Well, well, well, look like we have another new holder of the longest chapter so far at over 10k words. Although this another one of my personal favorites so far. Hope you enjoy it, now read on :)
Kokabiel Arc Chapter 31: Mini Rating Game
"Hello, Ravel. Looks like I found my runaway little sister," Riser said, looking down at her with a mischievous grin.
"B-Brother..." Ravel stammered, shivering in fear.
Riser landed a few feet away from her. "Now then, Ravel, care to explain this story I've heard about you joining Rias's peerage and being trained by the Red Dragon Emperor?" he asked, slowly walking toward her with a condescending and malicious grin.
Ravel instinctively backed away, struggling to find a response. She remained silent for several seconds, further irritating him.
"That's odd. I believe I asked you a question. Why are you allied with my ex-fiancée and sworn enemy?" Riser said, his grin fading as his voice dropped to a low, almost threatening tone.
Ravel shivered again at his tone and tried to speak. "B-Because they're m-my f-friends," she stuttered uncontrollably.
"Your 'friends'? So you're telling me you chose to befriend the garbage that humiliated me? That you picked scum over your own brother?" Riser sneered, his eyes narrowing as he came to a stop.
Ravel stopped retreating, and her fear began to subside, replaced by irritation at his insults toward her friends. "DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK ABOUT THEM LIKE THAT! YOU EXPECT ME TO CHOOSE SOMEONE AS HORRIBLE AS YOU AFTER ALL THE AWFUL THINGS YOU PUT ME THROUGH, YOU SICK, ARROGANT PLAYBOY!" she shouted, clenching her fists in anger.
Riser's hair covered his eyes as his fury reached its limit. "You dare insult me? You dare talk back and raise your voice at me? Seems I need to remind you of your place, you pathetic little worm," he growled, clenching his right fist and summoning a large flame.
Ravel jolted, her expression shifting back to fear as she sensed his malicious intent. She turned and ran as fast as she could, eventually breaking out of the trees and reaching a clearing. As she ran, she glanced over her shoulder—only to see Riser speeding toward her, his fist drawn back.
Before Riser could land his punch, Jiro suddenly appeared between them. He grabbed Riser's wrist, stopping him in his tracks and shielding Ravel.
"Y-You..." Riser stammered, his eyes wide with anger and a hint of fear.
"Lord Jiro..." Ravel gasped, looking up at him from behind in surprise and relief.
Riser yanked his arm free and took a step back.
"Well, well, didn't expect to see your face again anytime soon, ya damn fried chicken," Jiro said in a low tone, his red eyes glowing beneath his bangs.
Riser felt a phantom pain tingle in his stomach, remembering the punch Jiro had landed on him before. "Stay out of this. This is a family matter—it has nothing to do with you, dragon filth," he spat, clutching his stomach while glaring at him.
"Well, that's a shame, 'cause I honestly couldn't give two shits if it is," Jiro replied sternly. "If I'm not mistaken, it looked like you were about to attack my kohai here, so yeah—it has everything to do with me."
Ravel smiled at him from behind while Riser growled in frustration.
"JIRO-KUN!" Irina called out as she and the others flew toward them, having sensed the commotion.
They landed, their gazes immediately locking onto Riser.
"RISER?!" Rias, Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko yelled in unison, scowling at him.
"So that's Riser Phenex?" Xenovia asked, assessing his appearance.
"Seems like it. Sheesh, just looking at that guy screams arrogant douchebag," Raynare muttered, narrowing her eyes dismissively.
"So he's Ravel's older brother?" Asia asked in a quiet voice.
"So he's the one who bullies Ravel-chan?! That jerk!" Irina growled, narrowing her eyes. If there was one thing she hated, it was bullies, especially given her and Jiro's past with a certain one from her childhood. The fact that this bully was Ravel's own brother only made her angrier.
"Well, well, it's been a while, my dear Rias. Tell me, how miserable has your life been with this dragon trash?" Riser sneered, his usual cocky smirk returning. "And I never expected to see you standing alongside Angels, a Fallen Angel, and even a human. Who is this sorry lot?"
"Don't speak to me as if we're close! There's no one I despise more than you. And for the record, who I choose to spend my time with is none of your concern. My life has been extravagant since Jiro freed me from a bastard like you." Rias said, her voice low, almost threatening, making Riser glare at her.
"Now, why are you here, Riser? If we're not mistaken, it sounded like you were trying to attack Ravel-chan. Surely you're not foolish enough to attempt such a thing," Akeno said as they all moved to stand on either side of Jiro, blocking Riser from Ravel.
"So, you all intend to interfere in a family matter? And why is that?" Riser scoffed. "Do you realize you're protecting a weak embarrassment who's too pathetic to even defend herself?"
Ravel looked down in shame at his words.
"The only embarrassment here is you, Riser!" Kiba retorted, Requipping two swords into his hands.
"To belittle and mock your own sister... I'd expect no less from arrogant devil scum like you," Xenovia said, Requipping Excalibur Destruction as it materialized in her hands.
"Hmph. And as if you room to call her pathetic? Picking on the weak and then cowering when someone stronger than you, like Jiro, shows up? How laughable." Raynare sneered, summoning two light swords with a mocking smirk.
"And you ask why we choose to protect her?" Rias and Akeno said in unison, summoning magic in their hands.
"Because she's our friend!" Irina and Asia declared together, as Irina Requipped Ascalon and Asia's hands began to glow.
Koneko stepped up beside Ravel, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder while glaring at Riser. Her other hand began glowing as she activated her Ether Gear. Ravel looked at Koneko, then at the others, her heart swelling with affection for them.
"You heard 'em," Jiro said, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets. "Now take your sorry ass home before you get hurt. Or these guys are gonna be having fried chicken for dinner tonight, ya scrawny puke."
Riser's hair fell over his eyes again, but this time, a menacing grin spread across his face. "It seems I need to educate you fools on why Riser Phenex is a Rating Game champion."
With a snap of his fingers, a large orange magic circle appeared beneath him, erupting in flames. As the fire died down, a group of eleven women with distinct appearances emerged.
Yubelluna: A buxom woman with purple hair.
Karlamine: A young woman clad in armor, wielding both a sword and a dagger.
Siris: A navy-haired woman dressed in white, gripping a massive Zweihander.
Isabela: A brawler-type woman with orange hair streaked with three red highlights.
Xuelan: A young girl of Chinese descent, wearing a royal blue dress with white buns in her hair.
Lie & Nel: Twin girls with green hair, each holding chainsaws.
Ni & Li: Cat-girl twins dressed in skimpy sailor uniforms that exposed their midriffs.
Marion & Burent: Two young women wearing maid uniforms.
Shuriya: A dancer-like woman dressed in flowing attire.
Mira: A young girl wearing a red-and-white kimono, gripping a wooden staff.
The women stood behind Riser as he smiled smugly. The team looked at them assessing their appearances.
"Soooo, who are these chicks?" Raynare asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That's Riser's peerage, or more accurately, his harem that he likes to play with," Ravel said, narrowing her eyes.
'I'm glad I didn't join them.' Ravel thought to herself.
The others sweat-dropped, all thinking in unison, 'What a gross playboy.'
"Now, here's how it's gonna work," Riser said, gesturing first to Ravel and then to his peerage. "You hand over Ravel, and I'll punish her for insulting and defying me. In return, my beautiful servants won't have to slaughter you lot."
"You think bringing your pack of slaves here is supposed to change anything?" Jiro shot back. "If anything, it's good for my friends. Let's call this a 'Mini Rating Game.'"
That statement confused everyone, and Riser scowled. "Pack of…?" he muttered in offense.
"Huh? What do you mean it'll be good for us?" Irina asked, turning to Jiro. The others mirrored her curiosity.
"What else? It's a perfect opportunity to put the past two weeks of training to the test," Jiro explained. "Plus, you get to thrash the fried chicken's slaves, get revenge, and protect Ravel. Sounds like a win-win to me." He turned to the group, completely ignoring Riser and his peerage, much to their annoyance.
"Oh, you're right! I finally get to test Ascalon in a real fight," Irina said, gripping the Dragon Slayer tightly.
"Oho, I like the sound of that," Raynare said, cracking her neck.
"Getting the chance to bring him and his harem down? I also like it," Rias said.
"Indeed. This should be fun," Akeno added with a smirk.
"And we'll be able to test our Requip Magic against his knights. This is good," Kiba said, gripping his swords. Xenovia grinned, doing the same.
"Time to crush these hoes," Koneko said, cracking her knuckles and revving her Ether Gear.
"And I can help by enchanting everyone, so you can count on me!" Asia said, her eyes filled with determination.
Riser scowled and gritted his teeth in irritation. "IF YOU THINK YOU CAN BEAT MY PEERAGE, THEN YOU'RE ALL FOOLS! GO, SKEWER THESE WHELPS!" he yelled, turning to his peerage, who readied their respective weapons and magic.
"Well, whenever you're ready," Jiro said, glancing at his team.
The two groups flew up and dispersed across different parts of the clearing, each preparing for their battles. Jiro and Riser remained in place, while Asia and Ravel stood beside Jiro. Ravel looked around in concern as the fights began.
"Stay calm, Ravel. They'll be fine," Jiro said, patting her head.
"Yeah, I've seen them fight before. They're all very strong," Asia reassured her with a gentle smile.
"Hah! It doesn't matter how strong they are, they could never defeat the peerage of a Rating Game champion like Riser Phenex," Riser said with a mocking grin.
"Whether they're strong enough or not, I'm here to help them," Asia declared, spreading her arms as a green aura began to glow around her.
"I cast this enchantment upon my dear friends. I command your elemental resistance to rise…"
"DEUS CORONA!"
Asia yelled as her aura expanded slightly, the rest of the team was suddenly enveloped in a green glow. They felt their strength surge, catching them off guard.
Irina and Kiba (in unison): "W-Woah, what is this?"
Rias (looking at her hand): "M-My magic..."
Akeno (mirroring Rias): "It's increased."
Koneko (flexing her hands): "Thanks a ton, Asia."
Raynare: "This should be really helpful. Thanks, sister."
Xenovia: "All that practice in the evenings really paid off."
"Well, well, looks like you've gotten pretty good at basic enchantments. And on multiple people, no less," Jiro said, looking down at Asia with a proud smile.
"Yes! I wasn't just practicing with Koneko-san, I've also been working with Raynare and Xenovia at our church. I'm so happy I can finally put it to the test! But... I can only strengthen them by two times. And mostly, it helps suppress the drawbacks of their abilities for a while," Asia explained, holding her fists close to her chest in excitement before her expression softened slightly.
"Don't worry about that. That's already considerable progress," Jiro assured her, patting her head. "Soon, you'll be performing high-level enchantments."
"Wow, that's so cool, Asia!" Ravel cheered, shaking Asia's hands as she giggled.
"Tch. So that human girl can use Enchantment Magic? No matter. It won't change a thing," Riser scoffed, crossing his arms.
"Heh, we'll see about that," Jiro said, smiling confidently.
Raynare faced off against all eight of Riser's pawns, Marion, Burent, Shuriya, Mira, Ni, Li, Lie, and Nel, simultaneously. Despite their numbers, it was clear she had the upper hand. Lie and Nel swung their chainsaws furiously, having promoted to knight for enhanced speed, but Raynare effortlessly blocked their slashes with her light swords. Meanwhile, the other pawns had promoted to rook to increase their defense, ensuring Raynare's light weapons wouldn't burn them upon contact. However, even with their reinforcements, Raynare dodged and blocked every kick, punch, and attack they threw at her with ease.
Breathing heavily, the pawns backed off, struggling to catch their breath.
"C'mon, is that all you little pawns can do? I'm still pretty fresh up here," Raynare taunted with a mocking grin, looking down at them condescendingly.
The pawns scowled, gritting their teeth in frustration.
"Damn it, we're gonna cut you up good, you stupid fallen angel!" Lie and Nel shouted in unison, revving their chainsaws.
"Come on, girls! Let's show her what we pawns can really do!" Mira called out, rallying the others.
"You said it, Mira!" Marion, Burent, Shuriya, Ni, and Li echoed, their eyes gleaming with determination.
"PROMOTION… QUEEN!"
All eight of them shouted in unison as they unfurled their devil wings and surged toward Raynare with blinding speed. Lie and Nel's chainsaw strikes became stronger, forcing Raynare to block with more effort. The sheer power of their slashes pushed her back slightly, though she quickly shook it off.
Then, from all directions, Marion, Burent, Shuriya, Ni, and Li rushed at her, unleashing a relentless barrage of punches and kicks. Raynare barely managed to block their rapid strikes as she spun around, leaving her no room for a counterattack or even an opening to escape.
Suddenly, the onslaught stopped. The pawns backed away, confusing Raynare for a brief moment until Mira darted forward at incredible speed, too fast for her to react.
Mira's staff struck Raynare hard in the stomach, knocking the air out of her. The impact sent her stumbling backward in mid-air, causing her to drop her light swords. Clutching her stomach, she hovered in mid-air, briefly staggering before regaining her balance.
The pawns grinned at her pained expression, chuckling at their small victory.
Raynare narrowed her eyes and brushed the pain away, summoning two new light spears.
'Damn it, just like Jiro said I can't let my cockiness get the better of me. I need to stay focused, or they'll overwhelm me. And I can't let the strength Asia gave me go to waste.' Raynare thought to herself.
She took a deep breath, scowling as she raised her arms.
"Alright, ladies, that was impressive, I'll give you that. But let's see how you handle this." Raynare said then suddenly, a multitude of light swords, spears, and axes materialized in the air above the pawns. They looked up in alarm, eyes widening as they realized there was no time to dodge.
"ETHER ZONE… UNHOLY FALLING STAR WEAPONRY!"
Raynare shouted, bringing her arms down in a sweeping motion. Instantly, the glowing weapons rained down upon them. The pawns desperately tried to dodge or block the assault, but their focus wavered under the relentless barrage, causing their queen promotions flickered, their power beginning to wane. Most of the attacks grazed them, the unholy light weapons left sizzling burns on their devil skin, causing them to wince in pain.
Seeing her opportunity, Raynare rushed forward at blinding speed, her light swords drawn back. One by one, Mira, then Marion, then Shuriya, then Ni, then Li, then Burent, then Nel, then Lie, Raynare slashed at them, sending them plummeting toward the ground. But before they could crash, she dispersed her swords and stretched out her right arm. A multitude of glowing light orbs appeared around her, crackling with energy.
"ETHER ZONE… UNHOLY SCATTER BULLET!"
Raynare yelled as she thrust her arm forward, unleashing the orbs at the falling pawns. Each orb exploded upon impact, engulfing the girls in bursts of light. They screamed in pain as their battered bodies finally hit the ground hard.
When the dust settled, all eight of Riser's pawns lay unconscious, sprawled out in craters. Their bodies were covered in burns, their clothes torn, and their weapons shattered.
Raynare descended, placing her left hand on her hip, smirking victoriously.
From the sidelines, Riser stared in utter shock, unable to believe that all eight of his pawns had been defeated at once, and by a mere two-winged Fallen Angel.
"Looks like eight pawns have retired," Jiro said, watching with a proud smile.
"You're amazing, Raynare!" Asia cheered, pumping her fists into the air, while Ravel looked on in astonishment.
"Tch. Don't get ahead of yourselves," Riser scoffed, regaining his composure. "Pawns are the most expendable pieces. Beating them won't change the outcome."
"Once again… we'll see about that." Jiro remarked, unfazed.
Koneko was locked in a hand-to-hand fight with Riser's rooks, Isabela and Xuelan. Koneko blocked Isabela's jabs with her forearms while doing her best to dodge Xuelan's flaming punches and kicks. Xuelan then threw a flaming left kick at Koneko's head, forcing her to block with her right forearm as Isabela followed with a strong left hook, which Koneko caught with her left hand. Seizing the opportunity, Xuelan pulled her left leg back and delivered a flaming roundhouse kick with the same leg to Koneko's stomach, knocking her back several feet.
"Ha! Guess two rooks really are better than one!" Isabela sneered, dashing after Koneko alongside Xuelan, who laughed.
Koneko planted her feet back on the ground, and once they were in range, the three rooks engaged in a seemingly non-stop flash of punches and kicks. They stayed locked in combat for several seconds until Isabela kicked Koneko's arms up, breaking her defense. The two Phenex rooks then drew their fists back, Isabela with her left and Xuelan with her flaming right, and punched Koneko square in the face simultaneously, knocking her back several feet again and sending her to the ground on her back. She backflipped and landed on her feet.
Koneko wiped the blood from the corner of her lip as she stood back up straight. Isabela and Xuelan looked at her and smirked smugly.
"What's wrong? Are we too much for you, shorty? Guess Bela was right, two rooks are better than one," Xuelan said mockingly as Isabela chuckled.
Koneko glared at them and clenched her fists. "Hell nah, I'm more than enough for you chicks," Koneko said in her usual deadpan voice.
"Oh yeah? I don't see you pushing us back. Or did our blows to your dead-looking face knock a few screws loose?" Isabela said with an amused smile.
"Hmph, I don't think you get the gravity of the situation. I think I'm 'bout to get serious now and stop trying to show off like Jiro-senpai said I shouldn't," Koneko said, bumping her fists together. Her fists started to glow slightly as blue glowing lines and patterns began forming on her hands and forearms with a strange clanking sound.
Isabela and Xuelan looked on in surprise and confusion. "Huh, what kind of power is that? That doesn't look like any kind of rook ability I've ever seen," Xuelan said, taking a fighting stance.
"And you said you were about to get serious now? You trying to say you've been going easy on us?!" Isabela asked, mimicking Xuelan's movements.
"Why don't you come see for yourself?" Koneko said, making a "come on" gesture with her glowing right hand.
Isabela was the first to charge in, drawing her right fist back and delivering a powerful uppercut to Koneko. She blocked with her forearms and was sent flying back and upwards. "Ha, what was that you were saying about being more than enough for us?" Isabela said mockingly while Xuelan chuckled.
However, much to their surprise and shock, Koneko didn't drop back down to the ground. Instead, she flew back further and landed on her feet on the side of a large tree, staying there.
"The hell?! She's sticking to the tree?! How is she doing that?!" Xuelan said, looking up at her.
Koneko then jumped off the tree towards them. She did a somersault and maneuvered for a foot dive, rocketing down towards them at an unusual speed for a rook. Isabela and Xuelan jumped away in opposite directions as Koneko collided with the ground with enough force that the ground shook slightly, and mounds of dirt flew up.
The two girls landed and looked on in shock as Koneko jumped up out of the small crater. They both then charged towards her, their fists drawn back, but before they collided fully, Koneko blocked simultaneously with her forearms. Koneko then jumped high into the air and kept rising as Isabela and Xuelan unfurled their devil wings and flew after her. The three of them engaged in a two-on-one melee flash as they flew upwards.
"Now she's flying without her wings?! You gotta be kidding me!" Isabela said in annoyance.
"I ain't flying. I'm falling upwards. Something Jiro-senpai taught me," Koneko said, confusing them.
Before they could question her, Koneko suddenly stopped mid-air and then started falling downwards towards them before grabbing them by their faces with both hands.
"MEGIMECH ATTACK... GRAVITY CENTER!"
Koneko yelled as she fell fast, pulling them down with her and slamming their heads into the ground hard, disorienting them slightly. Koneko then jumped back, doing backflips and landing on the side of another tree. Isabela and Xuelan got back up shakily, clutching the back of their heads as trails of blood ran down their faces.
The girls looked up and glared at Koneko, who gave them a mocking smile. Isabela then picked up big rocks and started throwing them at her with great strength, destroying the trees as Xuelan started throwing fireballs. Koneko ran and jumped from one tree to another, avoiding their projectiles. She continued jumping along the tree line before jumping off one tree, flying above them while deflecting their attacks. She then drew her right fist back as the blue lines and patterns on it glowed brighter.
"MEGIMECH ATTACK... GRAVITY FIST!"
Koneko yelled as she rocketed down towards Isabela, too quick for her to dodge, and landed a devastating punch to her stomach, making her cough up blood. The punch crushed the terrain beneath them, shaking the ground and creating a strong gust of wind that blew Xuelan back. Isabela lay in the crater unconscious as Koneko backed out of it. Xuelan looked on in shock and anger as Koneko made a "come on" gesture.
Xuelan's feet burst into flames as she charged towards Koneko. She proceeded to throw a flurry of kicks at Koneko, who blocked and dodged every single one. After several flaming jabs with her right foot, Xuelan then spun and roundhouse kicked Koneko in the stomach with her left foot. However, before her foot could make full impact, Koneko grabbed her by the ankle, softening her kick.
Xuelan tried to pull her leg back, but Koneko pulled on it, bringing her closer, and punched her right in the face, knocking her back several feet. Xuelan came to a stop and rubbed her cheek as she turned to Koneko, and before she could react, she was seemingly flying through the air towards her, a few inches off the ground, already ready for a follow-up attack.
"You like kicks, don't ya? Then let's see how you like this..." Koneko said.
"MEGIMECH ATTACK... GRAVITY ROUNDHOUSE!"
Koneko yelled as she fell sideways at full speed toward Xuelan, spun around, and delivered a devastating gravity-empowered roundhouse kick straight into Xuelan's face. Upon contact with her face, a loud thud echoed through the air as Xuelan went flying back, crashing through several trees and a large rock, which shattered on impact. Xuelan fell to the ground unconscious, her nose now broken.
Koneko landed on her feet and glanced at her defeated opponents, unconscious on the ground, as she cracked her knuckles and neck, making a "Hmph" sound.
"And 2 rooks have retired. I knew Satan Gravity was perfect for her. And I love those attacks," Jiro said, smiling proudly.
"Way to go, Koneko-san!" Asia cheered, smiling brightly.
Ravel and Riser simply looked on in shock. Riser, in particular, felt his frustration growing as now ten of his servants had been defeated.
Irina, Xenovia, and Kiba had already begun their sword clash with Karlamine and Siris. Kiba was dueling with Karlamine, while Irina and Xenovia were facing off against Siris. Kiba and Karlamine found themselves caught in a blade lock as she struggled against Kiba's sword.
"So, knight of Rias Gremory, we fight at last," Karlamine said as she and Kiba backed away.
"Indeed we shall, knight of Riser Phenex," Kiba said, pointing his sword at her before charging at her again, ready to continue.
Kiba and Karlamine danced around each other as they clashed blades. Loud "clank" sounds echoed through the air as the two knights' swords met until they came to a stop.
"Kiba Yuuto, may I ask why you have chosen to make friends with two angels who both wield Holy Swords despite being a devil? Are they not a danger to you, nor your enemy?" Karlamine asked, lowering her blade slightly.
"Hmm, that's a good question. You see, I held a grudge against members of the church and Holy Sword users for years and almost made an enemy out of one of those two angels because of that. But because of my friend and leader, I've learned that they are not the ones I should take my anger and hatred out on. They are the ones I should fight alongside in order to take revenge on the one truly responsible for my pain," Kiba said defiantly.
"Hm, wise words. You are a true knight, Kiba Yuuto. Then out of swordsman's honor, I shall go all out." Karlamine said as she unsheathed her dagger with her left hand, her sword in her right, both of which ignited into flames.
Kiba looked on, initially surprised, but smiled. "I see. Then I shall do the same," Kiba said as he Requipped another sword, surprising her slightly at the spontaneous appearance of his sword, and dashed forward.
The two knights clashed blades for several seconds, but Karlamine's speed seemingly began to increase as she started to overwhelm Kiba. The two backed away slightly and dashed at each other once again for a simultaneous strike. However, Karlamine proved to be faster, forcing Kiba to block with his swords. Upon contact, Kiba's swords broke in half as he was pushed back several feet.
Kiba looked down at his swords, which were charred and steaming where they had broken. "Hmph, if that's the best you can muster, then I've already claimed victory," Karlamine said with a slightly smug smile.
"On the contrary, I have more up my sleeve than meets the eye," Kiba said as he Requipped two swords with blades made of smooth, sharpened ice.
Karlamine looked on in surprise again but smiled. "Seems you and I are proper rivals, knight of Rias Gremory. Shall we continue?" Karlamine said with an excited smile.
"Yes, we shall," Kiba replied as they charged at each other again.
The two began clashing blades once more, now seemingly on equal footing. Karlamine tried her best to cut through Kiba's ice swords, but the ice seemed to nullify the flames on her sword, freezing them in place. They struck blades once more, pushing each other back a few feet.
"What sort of swords are those? They aren't made of any metal, but mere ice. Why am I unable to shatter them?" Karlamine asked, becoming slightly frustrated.
"These are my Flame Delete swords, capable of nullifying and freezing flames. Courtesy of my Sacred Gear..." Kiba said before shouting.
"SWORD BIRTH!"
Kiba yelled as he twirled his swords in his hands and stabbed them into the ground. The ground glowed red for a second, and a multitude of large ice blades sprouted from the ground, aimed at Karlamine.
Karlamine unfurled her devil wings and tried her best to fly around and dodge the blades, flying towards Kiba, although she sustained several wounds and chips in her armor in the process. Once she made her way to Kiba, she tried to slash at him with both her flaming sword and dagger. Before her blades could make contact, Kiba unfurled his own devil wings and flew upwards, stopping mid-air before diving down towards Karlamine, his ice swords drawn back. Karlamine flew up towards him in turn, her flaming blades drawn back.
Once the two swordsmen were in range, they simultaneously slashed at each other while flying past one another with a loud "clank" sound. However, Kiba remained unharmed while Karlamine received an X-shaped slash across her torso, with icicles sticking out of her armor and both her sword and dagger completely frozen.
Karlamine fell to the ground and landed unconscious, her frozen blades sticking into the ground as Kiba landed and dispersed his swords.
Irina and Xenovia, with their wings and halos summoned, moved in perfect sync as they tried to fend off Siris and her large Zweihander.
"This brings back memories. Fighting alongside you while facing a devil," Irina said, playfully as she parried a slash from Siris with Ascalon.
"You say that as though we weren't apart for more than just two weeks," Xenovia retorted with a hint of a smile as she jumped over Irina and delivered a spinning slash with her Excalibur Destruction at Siris, who barely managed to block and was pushed back slightly.
"Cease your pointless banter. We're in the middle of a duel," Siris said as she backed away and pointed her sword at the two angels.
"Hey, lighten up a bit. We're simply enjoying our time in this duel," Irina said, pouting.
"However, I must ask why are two angels allied with devils and a fallen angel, protecting a devil? Are we not conflicting existences?" Siris asked, narrowing her eyes.
"...Indeed we are. However, through my time with this band of diverse individuals and the words of our leader, I've learned to accept devils and fallen angels as people with their own lives, rather than enemies who must be exterminated indiscriminately," Xenovia said, her voice resolute, as Irina smiled approvingly.
"I see. Then you are quite the honorable one. That will make my victory over you all the more fulfilling," Siris said, raising her sword and readying herself to continue.
"You speak as though that will be the outcome. I beg to differ. While I may not see all devils as enemies as I did before, as a knight of the church and heaven, I will never lose a duel to a devil, nor to someone who is a danger to my friend," Xenovia said, as she and Irina raised their swords in turn, preparing to charge.
The three swordsmen charged at each other. Irina and Xenovia struck at Siris with all their might, but she easily blocked and parried with her Zweihander. Despite the sword's size, it didn't slow her movements in the slightest as she fended off both angels with ease. Siris then blocked a simultaneous slash from both of them, pushing them back several feet.
"Is this the best you angels can muster? Because I believe it's time to show you what I'm truly capable of," Siris said, raising her Zweihander and swinging it forward. A large gust of wind erupted, nearly blowing the two angels away.
When the wind finally died down, they looked at the spot where Siris had been standing, only to find she had disappeared. They quickly looked around, sensing a demonic presence from above. Looking up, they saw Siris falling towards them with her sword pointed downward.
Irina and Xenovia reacted quickly, jumping out of the way in opposite directions. Siris landed with a heavy crash, her sword stabbing the ground and creating a shockwave that sent the angels flying apart.
"Was that a shockwave?!" Irina asked, landing on her feet.
"And what was that wind pressure earlier?!" Xenovia said, mirroring Irina's movements.
Siris pulled her sword out of the ground and walked out of the small crater she had created. "Indeed, these are the sword techniques I possess. If you two are unable to find a way to match them, then you have no chance of besting me," Siris said, looking between them.
"Hm, seems our weapons aren't so different. And I'll have you know we do, in fact, have techniques of our own, taught to us by our leader." Xenovia said with a challenging smile.
In one swift movement, Xenovia Requipped three daggers between her fingers on her left hand, her sword in her right. She spun around and threw the daggers with all her strength. The daggers flew towards Siris in straight lines at high speed, forcing her to deflect them with her sword. Taking advantage of the opening, Xenovia flew toward Siris with great speed, her Excalibur Destruction drawn back, glowing blue.
"HEAVENS JUDGMENT OF DESTRUCTION!"
Xenovia yelled as she overhead slashed at Siris. Siris had no time to dodge and had no choice but to block, holding her Zweihander horizontally, her right hand on the handle and left on the flat of the blade.
Once Xenovia's sword made contact, a powerful shockwave unleashed, making Siris feel as though her arms would break and her body would be crushed, but she held her ground as the earth beneath her instantly crumbled, leaving a wide crater.
The two stayed in their positions, glaring at each other as they struggled against each other's blades for several seconds. Siris, feeling the impact of the shockwave, felt her bones and muscles straining and almost giving out, but she maintained her position. Irina, who had been standing several feet away, saw the opening Xenovia had created.
"Hmph, and don't forget about me," Irina said, lifting Ascalon and gripping its handle. Suddenly, the blade burst into red flames that glowed brightly.
"DRAGON SLAYER... RADIANT SLASH!"
Irina yelled as she charged forward, her flaming sword drawn back. Siris glanced at Irina in fear and forcefully pushed Xenovia away, doing her best to block Irina's attack. Irina flew past Siris at blinding speed, and while Siris blocked most of the strike, she still sustained a scratch on her right cheek, which burned from the flames and holy power of Ascalon.
Irina came to a stop and turned around, while Xenovia landed next to her on her right. "So your blade can emit fire much like Karlamine's, and your blade can create shockwaves like mine. How did you make those daggers appear suddenly?" Siris asked, taking another fighting stance, readying herself.
"It's an ability taught to us by our leader. And this is my sword, Excalibur Destruction, a blade that can release bursts of holy power, strong enough to create craters," Xenovia said, drawing her Excalibur Destruction back to her left, which glowed blue again in preparation.
"And these aren't just ordinary flames. These are Dragon Flames emitted from Ascalon, The Dragon Slayer, which even increases my physical strength several fold. Given to me by our leader and my very own boyfriend," Irina said as she drew Ascalon back, the flames enveloping it growing larger.
Siris looked on in surprise, but before she could speak, the two angels shot into the air, Requipping three daggers each in between their fingers, Irina summoning them in her left hand and Xenovia summoning them in her right. They thrust their arms forward, throwing the daggers at Siris, who was once again forced to block from the speed of the daggers. Irina and Xenovia, seeing a momentary opening, flew toward Siris at immense speed.
Once in range, they began clashing blades again, coordinating perfectly in sync. Siris was forced onto the defensive as the two angels' strikes seemingly increased in weight, pushing her back with each slash. After several seconds of clashing, Siris grit her teeth and blocked a heavy simultaneous strike from both of them before swinging her sword with all her strength, pushing them back and creating another shockwave, along with a gust of wind that knocked them back several feet.
Spreading their wings, the angels regained their footing as Siris charged toward them, her sword drawn to her left.
"Irina, now, once more!" Xenovia called, to which Irina responded, "Right!" as they charged forward, their respective swords drawn back, Irina's to her right and Xenovia's to her left.
"HEAVENS JUDGMENT OF DESTRUCTION!" Xenovia yelled.
"DRAGON SLAYER RADIANT SLASH!" Irina shouted.
The two angels yelled in unison as, once in range, they simultaneously slashed at Siris. They both flew past her as Xenovia's strike shattered Siris's Zweihander, while Irina slashed her torso, leaving a large, flaming wound from Siris's left shoulder to her right hip.
Siris fell to the ground unconscious, her flame-fueled wound extinguishing as she hit the ground. Irina and Xenovia landed back on their feet, dispersing their swords and retracting their wings and halos. They breathed a sigh of relief before high-fiving each other.
Jiro looked at them and Kiba with a proud smile, making a "Hmph" sound. "And now two knights have retired," Jiro said, crossing his arms.
"Way to go! You three did amazing!" Asia cheered, pumping her fists.
Ravel and Riser looked on in shock as Riser's anger began to rise to dangerous levels.
Rias and Akeno, both possessing the two strongest magic abilities, and Akeno being a queen herself, chose to challenge Riser's queen, Yubelluna. Rias and Akeno, with Akeno utilizing her fallen angel powers, flew around Yubelluna while firing off their Destruction Power and lightning respectively. However, Yubelluna simply canceled their blasts with well-timed explosions. After several seconds of neutralizing their attacks, Yubelluna decided to go on the offense.
Yubelluna raised her staff and swung it outward. As she did, a wave of explosions erupted around the area, nearly enveloping Rias and Akeno, who just barely managed to shield themselves with makeshift barriers created by magic circles. However, the force from the explosions destroyed their barriers and blew them both back several feet in the air.
"I suppose you've truly earned the name 'Bomb Queen,'" Akeno remarked with a teasing grin.
"Refer to me by that name again and you'll be incinerated, Priestess of Thunder," Yubelluna said with a threatening smile, a vein bulging on her forehead as she prepared to unleash a large explosion right in front of Akeno's face.
Akeno, reacting quickly, parried the explosion with a blast of yellow and blue lightning. However, the force greater than any of the previous explosions blew her back several feet. Rias flew behind her and caught Akeno, stopping her in mid-air.
"Are you alright? That was a big one," Rias said, dusting Akeno off.
"Yes, I'm fine. Those explosions are no joke," Akeno said, as they both looked up at Yubelluna.
"Yeah, they are. We need a way to catch her off guard and blast her with Ether Zone," Rias said, and Akeno nodded.
The king and queen prepared to fly back up at Yubelluna, but before they could, Yubelluna spoke up. "Before we continue pointlessly, how about we finish this battle in an instant?" Yubelluna said, confusing them.
"How about this: If you both surrender right now, I won't vaporize your little friends," Yubelluna said with a mischievous smile. She then raised her staff again, and suddenly purple magic circles appeared beneath Jiro, Asia, Irina, Xenovia, Kiba, Koneko, and Raynare, catching them off guard. Rias and Akeno looked around in shock and fear as they processed her threat.
"Why, you little... This is between us! Don't bring the others into this!" Rias yelled, as she and Akeno scowled and flared their auras.
"Why shouldn't I? This is your punishment for making a fool of Lord Riser and shaming the Phenex name by stealing away Lady Ravel. Now make your choice, or they all explode," Yubelluna said in a low, threatening voice, making them grit their teeth.
"Yubelluna! Forget the ultimatum! Just blow them away!" Riser yelled up at her, surprising both her and the others.
"I would love to see Rias's face after watching her precious friends die before her eyes, as payback for rejecting me! And Ravel's, for disgracing our family name! Now destroy them!" Riser yelled, smiling evilly.
Rias, Akeno, and Ravel looked on in horror, and the group was about to try and move, but Jiro put his hand up, signaling them to wait with a confident smile. They looked at him confused and scared, but followed his instructions.
"As you wish, Lord Riser," Yubelluna said, as she raised her staff again. At that moment, the purple magic circles glowed, and seven large explosions went off simultaneously. The three mages were about to yell out in horror while Riser and Yubelluna smirked. However, the explosions suddenly halted, and the flames from the explosions flew through the air, gathering into a single spot where Jiro and Asia were standing.
When the smoke subsided, it revealed Jiro inhaling deeply, sucking in all the flames into his mouth. The flames that had enveloped the others were pulled away, revealing them almost completely unharmed, though some of their clothes were burned and they had minor burns on their skin. Jiro inhaled all the explosions and finished, sighing.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Were those explosions meant for the others? Because they sure put a fire in my belly," Jiro said with an almost mocking smile, wiping his mouth as smoke seeped from it.
"D-Did he... Did he just... eat my explosions?" Yubelluna said, looking on with eyes wide in shock.
Riser and Ravel's expressions mirrored Yubelluna's, both struggling to believe what they had just seen. Riser, in particular, felt his anger rising again, while the rest of the team smiled appreciatively, with a hint of pride, since they had witnessed Jiro do something similar before when Ravel's magic went out of control.
"You really should pay attention!" Rias and Akeno yelled, as they threw orbs of Destruction Power and Holy Lightning at Yubelluna.
Yubelluna, reacting in time, put up a barrier. However, upon contact, the girls' attacks shattered her barrier, knocking her back several feet. Yubelluna looked down at them and scowled.
"I hope you're ready to pay for threatening our friends! It's time for a Unison Raid, Akeno!" Rias said, as she started flying toward Yubelluna while channeling her red Destruction Power in her right hand.
"With pleasure, this should be good!" Akeno said, flying alongside Rias on her right and channeling blue Holy Lightning in her left hand.
Rias and Akeno brought their hands together, a few inches apart, as they focused their power. Yubelluna then pointed her staff and summoned a purple magic circle. From it came a large explosive blast that grew closer to the king and queen.
"HOLY-DEVIL'S... ROARING DARK THUNDER!"
Rias and Akeno yelled, thrusting their hands forward and launching a combined, twisting blast of Destruction Power and Holy Lightning, which collided with Yubelluna's explosive blast. The force of the explosion kept the girls' Unison Raid at bay, as they struggled against each other. Yubelluna then yelled and expanded her blast, causing the two attacks to cancel each other out.
"NOW!" Rias and Akeno yelled in unison, flaring their auras and spreading their arms. Suddenly, numerous large orbs of Destruction Power and Holy Lightning formed around Yubelluna, catching her off guard as she looked around in fear.
"ETHER ZONE... HOLY-DEVIL'S MINE FIELD!"
Rias and Akeno yelled in unison, as the balls of destruction and lightning shot beams and bolts at Yubelluna. Having no time to dodge or block, Yubelluna was enveloped by their attack from all directions. She screamed in pain as she was burned all over her body by Rias's Destruction and Akeno's lightning, which scorched her skin with the unholy power within it. After the attack died down, Yubelluna fell from the sky and hit the ground, unconscious and covered in burns. Rias and Akeno descended and high-fived while smiling.
"Annnd the queen has retired," Jiro said, smiling proudly as the others cheered for them.
"How?! How can this be possible?! I am undefeated! A piece or two might get eliminated, but I have never lost a match before! Damn it all!" Riser shouted, as he looked around at his defeated peerage members, all lying on the ground. He felt his anger rise to dangerous levels, the veins on his forehead about to burst.
"So much for a 'Rating Game Champion.' Now, if there's nothing else you want to throw at us, take your peerage and go on home. Ravel is staying with us," Jiro said, making a "shoo" gesture with his right hand.
"You... You think you can continue making a fool of me, Red Trash?!" Riser said, glaring at Jiro.
"Oh, I think I can. But don't get hostile towards me. It was my friends who wiped out your peerage, not me. But I guess I was responsible in a way," Jiro replied, shrugging. "By the way, tell me, have you ever trained yourself or your peerage?"
"I have not. Obviously," Riser answered in a low tone.
"And there's your problem. If you actually trained them, they'd be an undefeatable peerage. And you'd have been a real powerhouse if you trained, instead of relying on your family's regenerative abilities," Jiro said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Nonsense. Training is a crutch for the weak! And what I do with my property and my power is my own business!" Riser said, his tone becoming more aggressive.
"Oh? I'll have you know, my friends were trained by me personally over the last two weeks. And look how they were able to demolish your peerage with only minor injuries on themselves," Jiro said, gesturing toward Riser's unconscious servants. This only made Riser angrier, but before he could retort, Jiro continued.
"Also, 'your property'? Is that really how you see your peerage? And I can't help but notice how unbelievably cocky most of them are. Maybe a master who's so full of himself and sees them as nothing but property, despite how much they respect him, is quite the bad influence. Perhaps that's why they're so cocky, unskilled, and untrained," Jiro said, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Riser yelled, charging at Jiro with his right fist drawn back and shrouded in golden-orange flames. Riser punched Jiro square in the face and proceeded to unleash a flurry of flaming punches to Jiro's face, chest, and stomach, creating mini shockwaves that tore up the ground around them. Jiro, however, simply stood there completely unfazed by Riser's punches. Riser finished his assault with a massive flaming punch to Jiro's face. However, as the flames died down, Jiro stood there with a bored look on his face, much to Riser's shock.
"Well, well, doesn't this feel familiar? Remember back in the student council room?" Jiro said, now sporting a mischievous smile.
Riser jolted, and a pang of fear rushed through him as he backed away and clutched his stomach, feeling a tingling sensation.
"Relax, I'm not going to punch you again," Jiro said, surprising and confusing him.
"I'm going to kick you," Jiro added, suddenly appearing right in front of Riser and kicking him square in the chin, sending him flying high into the air. Riser managed to spread his phoenix-devil wings and came to a stop nearly two dozen miles high. He clutched his chin while wiping blood from his mouth, glaring down at Jiro on the ground.
The rest of the group all looked up in astonishment at how high Jiro had kicked Riser.
"Hey, fried chickenette," Jiro said, suddenly appearing next to the Phenex Heiress.
"L-Lord Jiro...?" Ravel said, turning to him in surprise and curiosity.
"I don't really think it's my place to finish him off this time. So you're going to do the honors," Jiro said, smiling, causing Ravel to jolt.
"W-What?! You want me to finish him off?! Th-there's no way. I couldn't possibly do that!" Ravel stammered, shivering slightly.
"What did I tell you about that?" Jiro said, grabbing the back of her head and squeezing it while lifting her up, making her yell, "Kyaaaa!" as she flailed in his grip. He then turned her to face him.
"Don't tell me you've already forgotten what we talked about earlier in the trees. Your magic is tied to your will. If you keep believing that you're weak, your magic will also turn weak. And it's also tied to your emotions. So as you fly up there, think back to all the crap he put you through and turn all that fear, sadness, and self-loathing into anger and rage. Use that to let your flames explode," Jiro said, making her stop flailing and look at him in contemplation.
"Y-Yes, I-I'll try my best," Ravel said, her voice now slightly more determined.
"Good, now no more fear and excuses, dig deep, AND SURPASS YOUR LIMITS!" Jiro yelled as he drew his arm with Ravel in it back and threw her into the air with immense strength."
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Ravel screamed as she flew though the air towards Riser at ludacris speed.
"Um, Jiro-kun, are you sure that was a good idea?" Irina asked, approaching him from behind as she looked up in concern, the others also looking up in concern, particularly Koneko and Rias.
"Oh yeah, a great idea. Just watch and see what happens when she surpasses her limits, Ri-Ri-chan." Jiro said, smiling confidently while also looking up.
Ravel continued to fly up at Riser and reached about half his altitude. Riser looked down, surprised to see who Jiro had thrown up at him.
"Oh, so the Red Dragon Trash chose to throw the most useless whelp at me instead of fighting himself. Very well, I'll enjoy knocking you back down." Riser said, now smiling mischievously.
Ravel stopped screaming and locked eyes with Riser. In that moment memories of her past once again flashed through her mind. All her memories of Riser's bullying and torment towards her. Ravel's eyes flashed with fear for a few seconds until her fear was replace... with anger. Anger she hadn't realized was there all this time. Pent up anger and resentment for her own brother he forced her to keep down through all his cruelty towards his own sister. Ravel's eyebrows furrowed, and her teeth gritted as she clinched her fists while her veins on her forehead bulged.
Jiro's words to her from earlier in the trees then began to flash threw her mind.
"If you want to set the world on fire, then cut the crap..."
"I HOPE YOU'RE READY RISER! BECAUSE I'M GONNA SHOW YOU WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I SET MY HEART ABLAZE!" Ravel roared as she flared her flaming aura and continued her flight towards him.
"OH? THEN LETS SEE WHAT HAPPENS, YOU GOOD-FOR-NOTHING BRAT!" Riser yelled back as he spread his arms and legs, signaling for her to attack him.
Ravel's scowl hardened at his invitation. She thrust her arms forward and scrunched her fingers. In that instance over one hundred fire balls formed around, above, and beneath Riser. Riser looked around in shock and slight fear as he remembered he saw Rias, Akeno, and Raynare do something similar earlier.
"ETHER ZONE... HELL ZONE GRENANDE!"
Ravel roared as she clinched her hands into fists. The fire balls around Riser then all exploded simultaneously, enveloping him. The explosion was so huge the force from it stopped Ravel in place and blew her back down and it's wind pressure violently blew trees, plants, and debris on the ground away as the group on the ground covered their faces apart from Jiro. The light from the explosion illuminated the sky, tinting it orange and a loud "rumble" sound echoed through the air as all the towns people looked on in awe at the spectacle, believing it was fireworks.
When the explosion died down and smoke cleared it revealed Riser slowly falling, missing his red blazer, white dress shirt and black dress shoes, revealing his burned torso and arms and his red dress pants torn and scorched at the bottom. The others on the ground looked on in awe and astonishment.
"Holy shit, never mind. Forget surpassing, I think she just killed her limits there." Jiro said with a wide eyed, shocked, and excited smile as a drop of sweat fell down his face.
"That was... absolutely incredible." The rest of the group said in unison with gobsmacked expressions.
"Eeeeeeeek!" Ravel yelled as she plummeted down to the ground with so much speed she couldn't spread her wings.
In one quick instance Ravel found herself suddenly stopped and on the ground as she looked around in surprise and realized Jiro was holding her under her arms.
"And checkmate. Riser's peerage has lost the Mini Rating Game. See, don't things turnout good when you actually try?" Jiro, smiling as he put her down and patting her head to which she smiled back and said "Yeah". Then the others come up to her and start to fawn over her.
Irina and Asia in unison: "That was incredible Ravel!"
Xenovia: "I believed the power you displayed before was because you lost control, but I didn't expect you to wield such power."
Raynare: "Nice one, little birdie."
Akeno: "Teach me how to do that sometime, sweetie."
Kiba: "What amazing power Ravel."
Rias: "Exactly what I would expect from a high-class devil such as yourself. In fact I think that was nearing the level of an ultimate-class."
Koneko simply walked up and put her right arm around her shoulder.
"Way to go, fire bird. Those were some dirty fireworks." She said, bumping Ravel's other shoulder with her fist. Ravel simply giggled with a bright smile as she enjoyed her friends company.
BOOM
A loud crash came from several feet away slightly startling all of them. They turned in the direction it came from and saw Riser laying unconscious in a small crater.
"Damn, you really did a number on him. I surprised he's still alive after that." Raynare said as she and the others walked up to the crater and took note of his almost destroyed clothes and burned up body. Ravel simply giggled sheepishly.
"Oh yeah, on that note what are we gonna do about the rest of them?" Jiro said, turning to the Riser's peerage members on the ground.
"That's a good question. I suppose I'll send them back to the underworld for medical attention." Rias said, thoughtfully as she crossed her arms under her chest.
"No, that won't be necessary. I'll take them from here." Said a feminine voice that was familiar to the devils of the group.
"Grayfia? When did you get here?" Rias asked as she and the others turned to the source of the voice to see Grayfia descending and land while retracting her devil wings.
"I was watching the battles. I must say that was quite the impressive display you all put on. Even I've never seen Lord Riser and his peerage be beaten before." Grayfia said, nodding in approval.
"Oh yeah, you're... Sirzech's maid right?" Jiro asked raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, I apologize for not introducing myself properly before, I've heard of your reputation, but I wasn't aware you were this generations Red Dragon Emperor. Please forgive my impolite actions." Grayfia said, bowing respectfully.
"Uh, it's fine and quit bowing to me." Jiro said putting his hand up slightly while sweat dropping.
"As for the rest of you I haven't met yet, I am Grayfia Lucifuge, the head maid of the House Of Gremory and Sirzechs's queen. It's a pleasure to meet all of you together, Biblical Vanguard." Grayfia said, bowing again.
They all nodded and smiled, liking the sound of being addressed by their team name as Grayfia continued. "As for why I'm here, I was sent by Sirzechs and Lord and Lady Phenex to bring Lord Riser and his servants back with me since they arrived in this world without permission and it came to our attention that he was planning an attack on Lady Rias and a member of her peerage after all ties and alliances between households was eliminated." Grayfia said, gesturing to Rias and Ravel.
"I see, well we made your job easier. They're all yours." Jiro said, gesturing for her to take them.
Grayfia lifted her hand and all twelve unconscious devils floated up to and behind her. "Yes, that is much appreciated, Lord Red Dragon Emperor. As well as the rest of you." Grayfia said as she summoned a red magic circle underneath her while Jiro muttered "I'm not your 'Lord'" under his breath.
"Now, I'll be off. And fear not Lady Rias and Lady Ravel. Lord Riser will face punishment and will be insured that he will never terrorize the two of you again, therefore you can rest easy." Garyfia said, to which Rias and Ravel sighed in relief.
"I wish you the best of luck in your upcoming battle with Kokabiel. Farewell to all of you for now, Biblical Vanguard." Garyfia said as she along with Riser and his peerage teleported away and disappeared.
"Fufu, sure does feel nice being referred to by our team name doesn't it?" Akeno asked, playfully.
"It sure does. Biblical Vanguard really does have a nice ring when you say it enough times." Irina said, giggling.
"Glad you like it. I had a few other names like The Z-Fighters and Fairy Tail, but I think Biblical Vanguard was the best choice." Jiro said, scratching his nose sheepishly.
"Definitely the best choice. No offense of course." They all said in unison.
"Heh, anyway I'm glad that's over. I'm glad to see you all have learned to adapt to your new abilities and use them in real combat. As for today's training that Mini Rating Game was enough of a workout, you all can relax for the rest of the day." Jiro said, turning to them as they all sighed.
Then as if on cue most of them slumped from exhaustion or felt the after effects of their abilities hit them after Asia's enchantment wore off. Rias, Akeno, Raynare, and, Ravel collapsed from using so much magic energy, Ravel especially, Irina, Xenovia, and Kiba felt their arms, hands, and legs pulse and strain from repeated Requipping and over use of their swords special abilities, Koneko also felt her arms and legs strain from her over use of Satan Gravity, and even Asia felt somewhat depleted from her enchantment on all of them.
"Well damn, you all really need a rest, but I'll help you make it back home." Jiro said as he summoned the Boosted Gear on his right arm.
"TRANSFER!"
Said the voice of Ddraig as they all felt their strength return to them, allowing them to move properly again. "Wow, so this is power from the Boosted Gear? Thanks Jiro-kun." Irina said, smiling as she and the others stood up.
"Don't mention it, sweetheart. Now all of you should be able to go home and rest before that boost wears off. Be sure to do so because you'll need it for the last week before Kokabiel's attack." Jiro said, looking between all of them to which they nodded.
They all unfurled their wings and flew off back to their homes. The student council flew back to the old school building, Xenovia, Raynare, and Asia on Raynare's back, flew back to their church, and Jiro and Irina flew back to their house, Jiro carrying Irina bridal style, much to her embarrassment.
"J-Jiro-kun, you know I can fly on my own right?" Irina said, blushing furiously.
"Heh, what kind of knight would I be if I didn't carry my princess home." Jiro said, chuckling at her cute expression.
"Hrm, fine." Irina said, pouting slightly, although she secretly did enjoy being carried in such a way and liked being called his princess.
Ravel, as she flew, looked at her other student council members and back at the other groups as they flew away, still feeling proud of herself for beating Riser with a single attack, much like Jiro. She looked between all of them, happy that she seemingly found a new family, one that truly cared for her whether she was powerful of not.
To be continued
And finally cut.
Like I said at the top this sure as hell is a long one. Although this does happen to be one of the most action heavy chapters so far and I suppose you can call it my take on the Riser Rating Game Arc in a way since I mostly glossed over it in chapter 7, man that feels like ages ago.
Now then I'll be responding to a reviewer by the name of Me-B-Lou-E-G
First: the church trio is still Irina/Asia/Xenovia, Raynare is not included in that.
Second: The church they live in was in fact renovated as Xenovia commented on how it looked like it could still be in use in Chapter 24 and Asia explained that Raynare brainwashed some of the towns people to clean the place up. See that chapter to confirm it.
Third: Gotta admit you're right I don't think it should still be called the "abandoned" church any longer, so from here on I'll simply refer to it as "their church" or just "the church".
Fourth: Irina's father wasn't "called" to England in this story, he had to flee Japan with Irina for their safety. (See Chapter 12)
Fifth: Raynare is not their ally, she very much their friend and they consider her as such
By the way thank you for reviewing. I'll try to respond to reviews about the story going forward so look forward to that
I also want to start putting character descriptions and analyses at the end of chapters, similar to what Hiro Mashima does between Fairy Tail and Edens Zero chapters, going forward so you all can have a simpler understanding of the characters and what they're about.
Anyway next chapter will finally be a Rias centered chapter.
See you there :)