ascertain what manner of beast the brute across from her was. She could smell it on him, the canine.

"Jean, find the Belial. I'll deal with her." the green-haired one said.

Matatabi sniffed the air, affronted. The woman was not what she appeared to be either. She smelled like a pheasant. She moved with grace.

"Wait your turn. You have not annoyed me yet, but I will deal with you first if I must. I do enjoy the taste of birds." Matatabi said. Blue embers shone in her eyes as she glared at the bird-person.

"Oh to hell with this waiting!" another member of the group shouted in frustration. He was short with white hair. Matatabi could not determine anything remarkable about the small man.

He held up his fists as he ran towards her. He wore gauntlets with metal points on the knuckles. He punched towards her head. Matatabi leaned to the side, gracefully dodging the blow. Her claws grew from her fingers. She slashed upwards.

The white-haired man gasped, clutching ineffectually at the deep gashes in his chest. He stumbled backwards, starting to fall. He was enveloped in light before his body could reach the ground.

"Bedeze Abaddon's Pawn retired."

Matatabi frowned in disdain, looking down at her bloodstained kimono. "This was my favorite. The fabric is soft."

The others were on guard now. The bird woman drew a katana from a sheath at her waist and held it at the ready. A muscular bald man drew an axe. Matatabi ignored the devil that still smelled human. He wasn't a threat. Only the bird and the canine seemed dangerous.

The wolfman growled, low and threatening. His muscles expanded, bulging through his white t-shirt. The clothing tore as his body exploded outwards. Skin gave way to brown fur. Hands lengthened into lengthy fingers tipped with claws. A maw of razor-like teeth was revealed in a snarl. A lumbering werewolf stood on two legs, staring at Matatabi in consideration.

The Rook's voice was lower and more powerful when he spoke next, like a guttural growl formed into words. "My lord is always seeking capable Pawns. You dispatched Taylor with ease. None would object to you taking his place."

"Lord Bedeze is good to Yokai." the green-haired woman who smelled like a bird said, sword still raised. "A nekomata would be welcome in our peerage once our lord's nephew has learned his place."

Matatabi frowned, looking between them. "You seek to recruit me into my enemy's army?"

"Balthazar will lose. It is a foregone conclusion. Once this Rating Game is over, you will need to secure a future for yourself in the Underworld." the werewolf said. "My master is always seeking greater talent to replace the weak in his peerage. You would fit in well among us. Our lord rewards his capable followers well. You will never want for wealth again."

Matatabi's eyes narrowed. "You have made three mistakes, mutt." Sparks of azure fire danced through Matatabi's hair as she took measured steps forward. "Your first mistake was approaching me as if I am some prize to be bought and traded. I am Matatabi the Two Tailed Wraith. I am not an object to be sold."

The bird, the wolf and the inconsequential once-human devil flinched as Matatabi's hair and tails lit on fire, drifting up away from her body as if possessed by an unseen spirit.

"Your second mistake: I am not some weak yokai spirit like the tengu at your side."

The bird woman scowled at the insult. She moved to reply when Matatabi's body changed again. The members of Bedeze's peerage all stepped back as Matatabi's body unnaturally stretched upwards, drifting apart like smoke.

"Your third mistake: I am no one's Pawn."

The planes were swallowed by an eruption of azure flame. Bedeze's peerage fled into the air, scattering in all directions to avoid the raging inferno. The hurricane of flame coalesced into a shape. A feline body with furious fangs glared hatefully at the flying wolf.

The wolf snarled at the monstrous form of the Two Tailed Beast beneath him. A howl of challenge split the sky as he threw his head back, calling to the sky. As his cry sounded, his form changed once more. He grew even larger. The mockery of humanity his second form held vanished. In its place was a towering wolf easily matching Matatabi's size.

The wolf fell to the ground and charged towards the flaming cat. Matatabi pounced, meeting his charge. The two beasts collided in a flurry of claws and fangs. One of Matatabi's tails caught the wolf under the chin, knocking him back.

Before she could capitalize, Matatabi was attacked from the side.

The bird woman, Matatabi believed her name to be Ami, dove towards her through the air. Her appearance had changed. White feathers covered the Knight's body. Horns protruded from the corners of her mouth like the mocking smile of a demon. Her katana was glowing gold.

Matatabi's second tail batted the blade away before it could strike her. Matatabi arched her spine. Flame exploded in all directions. The tengu nimbly dodged backwards and away, successfully retreating to a safe area. The wolf took the full force of the explosion. His fur was singed. His snout was burned, yet he stood. The bald man was not so lucky.

"Bedeze Abaddon's Pawn retired."

The Pawn's axe fell to the ground beneath where he had been blasted away. Matatabi hadn't even been trying to hurt him. Was he truly so weak as to die to an attack meant for another?

The wolf leapt towards her once more, enraged after sustaining his injuries.

Matatabi allowed the wolf to land atop her. His fangs bit into her fire, scoring the insides of his mouth with severe burns.

The wolf released her and tried to flee. Matatabi did not allow him to. She latched onto the wolf with her claws, dragging him down atop her and rolling so she had the wolf pinned beneath her. She batted at the defenseless wolf with her claws, raking deep gashes into his body. Her assault was relentless, striking without pause or mercy. Crimson fluid scattered to paint the field red.

The bird tried to fly down to support the wolf, but Matatabi slapped her away with her tails. Before the bird could try again, the wolf vanished in a flash of light.

"Bedeze Abaddon's Rook retired."

Matatabi slowly turned to face the bird flying in the air above her. She grinned.

The bird turned and fled, flying high into the sky at breakneck speeds.

Matatabi watched her go. She could chase after the bird. She enjoyed eating birds almost as much as she enjoyed fish, but the bird would vanish before she could eat her. Her task had been to prevent the devils from approaching Balthazar and Medea. Her task was complete.

Matatabi's form shrunk down to the size of a small housecat. She turned and began lazily walking back towards Balthazar. She did not expect any further complications from this battle. From what little she'd cared to learn about devil peerages, she knew that Rooks were supposed to be strong. If that wolf was any indication, Bedeze's peerage would not be able to stand against her new allies. She could afford to spend the rest of this Rating Game lazing in the sun.

X

"The Knight fled." Medea reported, having watched Matatabi's battle through her familiars.

Aqua grinned, savoring the triumphant feeling welling up within her. Balthazar and Medea hadn't cared to look at what the Underworld was saying about them before the Rating Game. Aqua had.

Every site, every forum, every interview she had seen painted the same picture. The entire Underworld had expected Bedeze to completely obliterate them. Bets had been placed on how quickly Bedeze would defeat them.

It angered her; how dismissive everyone was of her new friends, of her. Aqua didn't remember feeling such fierce pride before. Perhaps it was a result of her change into a devil? Maybe the World of Darkness had left more marks on her than those visible on her body.

How she longed to look at those same forums now, to listen to interviews with the same arrogant devils predicting their downfall. Bedeze had lost both of his Rooks and five Pawns. Meanwhile, they hadn't lost anyone. Those arrogant snobs were probably gobsmacked right about now.

"What about the other Knight?" Balthazar asked.

"She is fleeing towards the mountain. She is still isolated." Medea answered.

"I'll take care of it." Balthazar said.

"Wait,"

Balthazar turned to Aqua.

"Let me go. I'll deal with her then go help Coal. Once that's done, you two can attack the mountain."

Balthazar turned to Medea. "How is Coal faring right now?"

Medea sighed tiredly. "He is laughing while Bedeze's Knight ineffectually tries to injure him."

Aqua frowned. "So he's playing with his food?"

"I would not have put it that way, but yes." Medea said.

Balthazar rubbed his forehead. "Okay. I'll send you to the Knight. Go help Coal once she's dealt with. Tell him to stay back from the mountain. It won't be there for long."

Aqua nodded. "Okay."

"Medea? Guide me please."

Medea took Balthazar's hand. The same violet glow in her eyes briefly flared in his. A Hole opened in front of Aqua.

"Try not to beat Bedeze too quickly." Aqua said in parting. She stepped through the Hole.

Her wings shot out of her back to hold her aloft as the Hole closed behind her. She was high in the sky. The mountain that had loomed in the distance was now much closer.

Ahead, a white-feathered humanoid shape halted in the air, a katana gripped tight in its hands. This was Ami, Bedeze's Knight, the one that had just fled from Matatabi.

"I don't blame you for running." Aqua said conversationally. "Matatabi has that effect on people."

The woman did not respond. Her katana glowed gold. Like a striking viper, she rocketed towards Aqua.

A flash of light heralded the arrival of Aqua's Keyblade. She met the Knight and blocked her initial strike.

Aqua wasn't prepared for the follow up attack to come so quickly. The katana weaved around her guard, coming down on her armored arm. The armor held, deflecting the blade away. It still hurt.

Aqua summoned a current of air to blow the Knight away from her. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at her opponent.

"I'm good with a sword, but I think you're better." Aqua said, pained to admit it.

"I am over a thousand years old, girl. I was formed for the purpose of wielding a blade." Ami finally spoke, leveling her katana towards Aqua, readying for another attack.

"Then I guess I won't fight you as a swordsman." Aqua said. She pointed her keyblade forward, turning it as if to unlock something.

Ami's wings beat against the air to propel her forward. She made no progress. Shock was writ on her face as she whipped around to look behind her. Floating in the air behind her was a dark void in the shape of a keyhole. A great vacuum sounded as the Keyhole sucked everything in the vicinity towards it.

Ami desperately tried to flee. Aqua held up a hand, blasting her with another torrent of air. Ami was sent tumbling into the Keyhole. It snapped shut behind her.

Aqua waited for the announcement of the Knight's retirement, but none came. As she thought it over, she realized it might take a minute. The Rating Game system was designed to warp people out of the arena when they sustained great injuries. Once that failsafe was activated, there was probably some magical alert sent that then prompted the announcement. They didn't expect someone to simply teleport their opponent outside of the arena. The extensive wards used in Rating Games typically prevented someone from sending anything into or out of the arena. Those wards meant nothing to Aqua's Keyblade.

They'd eventually figure out that the Knight wasn't in the fight anymore. Until then, she had a job to do.

Another keyhole opened in front of her. She flew through it.

Rumbling laughter greeted her as she emerged from the keyhole. Beneath her, a lone devil was desperately trying to slay a serpentine dragon. None of the devil's attacks left marks for longer than a moment. The dragon was laughing while it joyfully batted the man's shield with its tail.

"Coal!" Aqua called down, scowling. "Stop playing with him and get rid of him already!"

The dragon paused, turning to look up at her. Aqua had spent enough time with the dragon to recognize his reptilian frown. "He is a strong knight. I am playing into the stereotype and allowing him a chance to slay me."

Aqua glared at Coal.

Bedeze's Knight didn't give her a chance to reply. The armored figure zipped through the air in a direct line to her. Coal hovered in the air, forgotten behind him.

Aqua's eyes narrowed as the devil flew towards her.

She'd read what the Underworld had said about Balthazar's peerage. There was some minor speculation about Medea and Coal. Through all of her searching, Aqua had only found one mention of herself. An off-hand comment about how Balthazar had a Knight that wouldn't be able to match Bedeze's.

She'd already beaten Ami, but from the outside looking in it may appear as though she cheated. She wanted to show those fools that she was someone to be taken seriously.

This new pride of hers was irksome. It would be so easy to send Matthew away the same way she'd dealt with Ami, but her pride wouldn't allow it.

"Don't interfere!" Aqua shouted down to Coal just as Matthew was upon her.

Her Keyblade sang as it clashed with Matthew's sword. Bedeze's Knight was focused, glaring at her with purpose.

"Hey! He was my opponent! You can't just–"

Coal's complaining was drowned out as thunder ripped apart the sky.

Matthew flew backwards, fleeing as lightning danced away from Aqua's body. Bolts of electric might streaked down from the sky. Matthew wove expertly between them as he maneuvered close to attack again.

Aqua held her Keyblade above her head. She delighted in the shock she saw in Matthew's eyes as her body shifted. Where once there was one Aqua, there were now three. Each of Aqua's shadows attacked as one. Three crackling orbs of violet energy imbued with the sky's storm flew towards Matthew at erratic angles.

Matthew tucked his legs and wings behind his shield. The orbs struck his defense, blasting him backwards.

Aqua stepped backwards through a Keyhole in the sky. Five Aquas emerged from the Keyhole on the ground where Matthew had been sent flying. As one, they leapt into the air. Each Aqua flew at a different angle.

Matthew's sword and shield moved in a blur to block Keyblade strikes from all directions. Despite the assault, he managed to defend against all five Aquas. He didn't see the sixth.

Matthew gasped. His sword arm went slack.

A sword was driven through his chest. Following the sword down to the hand grasping it showed the arm emerging from Matthew's own shadow.

Another Aqua rose from the Knight's shadow, hand holding the hilt of the sword Medea had crafted for her. Her copies vibrated like afterimages as they melded with her.

Matthew's grip on his sword tightened. Despite the blade driven through his chest, he made one last desperate swing towards Aqua's neck.

Aqua's Keyblade appeared in her other hand. She twisted it. Matthew was blasted away from her on a current of violet light. His sword clattered to the ground, knocked from his grip by the force of the energy. A flash of light could be seen above the violet orb.

"Bedeze Abaddon's first and second Knight retired."

Aqua smiled. There's the announcement she was waiting for.

A massive draconic face drifted up next to her. It was pouting.

"You stole my fight." Coal said.

"I'll make it up to you. Now hush. I want to watch the show."

"What show?"

The ground beneath them shook. Moments later a shockwave shook the air as a titanic boom split the air. Far in the distance, the mountain that once stood tall in the center of the arena now rained down as rubble.

"Oh, that show."

X

"Aqua is dealing with Matthew." Medea reported.

I stared off at the mountain in the distance, a considering frown on my face. "That just leaves Bedeze, Runa and the Bishops."

"There are a handful of Pawns as well, master."

"I don't expect them to be a problem after this."

"They likely will not be, but we should plan for them all the same."

"You're right. Is Shang Tsung ready to fight?"

"He has recovered enough for the final stage."

"Good. Sorry for keeping you back. I thought things wouldn't go as well as they did. It looks like we didn't need you to make a territory after all."

"It is no trouble, master. I was glad to take the precaution all the same."

"Well, there's no use stalling any longer. You're ready?"

"Always, master."

"Then let's get started."

My wings extended from my back. I flew into the sky with Medea at my side. We came to a stop high in the air. I opened a small Hole above my hand. "Shang Tsung, be ready to fight. We're in the endgame."

"I am prepared, my lord."

I closed the Hole, staring off into the distance.

"I imagine this is going to surprise a lot of people watching right now." I said.

Medea chuckled. "It will surprise even those who know you well."

"Yeah, well, I don't throw my weight around for no reason. People have left me alone, so I haven't needed to do this."

Medea and I's conversation wasn't scripted, but it was planned. A small nod to the Underworld and the supernatural world at large. Leave me alone and I won't have a problem with you. Mess with me or mine and you get the Bedeze treatment.

I held up my hands. Far in the distance, a trio of Holes opened.

Bedeze did not use our bloodline power to its fullest ability. In his Rating Games, he used it to position his pieces and to cause explosions. Admittedly, that was all he really needed. Due to the way the wards worked, widespread teleportation was a rare commodity in Rating Games. If one side could teleport freely and the other couldn't, they would be at a major disadvantage. Couple that with Bedeze's ability to open a Hole with the destructive potential of a minecart full of C4 underneath someone's chin and it was no wonder why he was so successful. Still, he could be doing more.

Bedeze and Kuisha both didn't feel the need to press the limits of what Hole could do. I had. I still had depths left to explore, but I'd learned a lot in my brief life as a devil. I couldn't walk between seconds like an Agares. I couldn't steal away what made a being special like a Belial. I couldn't destroy anything in my path like a Bael. What I could do was connect things. I could create a bridge where a bridge shouldn't exist. I could store something away and bring it back to reality at my whim.

On the demonic scale, my destructive potential really wasn't all that high. I was confident that I could dominate other devils my age and even some weaker century-old devils, but Bedeze wasn't weak. In a contest of straight power, he would likely come out on top. But I didn't need to best him with power. Why would I when I could connect to something stronger? Bedeze shoved all of his power through a Hole he opened right on top of his enemy. It was crude, but no one could say it wasn't effective. For this opening strike, I was taking a card from his deck.

The Holes I opened around the mountain rapidly expanded. A ginormous sphere of scintillating destruction emerged from each. They all crashed into the mountain at the same time.

In the distance. The mountain fractured. There was a brief beat of silence before the shockwave hit us. The ground shook. The air screamed. You'd think a volcano had erupted from all of the rocky debris sent flying into the sky above the mountain.

"Bedeze Abaddon's Pawn Retired. Bedeze Abaddon's Bishop retired. Bedeze Abaddon's Pawn retired. Bedeze Abaddon's Pawn retired."

I wasn't expecting to catch the Bishop with that. I certainly wasn't going to complain though.

In the distance, stones still fell from the sky, but the environment around Medea and I had quieted.

"A splendid showing for our audience, master." Medea said, a pleased smile on her face.

"Thank Matatabi."

I lacked the pure destructive potential to destroy a mountain in one blow myself. I could probably pull it off, but it would be a death by a thousand cuts. My moody, salmon devouring Rook on the other hand? She could do it by sneezing. All I needed to do to borrow her powerful sneezes was to capture them in Holes and keep them locked away in pocket dimensions for later use.

It wasn't the Power of Destruction, but it was pretty damn destructive.

Medea's eyes narrowed. "The last Bishop is fleeing with Bedeze. Runa is flying out to meet us."

I squinted, looking into the distance. Even with my devil's vision, I couldn't make out any great detail in the remnants of the mountain so far away. "Which Bishop made it?"

"Agatha. They are making for the deep forest to attempt to disappear."

"You've already got familiars watching it, right?"

"Of course."

"Then there's no problem. I'm assuming you still want to deal with Runa yourself?"

"I would be most upset with you if you prevented me from putting her in her place."

"Got it. Show me where Bedeze and Agatha are. I'll grab Shang Tsung and go after them. I'm leaving Runa to you."

Medea took my hand, weaving her fingers through mine. My vision was momentarily overtaken by her magic. It was as if I was looking through the world through a shallow pool of water. I was looking down at a distorted image of a badly injured Bedeze and a woman half-carrying him as they fled through the trees. I'd nearly taken out Bedeze with that blast. I'd expected him to be better defended.

"Got it." I shook my head as I returned to viewing the world normally. I gave Medea a quick kiss on the forehead. "Stay safe."

A soft blush colored her cheeks. "I will be fine, master. Don't defeat Bedeze until I put his bitch of a Queen in her place."

"Anything for my perfect Queen." A Hole opened behind me to pull me away.

X

Medea watched Balthazar go. She knew the battle was all but won. She knew he was more than prepared to destroy his flea of an uncle. Still, she couldn't help but worry. In any other situation, she would have gone with him. She couldn't do that this time.

Medea's lips curled into a furious frown as she borrowed the senses of her familiars, observing the approaching woman garbed in scorched armor, her silver hair burned in places. No, Medea had to deal with the valkyrie first. She had to show all devilkind, the entire world what would happen to those that threatened her master.

Runa was getting closer now. The valkyrie had seen her. Runa's spear appeared in her hand. She stabbed it forward.

A beam of multicolored energy speared through Medea's chest. The witch chuckled, the sound echoing as the illusion Runa had struck dispelled into a scattering of dark-winged butterflies.

The valkyrie slowed, shield and spear held up defensively as she looked around. Her eyes adopted a golden glow. "I am going to destroy you, you bitch. First you, then the dragon. Then your bastard of a King!" On the final word, she stabbed her spear forward. Another beam lanced towards empty air.

A violet barrier appeared in the beam's path, stopping it cold. Medea shimmered into being behind the shield as she let her invisibility spell fade. "I believe I made you a promise when we last met. I intend to keep it." Dark magic circles spun into being in the air behind Medea. Lances of dark lightning shot from the circles.

Runa's armor glowed gold. A barrier of golden light appeared with her shield as its centerpoint. Medea's spells blasted into the shield and were stopped. Runa held her spear high above her head and chanted an incantation.

The shield of golden energy swirled down into itself. A golden serpent formed from the vortex. Runa pointed her spear towards Medea. The magical construct charged. It swirled through the air, spectral fangs reaching.

Medea flew forward. With a flash, a wicked dagger appeared in her hand. She ducked under the snake's fangs and cut a shallow incision into the magical snake. The construct erupted into motes of energy as the spell unraveled.

"You are weak!" Runa screamed. She waved her spear like a staff. A rainbow of energy swirled around it. Beams of multi-colored light shot from the tip towards Medea.

Medea erected shields to block Runa's attacks. More dark circles opened around her. For every beam of colorful energy shot towards her, Medea sent back four of her own. For now, Runa's armor and golden shield were holding back her assault.

"I was trained in the hall of gods! My father is divine! You are nothing!" A wave of pearl-colored energy pulsed out from Runa.

The wave passed over Medea with no effect. The witch's eyes were hidden beneath her hood. All that was visible of her face was her furious frown. "You talk too much."

Runa looked down in shock as she felt something latch itself around her ankle. Spectral red energy coiled like a fishing line snapped taut, pulling Runa down. The valkyrie was hauled out of the sky and slammed into the ground hard enough to crater the earth. She moved to stand. More wires emerged from the ground the moment she struck the ground. They wrapped around her wrists, her ankles, her legs, her waist, her neck. Runa struggled, fighting as hard as she could. It wasn't enough.

The air fled Runa's lungs as the magical wires slammed her down into the earth hard. More wires appeared, pulling her fallen spear away, prying her shield from her arm, winding themselves around her body. Runa pulsed her magic. She thrashed against the wires. It was for nought. She couldn't move an inch.

A shadow passed over Runa.

The fallen valkyrie glared up hatefully as the witch descended towards her. She redoubled her efforts, trying to find any purchase to free herself from the bindings she was trapped in. There was none to be found.

"I believe you have an inferiority complex." the witch said. Her conversational tone was at odds with the aura of hate surrounding her, clinging to her shoulders like a haunting spectre.

"I will dest–" Runa's mouth was blocked as more of the crimson wires wound around her mouth and jaw, locking her lips shut.

"When we first met, you boasted of your lineage. Your mother is Hildr, yes? And you called yourself Boreasdóttir. Am I to assume your father is the Greek deity of the same name?"

The witch smiled, looming over Runa's bound form. "You don't need to answer. I already know. I researched you prior to this confrontation. Forgive me for asking a pointless question."

Runa activated the runes in her spear. The spear cut itself free of the wires constricting it, flying towards the witch's exposed back. Runa's eyes shone in triumph.

Despite her expectations, the spear did not spear through the witch's chest. It drifted peacefully into the witch's waiting hands. The witch ran her fingers over the haft of the spear as she spoke.

"You are so insistent that everyone knows exactly who you are, forcing your parent's status down their throats so they pay attention to you. I can't say I'm the same, but I suppose I could play along with this little game."

A wicked knife appeared in the witch's hand. She carved a symbol into the haft of Runa's spear with the tip. The dagger vanished moments later.

"Much better." the witch said, her lips pulling up into a cruel smile. She knelt at Runa's side. The wires around Runa's hand pried her fingers open. The witch set the spear in her hand. The wires forced her hand around the haft of the spear.

Runa felt a slowly blooming terror in her chest. Her spear…it was wrong.

"Now, it's time for me to introduce myself." the witch said. She frowned down at Runa. "No, you're not properly postured to receive a royal's introduction."

Royal? Runa could barely process the thought before the impossibly strong crimson wires moved her body without her consent. She resisted. She threw her magic and her physical might against the wiry magic, but she was helpless. The wires covered her entire body now. Only the upper half of her face was free from the overlapping threads of magic. They moved her like a puppet to their tune.

Runa pushed herself out of the crater she'd been thrown into. She stepped out of it and immediately knelt before the witch, head bowed. Her spear rested against the ground at her side. She couldn't channel her magic through it. She tried to drop it, but she couldn't. The wires pinned her hand around the haft. Her grip felt cold around the once comforting weapon. A cold that was slowly spreading up her arm, weakening her with every passing moment.

"That's better." the witch's voice came from above her. "Demigods always think they're so important. Did you expect me to worship you because your father is an Olympian? Our family fornicates with anything that has legs. Being descended from one of their countless trysts is no great feat worthy of praise."

Runa had been struggling since the moment the wires captured her. Her entire focus had been dedicated to fighting her way free and skewering this bitch. Despite her drive, despite her single-minded determination, something the witch said caused her to halt her efforts.

Our?

Runa felt fingers gingerly lift her chin. She was looking up at the witch. From her vantage she could see beneath her hood. Purple eyes and lavender hair. Pointed ears. Ethereal beauty. A violent smile.

Runa felt a kernel of dread spark to life deep in her gut.

"Surprised? As I said, we are greater in number than most would expect, cousin. Or would it be second-cousin? I suppose it doesn't matter." The witch's hand trailed across her cheek as she walked around behind Runa, out of her sight.

Runa wracked her brain trying to think. She'd had almost no contact with the Greeks since she was cast out and Bedeze welcomed her into his home. She hadn't heard of a god having children with humans recently, but it was possible the god hid the child to protect her. The witch was good with magic and had purple hair. Was she Hecate's daughter?

Runa couldn't resist as arms wound around her shoulders from behind. The witch's fingers danced across her shoulders. She leaned in close to Runa's ears. "You're trying so hard to solve the puzzle, aren't you, cousin? I'd speak a word of encouragement, but I have no faith in your mental abilities. If you were at all capable in that department, you never would have accepted Bedeze's offer. You never would have threatened my master."

Runa bit back a moan of pain as the innumerable wires wrapped around her body all constricted as one, squeezing tight around her body.

"Your father is a storm? My mother is of the ocean itself. Your mother is a valkyrie? My father is a king. His father is the sun. My lineage is so thick with Titan blood that I could never be called mortal."

Fingers clasped around Runa's face in a vice-like grip, wrenching her head to the side. She found herself staring directly into pitiless purple eyes. "My name is Medea. It is so good to properly meet you, cousin."

Runa felt the dread within her blossom into a flower of despair. Medea. The Witch of Colchis. The dead princess who once sailed at Jason's side. How?

"Come now, cousin. It's time I fulfill my promise."

The wires forced Runa to rise against her will, standing at Medea's side. A point of darkness opened in front of them; a Hole.

Runa felt hope swell in her chest. Bedeze! He'd beaten the Belial Knight and had opened a path back for her.

Her hope was crushed as the magical wires moved her limbs without her consent, walking her towards the Hole at Medea's side. This was not Bedeze's Hole. This was Balthazar's Hole. But how? Even with his ability to use Hole sealed, Balthazar was no match for Bedeze. Agatha should have healed their lord by now and destroyed the bastard.

A thousand questions swam through Runa's mind as her body moved under someone else's power, striding directly into the Hole at Medea's side.

X

This was a dream. That was the only way Bedeze could make sense of these past events. He was dreaming.

A passing branch brushed over the burned flesh on his shoulder as Agatha hauled him through the forest, drawing a hiss from his lips.

It certainly didn't feel like a dream.

This… No. No! It wasn't supposed to be like this! How did this happen? His Peerage was one of the greatest in the Underworld. He had hand-picked them all, trading away the weak and replacing them with the strong to cultivate the perfect servants to help him rise through the ranks. There was no way that an upstart bastard's peerage could defeat them. Some of his Pawns he would understand, but so many? His Knights? His Rooks?

No. This couldn't be happening.

"My lord, we must see to your injuries." Agatha gently laid Bedeze down, helping him rest his back against a tree.

Agatha reached into a bag at her side. She applied salves. Gently fed Bedeze potions. Bedeze pondered their position while she worked.

Whatever Balthazar had done to cheat his way into this position, his bastard nephew had likely done so by exhausting his options. The destruction of the mountain would have been his final attempt to end the Rating Game. It had failed. Bedeze was injured, but still able to fight. Agatha was with him. Runa had departed to dispatch the Queen and would return soon.

Without the information provided by the witch's familiars spread through the arena that Runa had found, Balthazar would not be able to coordinate his Peerage. Bedeze was confident in his ability to defeat Balthazar even without Hole. The dragon was a separate matter. Seria was one of the stronger Rooks in the Underworld. For her to be bested so easily by this healing dragon, it would need to be a powerful foe.

"We will find Balthazar and eliminate him." Bedeze decided.

"My lord?" Agatha said, pausing her work.

"We have lost too many pieces to combat the full might of his peerage. He has expertly used surprise and underhanded tactics to bring us low, but he has not, and will not win. Balthazar himself is weak. We will strike at the boy himself and finish this."

"My lord, how will we find him?"

"You will locate him."

"My lord, I believe my time would be better spent healing you. You are still–"

"I am well enough to discipline my nephew. Find him."

"Yes, my lord." Agatha bowed her head. She sat down on the ground and closed her eyes. Bedeze felt the familiar hum of magic in the air as she began scrying.

Bedeze stood, holding back a wince. He could not show weakness.

Rating Games were broadcast to the entire Underworld. Every possible angle could be viewed with magic. This match would already damage Bedeze's reputation enough. From this moment forward, he must proceed with complete confidence and swiftly eliminate his nephew. Once Balthazar was defeated, he could have his publicists spin a tale of how he wanted to give his nephew a true chance at victory, to really test him. He needed to control the narrative. Balthazar hadn't brought him low. No, Bedeze had ordered his peerage to hold back. Yes. Even as he sought to discipline his nephew for his overreach, he still acted as a caring uncle by giving him valuable Rating Games experience. The public would accept this story. It was easier to believe than the reality.

Bedeze knew he was being watched. For that reason alone did he not snarl in rage.

His peerage had been dismantled by a novice, by a boy! Did they forget what Bedeze had wagered on this Rating Game? Did the gravity of the contracts he had been forced to sign not weigh on them? Evidently not. At this Rating Game's conclusion, Bedeze would be trading the majority of his peerage. It was high time his team had a completely fresh roster. It would generate more interest from his fans and simultaneously replace the failures that had been beaten by amateurs with individuals worthy of serving him.

Devils, humans and other species all competed for the chance to be selected by a powerful devil like him as their peerage pieces. Low-born devils reincarnated whatever trash they could find, but devils of his standing had worthwhile candidates competing for the chance of serving him. The power, prestige and life he offered could not be found anywhere else. Perhaps his next peerage would cherish it more than these failures.

"My lord!"

"You've found them, then?" Bedeze said.

"My lord, they're–" Agatha dove behind a tree just in time to avoid a flaming skull.

"Hello, uncle. I've heard you're having performance issues."

Walking out from between the trees was Bedeze's blasted nephew and the shapeshifter. Runa had skewered him. How was the Pawn still in the Rating Game?

"A temporary affliction. One that will not prevent me from disposing of you now that you've shown your face. Your overconfidence will be your undoing." By arriving with the shapeshifter at his side, Bedeze could be sure that the figure at its side was Balthazar. He just had to destroy him and this would all be over.

"The Bishops is yours." Balthazar said.

The shapeshifter bowed his head. "I will not disappoint, my lord."

Dark spell circles flowing with green energy appeared around the shapeshifter.

Agatha threw up hasty barriers, blocking the lancing spears of green power the shapeshifter sent towards her. She retaliated with a hail of ice descending towards the shapeshifter.

The man's body was consumed by fire, turning amorphous as it slipped around the ice. He rematerialized a short distance away. He raised his arms. The ground beneath Agatha erupted in a geyser of magma.

Agatha spun away, firing icicles back towards her opponent.

Bedeze kept the fight within his vision, but he did not interfere. While he did not possess the strongest Bishops in the Underworld, Agatha was skilled and varied in her abilities. A Pawn would not best her.

Bedeze kept the majority of his focus on his nephew. Balthazar simply stood there, watching him.

"I'd expected you to attack by now." Balthazar said conversationally.

"You think me a fool?" Bedeze said. Hole was nearly unsurpassed among Devil Traits as a defensive ability. Without Hole, he was now at the mercy of Balthazar's own Hole. Many opponents Bedeze had faced in the past were defeated when he redirected their own attacks back towards them. Balthazar could do that to him and he would not be able to defend. He had a plan, but he needed time. If Balthazar struck before then Bedeze would adapt, but his nephew seemed content to stand there and wait.

"Yes, actually." Balthazar said. "All of this unpleasantness could have been avoided if you'd just minded your own business."

"An upstart had designs on a title that is rightfully mine. It is only right that I put you in your place."

"So this is you putting me in my place? Remind me, uncle, how many members of your peerage have retired from this match?"

Bedeze chuckled, allowing his experience standing in the spotlight before thousands to carry his performance. "You think you are winning, Balthazar?"

"The evidence would suggest such."

Bedeze shook his head. "Even now, basking in your own arrogance, I can't help but look on you with fondness. You are my blood, regardless of your transgressions. All of this has been a chance for you to play. You have shown yourself on the Underworld's stage, displayed your strength and that of your servants. I ordered my pieces to allow yours a victory. You are my nephew. I want what is best for you, but you will not be Lord Abaddon, not yet." Not ever if Bedeze had his way, but he had to put on a show for those viewing this discussion.

Balthazar raised an eyebrow. "I didn't expect you to steer things that way. You really think you can convince people that your embarrassing showing was all an act?"

"The truth oftentimes is so hard to refute."

"Okay, let's say I buy into this. What is the next step in your plan?"

Bedeze grinned. He'd bought enough time. "I demonstrate the true gap in power between us." How did one defeat an enemy with Hole? You attacked fast and at close range, preventing your opponent from being able to summon their defenses.

The ground beneath them rumbled. Balthazar frowned. Fear flashed across his face as the earth beneath him crumbled. A serpent of golden energy burst from the ground directly beneath Bedeze's infuriating nephew. Balthazar was caught unaware, unable to flee before golden fangs closed around his torso, puncturing his chest. Balthazar screamed.

Bedeze laughed. "You think I am defenseless without Hole? My Queen is a valkyrie, boy! She taught me the Norse magics. I am many times your better. Perhaps once order is restored to my house we can complete your and your sister's education." His words were said purely for the sake of the spectators. Balthazar would be having an accident soon. Kuisha…there was potential to be had with the girl. She would comply if she knew what was good for her. If not, Bedeze would arrange an accident for her as well. Bedeze would not allow another peon who happened to share his name to cause him problems in the future. The only Abaddons left would be those that submitted to him and his future children.

The snake's powerful jaws crushed down on Balthazar's body. Blood fell to the ground in clumps. Bedeze couldn't remember the last time he felt this pleased. But…why did something feel wrong?

Bedeze frowned. He turned to look to the side.

Agatha froze the trees around her. They shattered. The shards created from the explosion flew towards Balthazar's Pawn.

The shapeshifter stomped his foot down. Magma erupted around him, absorbing and melting Agatha's projectiles. Green energy surged around his body. Orbs of green mist flew towards Agatha in erratic patterns, forcing her to dodge and summon barriers.

Bedeze looked back up at the limp form of Balthazar still crushed in the snake's jaws. Why had Balthazar not been retired yet? Why did the Pawn not rush to his aid?

"I'll admit, I wasn't expecting that." Balthazar's voice spoke, originating from everywhere all at once.

Bedeze felt his blood chill as the body held in his conjured snake's jaws dissolved into motes of violet energy. An illusion.

"Your Queen is a valkyrie. She taught you some tricks." Balthazar's voice continued mocking him. "My Queen is a witch the likes of which this world hasn't seen in thousands of years. She taught me a trick or two herself. Illusions are paltry by comparison."

"Agatha! Dispose of the Pawn now!" Bedeze screamed.

"Yes, my lord!" Agatha flew up between the trees. She held her hand high. A small music box appeared in her grasp. A gentle, tinkling lullaby spread through the forest. "Dreamless Sleep!"

The Pawn vanished in a pillar of fire. A cloud of flame appeared behind Agatha. The shapeshifter appeared with it. He drove his open hand into Agatha's back. Agatha was knocked forward. Green energy was pulled from her body into the Pawn.

The shapeshifter grinned as his body changed once more. Agatha spun around, freezing in terror as she beheld her own visage.

The false Agatha lunged, ripping the music box free from the Bishop's hand.

"Dreamless Sleep!"

Agatha's eyes drooped closed. Her body went limp as she fell from the sky.

The music box disappeared as Agatha lost consciousness. The shapeshifter was returned to his original form. He caught Agatha as she fell, laying her on the ground and turning to face Bedeze with a wicked grin on his face.

"That… But… How!" Bedeze stuttered. The shapeshifter used Agatha's Sacred Gear against her. That was impossible.

"Your priorities are not organized correctly." Balthazar's voice spoke once more. The air in front of Bedeze shimmered as Balthazar appeared in front of him. Bedeze took an unconscious step backwards.

Bedeze ordered his golden serpent to strike Balthazar from behind.

Balthazar smirked. Holes opened all around him. The air screamed as flame hotter than anything Bedeze had ever seen exploded around Balthazar in a corona. Tendrils of air so hot it burned the air slashed into his serpent, destroying it.

Balthazar's eyes flashed with power. "You should be worrying about what happens next."

X

"You should be worrying about what happens next." I said, savoring the way Bedeze's face twisted in terror.

"What…What is that fire?" Bedeze asked, coweing back from the tendrils of ravenous flame drifting through the air behind me.

I chuckled. "This isn't some cheesy TV program, uncle. I'm not going to explain my power for all of the world to see. We have an audience after all." Telling others how your power worked was dumb. That didn't even consider that this trick was related to my exploration into how to use Hole.

When I first reached beyond the Dimensional Gap, I'd found a world scorched by its own sun. There was nothing of interest in that world. The second world I found was a separate matter. That was what showed me it was possible to do what I'd achieved.

It was a world of flame. Primordial fire that had burned since the world's creation raged across almost every stretch of that world. The oceans were magma. The sky was orange smoke. Air was sucked away to fuel the flames, leaving it nearly uninhabitable. I'd recognized the world. The Elemental Plane of Fire.

Despite Kuisha's assumption, my decision to specialize in fire magic had nothing to do with her. The fact that she specialized in it and could help me learn was merely a welcome benefit. No, I'd chosen fire because I'd found a path to an entire plane filled to the brim with fire so potent an ember could turn a man to cinders. The only issue was finding a way to reliably call the fire to me without expending the vast power necessary to cross worlds.

Enter Aqua. When she'd agreed to be my Knight, the multiverse had opened itself to me. With her Keyblade, Medea's scrying and my Hole, we could go anywhere we wanted.

But how could I summon the flames of an entirely separate flame while fighting in a Rating Game? The Rating Game system was designed to prevent anyone from summoning anything into the arena after the match had begun. The wards were nearly-impenetrable. No matter the quality of the wards, they meant nothing to Aqua. Similar to how she could lock connections closed, Aqua could also lock them open. This allowed me to call on those connections even in a location where I should be blocked by wards such as a Rating Game. In the months prior to the match, she'd opened dozens of connections to various places in the Elemental Plane of Fire, allowing me to access it at my will.

My personal destructive potential was limited, but I could pull the destructive potential of other creatures and places to myself to use as my own.

Bedeze was still backing away from me.

I smiled cordially, willing the fire back through my Holes and closing them. "What do you think happens now, uncle?" I asked, slowly walking forward.

Bedeze's eyes narrowed. "Your Queen will fall any moment. Runa will return. She will–"

"Shang Tsung, please deal with the second snake he is conjuring in the dirt." I said. The first one had surprised me, but I'd appeared before him as an illusion to prevent any nasty surprises from ending me. Now that I knew what to look for, I could sense what he was doing.

"Of course, my lord." Shang Tsung knelt, placing his palms against the ground. The earth ruptured. Magma flowed out from him in cracks. The magic gathering beneath Bedeze scattered and died.

"Continuing our conversation, uncle, I have full faith in my Queen. If I had to guess, the only reason we haven't heard from her yet is because she is playing with her food."

A shadow coalesced high in a nearby tree. The shadow leapt downward, taking flight on raven wings. Speak of the devil and she shall appear.

The spectral raven landed on my shoulder. Its beak opened. Medea's voice spoke from the bird. "I am ready, master. Please open a path."

I opened a Hole at my side. The raven on my shoulder melted away into nothing.

Hope shone in Bedeze's eyes before immediately being crushed by despair. Runa emerged from the Hole. Her entire body save for her nose and frantic eyes was covered in overlapping red threads. Her shield was missing. Her spear was clutched in her hand, attached by the same threads binding her movement.

"It's over, Bedeze." I said as Medea walked up next to my side.

Medea's arms wound around me. She laid her head on my shoulder. Her fingers traced circles on my chest. "Not yet, master. We haven't made our statement yet. No one is allowed to hurt you. Apprentice!"

Shang Tsung rushed over, bowing his head before Medea. "Yes, master?"

Bound in Medea's threads, Runa was forced to walk forward, kneeling on the ground at Shang Tsung's feet.

"A gift." Medea said. "You have done well and deserve a reward."

Shang Tsung's eyes widened, looking between Medea and Runa in shock.

"Do not take everything. She must remain alive for my own vengeance." Medea said.

Shang Tsung bowed at the waist, low and respectful. "Yes, master. Thank you for this gift."

"What are you doing! Release her at once!" Bedeze shouted.

Medea pursed her lips as she stared at Bedeze. "It would be irritating if he tried to resign before we are done. We will need to prevent him from doing so."

"You have a plan for that, I assume?" I said.

"It is already underway." Medea said, smiling.

I followed her eye, smiling as I saw a shadow slink up behind Bedeze.

Bedeze gasped in shock as a beam of golden light struck him from behind. There was a sound like a deadbolt latching.

Bedeze stumbled backwards. He raised his hands… Nothing happened.

"Thank you, Aqua." I said as a shadowy form zipped to my side.

The shadow coalesced into the armored form of my Knight. Aqua smiled shyly, "I'm always happy to help, Balthazar."

"What did you do!" Bedeze demanded, fuming, panicking where he stood.

Medea scowled. "It is not your turn yet. Be silent and wait."

Bedeze moved to reply, but crimson threads exploded from the ground all around him, winding around his body, dragging him down to the ground. His magic would not answer his call. His strength was not sufficient to tear himself free. Soon, he was trapped much the same way Runa was.

"Aqua, dear? Please prevent her from retiring as well." Medea said.

Aqua nodded. Her Keyblade reappeared. Another beam of golden light struck Runa. Something locked.

"Thank you, dear."

"Of course."

Despite the drama transpiring around him, Shang Tsung's eyes had not left Runa's bound form. There was an excited glint in his eyes as he approached her. He laid his palm against her forehead. "Thank you for working so hard for so long to grow in power. I will savor every morsel. Your soul is MINE!"

Despite the threads gagging her, Runa's scream was audible. Agony. Despair. Doom. All melded together in a discordant screech that grew weaker and weaker with each passing moment.

Green, wisp-like energy flowed from Runa's body into Shang Tsung as if sucked up by a tornado. With each passing moment, the visible skin on Runa's face grew more pale. Wrinkles sprouted on her skin. The threads binding her condensed down as they compensated for the space lost due to Runa's muscles atrophying. She was helpless to stop Shang Tsung from sucking her dry.

"That is enough." Medea said.

Immediately, Shang Tsung stepped back. The flow of green energy into his body halted. He looked down at his hands, clenching and unclenching them experimentally. His form shifted. In a flash of green, Shang Tsung had assumed Runa's appearance. Shang Tsung's hand wove through the air. Multi-colored magical energy drifted in its wake.

Shang Tsung returned to his true form. The rainbow-like magic persisted, spinning in an entrancing dance in the air. "Thank you, master. Thank you, my lord. I never imagined I would wield such power."

"We are merely holding to our arrangement. Now, hush, apprentice. Your part is over." Medea sat on the ground before the bound form of Runa. Slowly, the threads binding the valkyrie unraveled. The beautiful demigoddess was no more. In her place was a decrepit hag. Runa's silver hair was bleached white. Her skin was sagged, wrinkled. Her muscles were gone. She looked like a scarecrow shrouded in armor far too large for her wan frame.

"What…do…to me…?" Runa's voice came out as a croak.

Medea rolled Runa onto her side so she could look her in the eyes. Runa's bones creaked, her joints whined as she was moved. "You threatened my master. You tried to take what is mine. That was a mistake."

In a flash of light, a wicked dagger appeared in Medea's hand. "I made you a promise. I will keep it." She stabbed the dagger down into Runa's chest.

Weak though she was, Runa somehow managed to scream.

There was a blinding flash of red light. It lasted for several seconds. I noticed Medea cast a number of charms to prevent scrying. She covered Runa's body with her cloak, preventing anyone from viewing what she was doing.

She was using Rule Breaker to sever the magical connection between Runa and the Queen Piece in her chest. Medea wasn't a fool. She knew that this would draw attention, so she was being cautious while still taking her price from Runa.

The light faded. Runa's scream cut out.

Medea stood, hands hidden in her cloak. "You may let her retire now, Aqua."

Aqua stabbed her Keyblade down. Runa's shriveled body was immediately surrounded by a flash of light.

"Bedeze Abaddon's Queen retired."

With every prior announcement, the announcer's voice had been monotone. There was something else in his voice this time. Interest? Disgust? It was really hard to tell, but there was certainly a difference.

"And then there was one." I said, turning towards Bedeze.

Aqua frowned. She pointed at the unconscious form of Bedeze's Bishop. "Aren't there two?"

I frowned, looking at Aqua out of the corner of my eye. "You just ruined the whole, 'intimidating, ominous statement' thing I was going for."

Aqua winced, rubbing the back of her head. "Sorry."

I shook my head. "It's all good. People watching Bedeze get beat while we're screwing around as opposed to taking this seriously will just make it that much more embarrassing for him."

"Do you have any parting words before I dispose of him, master?" Medea asked, slowly stalking towards Bedeze's bound form.

Bedeze had been frantically trying to throw off his bindings as he watched what happened to Runa. Now, with Medea prowling towards him with murder in her eyes, he thrashed like the world's fate relied on him getting free. His struggles were ineffectual.

I thought for a moment. I turned and looked Bedeze in his panicked eyes. I could see the desperation there. The pleading. He would probably do anything, promise anything to let him free, to stop Medea from doing to him what had been done to Runa. I was not moved by his silent cries.

"You should have just left me alone. This is your own fault. Medea, he's yours."

Bedeze's screams were audible through the magic gagging him as Medea's dagger sunk into his chest. There was a flash of red light so great the entire arena was momentarily colored crimson.

The light vanished. Medea's hands disappeared into her cloak.

Bedeze lay unmoving on the ground, staring dejectedly up at the sky as the bindings were undone. Unlike Runa, he did not look like he'd aged to his last week of life. Still, I could feel the hollow space where his presence once pressed against the air. He was nothing now, and he knew it.

Aqua stabbed down with her Keyblade.

Bedeze didn't even try to move out of the way as Medea's spell circle obliterated him.

"Bedeze Abaddon retired. The Victor of this Rating Game is Balthazar Abaddon."