FBBH 67 (Patreon)

Hey guys, another month ending, another chapter going. Thanks for the support as the Rating Game begins.

Fate/Bonds Beyond Humanity

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67- Gremory Vs Sitri: To Battle

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Fireworks were constant on the stadium where the first match of the Youth Gathering Tournament was about to begin. The stadium itself was a huge colossus bigger than anything built on Earth. It had the capacity to receive over two hundred thousand, not counting staff or security.

And it was getting packed as people arrived from air or land, eyes landing on the four giant screens where the match would be televised for all to see and the crystal ball in the center in charge of showing all important fights.

That was also the opening Rating Game for that stadium in particular as it had been built with the latest technology shared between the Three Factions. Mostly from the fallen angels as the Grigori had certain advantages due to being more entrenched with Humanity but the other two were assimilating their inventions rapidly.

Bulky cameras were still  used overall but instead of needing five people to control it now they only need two. It was still one too many compared to the final product but considering the fights are going to be in another dimension they need a ‘driver’ for the spells on the other side.

It was all about connection and thanks to the new design that was also going to be the first Rating Game to be recorded from beginning to end without missing a detail. Of course that also meant there was a team who will be working hard to sort what should be considered interesting during the Rating Game in real time.

A group led by a King and his peerage but had fallen angels and magicians amongst their number who would be working to borderline insanity to make sure the audience wouldn't be bored.

At least the salary was good, it would help pay for the therapy.

Everything was ready and the show was to start in a couple minutes which gave the betting pools time to open. Odds were placed evenly for both sides to reach victory with additional categories which included how many peerage members were defeated and if the Kings would fight or not.

Except odds weren’t truly even as Rias Gremory already had a victory under her belt against a veteran while that would be Sona Sitri’s first match. They also considered the natural talent between the two, known peerage members, Powers and everything of the like. Some details about the teams were hidden from the audience but it was fair. Mostly.

In the end the Gremory side had the better odds due to the Power of Destruction and the presence of the Red Dragon Emperor, a treat for the Underworld as a Dragon Emperor never had been Reincarnated.

Still there were those that didn’t like those odds. “My sister is going to win.” Serafall whispered quickly before smiling and shaking the hand of a random noble.

Sirzechs was behind her entertaining Azazel and Michael but when the angel began to talk he quickly said. “No, it is going to be Ria-tan.” They were in their more formal black clothes and quickly shifted to talk with who they should.

Much to Azazel’s delight. “They do know we can hear them, right?” Asked the fallen to his brother.

“Yes, we do.” Serafall was the one who replied, turning to the man immediately. “Won’t stop me from telling him ‘I told you so when So-tan’ wins.”

Ajuka let out a sigh as every devil knew what was coming. “Oh now you started it.”

“As if Ria-tan can be defeated. In a straight out fight, Sona has no chance.”

“So-tan is way smarter than Rias. She won’t fight and will win before your sister can even get a punch in.”

“Hohoho. Like all her peerage could stop Ria-tan from going on a rampage if she wanted to.”

A new duo entered the luxurious room, surprising Azazel as the whispers began. “My, oh my. Looks like we arrived just in time for the fun.”

“Odin? You came?” Azazel couldn't hide his surprise, much to the confusion of some.

Indeed it was Odin with his bodyguard Rossweisse just standing behind him with a serious expression as the god laughed. “First time so many faces are invited to this Rating Games. I want to see if one day they will be useful to test our Einherjars.”

“Hahaha! Weren’t you retired, Old Man of the North?” All magicians in the room grew quiet as another god allowed his presence to expand and be known which had other gods paying attention or rolling their eyes.

Anyone else in a lesser tier of power, which included most devils in magicians in the room, almost dropped to their knees. Of the magicians only Lorelei remained standing but even she felt the man’s power and recognized he was truly a god despite what his appearance suggested.

She herself was in what could be classified as her work clothes which she used for combat and in the Clocktower which consisted of a victorian style shirt with a ribbon below her neck, a light coat with several spells woven in it, red pants, brown boots, a gauntlet on her right hand made of Holy Mithril and a whip more proper for a horse but also a weapon of destruction that many feared.

Yet she knew despite all her prodigious power the individual before her was one of the most powerful existences in all Reality. ‘So this is the might of a god.’ Lorelei couldn’t help but smile while watching the interaction. ‘That is surmountable.’

Unlike Odin the other god wasn’t dressed like someone from his Pantheon but instead he looked more like a tourist with a buzz-cut hairstyle with greenish brown hair, eyes hidden beneath circular sunglasses, black shorts and also wearing an aloha blue shirt with huge prayer beads around his neck.

But monks were among the many who prayed for him, venerated him, hoped to gain his favor or avoid his angry gaze.

“Calling me old just because I look old is rude, Indra. You are as old as I am, hahahaha!” Commented Odin as he remained calm even with the crushing power in his vicinity.

Indra was his name and one worthy of reverence. God of War, of Storms, Father of the Legendary Arjuna and the enemy of Vritra who should have destroyed him but ended up destroyed instead.

Yes, despite how carefree his clothes made him look, he was one of the strongest beings, one of the strongest gods.

Before the Hindu god could reply Sirzechs intervened with a chuckle. “Please, could we not have two Gods of War fighting today?” He was unbothered by the power as well which surprised no one. “You will upstage our siblings like that.”

There was no threat in his tone but a warning no matter how friendly he made it sound. His smile was gentle but with a sharp posture it was clear Sirzechs Lucifer was more than ready in case anyone started something.

Even if they were gods.

Rossweisse, both as Odin’s bodyguard and in an attempt to de-escalate things, stepped forward and bowed respectfully to the taller god. “Lord Indra, it is an honor to-”

“Well, we came here for the festivities, didn’t we? You two should stand down.” Another voice, a woman with a rich accent, interrupted the Valkyrie. “We are here to see the value of devils and the Rating Games themselves. A fight between you would accomplish nothing.”

The woman had long midnight hair that reached her lower back, a beautiful hourglass figure accentuated by her white almost transparent dress suited for hot countries while also being closed off and covering the woman’s body from above her breasts until it reached her lower legs.

Around her neck there was pretty much a robe made of jewelry of many colors that just barely reached her shoulders and on her head there was a tiara made of pure gold with a snake depicted in it but not just any snake, the symbol of pharaohs.

However any would agree the woman’s sapphire eyes were most striking figure, a beauty that outshine any rare stone and even the stars themselves

Sirzechs smile became more confident for if there was a being who could match Major Deities than it was another Major Deity. “Lady Isis. My apologies for not properly talking with you sooner. I am grateful Egypt accepted our invitation.”

Goddess of the Nile, Queen Mother of the Head God of her Pantheon, Master of Magic she was Isis, the one who outsmarted her brother Set and brought her husband Osiris, the former Chief God, back to life after he was cut into pieces.

“No need for apologies, Lord Lucifer. If my son or any of my grandchildren was competing I also would be extremely excited.” Her eyes landed on the two Gods of War who smiled back without a care. “Which brings us back to why so many delegations came to watch these Rating Games, to see if one day Divinities will also be able to compete. You two aren’t going to get in the way, are you?”

Indra chuckled and pulled his power back. “Of course not. I was just greeting this old timer.” Lowering his sunglasses the man revealed his lavender eyes that held far more power than what he showed previously. “And wondering why he didn’t show up for the party the other day.”

Rossweisse gulped but otherwise managed to hold back a wince. ‘That is why if we weren’t going to the party we shouldn’t have shown up today, Lord Odin!’ She complained while watching the tower of a man that was Indra carefully.

If anything the Valkyrie’s caution was just amusing to the Major Deity whose power could decimate the whole stadium and pretty much everyone in it.

“Because parties like that are boring.” Odin replied somehow even more carefree than before. “Little booze, slow dancing. So booooooring.”

Fixing his glasses the Hindu god shrugged and offered a smile. “Well, you missed quite a show so joke's on you.”

Azazel let out a sigh of relief as he placed Down Fall Dragon Spear back inside his coat. “You know, even the Grigori didn’t dare to invite this many gods to our territory at once.”

His brother nodded in understanding but with a far happier smile. “Shows how dedicated to peace they are.”

“I would say that is how greedy devils are, Lord Michael.” Caren commented and Azazel would agree with her but neither wanted to take away Michael’s optimistic smile.

‘Still having three Major Deities here from three distinct Pantheons…’ Azazel commented as Odin approached Ísis for some small talk, the Valkyrie still shaken over the last few minutes. ‘Can’t say I envy her.’ Yet another problem may start soon and the Governor General quickly made his way to Sirzechs. “Oi, Odin wasn’t in the plan, right?”

“You were the one who told us he wasn’t going to come.” The redhead replied firmly despite the smile remaining in place. “I fear leaving him and Indra alone for even a second.”

An idea both men didn’t want to even think about. “Gods of War rarely can stay in the same spot without starting one.” The fallen angel was happy both warrior gods had enough sense to not start anything, specially not with so many other gods around. “But unless we are going to keep everyone in the same place…”

“Most minor gods would be annihilated in the initial clash.” Serafall said it from the side. “That would be horrible press and wouldn't get another chance of gathering so many Pantheons in a single place ever again.”

“... This is all my fault.” Ajuka also approached the small group. “If I had kept a closer eye to my inventions Odin wouldn’t get the chance to just waltz around here from nowhere.”

“Are you kidding me? That is Odin. Of course he would find some other way to manipulate the situation like that.” Azazel informed the other three with absolute certainty. “He always does whatever he wants.”

An older voice made itself known. “While I understand the need to adapt one’s plans you all should remember you have more guests to entertain besides the Scapegoat.” Zekram Bael informed with a grin, practically forcing Ajuka and Serafall to split up from the group. “That is better. There are too many egos here that you can’t ignore or risk offense even if only three of those are Major Gods.”

“For someone so good at starting wars you sure know how to make peace, Zekram.” Azazel commented with a deadpan stare.

The Oldest Devil looked at his long lived enemy with a dismissive expression. “We all do our best with the cards that we are given.”

With those words he was gone leaving Sirzechs and Azazel behind. “We are going to have to deal with Odin, aren’t we?”

“You just had to reject having your private box…”

“I wanted to spend time with my buddy. Buddies actually, you are one too, Sirzechs.” The fallen angel joked to try and relieve the tension.

Which worked, to an extent. “Odin… Is he planning something?”

“A ‘yes’ is the right answer but a complicated one as well.”

“No riddles, Azazel.” Sirzechs’ eyes were locked on the god and his Valkyrie who seemed to have calmed down as the old man just held a simple conversation with a minor god from a corner of Asia. “If he has something-”

“Odin and plans are a nice pair, fast and fleeting.” Azazel cut him off calmly. “He can make plans for sure, great plans even, but the guy rushes every time wanting to see either immediate results or get things over with.” All said in whispers as both watched the retired King of Asgard.

“That sounds extremely dangerous and reckless.” Sirzechs replied after a little deliberation.

Azazel didn’t blame him for that observation. “Which just shows how wise he is. Look at it this way; he likes short and immediate plans but most of the time they are successful. That shows his plans are just that good.”

“And what does he want now?” Considering the man didn’t show up at the ball in protest to the King Piece fiasco, showing up now vexed Sirzechs immensely.

“Don’t know.” Azazel shrugged. “Maybe it is a plan, maybe it is a whim, maybe Odin has some far sighted plans that nobody figured out yet and he is just playing the long game.” The fallen angel shrugged again. “Impossible to guess and he will lie if asked. That is the sort of trickster Odin has always been.”

Sirzechs let a small chuckle escape. “Much like yourself?”

“Guilty as charged.” Admitted the Governor General. “Either way we are taking him to the Gremory’s box, right? The most innocent possibility is that he wasn’t to see Shirou.”

That implied a danger that both of them were extremely aware of, the danger of a god recognizing the Mage of Swords’ Reality Marble and attempting to become a complete True God.

“Indra is going to be far away, isn’t he?” Azazel asked suddenly, making sure anyone who could be hearing was going to think the question was out of fear of the two Gods of War meeting again.

“Outer side of the stadium in his own box with the rest of the Hindu delegation.” Not a big one but each and every single one of Indra’s retinue was a god, no matter how minor.

It wasn’t just his as Egypt also sent some of their best warriors to protect their Head God’s mother; men with heads of jackals and a lean build followed Isis like guard hounds. Their curved swords, more curved than a scimitar and called shotel, were almost as sharp as their teeth. There were others but the Hindu and Egyptian Pantheons were the strongest ones present at the tournament.

“Closer to the Sitri’s box?” Azazel couldn't help but joke but it was ignored. “Anyway, I don’t think Odin has any malicious intent so you can calm down, relax and enjoy your sister's match.”

“You mean Ria-tan victory.”

“In your dreams!!” Serafall shouted from the other side of the room but at that point nobody cared about decorum when it came to those two and their siblings.

Azazel chuckled at the woman’s reaction before realizing something. “Say, where is the Japanese delegation? Since they are your close allies I expected at least one or two of them around.”

“They pulled some strings and went to see some friends.”

…

“Come on Asia, you should use something like my combat uniform.” Commented Xenovia, dressed in green casual clothes, who was helping the former nun put on some armor. Shirou’s design to be more exact. “Master’s work is good but the Church’s combat uniform is way more flexible.”

The Bishop covered her face with her hands, a red escaping to her ears. “But it shows too much.”

“I think Ise would quite like it.” Akeno commented as she used Alteration to adjust her armor and wear it more easily. Sure Shirou had her measurements but his metal was that hard to work with and he made a small mistake, something she will tease him about later. “Can you imagine his reaction if Asia showed up dressed like Xenovia.”

Cue to Asia hiding her face again while letting out a distressed moan while some of the other girls finished dressing up.

Most of them had already put on their armor and were just adjusting their school uniforms which were made with bullet proof cloth but besides the former nun, Akeno and Luvia had their own dress code for combat.

In the Queen’s case she was helped by Medusa in a sort of inversion of the parts they should have but the goddess didn’t mind as if anything the act of helping her High Priestess dress up reminded her of her days doing the same for her sisters.

Only that Akeno was taller, something she adored to remind herself. “There we go. Right colors, same style.”

Akeno did a little spin and Rias clapped happily. “Purple really does suit you. Although that goes against the Japanese tradition for their priestess.”

“I am a goddess living in Japan. If those shall also be my traditions, at least I want them in my colors.” Medusa declared and so it was.

“Fufufu. What a confident goddess I have.” Akeno commented playfully, dressed in her miko attire but with a darker shade of white for the haori, now with black accents and her hakama as purple as Medusa’s hair. The armor was of course hidden beneath the haori and was thin enough one needed to pay attention to notice it “Not that I dislike it, mind you.”

“It is a beautiful attire.” Luvia started as she adjusted her earrings while Liz, wearing a red jersey, helped with her dress. “Truly worthy of a goddess.”

All the girls looked at the blonde Rook’s attire and Rias voiced their curiosity. “Doesn’t a dress get in the way during a fight?” She was wearing the winter version of Kuoh’s uniform so its sleeves could give her extra protection.

Akeno nodded in agreement. “I know a hakama may look like a dress but it really is a very loose and comfortable pair of pants.”

“How dare the two of you question Luvia’s elegance? Obviously she is well practiced when it comes to fighting in a dress.” Medusa gave her priestess a harsh look which made the Queen shiver.

“But she doesn’t need to do that anymore.” Rias commented with a shrug. “If it is a matter of protection…”

“Please, Rias, there is no need to worry about it.” Lifting the skirt of her dress Luvia showed everyone a pair of gym pants. “The dress is to hide the movement of my legs but it shall not get in the way of the fight on any level.” She then turned to Liz and bowed her head. “Many thanks for helping me adjust it, Sensei.”

“No prob.” Replied the teacher as she moved around close to the exit of the room.

Sure it was comfortable and more spacious than the typical locker room, devils haven’t held back expenses and even had a bathtub for the girls whenever they wanted, but it wasn’t ever the sort of place she expected to work on a dress of all things.

Then again Liz never expected to work on a dress when both Iri and Illya left her with Shirou so that by itself was unexpected. Fortunately the Einzebern had included proper etiquette and sewing skills or else she wouldn’t have been nearly as useful as Luvia had needed.

Rook or not the blonde woman asked that her dress was as strong if not stronger than the school uniform she had been offered and rejected. Rias gave in on Luvia’s request easily but since the thing was heavier and impractical to put in without some adjustments it would take a while for her to get dressed without help.

Koneko finished adjusting her favorite cloves, hitting her fists on each other before jumping up, like Rias in her school uniform but the sleeveless summer edition. “Ready to go.”

Asia was the last one to finish dressing up, her nun uniform incomplete without the veil but Xenovia took it off. “This isn’t anything special and can get in the way of your vision.”

“But I like wearing it…” Lamented the nun with a pout.

“It is alright.” Luvia said with a wave. “Asia isn’t going to fight anyway.”

“Better safe than sorry.” Rias said quickly with a determined expression. “Xenovia is right and this is for the best, Asia.” The former nun looked at the veil before nodding in acceptance.

“Girls, are you done?” Shirou’s voice asked from the outside.

“You can peek~” Akeno said without hesitation.

“Maybe when Ise doesn’t look like he is going to bite my head off.” They believe he would try it without a shadow of a doubt.

Rias couldn’t help but giggle. “Ise, play nice.” She said while opening the door for the waiting room.

It was as big as their classrooms already without counting the locker rooms and the adjacent lab in case any competitor wants to make a potion or something that could support their peerage in the match.

Before going to change they took a pick at the lab and while it was bare of ingredients and had some equipment which included several glasses, tubes and a cauldron. Not forgetting the sinks and the shower for when the person was going to leave the enclosed space.

Unfortunately all of that wouldn't see any use in that match as both peerages came prepared but it was something that for those peerages without extra methods to heal themselves.

The waiting room was spacious and pragmatic in its design; there was a water station on the corner of the room with a small fridge with several sports drinks, some of which had the face of a woman who was the 2nd place in the Rating Game rankings, small nutritious snacks for before the fight and weights for warm up.

Lots of weights for warming up to the point they dominated most of the room combined with some bars for gymnastics, a table with chairs for strategy meetings and a black board that could be controlled with magic for similar purposes.

All in all the goal of the room was to be a pit stop in case there was some sort of tournament like Rating Games where the participants had time to rest and recover or just be a place where they could relax however they wanted before the start of the match much like the Gremory was doing.

Despite how close to the match they were, Rias  wanted everyone to relax and spend some time with her friends as the overall plan was already laid out but the rest would be built on the fly because neither side knew what the arena was going to be like.

Yet perhaps they weren’t relaxed enough as Shirou, in casual blue and white clothes, looked at everyone with concern. “Are you sure Sona said they have a Noble Phantasm?” Rias gave her lover a deadpan look as it was the fourth time he asked that question. “Sorry, sorry. Just worried.”

“Then stop being a worrywart.” Said the King with a smile as Medusa moved to the couch.

Others followed her example, Shirou being the last and sitting beside Rias with a worried look as the goddess spoke. “Be as it may, this isn't the first time they faced a Noble Phantasm in a Rating Game.”

Ise punched his hand with a grin. “That’s right. It’s going to be just like Fried Chicken, we can beat it.”

Xenovia looked at the Pawn in confusion. “Didn’t Bakuya defeat you, Kiba and Koneko before Buchou tricked them into the gym?”

“And they didn’t know how to use it. Karlamine certainly didn’t.” Shirou reminded them which nobody could really disagree with.

But the brown haired Pawn just waved it off. “Bah, but they were stronger and a complete peerage too. And we kicked butt.” Like Rias and Koneko he was using his school uniform, the male winter version with the blazer, open shirt and his favorite red t-shirt beneath. “We’re stronger too. Can’t wait to show everyone some of my moves.”

The Red Dragon Emperor began to shadow box with a good posture with fast jabs and crosses that showed the boy had practiced more than a little. In fact he saw the Rating Game as his chance to make a name for himself, something that worried him more than victory.

A desire born from a dream. ‘I’m gonna show everyone I’m the strongest and every single devil is going to love it. Women are going to beg to join my peerage and I’ll get all the big breasted ones!’

[That dream is still alive and kicking?] Ddraig wasn’t going to complain, he wanted his host stronger anyway.

Already Ise was lost in his mind, imagining all the buxom devils who would be after him to join his peerage or even to get his autograph so the dragon didn’t get any sort of response.

Indeed everyone else in the room could already see he was lost to the world. “Pervert.” Said Koneko, guessing his thoughts.

“Ise-san…” Lamented Asia who also could guess what he was thinking.

Gasper, in the Kuoh girl’s uniform for summer, pated his fellow Bishop’s back. “There, there. I am sure Ise-senpai isn’t thinking of anything too bad.”

“Bet he is thinking of showing everyone how strong he became and getting girls that way.” Xenovia stated bluntly.

“I’ll be a Harem KING!!!” Declared the Pawn proudly, making most of the room laugh as Asia lamented a little more.

Kiba chuckled at the interaction. “At least we know he is invested in the fight.”

Like Ise he was also using in the winter version of Kuoh’s uniform but unlike everyone else he dismissed the white shirt and allowed all eyes to see the armor that covered his chest. It complemented his fingerless gauntlets which were outside his blazer and offered a strong protection since they were also Shirou’s work.

“Oh yeah! I’m ‘invested’ alright. Time to show everyone that the new Red Dragon Emperor is gonna be the strongest ever!” Calling Boosted Gear for emphasis, Ise let his power escape much like he would in the Dragon Territory.

To the average devil it would be massive but he wasn’t amongst average devils. “Calm down, Ise. Calm down. We don’t want you burning up before the match even starts.” Said his King with a calm smile, the Pawn quickly pulled his power back. “Now, is everyone ready? No other piece of equipment we need to get?”

“EMs in all of our magic circles.” Akeno started.

“My gems are all charged.” Luvia commented while revealing some in her sleeves.

Kiba then called his Holy Eraser. “This will do until we see the battlefield..”

“Boosted Gear is stocked.” Ise informed helpfully.

When no one said anything else, Rias looked at them all with a serious expression. “I know this match is just for a tournament and nothing really is on the line but I want you all to give 100% there.” All attention was on the King. “This isn’t just because of politics, Sona’s dreams are also on the line. Win or lose, if we don’t give our everything we are going to harm her in the end.” The Heiress of Gremory then smiled. “So I want to win and rub that in her face for eternity.”

“Cruel.” Liz commented with a knowing look.

“My, my~ Buchou is just showing her friend some tough love.” Akeno said evenly.

“But we have to win anyway, right?” Gasper, a little more conscious, asked. “Just to be safe?”

“Yes but this is also against our friends.” Rias reminded everyone while patting his head. “And they are also fighting for their dreams here. Maybe we can ignore the other matches, play around a bit, but not this one.” Once again she looked around her peerage, her family. “We make sure Sona’s dreams, her peerage’s dreams, are worthy by giving them a chance to take us down with everything we have. Anything else and she is not going to forgive me for the rest of our lives.”

“Sounds like Sona, alright.” Shirou commented with a chuckle before looking around worriedly. “About her Noble Phantasm-”

“We deal with it.” Koneko cut him off and sat on his lap. “Noble Phantasms aren’t invincible.”

“Right but still… Be careful, okay.” Said the Mage after a beat. “Remember, in the hands of someone who knows how to use them a Noble Phantasm is infinitely more dangerous than otherwise. We don’t know what Sona has or who has it but keep your guard up until you do-”

“Then work around its Legend.” Luvia completed his train of thought with a confident smile. “Worry not, Shero, we won’t try to overpower it either unless we know it is a minor Legend.”

“And even then only I and Buchou can really attempt it.” Said Akeno with her usual smile. At his exasperated look she shook her head. “Don’t worry too much. Even if they do have an powerful Noble Phantasm the Rating Game safety measures will eject us from the match if things get too dangerous. We can safely try and defeat it.”

“Besides, either we do it or we quit.” Ise commented with a grunt. “And my mom raised no quitter.” A glow escaped the back of his hand, showing Ddraig was pleased.

“We also can focus on Kaichou…” Gasper suggested carefully. “If she isn’t the one with

the Noble Phantasm…”

Rubbing her chin, Rias agreed. “A little underhanded but she brought a Noble Phantasm in the first place so that is more than fair.”

Suddenly the door was bursted open and everyone jumped in surprise as the voice brought excitement to many of them, especially a certain white haired nekomata. “How are my favorite devils doing?” Gold eyes danced, landing on a specific person. “And my favorite little kitten?”

“Yoruichi-oneechan!” Koneko moved like lightning and the older nekomata’s arms were already open for a hug.

“There she is!” Declared the woman as they hugged and rubbed their heads together, tails and ears springing for all to see.

There was no one who wasn’t smiling at the King of Kyoto’s arrival, which was a pleasant surprise that got better when another voice came from the hallway. “Lovely reception but I hope you guys remember I am not much of a hugger.”

“Setsuna.” Shirou called her name first, the girl going inside with jeans, a jacket with sleeves pulled to her elbows, a teal shirt and her usual ponytail. Those sitting stood up with the exception of Medusa as the rest approached the new arrivals. “Why didn’t either of you call saying you would show up?” He asked as the black haired girl gave him a quick hug.

“Took the question right out of my mouth.” Rias commented as her eyes focused on the nekomatas’ interaction.

The hanyou pointed to the older woman. “I didn’t know about it until Yoruichi showed up back home out of nowhere and basically kidnapped me.”

When all eyes were on her, the Goddess of the Flash laughed. “Nyahahaha! I was kinda in a rush and we did receive an invite to watch the Youth Devil Gathering Tournament.” She looked at Rias with a deadpan expression. “By the way, that name is a mouthful.”

“Tell that to my brother or his co-workers. Wait a minute, were you in the ball-”

“I wish I was when Shiro told me you guys received a visit from my missing sister.” Cue to all eyes landing on the Mage who shrugged.

“What? You all expected me to not tell her? I am surprised Koneko didn’t.” At the first opportunity Shirou got he talked with the little Rook who looked fine and happy even if a little spooked from all that happened.

Because of that she didn’t think about calling her adopted sister and the Mage of Swords technically went over everyone’s head by looking for the yokai as soon as possible out of concern.

Upon hearing the news Yoruichi moved fast calling her brother to take care of business after explaining everything and rushed to the Underworld. Since all was easy to settle and the invite was for all Yokai Faction’s leadership it wasn’t hard to convince her fellow Kings to let her go.

“Did you at least talk with my father?” Asked Setsuna who only got a hesitating laugh in response. “He is going to kill you.”

“Nah, he won’t. Dear old Sesshoumaru isn’t fast enough to get me.”

“Onee-chan.” Koneko said with dropped ears.

Which made Yoruichi frown a little. “Hey, don’t worry. I left a note.”

Rias began to massage her temples upon hearing that. “‘A note’? For the yokai who is known for being overprotective and quite vengeful.”

Setsuna did a similar action with her shoulders dropping. “Father is going to be so mad.”

“Ah, we can worry about that later.” Yoruichi dismissed all worries and stood her full height before jumping on Shirou’s arms. “You all had so much fun in the Underworld that I couldn’t help and participate. So what about we forget the big dog for a minute and enjoy the fight that is about to happen.” She turned to Rias with a playful smile as Shirou shook his head with endearment. “I hope you didn’t forget my promise, after all.”

“What promise?” Rias felt a distinct drop of dread settle in her stomach as she knew exactly what Yoruichi was talking about.

The woman was happy to remind her either way. “To officiate your first Rating Game against Sona, of course.” She looked around until her eyes settled in Xenovia. “We need to talk too since we are sharing the same guy but my time is short today so can we hold that back until we are in Fuyuki.”

Ise caught the hint quickly. “You’re kidding me! Xenovia too?!”

“You just caught that now?” Asked Kiba with a chuckle.

The former Exorcist ignored them both and nodded. “I suppose we need to establish a routine. Rias said pretty much the same thing.”

“Am I going to be left out?” Akeno asked while pointing to herself with a playful smile that almost made Ise pass out in frustration.

“Hah! You joined us too, Akeno?” Yoruichi moved to hug the woman’s side. “Great job. I always knew you would join in too. Say, did you-”

“Ta ta ta ta. Aren’t we going to be late for the Rating Game? Especially if the judge doesn’t show up.” Shirou stopped everything before things spiraled out of control.

One of his eyes was locked on Setsuna, hoping that she didn’t have any negative reaction by him getting together with Xenovia or Akeno but the girl’s face and posture remained neutral which was a good sign as far as he knew.

Their last conversation about the topic of relationships had her thinking and the two of them needed to talk but at the moment the hanyou wasn’t going to jump to conclusions even if the redhead did manage to get another two lovers when she wasn’t looking.

No, she would remain calm and collected while sorting her feelings out. “He has a point, you know. Hard to start a match without a judge.” Setsuna said to Yoruichi before turning to Rias. “Or the participants.”

“Did you two see Sona before coming here?” It was clear that Rias was fishing for something, either information on her unknown Piece or Noble Phantasm, but Setsuna shook her head.

“We were never that close to Kaichou so we dropped by here first. I doubt we have time to greet her regardless.”

“Also I am not the judge. Apparently you need a special license and training to do that for Rating Games.” Grumbled the tall nekomata as she easily hugged Koneko from behind and sat on the ground. The small girl followed her moves flawlessly, sitting in her lap. “So I will be taking the role of commentator. Not even an announcer...” She grumbled the last sentence.

Seeing another opportunity Rias couldn’t help but try to fish again. “Do you at least know the kind of Rating Game we are going to play?”

“Rias…” Shirou gave his first lover a look with a clear tone of warning.

“She doesn’t need to give us much, just the rules.” The Heiress replied with a mischievous tone. “It isn’t like we have time to set anything up.”

Deciding to not fight his fellow redhead, the Mage turned to his second lover. “Yoruichi, no.” Shirou said firmly.

“Weeeeell, she is right.” The tall nekomata said with an equally mischievous tone.

“That would be extremely dishonorable.” Xenovia gave both women a harsh look.

One that was followed by Setsuna saying, “If you do this then I am definitively telling my father you kidnapped me. Both of you.”

Immediately Rias and Yoruichi said, ““Never mind.””

Medusa snorted before standing up from her seat. “Regardless, time is running out for you all. Nice to see you again, Setsuna.”

“You as well, Medusa-sama.” She greeted with a respectful bow.

“You as well, Yoruichi. If you had enough tomfoolery, that is,” the goddess said with a small smile and the nekomata shrugged, “we have a match to begin. I believe that Setsuna will join us in the Gremory box?”

“As far as we know…” Yoruichi turned to Rias who nodded. “Yeah, pretty much.”

“Then we better get going or else the matches won’t start without the competitors. Not as much for the commentator, that one is dismissible.”

“Oh ha ha ha.” Both nekomatas stood up and everyone prepared to leave. “We are going to talk later. As a completely unbiased party I can’t cheer for you guys. But as Koneko cooler sister-”

“You and Kuroka are going to have to settle that. Probably in combat too.” Rias chimed in with a smile that had Yoruichi glaring at her.

“As I was saying, as Koneko’s cooler sister, I can at least do this.” She picked the white haired girl, giving her a huge and a kiss on the forehead. “Kick ass.”

Koneko replied with, “Nya, you can count on that.”, while receiving a few pats in the head.

“That doesn’t sound very impartial.” Luvia commented and Akeno pouted as she was about to say the same thing.

“Great!” Yoruichi moved to leave, quickly flickering in place to give Shirou a peck on the cheek before going for the door. “See you all later!” She pretty much disappeared from view.

Few managed to see, or even perceive the speed the older nekomata used both when departing or giving her lover that small kiss full of longing. “I hate you.”Ise was one of the few who did, actually surprising many in the room.

Shirou looked at the Pawn with wide eyes before nodding. “That is fair.” He already came to terms that a lot of guys would hate him for the whole ‘multiple lovers’ situation. If anything he was surprised Ise didn’t challenge him for a fight then and there. “Break a few legs, guys.”

“Oh, we fully intend to.” Akeno commented with excitement.

“Try to offer me a prayer after you win. I want to see if it has any effect.” While she said it to her priestess, Medusa would accept it from anyone else.

“Medusa-san… Wouldn’t you grow up because of it?” Asia asked delicately, knowing she wouldn't be the one to do it regardless.

The goddess shrugged in response. “Better to know it now then when devils actually start praying to me.”

Which had Setsuna blinking and basically force herself to ask, “Devils are praying now?”

“We live in interesting times.” Akeno told her with a smile.

“I will tell you as much as I can on the way.” Shirou offered the hanyou who nodded in thanks.

With one final ‘goodbye’ and ‘good luck’ the group separated as the Rias Peerage made their way to the center of the room and teleported directly to the arena where they would have time to develop strategies and plant traps wherever they were dropped on.

For the rest there was only marching towards the box and thanks to Grayfia’s directions they knew it was close since the Gremory Clan had the privilege of competing in the first match.

“So, what are their odds?” Setsuna asked gently just to start a conversation.

Liz was the one who replied first. “Sona has a Noble Phantasm.”

The Daughter of Sesshomaru froze mid step. “What?!”

“Whoa, not even giving her a minute, Liz.” Xenovia said after a snort.

Shirou let out a sigh and nodded his head. “Sona slipped during the ball-”

“Where Master played the piano.” The bluehead struck again.

“Oh really?” And Setsuna was definitely interested.

Xenovia nodded eagerly. “Yeah. Venelana Gremory recorded the whole thing.”

“I already requested a copy.” Medusa announced proudly.

“It was more the piano than me.” The redhead really didn’t want to talk about that either. “Can we focus on the Noble Phantasm and how dangerous it could be to our two sets of friends?” Concern filled his tone and everyone quickly sobered up. “I can only hope Sona did her research so nothing too bad happens.”

“Sona is a smart girl.” Liz reminded everyone.

“Just because one is smart doesn’t mean they understand everything.” Medusa said it just before Shirou did. Their thoughts were pretty much in sync as they knew the dangers of unchecked power. “Maybe they know everything they need, maybe they don’t and they are using a power they don’t understand out of arrogance.”

“Or fear.” Xenovia commented as they approached the closed doors of the Gremory’s box. “Remember what Rias said; this victory matters to Sona, a lot.”

Setsuna looked at the somber faces of their friends and realized that she was missing some context. “But using a Noble Phantasm sounds really unfair.” Didn’t stop her from voicing opinion.

“To be fair, it depends.” The former Exorcist commented. “If it was something like my Durandal then sure, that would be really unfair. One nick of a Holy Sword and most devils are out for the count.” She turned to the Mage. “Could it be something similar?”

“You said it yourself, ‘depends’.” Shirou nodded to the guards who nodded back and prepared to open the doors. “Anyway, we are only going to know for sure when the match really starts. I just hope that whatever they use it won’t be too dangerous.”

When they got inside they saw a few people already inside; Zeoticus and Venelana were expected, much like Sirzechs and Grayfia but there were three outliers, one the Mage knew would probably pop up and two he didn’t expect to see for a while or ever again.

“Look at that, my newest student. Well, technically you are a graduate. Was the lesson useful?” Odin was the first one to notice the new arrivals, sitting on a very comfortable armchair with Azazel and Rossweisse close by.

The Valkyrie, who was starving for familiar faces and some sort of distraction, stood up to greet them. “Xenovia, Liz, Shirou. It is good to see you again. Lord Odin has been talking with Azazel and I have been a little lost.” She noticed Setsuna and offered her hand for a shake. “Nice to meet you, my name is Rossweisse, a Valkyrie and I had the honor to go into an adventure with those two to save the Mage of Swords.” Then she looked to Medusa and bowed respectfully, not even giving the hanyou time to reply. “An honor to see you once more, Lady Medusa.”

“Why do you sound so desperate?” The goddess couldn’t help but ask as Setsuna looked around in confusion and a clear need of an explanation.

“Ah, she didn't like our gentlemen's conversation.” Azazel explained with a chuckle and by how the silver white haired woman blushed the group wasn’t sure they wanted a better explanation at all. “But come on, get inside. Drinks there, a buffet here. The best of the best.”

“Those devils do know how to make one comfortable.” Odin commented as his chair bent, raising a footstool for his feet. “Now if they just had a decent mead around here.”

Already everyone could see the Valkyrie react negatively at the suggestion. “Lord Odin, this competition is supposed to be between young adults and an important diplomatic event. Drinking now would be unwise.”

“But it is always good to drink at sports events. Besides, it isn’t like we are the ones competing.” The god commended dismissively. “Also, they wouldn't serve wine if they cared that much.”

Shirou approached Azazel carefully, his eyes never leaving the god’s figure. “What is going on here, Azazel? Why is Odin here?”

“Because he wanted to?” It was the best response the fallen angel could give. “Look, he is whimsical like that-”

“And I wanted to see how you were doing, kiddo.” The retired King of Asgard commented with an amused hum. “How have you been? No headaches, I hope. It has been quite a long time since I imparted knowledge like that to anyone.” He leaned forward in his seat, Odin’s lonely eye meeting the Mage’s pair with a glint of interest. “Say, have you made something already?”

“Lord Odin, that is quite rude.” Rossweisse stepped beside Shirou with a frown. While her tone was respectful it was full of disapproval. “After the harrowing experience he faced you poured a lifetime of knowledge on his head without giving him enough time to rest and now you are demanding his work. That certainly isn’t fair.”

It was clear to everyone the Valkyrie was at the limits of her tolerance with the god and it wasn’t hard to see he was enjoying pushing her buttons.

“Not a demand. I am just curious, woman, curious.” The Aesir was still nonchalant and Rossweisse found herself unable to refute his words.

“I am seriously missing a lot of context here.” Setsuna commented from the side, watching everything happening with a frown.

“Long story, I will tell you later.” Xenovia’s reply upset Medusa a little.

But also annoyed the goddess. “To perfect a combination of Noble Phantasms or create similar things with sacred gears my protector needed the knowledge of Runes. Since it was a specific set that only a god could provide, Odin imparted the knowledge but my protector was unable to start working as he recovered from the experience that came after he was tortured for a whole night, not to mention the act of a god shoving that much knowledge on his head just after he was freed.” The former Gorgon summarized with a flat tone. “Brushing aside the details, those are the relevant events. Ah, also Xenovia and Akeno fell for an obvious trap and almost died.”

“It wasn’t that obvious.” The bluenette tried to defend herself.

Only to receive a critical hit from Rossweisse. “It sort of was.”

Setsuna stood there frozen for a moment as she tried to understand everything that happened and in the end couldn’t do much but say, “What?”

“Ah Medusa, how I missed you. Sometimes I feel the other gods need to be more sarcastic and blunt like you to ruin my day.” Odin said without hesitation or jest even if it was clearly a joke.

Or a bait that Medusa had no intention of falling for. “You couldn’t be any more boorish if you tried, Odin.”

The older looking god laughed before his favorite water skin made an appearance making the goddess flinch. “Want to go another round?”

“No.” Was the immediate deadpan reply which surprised the retired King of Asgard.

“Heh. Most always beg for a second sip.” Still the old man shrugged before looking at the others. “Do any of you-”

“Lord Odin, some of them are humans. Suggesting giving them even a single drop of Asgardian mead is the second most irresponsible thing I heard you say today.” Rossweisse said firmly, placing herself in front of her friends and giving out a look of clear disapproval.

None of which impressed The Old Man of The North. “Just the second? I must be losing my touch.”

Clearly the Valkyrie was close to committing deicide but through sheer strength of will the woman closed her eyes, counted to ten and reminded herself of the promotion she was going to get once she had dealt with Odin for a few more months.

That and killing her god before foreign dignitaries was a terrible idea. “Can’t we just enjoy the match, Lord Odin?”

“Lovely idea.” Shirou moved quickly to support his savior with a smile. “We are here to watch a fun game. And guess what I learned, Sona Sitri is going to use a Noble Phantasm.”

“What the fuck?” Azazel almost jumped in shock. “Tell me you are joking.”

Medusa shook her head and replied. “He isn’t. Apparently she spilled the beans.”

“Now this is going to be interesting.” Odin turned ahead and leaned back in his seat, the crystal ball in the center of the arena glowing before starting a countdown of one hundred and twenty seconds.

It wasn’t necessarily a perfect view since that was one of several VIP boxes built around the stadium positioned close to the center for maximum enjoyment no matter the kind of game that would be played.

The place was big but not bigger than a meeting room from a big corporation but much more lavish with several seats turned to the arena, a minibar and small kitchen with staff. Every armchair was the sort that would be welcomed in a first class flight and in their arms there were runes that could be used for several functions.

Since the event’s hosts were devils, magic was heavily involved with every aspect of it, including the construction and furnishing of the stadium itself. Thanks to that there were many ways that the audience could, depending on their seating location, watch certain aspects of the game in different ways.

How it worked was simple, the more expensive the seat, the more control one had on what they could watch. Those in the majority of the seats could only see the matches through the giant crystal ball in its center, the one controlled by the commentators with several spells to track the fighters.

But the VIP boxes had access to several runes and cameras magically enhanced, a gift from the Grigori, that allowed them to watch every corner of the arena despite it being in the Dimensional Gap.

Sure one would have to know at least be skilled with mana manipulation to access the functions of such a system but the VIP boxes, eight in total spread all over the arena, were being used either by delegations from other Pantheons or devils who used mana since birth for the most part.

“Wonder if these devils can really show us good fights. Last one I saw was either one sided or completely screwed because of luck.” Some women in the room couldn’t help but glare at the god who was pretty much rubbing in their faces that he watched their raid into Lakmia’s manor.

Instead of giving him the satisfaction of an answer, Medusa took Shirou’s hand and began to pull to another side of the room. “Come, my protector. Let’s see if we can find a better spot to watch the game.”

“I hate to say it but this is the best one, right in the center of the crystal ball.” Azazel commented with a grin before tapping the armchair and creating a sphere of mana with images of several stores. “Then again, if you want a more personal view, don’t hesitate to use the Grigori trademarked System of Operational Panoramic-vision.”

“SOPV?” Asked Xenovia.

“Nope, Panoramic-vision is with a hyphen so it is-”

“Alright, alright. We should get prepared for the match.” Sirzechs and Grayfia approached the group, the man all smiles as his wife remained the dutiful maid. In fact the devil’s eyes hadn’t left that spot since they arrived in the room because of Odin. “It is about to start. Grab your seats while we cheer for Ria-tan victory.”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself, Sirzechs.” Venelana said proudly as she and Zeoticus both held flags with chibi Rias.

The Lord of Gremory even had a bandana with her name and in his hands he had several others he started distributing to the group. “One for you, one for you and for you as well, Lady Medusa. Ah, young Setsuna, don’t worry about missing out.” From a magic circle several flags and bandanas for his daughter fell in his hands. “I have extras.”

“... I think a flag is enough.” The hanyou was all for showing support but she was a little put off from Rias’ parents reaction.

Not that it stopped Zeoticus from offering the accessories to Odin and Rossweisse which had the god laughing. “Hahaha! As expected of a popular sport. I wonder how many boys will be walking around with small banners when my son gets to compete.”

More sober with the whole situation, the Valkyrie approached Xenovia and whispered a question. “Is this normal around the Underworld?”

“It’s the Gremory normal.” Replied the bluehead with a shrug. “Maybe the Sitri too?”

“Oh you can bet on that.” Sirzechs, who now was sporting the same accessories as his father, informed with his usual grace. “Grayfia, would you like to sit down for this? It is Rias’ first official game.”

“You know I am on the clock, my King.” Despite saying that her voice had a softer tone than usual. “Please choose your seats. Myself and the other will get anything you need or desire so make sure to enjoy the show.”

When the countdown ended a soft glow called for all the stadium’s attention.

“Well, here they go.” Xenovia said with excitement, wishing that she could compete.

…

Already prepared for his cue, the man opened his wings and flew as fast as he could to get into position just when the time was about to run out. The bright light from the giant crystal ball did its job and caught everyone else’s attention but that man ignored such a distraction.

He had a duty, a job to do and one he earned over the last decades, his life’s calling as he liked to say.

As rehearsed, nobody saw him arriving at the top of the crystal ball just as the lights diminished and disappeared. A teleportation circle would be too flashy and ruin the image of the Underworld was trying to project. One of order with freedom, of dreams and the will to pursue them.

It would also train the audience the wrong way as they needed to pay attention to the crystal ball for an extensive period of time unless the match itself moved to the main arena, something not recommended and generally considered the less fun option unless there was a specific fight everyone wanted to watch.

Not that it mattered to the man or that match in particular as both Heiresses and their peerages were the stars of the show and his job was to give them the best spotlight. Still he was glad that once he reached for the top and the crystal ball showed his image, the proof he was the best man for the job.

All watching saw a man with a mostly shaved head saved by a tall bang of hair that dropped by the right side of his forehead almost covering his eye. An angular beard enhanced the features of his apparently aging face giving him a rugged look. His black eyes were soft but showed a need to entertain and be entertained.

His bright purple coat paired with low cut black shirt, pants and boots combo were known throughout the Underworlds, at least for those who watched Rating Games as he was their top announcer who offered his services for the Youth Gathering Tournament, waving his usual fees.

It wasn’t charity, the man was ambitious as any devil and a tournament watched by the top Pantheons meant his name would be known throughout several dimensions by the end of the day.

Flipping a mich in the air the man’s smile turned fierce as his voice took over the stadium. “Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the first Youth Devil Gathering Rating Game Tournament! Welcome to where the Underworld shows its youth!” There was already some applause but it was not enough. He, and his superiors, wanted more. “And what better way for our future leaders to show their mettle but in combat on the greatest sport of them all: Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaatiiiiiiiiiiiiiing Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaames!!”

That got every devil in the stadium excited as the thunderous applause ran through the area and the man couldn't be more pleased. He knew the cheers weren’t entirely for him but he didn’t care. He was part of it, the reason why so many voices roared with pride, excitement and bloodlust.

And there would be blood, just because it was safe didn’t mean it stopped being exhilarating. “Yeeeees!! And today we already have a treat! Clans that are allies clash! Their Heiresses, both who spend some time in the Human World recruiting powerful servants, now will show the best of the best they managed to find!! I can even confirm that both have Hosts of dragons, including the Red Dragon Emperor!!!”

That made the crowd go wild as everyone knew about Ddraig. His Legend, his power, his infame reached across every dimension and the Underworld wasn’t an exception. Just his name was enough to inspire fear in any fool who thought of challenging him. During his prime there weren’t few who tried and became ashes for his Legend to raise..

“I can see you all are very excited and so am I! The bout between Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri shall be of epic proportions!!” He hyped up the crowd some more despite not knowing if either of the girls could deliver. However he was on the ball that day and knew if anything they would be able to put up a show. “As your host I, Naud Gamigin of the Gamigin Clan, am proud to announce the beginning of the Youth Gathering Tournament!!”

Naud took flight as his image was projected by the crystal ball and all watched as he landed on the announcers box where two people were already waiting for him, a woman of unusual beauty even for the Underworld and a handsome man with a warm visage.

Greeting them both with handshakes and smiles, the three sat down at a special table, the one which would control most of the crystal ball’s functions and other systems in case of emergency.

“And for the first match I would never be greedy to hold the spotlight for myself,” he didn’t have much of a choice in that department, “so I shall have two magnificent warriors to help me cast it. On my left he is a man who doesn’t need introductions in the Underworld and will probably help me cast several other matches in the near future. The number ONE in Rating Games and perhaps the strongest devil? Please applaud Diehauser Belial, The Emperor!!”

If nobody had heard his introduction it would be easy to confuse the man’s face with one of an angel’s. Soft features with gentle inclinations gave him a graceful air as his gray hair and eyes matched the clouds in a gentle night.

Although his clothes were too daring for an angel to use; red and black were his theme, similar to Gremory but opposite with the red being more close to the color of wine. His abs and the lower portion of his chest were exposed to the world by the opening of his shirt and his long cloak looked heavy with large shoulder pads.

“Hello, as you heard my name is Diehauser Belial and I am happy to be here.” His voice was as soft as expected from someone with such a gentle face and he had many fans in the audience as he got a big reaction from the crowd. “Thank you, thank you. It was an honor to receive the invite to comment on the matches we are about to see. I promise to do my best and share my experience.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, the EMPEROR!!!!!” Naud knew the Belial was far more famous and beloved than himself so he was going to milk it for all it was worth. Still he was a professional and as such he never forgot the lady on the other side. “But he isn’t the only royalty but this one is a King of Kyoto ladies and gentlemen, those who rule yokais all over Japan and most of Asia! Her power knows few rivals, her speed knows none! Already considered the Fastest Woman Alive despite being less than a century old, please give a round of applause and a warm welcome to Yoruichi Shihouin!!!”

Suffice to say that the nekomata was slightly flattered by the reception as the whole stadium cheered for her. “Hello everyone. A pleasure to meet you all.” Yoruichi said it with a winner’s smile and chipper attitude. “Great to be here, Gamigin-san, Belial-dono.”

“I heard that ‘dono’ is a respectful way to call someone ‘lord’, correct?” Diehauser asked kindly. “Please, no need for such formalities here. Today we are co-workers.”

“Seriously? Thanks, being all uptight was never my thing. Nyahahaha!!” Yoruichi said quickly before disappearing and reappearing faster than Naud could react as she dropped several drinks and snacks around the table. “Help yourself. I always found it was more fun to eat something while watching a good match and this one is promising.”

“Oh? Well, if you are offering.” The gray haired man didn’t hesitate to pick a hot dog wrapped on paper. “When you say this one is promising I can only deduce you some ideas of the fighters' capacities. Care to elaborate?”

“I had to drop by Fuyuki, the city they overwatch, a couple of times for a job.” Yoruichi replied flawlessly after taking a sip of soda. “Both of them are strong in their own way; Rias is a true go-getter that likes to blow up things and Sona is pretty much the opposite, taking her time and striking with surgical precision. Then again, I haven’t seen them in a while so maybe things changed. Can’t wait to watch these two butt heads.”

“About their function as overseers; did you see how they work? Was Fuyuki a dangerous city?”

“Everywhere can be dangerous if you look hard enough but those two managed to pretty much beat up anyone who came looking for trouble.”

‘They are ignoring me…’ Naud knew it was a fact as the Belial Lord asked a couple more questions and the Shihouin Head was replied in a back and forward rhythm. ‘No, that won’t do. I am the main commentator, the announcer, and need to find an opening to chip in.’ Hard to do when two nobles were talking but he had the advantage of knowing more about Rating Games and the show was about to start. “It is great to have you two but for now we must turn our eyes to the arena!!”

The crystal ball changed for the trio’s faces to a huge building even bigger than the stadium, the images jumping around several angles both inside and outside.

Initially nobody knew exactly what it was but when they saw several stores were full of products of different kinds, the huge food court and even a place for a car exhibition they knew what it was.

“A shopping center?” Asked Diehauser, his voice still filling the place freely even as the images of the battlefield kept jumping around the crystal ball.

Naud was glad for the question. “That is right, Emperor! As both competitors spend some time on Earth it was decided by our body of judges that their battlefield should be suitable for their experience! For that matter that is only one of the few surprises the two shall receive as the rules are also suitable for such a match!”

“Nya, that so?” Yoruichi asked with obvious curiosity. ‘Since this is their first official Rating Game shouldn't they go for something basic?’ She had a feeling those rules wouldn't be that fair.

“Very much so, Lady Shihouin. For this fight the rules are as they follow; All Out Fight which means all Pieces are in play at once, Standard Match or in other words they lose if the King is taken out and the extra rule Preservation of Secrecy. This is a new one for Rating Games folks, do any of our guests want to guess what it means?”

It was Yoruichi who answered first. “Something about holding back?”

The Emperor rubbed his chin before saying. “I can’t help but agree with Yoruichi; secrecy is usually best paired with silence and holding back fits the theme.”

“Not hold back, my friends, but control the battle to make sure the moonlit world isn’t exposed to the more mundane masses! Since that must be the modus operandi for both of them back in their territory this is also a way for them to show us all how a Second Owner does their work!” Naud replied with grandiosity and several gestures even if the audience couldn’t see them. “To make matters more simple it means the two peerages must hold back to not cause anything too big that couldn’t be easily repaired or catch the eye of a bystander!”

“So they must avoid explosions and the like?” Asked the Lord Belial.

Only for Yoruichi to shake her head and reply, “Not just that. Even with magic there is a limit of how much repairs a team of devils can accomplish in a predetermined amount of time and something may be missed in the scramble to replace somethings.” She saw Naud nodding and egging her on to continue. “For instance say you fight in that department store there, sure most humans don’t have stuff to detect when something goes missing immediately but they have systems in place to identify when something is missing after the fact.”

The gray haired man rubbed his chin in thought once more. “Interesting. Are those the so-called ‘computers’ I heard so much about?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“To clarify for the competitors!” The veteran announcer suddenly said. “Defeating the enemy leader is good and all but you must prove yourself capable to not destroy everything in your path. Some things are hard to replace and if a Piece destroys a section of the shopping center or damages too many goods they are O-U-T!!”

That was unfair for Rias Peerage which had many attacks that caused mass destruction. It was on the name of the Heiress’ Power itself and that wasn’t even mentioning the Lighting from the Queen or the dragon on their team.

Meanwhile Sona Peerage had little known means of causing damage to an area. Her most famous Piece was the owner of Absorption Line and for the most part that sacred gear wasn’t destructive.

Already it was obvious to anyone who was watching the Rating Game and was aware of politics that the Elder devils made their choice of who they wanted winning the match and adoration from the masses.

For the most part it was a logical choice; Rias established herself as a rebel and taking her down a peg or two can only benefit the status quo while Sona appeared to be naive but showed herself willing to work with the old guard.

Sure Rias’ victory wouldn't do any sort of damage to their standing but the Elders didn’t like being challenged and if Sona’s dreams actually accomplished something it was a bonus for any failure from her part would be exclusively her own.

A win-win situation, of course someone would take advantage of it and change the rules just enough to move the scales.

“With the rules properly in place we move our eye to both peerages as the Strategy Phase must already be over!” Naud announced happily and the crowd cheered since the Rating Game proper was beginning. Already they could see movement from one of the camps. “What is this? One of Rias Gremory’s Pieces left as soon as the grace period was over! Is that an early scout?”

Yoruichi was quick to recognize the boy on the screen. “That is Gasper.”

“Rias Gremory’s Bishop, Gasper Vladi if I am not mistaken. Does he have the ability to help him scout?” Asked the veteran announcer.

“Not as far as I know…” Admitted the nekomata.

Then the Emperor spoke first. “Sometimes it isn’t a matter of ability but a limited selection of Pieces that forces you to send either the weakest or the most expendable.” Diehauser commented remorsefully. “In this case, with such a big battlefield with so many small spaces to hide then sending someone like that is the correct strategy.”

“You don’t know Risa at all, do you?” Asked Yoruichi with a smile. “That girl can’t see a single friend as expendable, doubly so to her loved ones.”

“In either case neither side knows exactly where the other peerage started the match!.” Naud informed the audience. “All they know is that the food court marks the center of the mall and their opponent is on the other side!” The crystal ball moved showing two specific stores; an electronic store and a commodity store. “For the sake of fairness they are actually directly opposite to each other but obviously we didn’t tell them that! They are also on different floors to start off!”

Then the crystal ball returned to Gasper who landed a few meters away from his exit point and looked around before a dark cloud covered his form.

“That is new.” Yoruichi said with surprise as the former dhampir broke apart in a dozen bats.

“Looks like that boy is a proper scout!” Diehauser commented after a hum. “Thing is, does lady Sitri have a scout of her own? And will they meet?”

All the audience could do was watch with bated breath as the bats went their separate ways, the majority of them moving towards the food court.

…

‘Need to be careful.’ Gasper thought while moving around appliances and pillars, hiding his many bodies as best as he could. ‘Need to remember Buchou’s warning, we don’t know what sort of Noble Phantasm Kaichou has so even I…’

He didn’t want to think about being shot down from nowhere, a real possibility considering how many Legendary marksmen existed throughout the ages. Either way he wasn’t supposed to engage if it could be helped, just find Sona, the best route to reach her and run away.

While that particular mall wasn’t like any he had ever seen, more a combination of several malls or something close to what a mall should look like, Gasper was thankful they were in a close environment as despite its many floors it was ideal for a bat’s sonar to work its magic.

A shriek from different bats every few minutes was enough to help the others to know most of the terrain, an advantage he could fully abuse as they were all him. Gasper already knew most of the area around their starting point, the commodity store, and even some choke points if they were needed.

In general all hallways were connected to the food court but obviously some were larger than others with most straight routes being on ground level. The food court itself was pretty much a huge dome and thanks to it the Bishop had access to every single one of the five floors unimpeded.

Except that a Noble Phantasm could still shoot him down so he moved carefully, stuck close to the walls and began to send some of his bats to the upper floors while two would cover the ground level.

It was then that he ‘saw’ through his sonar something that shouldn't belong on the Dimensional Gap. ‘A rat?’

A small figure in the exact right shape and form of a rat showed up when the sound waves bounced back to his ears. Gasper’s bats immediately grew suspicious over the small creature and it was a creature of some sort if its erratic move was any indication.

Quickly the Bishop needed to decide between hunting it or letting it go, focusing on his mission, a decision not easily taken. ‘Did some devil forget a pet or something?’ That was the most optimistic possibility Gasper could think of. ‘Or is that someone’s familiar?’

Logic dictated that it was the latter, a scout much like himself but in a different sense. Rias had opted to not use their familiars as Gasper could do a much better job so he could understand if Sona had to use them.

Fortunately for Gasper bats were one of the rat’s natural predators, especially the bigger species like the one he transforms into, so he didn’t need to think much about what to do. He would hunt and take down the familiar before it was a problem, his eagerness to do the job being a mistake as he failed to use his sonar for a few seconds too long.

Had he used it then Gasper would have noticed that there was more than just a rat in that area as a small army began to move around and spread throughout the mall in a rhythm far faster than his own.

When the former dhampir approached he saw them, several rats and small birds spreading around before one of them noticed him and all froze, looking in his direction with their red eyes.

Many, many red eyes. ‘Those aren’t familiars.’ They were but of a different sort, not the familiars one took care after adoption with several uses but creatures born of magecraft. Craft taught by witches. Using his sonar in its highest intensity the rats were stunned while the birds, small pigeons, began to fly in his direction. ‘I need to group up-’

His train of thought was cut off by an attack on his blind spot which should have been impossible as his sonar failed to detect anything. Yet there they were, things smaller than even the rats, jumping on that particular bat’s back and bringing him to the floor with a heavy weight on his back.

That weight was brought forward by dozens of small creatures that Gasper managed to see were small men made of paper with some kanji written on each of them but he was too busy panicking and fighting back to notice the details.

The paper men started to pummel the lone bat with several kicks and punches that wouldn't do any damage against Gasper had he been whole but he wasn’t. That was a small part of him, weaker than the whole and really not suited for combat. Even for his magic he needed to put himself together as he was in no position to use his sacred gear.

At least that particular bat was as two others arrived in the area, just outside of a clothing store of a small brand, and unleashed Forbidden Balor View on the paper men. Those stopped moving immediately but that wasn’t all they did as Gasper used them to get rid of those pinning the first bat as they waited for the rest.

Unfortunately that was when the critters decided to move and charge in unison forcing the three parts of Gasper’s consciousness to unleash his sacred gear again. Most of the creatures lost their ability to move as the Bishop didn’t dare to counter attack. Not when their enemy’s numbers were up in the hundreds from what he could see.

Being extra cautious the former dhampir had all his bats unleashing shrieks to maximize his sonar to not fall for any more surprises. There were more small creatures moving around but he could only locate rats and birds, quickly noticing the paper men left no trail through sound.

A bad thing too because that made him panic and while the trio of bats tried to split up several more paper men fell from the ceiling in their position while in the shape of a perfect ball that was big enough to hit the three of them.

Since Gasper was every single bat at the same time they all felt the pain and some lost their balance, hitting walls or falling on the ground. ‘Why can't I see them?’ Asked himself the Bishop as he rushed to become whole as fast as possible.

Meanwhile the blond struggled the ball began to glow with mana as several hundreds of paper men began to pour in the area. Most of the rats and birds had already fled so the paper men could fight unimpeded.

Their creator wasn’t even there yet his mana filled that hallway like flood despite it being weak by most measures.

Didn’t change the fact that Gasper felt the power crushing his small form in multiple directions as despite the creatures being made of paper there were so many that the weight was quite substantial.

But they wouldn't pin the bats down for long as they began to move in sync, pushing them with their wings, legs or their whole body. Gasper could feel his fragments bleeding with paper cuts and new bruises, fighting to free them while trying to direct the others in the right direction.

Things were being made much more difficult as the wave of paper began to separate the bats already there in a deliberate fashion, taking one deeper into the mall, dragging another back to the food court while the last one was stuck in the middle.

Some of the remaining bats could already see their brethren but before Gasper could do anything pigeons came and started to throw their bodies into the bats causing more damage, small but noticeable.

Enough of a distraction that some of Gasper’s focus slipped and one of the bats being dragged by the paper men, the one deeper into the mall, stopped struggling for a second.

It was a second too long, the paper men began to glow as more mana was pushed into them, enough so that misshapen balls of white demonic energy enveloped them all as they began to move faster.

The lonely bat, the small fragment of Gasper Vladi, found itself slammed down into a wall so hard that every single part of him lost control and fell, his consciousness flickering for a millisecond before he recovered enough to stop most of them from being caught.

Most but not all as half of his bats, half of his being, were victims of rats and paper men. The predator became prey as the rodents bit hard and the paper men piled on to stop those from flying.

And deeper on the mall another bat slammed on a wall making the matters worse, this one being thrown inside another clothing store and hitting several mannequins as a wave of paper kept pushing until they found the end of it.

No matter the distance all the bats were Gasper so he could still fight back but he also could feel every single hit, each worse than the last. He felt the paper cutting as much as he felt it throwing his bodies around, he felt each bite individually tearing his flesh and ruining his many wings.

…

“Kaichou, the ambush was successful.” Ryuudou Issei informed his King as he was sitting down in the lotus position close to a mirriad of ‘mirrors’ showing several spots in the mall not unlike cameras would. Mobile cameras with low angles, that was. “My guardians managed to neutralize Vladi-kun before he got too far and some of Kusaka-kun’s familiars already managed to cross the center.”

Like everyone else in the room, and most of their team, he was using Kuoh’s winter uniform for protection. In front of him there was a rectangular paper bigger than his hands with the Kanji for ‘guardian’ written on it.

It was called an ofuda, a talisman usually found in temples and shrines, the sort of thing one could use for prayer or protection and usually carried the power of deities. Usually, not that one, and many times Ryuudou Issei couldn't help but think he was committing some sort of sacrilege by using ofudas for his magic.

Eventually he concluded that as a devil he shouldn’t care about such things but still showed the proper respect both in their use and traditions as he personally cut the paper and wrote the kanji.

Like many in his team, Issei had a focus and a particular way of living that helped him develop the magic he would use as a devil, one that was as far as demonic as it could be and yet he managed to implement the chaotic energy with it flawlessly thanks to his organized mind.

As Issei grew up in a temple, most of his life he studied to follow his father's footsteps and become a monk. Turns out it wasn’t going to happen anymore because of Reincarnation but that didn’t mean the lessons he took his whole life were suddenly worthless. Devils used imagination for their power and filling an ofuda with demonic energy was proven possible.

Even more so after his failure in acquiring a Noble Phantasm of his own and realizing he needed something else. Ofudas could carry a huge variety of effects depending on what was written and while the boy was no god, using a ofuda to create a small army was possible.

They were weak, pretty much useless but were still found worthy in his King’s eyes. Quantity had a quality of his own when the enemy was weak. It also helped that Issei had a good quantity of mana and a natural affinity to prayers and blessings thanks to his upbringing.

“I already told you to not be that polite with us, Issei-chan.” Momo commented with a grin, already in position to support their friends in whatever was necessary.

Sona nodded in confirmation before speaking to a magic circle drawn on the table. “All of you get ready to move. Once Rias doesn’t have eyes on the ground we will have a huge advantage.”

*Yes!* Most of her peerage replied with the exception of two people and that worried Sona a little.

She expected the silence of one but two was odd. “Tsubasa, come in.”

*... Ready and waiting, Kaichou.*

The people in the room save Issei looked at each other before Sona replied. “If there is any trouble-”

*None. Just focused.*

“Very well.” If Sona hadn’t seen Tsubasa get a clean bill of health she would push back more but as it was the case she meant what she said. “Wait for confirmation on the most secure route. Soon we will have Rias’ exact location.”

“Shouldn't we push now?” Reya, the other Bishop present asked as she used several screens as mirrors, many of which were microwave doors, glass panels, coffee tables and other miscellaneous items, for her many familiars.

She too lacked a Noble Phantasm, everyone in the room failed to receive one, and decided to change her focus to spellcasting. Fortunately her grandmother was a witch, the real deal despite lacking a coven, and was able to teach her several things over the years, things easier to do as a devil.

Kusaka Reya took all those lessons and discovered that unlike Saji she had no affinities for curses whatsoever. Sure her mana capacity was decent even before she became a Bishop but her spell repertoire was limited and her combat power was basic. On the other hand the Pawn had Vritra but the Bishop of Sitri didn’t let that drag her down.

There was one art she proved to be somewhat good at; familiar creation. While her control wasn’t the best and she needed several ‘mirrors’ to make them all work, given enough time she could create a veritable army of spies.

Thousands of eyes were spreading through every corner of the mall and they would stay that way Reya had any say about it. They were also useful for supporting Issei’s skills as the boy himself couldn't look through his little army and the Bishop’s familiars were his eyes on the ground.

A solid formation with complementary skills, they got lucky that they showed up in a store full of reflective surfaces with other useful stores on each side to help. They just needed to move some stuff a little. The original strategy involved Sona creating such surfaces with water but thanks to being on an electronic store with other useful stores beside it they had plenty of options.

The mall itself helped on several levels, too much to be just a coincidence and while Sona knew the rules were skewed to her benefit she was going to take advantage of them and apologize later.

“Reya-chan may be right, Kaichou.” Momo commented for her friend as she could clearly see that the brunette was too busy focusing on her magic. “Also you asked us to tell you if you are being too careful. What did you say again?”

“‘Sticking to a plan can be as detrimental as not having one at all’.” Issei quoted helpfully, the white haired girl snapping her fingers and pointing at him in agreement.

Sona remembered that but shook her head regardless. “No, things aren’t risk free yet. Not until we have the right location and know every movement from Rias Peerage.”

That was the initial plan Sona came up with once her Pieces assured her of their skill with their respectives spells. There wasn’t a need to gamble in combat if she can push through and defeat her oldest friend with a swift strike while also steering away from any disadvantageous confrontation.

Once they were the only ones with eyes, the Sitri Peerage could just charge in from wherever Rias avoided sending her Pieces while Sona could hide somewhere, leaving Issei and Reya to stay behind to keep their team informed.

Not simple in execution but easy enough when considering that the only scouts Rias had were Koneko and Gasper, one of them more useful than the other as Sona was pretty sure the nekoshou’s range with Senjutsu wasn’t big enough to cover the whole area of the mall.

“We will move once we are sure Rias is blind and deaf.” Sona hardened her resolve as her eyes turned to Issei. “Take Gasper out.”

“Yes!!” The former monk apprentice apologized silently as he focused more on his talisman, his guardians increasing the waves of paper to knock every bat out and take the Bishop out of the game.

…

The rhythm was too fast and at some point Gasper had realized getting all the bats together would be impossible while the paper waves throwed him around like an ocean dealing with trash.

Back and forward he went, hitting several walls as his will to fight kept him going but just barely. His sacred gear was utilized several times for some reprieve but there was just too much paper and when he was looking to one side the wave came from another.

The free bats also could do little as they tried several swipes from the skies to break the paper waves but Reya’s familiars didn’t let up and tackled them every time they got too close.

More than once Gasper wanted to curse his inability to use magic while in his divided state but didn’t dare to waste time with something so trivial, not while he was being attacked from all sides.

A pigeon managed to damage one of the bat’s eyes with its peak before Gasper managed to dislodge it with another. Even if just one eye it was enough to use his sacred gear but the range was obviously reduced.

The fight in the skies kept going for a while with the Bishop’s advantages pretty much neutralized. It wasn’t a matter of age or experience either as turning himself in a cloud of bats and splitting up was generally a good idea despite the setbacks. In that state his mind was too divided to create a magic circle, when one bat started Gasper couldn’t help but slip up and finish the job with another resulting in a mess.

There were other advantages besides his ability to scout such as how the mana circulating through his bodies was mostly unaffected by the damage he was taking even if it was piling up and would drain him once he managed to reform.

If that would happen on the battlefield or in the infirmary that was up to him and realizing he was on the path to defeat anyway Gasper had an idea. Arguably it was a desperate train of thought that got him there but it wasn’t like he had many options.

But he had options still, none of them good but those were the ones he was forced to take as Sona was truly playing for keeps and he had fallen for the first trap. Someone had to and he was his scout, that was his job. Yet what sort of scout falls without at least trying to send a warning to his allies?

A bad one, that was Gasper’s train of thought as his bats fought back with new ferocity, abandoning any sort of defense and just throwing themselves at their enemies while forcefully pulling himself together.

Should he fail to at least send a warning then Gasper wouldn't be able to forgive himself. ‘I am also part of this team!’ His determination burned as the mana inside his many bodies flared black. The bats shrieked, using an instinctive sort of magic to make it several times louder. ‘MORE!!!!’

He roared in his mind but that wasn’t enough, his opponents were dolls and little else so his first attempt was failing as the sound ran amok in the mall. It served to get his peerage attention, at the very least.

*Gasper? Did you make contact?* Rias’ voice snapped him back to reality but even if only one of the bats had the communication spell in his ear all heard her and none could speak. *I will be sending Ise and Kiba to-*

‘No!!!’ Gasper wanted to scream but couldn’t, that felt like some sort of trap or playing on Sona’s hands.

It didn’t matter that they hadn’t stakes in the match, not real ones, they were to give their all and Gasper refused to fall without giving his everything. So he let out another shriek, hoping that his King understood the message.

She got the wrong one. *You are being attacked? Don’t worry, help is …*

Gasper's conscience flickered again but no bat fell down that time as he unleashed as much mana as he could from their fragile bodies. Those on the ground began to drag themselves in a rush towards the one at the back of which the former dhampir placed most of his concentration on.

‘Not enough! Not enough! Not enough!Not enough!Not enough!!’ More black mana roared from his bodies as the bats pushed the waves of paper away and got closer to each other.

Of course the Sitri’s scouts didn’t stay still as more paper men flooded the area, Issei burning much of his mana to summon more and more from magic circles. The black haired boy began to put his everything into taking Gasper down, realizing the Bishop wasn’t going to quit.

However the bats were growing closer, so close that despite the pain he was in Gasper’s concentration grew sharper and he managed to construct a powerful magic circle made in black instead of his usual pink.

A blast of mana burned everything in Gasper’s way , giving him enough time to form his real body, now full of wounds and bruises but only superficial cuts which were no surprise to him. The Bishop was also greatly weakened as the damage the extra bodies took wasn’t directly on him but on his reserves.

At least for the most part, while on the surface everything was superficial and light he could feel the internal damage as many of the bats had their bones broken. The blond could barely feel his arms and legs but he could at least move them. For all the good it did as exhaustion, lack of mana and pain almost knocked him out when he finished reforming.

For all intents and purposes the blond was out. He couldn't escape when the army of paper men struck again. Which they eventually would as those he destroyed were just a drop in a bucket.

‘I can still fight.’ Gasper stood up proudly and prepared himself by dragging the last of his reserves out, fully intending to go down with a fight not for Sona but for himself. But first he did his job. “Buchou they are using familiars like a magician!”

The waves of paper came with force and the former dhampir dropped on a knee and summoned two magic circles on each side to unleash all the mana he had left in his body.

Despite being a Bishop he hadn’t much left in the tank so while his attack destroyed dozens of Issei’s creations it was never going to be enough. Gasper was pushed to his limits and got crushed between two walls made with hundreds of pieces of paper only rescued when the Rating Game judged him defeated.

…

*And we have Rias Gremory’s first loss, her Bishop! Retired by an army of paper!*

Sona closed her fist firmly as the first confrontation went to her Peerage. “Good job, Issei, Reya.”

“Sure thing, Kaichou.” The Bishop replied first, still looking spry and spreading her familiars around the Rias’ side of the mall.

Contrary to the Pawn who looks far more tired. “Vladi-kun fought well. Until the very end he refused to submit.” The black haired boy closed his eyes respectfully.

Momo, who was there as the Supporter of the team, moved to call some drinks from a magic circle. “Do you need a break, Issei? A boost of mana?”

“Not at all. Just a couple seconds to compose myself.” The treasurer of the Student Council informed his allies.

“Take the time you need. You won’t be needing to fight so directly anymore.” Sona told her Piece with a gentle smile.

Calling that fighting directly was overly generous and the four knew it but using his mana to control so many small golems, as that was the best comparison the devils had, from a distance without any support would take a toll on most people.

Still the King of Sitri wasn’t exaggerating to say the fight against Gasper was fundamental for the most safe strategy with the best probability of victory she could come up against her oldest friend and unless she wished to risk any of her team Issei was the best for the job, a job he and Reya pulled out almost flawlessly.

‘Gasper still managed to pass on a message before being defeated so Rias knows what to expect.’ That was the only flaw in her Pieces’ fight but Sona didn’t know exactly what Rias could do with just a couple of ‘dying words’.

The answer was nothing, someone else on the Gremory side on the other hand could do much and they only started to realize that when they saw Reya suddenly drop to the floor on all fours and vomiting.

“Reya-chan-”

*Ohohohoh, oh my. What do we have here?* Luvia’s voice filled the store as her face appeared on a TV screen the Bishop was using for her familiars. *Good job on these familiars, by the way. They are of decent make. Pity you made so many, made it easier to get to you.*

Reya began to convulse, Issei and Momo rushing to her side in a panic. “What is going on?”

The other Bishop didn’t know, the King did. “She is attacking-”

*Then again, that is how most novices do; they pick something they barely discovered or know about and try to take advantage of it the wrong way.* Luvia’s face began to appear in every reflection, scaring the other devils. *Here is a tip about familiars; the connection is two ways and can be tracked. The best magicians learn either how to mask it and at least place some fail safes to stop a half competent enemy. Too bad for you I am more than half competent, ohohohoh!*

Sona was quick to understand she had been outplayed by Luvia’s presence, that she forgot to consider that the former Heiress of the Edelfelt was an accomplished magician who would know much about familiars if she bothered to study them.

Because that wasn’t Luvia’s expertise, jewelcraft was and so she didn’t even consider that putting Reya against Luvia in any level would be like putting a novice fighter versus a heavyweight champion.

“I miscalculated.” Admitted a very annoyed Sona with a bitter tone as Reya stopped moving.

After taking a moment to study her friend, Momo came up with a diagnosis. “Her mana was forcefully drained.”

Indeed it was as Luvia used one of hundreds of familiars in the area to force the gates of Reya’s reserves burst open and spend every single drop of mana she had in all familiars at once.

They didn’t need that and weren’t built for it so every single one of the dolls that Reya carefully crafted over the month fell apart as her mana got siphoned too fast for her to do anything about it.

Such a procedure came with dozens of risks and a steep cost as Shirou demonstrated when reforging Caliburn. Luckily for Reya she wasn’t trying to do anything but actively fighting back against having her energy used against her will. That still meant little against Luvia who was a magus before being a devil.

Didn’t take long for every surface which were once the familiars’ eyes to crack from feedback as much of the mana spent was used on them, Luvia contributing a meager amount as the Bishop lost that fight.

Then her body began to glow and disappeared in a flash as Naud announced. *An eye for an eye! A Bishop for a Bishop! Sona Sitri lost her first Piece instants after Rias Gremory lost her own.*

It was like a carpet had been ripped from her feet as Sona couldn't help but punch the table in frustration. “Damn it!”

*Kaichou? Are you alright?* She heard Tsubaki’s voice as the line with her whole peerage was still open.

But most importantly Sona’s gaze remained fixed where her Bishop had been extracted from, her convulsing body still stuck in her mind as the black haired woman cursed herself for her mistake over and over again.

Then her focus changed to the confused Momo and tired Issei as they waited for new instructions as the first of her plans grumbled beneath their feet.

‘Get a hold of yourself.’ Mistakes were made but a part of Sona was glad. It meant Rias was taking the Rating Game seriously. “I made a terrible blunder and Reya paid for it.” She confessed to her peerage calmly, fixing her glasses. “But we haven’t lost yet. Both sides are blind and we still have a chance.” However a change of strategy was required. “We are going with plan number four!”

*Yes!* Several members of her peerage voiced their approval as they began to split up because moving together was no longer an option.

Plan number four was one of the six plans Sona had made especially to face Rias while considering both peerages skills and specialities. Sure she missed Luvia’s knowledge, treating her more like a Rook instead of a magus, and paid the price but that was fine because she knew what Rias needed to do.

A direct confrontation by splitting their peerages, that was the best option both of them had to block the enemy’s path while also trying to go around the opponent just in case they leave an opening.

Rias wouldn’t, Sona knew, but she was forced to use that strategy because of a previous blunder that now the Sitri Heiress was using to her advantage; the knowledge about one Noble Phantasm.

And that was another advantage they still had, Rias only knew about one.

“Issei, before you start reinforcing our position, rest for a minute.” Sona said when she saw her Pawn was already moving. “We have time if any of Rias’ Pieces manages to get past our team.” She emphasized the ‘if’ as nobody believed they would.

“I know but-”

“No buts.” Momo said it before Sona could. “One of us just lost because she was drained of mana. Call out your paper things.”

“... I already unmade them.” The Pawn fixed his own glasses before sitting on a washing machine.

Sona was happy he wasn’t going to argue and brought her hand to her ear. “Remember to be careful. I leave the use of Noble Phantasms to your discretion.”

…

Luvia threw away the fake rat she was holding with a frown. “You are avenged, Gasper.”

*Good job, Luvia. I knew you could do it.* The second Gasper’s message reached her ear Rias asked if there was anything a magus could do to neutralize an army of familiars from another magician.

A confident smile and Luvia rushing outside their base was all the reply she got as the blonde raced to catch one of the things. If she didn’t know what she was facing, several pigeons inside the mall in the Dimensional Gap would have been a great lead but flight or not she knew getting one would be difficult.

But thanks to Gasper's warning she knew there were hundreds of those around so she went looking for any odd animal, which would be any animal at all. Thanks to the pigeons, the Rook realized that Reya’s skills were basic, truly a novice who didn’t know the dangers of using too many familiars at once.

So it didn’t take long for Luvia to grab an unaware rodent and use it to trace Reya’s location, take over her spell and use the Bishop’s own mana reserves as a weapon to cause as much damage as she could from the inside.

Safely, of course, Luvia could have killed her but she focused on only draining Kusaka of all her energy so fast that her mind had to shut down. “Hopefully that will teach Reya-san to be more aware of her surroundings.”

*Do you think they have any more eyes around?* Akeno was the one who asked.

*Doubtful. Koneko if you are already on the third floor, got anything?* Rias asked next.

*Negative. Also can’t find Sona, too far.*

Luvia didn’t blame her fellow Rook. “The mall is too big. Honestly it is even bigger than the one my family owned back in London.” She wondered who got the deed of that particular place.

*Anyone else find it weird that we know someone who owns a mall?*

“Owned, Ise, owned. Past tense.” Luvia chastised him lightly before rushing to her position. “We are attacking now, yes?”

*Indeed you are. Asia will stay behind with me and don’t hesitate to return if you get too hurt.* Rias didn’t need to remind them but did so nonetheless. Even if they could heal themselves with EM, the Bishop’s healing would be more efficient and save some mana. *Everyone arrived at their positions?*

*Can see the food court from here.* The Red Dragon Emperor informed first, arriving at the second most dangerous location.

*Going to the other side in a bit.* Koneko was next, rushing by the middle floor to get a better range with her Ki.

*I am already- Oh my, looks like the skies are about to be busy.*

Everyone heard the Lightning and Luvia couldn’t help but look as the two Queens, the Pieces with the strongest offense and defense, clashed in mid air. Akeno wasn’t using her Gradition Air(Lightning) just yet but Tsubaki used her naginata to force her fellow Queen back a few meters.

Quickly the ravenhead summoned a chain with an arrow head and threw it at the other woman, but the girl dodged to the right before throwing a blast from a light blue magic circle. Akeno didn’t bother to block, dodging it and letting it fly with hopes that the Sitri Queen put too much energy and it would damage the mall.

She didn’t, the power disappearing just as it was dodged, and instead Tsubaki dashed towards where Akeno came from, where Rias had to be, placing the Queen of Gremory in a dilemma. They didn’t know who had a Noble Phantasm from the Sitri’s side and if even a single one of them got past then their King could be taken out.

So obviously Akeno couldn't just let Tsubaki go and while she would prefer to fight outside to not risk destroying anything she didn’t hesitate to tie her chain on Shinra’s leg and throw herself and her on the top floor.

All that happened in seconds, enough for Kiba to say, *Looks like Akeno is going to be busy. See you all on the other side.*

“Bet I get there faster than you, Knight.” Both of them were on the ground level going by hallways of stores that connected the sides without getting through the food court.

The path was pretty much mirrored and had the same distance. *Do you really want a race? Here I was thinking you only competed with Rin. Or are you poaching for a new rival?* Asked Kiba with amusement.

“You think I am foolish enough to challenge you to a simple race?” Luvia asked playfully. “We both will have to face an opponent, there is no way Kaichou isn’t sending someone to such an obvious opening.”

Sona wasn’t the only one who anticipated her opponent’s plans, Rias could do it too and both knew each other so well they knew that neither would be willing to risk an open confrontation where the chances of defeat were high.

For the redhead beauty it was because there was a Noble Phantasm in play and she was never going to underestimate them. Her lover made sure of that.

For the petite beauty was because every single member of her friend’s peerage could be classified as a powerhouse. Either against sacred gears or exotic abilities, she wasn’t winning a fair fight.

Both sides had the layout from their sides mostly checked and logically both found the best shortcuts through the mall. While Koneko’s path was the most uncertain one to be guarded, the hallways around the food court and the food court itself were certain to have opposition.

Also the white haired nekomata could fly up or down if she felt a powerful presence, something they all knew Noble Phantasms had, or Sona which would give everyone else direction.

Both knew all that and had to play around each other accordingly or else the Rating Game would be extremely short. With those strategies it was only a matter of who was going to go where for both sides and that was where the scouts should come into play.

However they were all blind so there was no way to plan who was facing who.

All things equal, Luvia was just betting she was going to beat her opponent first.

*Bet I get Kaichou first!* Ise announced loudly before gasping. *Or not.*

‘He saw his opponent already?’ Luvia wasn’t going to get an answer as she saw someone approaching from the other side and got into her fighting stance. She almost slipped from surprise as she recognized the man’s face. “Kuzuki-sensei?”

Indeed the Piece Sona had been hiding from Rias for a while was none other than the History teacher from Kuoh academy Kuzuki Souichirou. Amongst all of Kuoh’s teachers he was the most feared for his cold attitude and no nonsense work hectic that forgave no slackers nor accepted excuses.

The man’s hair was neatly kept, down as always and even was dressed in his usual dark green suit and tie like he was going to give a lecture. However she quickly noticed that his glasses were missing and she could see his black cold eyes more clearly than ever. Eyes that lacked any warmth or interest even if the acknowledgement of her presence was there.

“Edelfelt-kun, good evening.” The man greeted like he usually did when a particular student crossed his path.

“Good evening, Teacher. Oh, my apologies, I mean Sensei.” A slip of the tongue that escaped due to shock. ‘We completely forgot about the Piece Kaichou was hiding and even then I would never expect to be Kuzuki-sensei in a million years.’

“No problem. I was informed you were one of Gremory-kun’s Pieces but my presence here can be somewhat off putting for you.” Souichirou deduced correctly without any difficulty, not surprising the magus who knew he was an intelligent man. “Since you are one of my students I should inform you to not expect any mercy from me. Sitri-kun gave me a job and I shall see it fulfilled.”

With a haughty smile Luvia relaxed her posture and fixed her hair. “I should say the same but I confess that your present here caught me completely off guard. I believe nobody knew you had a connection to the moonlit world.”

“That is because I hadn’t.” His response was as surprising as his tone was bland.

So bland in fact that it took a moment for Luvia to process what was just said. “Wait, you weren’t connected to- Why did you join Kaichou’s peerage then?”  That could be considered an extremely personal question and the blonde regretted it immediately. “I apologize, you don’t need to-”

“Because she asked.” Once again the man said something surprising in the most bland tone humanly possible.

“‘She asked’? As in ‘she asked you to become a devil’?” That was unbelievable for the Rook on so many levels.

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Why?” Luvia’s confusion was everywhere, voice, face, posture, every part of her demanded to know why someone would become a devil just because they were asked to.

Kuzuki understood her confusion incorrectly. “Because I was once an assassin and she felt that my skills could be useful to her.”

“What sort- An assassin, Kuoh… Sona employed an assassin of all people?” Once again disbelief poured from the girl.

Had she not been a student or that wasn’t a friendly competition Kuzuki knew he could have killed her nine different times. “Devils have a different sort of moral code than humans. From what I understand my King always knew I was an assassin and chose to approach me only after a harrowing experience.” He didn’t bother to ask what happened, Sona’s look at the time more than convinced him to accept Reincarnation. That and he saw no reason to not do it. “Regardless we are both pressed for time and I must either request that you surrender or prepare for combat.”

Biting her lip Luvia remembered where they were and assumed a fighting stance once more. “That I can not do. My pride as an Edelfelt won’t allow me to let you pass so easily.” Then she smiled dangerously. “Besides, school teacher or not, don’t expect me to go easy on you, Sensei!”

The declaration was followed by a fast dash from the Rook who shortened the distance in a moment, going for a grab of the teacher’s arm. Every step was fixed in Luvia’s mind as she went for a shoulder throw that would be followed up with a Reinforced punch to the face assured to take the teacher out.

Her hand barely touched the man’s arm when he moved way faster than Luvia expected, his limb advancing instead of retreating to hit her neck before he delivered a punch to the gut with the other hand.

Despite having a Rook’s defense Luvia was sent back, her feet dragging in the ground as she fought to keep her balance as Kuzuki advanced with swift steps to deliver a punch in her gut and another on her face.

Not enough to break the magus’ focus a second time as the blonde managed to kick in the man’s direction only to miss as he slipped by her side and hit her cheek with an elbow. Letting herself fall, Luvia went for a swipe on his leg that Souichirou evaded with a jump before taking several steps back, finally giving her some space.

By how well he hit her vitals and tried to neutralize her methodically the blonde had no choice but to accept the facts. “You really were an assassin.”

A reply didn’t come as the man just charged again faster than any sprinter, certainly faster than Kiba from what Luvia could evaluate. This time, however, Luvia was more prepared and quickly raised her arms for a block. Unfortunately for her it was worthless as Kuzuki’s attack went below, a knife strike on her midriff before he dismantled her defense with a flurry of punches.

Each strike was precise,hitting only the softer parts of her arms like her wrists or to ignore them entirely by moving around them in favor of any part of her torso. His finger moved with such dexterity that keeping her arms still was making things worse for Luvia who tried to intercept the attacks only to fail miserably.

Deciding that staying in the defensive would definitively lead to a defeat the Reincarnated magus went to grab her opponent’s arm again. Like she expected, Kuzuki's limb moved around it smoothly, this time aiming for a strike under her eye. Except this time it was a feint, Luvia’s earrings already shining brightly.

“Gemini!” Her spell wasn’t a moment too soon as both gems rushed from her ears towards her opponent, Kuzuki too close to dodge completely.

Still his agility wasn’t anything to scoff at as he managed to avoid one of them in full while the other passed with just a cut in his cheek. He executed a few more knife-like strikes before disengaging fully, skipping to the left and dodging the returning jewels. A new opening that Luvia capitalizes by unloading mana in his direction.

Reacting faster than his opponent Kuzuki made magic circles in the palms of his hands and used them to deflect the blasts and jewels, waving them around him while stepping back three more times and spinning to the right.

That was when he smacked both gems down on the floor and sidestepped just as another of Luvia’s blasts went his way. She quickly noticed the trap as her attack was about to explode a store and forced it to vanish by making one of the twins collide with her own blasts. Not underestimating her opponent she called both jewels back for defense, fearing another barrage of attacks.

Kuzuki Souichirou took a moment to study her while flexing his fingers, not fully used to fighting as a devil just yet. Still his body felt spry and his speed was greater than most race cars, so much so that sometimes it still threw him off.

But he was getting used to it quickly as he knew he would.

Training couldn’t compare to real combat as his experience taught him and Kuzuki charged against Luvia again, fully intending to master his new body before their match was over.

…

Meguri Tomoe couldn't help but smile when she saw her opponent. “Looks like you can’t hold back this time, Kiba-kun.”

“That is still to be seen, Tomoe-san.” Both Knights drew their swords fluidly, a katana for the Sitri and Holy Eraser for the Gremory. However Kiba studied her sword more closely than usual. “Tell me, is that the Noble Phantasm?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” The ginger quipped as both sides held their weapons with both hands and assumed their stances.

Immediately they began to rotate around each other, both noticing the distance between the circle and the stores outside of it. One of them had sports articles, another was a clothing shop for women and another of note was a shoe store. There were more but those were the ones which looked more fancy and caught more attention.

“You are stronger.” Commented Kiba.

Putting Tomoe on guard. “Really? You can tell?” She tried to figure out how she did it as neither was doing anything special as of yet. ‘What can he see? What can he feel?’

Seeing her expression the blond Knight smiled which made the ginger feel somewhat cornered before she steeled her resolve and charged with the tip of her sword primed to pierce her fellow Knight’s arm.

In that moment Kiba had plenty of options and went for the safest one of dodging the initial strike and let Tomoe pursue him for a follow up. Originally katanas could be as heavy as broadswords because of how much metal went on actually forging them but the Sitri Knight’s was lighter.

Which resulted in a great ease when she wanted to unleash fast strikes like the ones she kept throwing in Kiba’s direction for a few seconds before getting close enough to go for an open slash to his shoulder that was deflected.

The Gremory Knight took advantage of that to counter attack but the second their swords clashed Tomoe was already jumping back. “Planning to run?”

“Depends.” She surprised him with the reply. “Buchou is that way, right?” Asked with a thumb pointing behind her.

It was a threat of sorts but Kiba knew it was barely a bluff. “And Kaichou is there.” He pointed his own thumb behind him. “So, do you want to race to see who finds the other’s King first?”

“Ah, but unlike you, I have a way to take Buchou out for sure.” Tomoe sounded confident which almost convinced him she had a Noble Phantasm. However he wasn’t feeling anything which made the ginger smile. “What is wrong? Don’t you already know what tricks I have in my sleeves?”

His idea was turned against him but Kiba found that rather amusing than upsetting. “Hmm… Maybe I am just waiting for you to turn your back. Fighting a Noble Phantasm from the front is quite a bad idea, after all.”

“Hah, who is the liar now?” Neither would turn their backs anyway, both ready to leave with victory or not leave at all. Placing a hand on the side of her blade Tomoe spread her legs a little further, preparing for a dash. “Then, Kiba-kun, here I go!!”

She surprised him by actually jumping into the ceiling before jumping down, Kiba raising his sword expecting a direct strike from there. Only for her to jump up again and kick the ceiling in his direction, almost caughting him in a feint that forced the blond to parry the blow. Tomoe didn’t follow up directly, using his defense to push her back and doing a flip towards the ceiling again.

And once more she kicked the ceiling in his direction, the tip of her sword going for his chest. This time Kiba sidestepped and went for a swing on her back that almost connected. Fortunately for Tomoe she expected his dodge and kept running until she was forced to slip on the ground to stop.

But the Knight of Gremory used her stopping momentum to build his own by dashing for a swing, reaching her just as Tomoe finished turning and had to quickly raise her blade defensively. The sparks of the collision lasted a moment as Kiba pushed her sword to the side and easily cut her arm.

It was a shallow cut that still stung more than Tomoe wanted to admit and she kicked the floor to get some distance. Her dash wasn’t far enough, Holy Eraser hitting her back with the side of the blade which made her fly farther than intended. The jump concluded when she hit the protection glass from a sports article store and for a moment both Knights stopped.

Neither moved as they waited for the announcer to call them out for the mall’s property destruction but when nothing happened Kiba charged again, recovering faster than his Sitri’s counterpart.

Tomoe did a backflip from the ground, revealing the shorts underneath her skirt, before using her sword to send several balls in his direction that the young man cut down swiftly before ignoring the rest.

But they still gave the ginger enough time to go deeper in the store and throw several bats, helmets and other pieces of equipment his way which Kiba hesitated to damage because of the Rating Game’s rules.

Still fighting like that was increasingly becoming quite vexing. “Hey, come back here! Weren’t you who always wanted to fight?” He dodged a hockey puck that almost hit his face, turning to see Tomoe with several others on the floor while her sword was positioned like a hockey stick. “Really?”

“All fair in love and war!” She quickly unleashed a barrage of pucks in his direction which made Kiba sigh in frustration as he defended himself.

…

Close to the main ceiling of the mall the two Queen’s clashed with might and magic as Tsubaki threw her naginata for a slash towards Akeno’s head. Of course the other raven haired beauty wasn’t far behind as her chains hit her body with their arrow tips, both blows connecting and pushing each other back.

“That trick is new.” Commented the vice president of the Student Council with a frown as she quickly got up.

However, the vice president of the ORC was faster and was already throwing chains in her direction again, some tying themselves around her counterpart’s weapon. “Fufu. We never fought before. You don’t know my tricks!”

Lightning surged around Tsubaki’s weapon and, much to her fellow Queen’s surprise, she dropped it to unleash a blast of mana from a huge magic circle. Akeno threw herself to the side and took a swipe with her chain as a counter. The Sitri Queen created a bright teal magic circle that stopped her own spell and took the hit, a burn spreading on her arm.

But she only allowed the damage to be just that as another magic circle bashed Akeno’s chain to the side before she dove to get her naginata back. The hybrid was waiting for it and just as Tsubaki grasped the pole it unleashed several volts of electricity. A trap being sustained by the almost invisible chain leaving Akeno’s right sleeve.

Not willing to surrender her weapon just yet, Tsubaki broke the weak chain with her bare hands, falling back on her Rook’s defense to midgate most of the damage. Her hands were red but nothing that could stop her from spinning her weapon and blocking several chains from making contact.

To stop her weapon from being taken again Tsubaki kept spinning it at high speeds as she opened her wings and flew towards a mildly surprised Akeno who didn’t expect the sudden advance.

Still the Gremory Queen didn’t panic, she didn’t need to panic as when her Sitri counterpart attacked with a fast slash she easily dodged with a pirouette and delivered a kick to her side that had Shinra startled.

Akeno followed up with a fast swipe with her hand to force the girl to drop the naginata again but Tsubaki held it firm and counterattacked by pushing it in Akeno’s face. The hybrid was hit but while her hands let the weapon go chains were already wrapped around it, Lightning punishing the other woman.

Soon Tsubaki had no choice but abandon the naginata as a purple missile came in her direction and Akeno delivered a kick in her face that sent her glasses away as her feet left the floor.

While her opponent flew the Queen of Gremory created a magic circle and let Lightning fly in her direction for a finish but three magic circles got in the way as Tsubaki wasn’t out of the fight just yet.

The Sitri Queen lamented a missed opportunity but she knew Akeno had set up the attack in the exact moment when she wouldn't be able to use her sacred gear, with a bad posture and no time to summon it.

Her magic circles only gave her enough time to move out of the way as Akeno’s Lightning ripped them apart and almost made contact. Tsubaki was almost ready to sing her victory but Himejima surprised her by making the Lightning fizzle and disappeared before making contact with the mall’s walls.

A violet and brown eye looked at the Gremory Queen who smiled. “My, my. Missing something.” Akeno commented while pulling the naginata to her with a chain. She studied it for a moment. “Looks good but if you asked Shirou-kun could have made you something better.”

“He offered once or twice.” Admitted Tsubaki as she prepared a magic circle. Akeno was expecting a spell but instead another naginata fell on Shinra’s waiting hand. “But my Clan supplied me with enough.”

Akeno blinked fast twice to move past her surprise before giggling. “I can see that.” Lightning flowed and obliterated the naginata in her hand before chains formed around each limb, mostly hidden beneath her miko outfit. “So, ready to go all out?”

Being honest with herself Tsubaki knew she couldn’t win if Akeno truly went all out even if she didn’t know her fellow Queen’s full capability. Still she had a part to play and at least had to stall the woman for as long as possible so her team’s triumph cards could take care of the rest.

Or reach Rias and secure the match, either way Tsubaki could only settle in a stance, two hands in her weapon and with a low center of gravity. “As I will ever be.”

Akeno pounced in her direction and if it were not for a fast reaction from Tsubaki the fight would have ended in a second.

…

The food court was huge, practically dominating most of the ground floor of the mall and overly exaggerated that showed the devils intended it to be an arena of some sort of the Rating Game with a lack of actual food stores and far too many stone tables and steel chairs.

If someone was sitting there to eat there were no buffets, no cake stores, no barbecue ro any food of any kind. Just a maze of tables and no walls that allowed the sides to look at each other in the eye without ever making contact. That was how the representatives of Gremory and Sitri first saw each other, both sides surprised but for different reasons.

Since the center was considered the most important area, and the ground level lacked any actual cover for surprise attacks, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Kings decided to send most of their forces or their strongest fighters through it.

The Queens were a perfect example of who should be fighting for that position but since there were other floors and plenty of space for one to go around they ended up clashing in the sky and moving towards the top floor where the battle raged on.

Everything else was considered with both Queens out of the equation and with the weapons both sides would have for the confrontation. Rias predicted three or four Pieces charging through the middle, Sona anticipated that Kiba would take the center, judging him to be the strongest after Akeno.

When Ise saw saw just two people he was surprised but couldn’t help but smile as one of his opponents seemed oddly appropriated. “Looks like we are going to see who is stronger sooner than I thought.” Boosted Gear appeared without ceremony.

“Took the words out of my mouth.” Saji replied while cracking his fist with his other hand, Absorption Line ready and waiting. “We’re about to see who is the strongest dragon.”

“Oh please, we both know it’s me.” The brown haired Pawn replied excitedly as both men looked ready to fight.

Only to be interrupted by the third Pawn present. “Are you boys really going to leave me out of the fun?”

If Ise was asked to describe Nimura Ruruko the first thing that would come to his mind were her legs and not just because she used long stockings that made her tights more defined. Oh no, the Pawn may claim himself to be a connoisseur of the female anatomy, particularly breasts, but he could appreciate the other parts of their body without troubles.

And he knew a good pair of legs when he saw them. “Come on! I can beat you two at the same time.” It wouldn't stop the Red Dragon Emperor from doing his job.

[Hmm, I feel no Noble Phantasm with them.] Ddraig commented with a disappointed grunt. [How dull. Make sure to teach Vritra’s Host who is the boss so we can hunt whoever has a weapon worthy of our power.]

Any reply Ise could have was cut off by Saji. “Say Ruruko-chan, can you let me fight with Ise first?”

“Eh?” By her face and tone the girl didn’t like that idea. “Are you kidding me? Gen-chan, I didn’t go through hell and got a new weapon just to look pretty, you know?” One Sitri Pawn glared at the other with clear annoyance. “Let me take a crack at him so Boss- I mean, Kaichou, can win faster.”

Realizing he wasn’t going to convince his fellow Pawn with just a selfish request Saji tried to think of something else to say. Anything that could get him fighting Ise because he had something to prove to his teammates and to himself.

But their Gremory counterpart had other plans. “Oi, didn’t you hear me? I said ‘I can beat you two at the same time!’ I was loud enough, right?”

[Yes you were and I think Vritra’s Host is underestimating us.] But the grumble in his voice it was clear to the three he was holding back a laugh. [It is so precious.]

“Hey! I can beat you by myself!” Saji declared vigorously.

[Like I said, ‘precious’.] As amusing as the original Red Dragon Emperor found the situation, he wanted some action. [Why don’t we prove him wrong?]

A shark-like grin grew in Ise’s lips as he charged a ball of red mana in his left hand before punching it. “Dragon Shot!”

The attack came flying faster than a runaway train and got a scream of panic from the other Pawns as they barely managed to dodge the hit that destroyed a couple of tables. Just two though and Ise didn’t feel himself being removed from the battlefield so he realized that some destruction was fine.

[Keep holding back in either case.] Ddraig suggested in his mind with a pensive hum. [It is logical that a fight like this would leave some damage on the place but anything too big and we will be in trouble. Avoid fire and try to close in.]

‘Sure thing.’ Ise had no problem getting close and personal, if anything he preferred it.

Ruruko landed on her feet, glaring at the brown haired man. “Ow! Come on dude, at least let us finish talking.”

That request made Ise stop for a moment. “Why?”

“What do you mean ‘why’? It’s common courtesy.” The Sitri Pawn replied with irritation in her voice.

“Well, in my defense I spent a whole month training with dragons. They really don’t like to stop the fight for a chat.” Ise admitted with a shrug that earned a look of sympathy from Ruruko until she saw Hyoudou jumping over a table to use it as a spring to attack her. “Anyway, fight now.”

He quickly reached her for a tackle and Nimura looked like she was about to face him head to head when they got interrupted by the Absorption Line tying itself up on Ise’s leg. The two looked at it before they looked behind the Gremory Pawn towards Saji Genshirou who had a glare of anger in his face.

“Get over here!!” The blond pulled with all his strength and Ise actually fell face first in the table from the sudden pull of his leg. He grabbed the table with his hand as he felt his energy being sapped, the blond pulling with his full might. “Time for me to kick your butt for every time you broke a rule on school grounds, Ise!”

“To be fair, every time I peeped on a girl they kicked my ass too.” Commented the brown haired Pawn as he let go of the stone table that was bolted to the floor.

The two dragon Hosts were face to face in no time and Saji soon realized his mistake as Ise got too close for comfort and delivered a hard punch in his stomach. The blond was practically vomiting from the hit but had no time to recover as a haymaker connected to his face.

He almost fell and perhaps the Pawn of Sitri should have fallen but his stubbornness kept his feet firmly on the floor despite the blood already leaving his forehead. Which was excellent for his opponent.

Getting into his preferred stance Ise began to unload a full sequence of jabs that had Saji completely incapable of fighting back, each and every one of them delivered with his left hand, with the Boosted Gear.

Already the results of the month of training proved the Red Dragon Emperor’s superiority as he delivered the hits too fast for his opponents’ eyes and only after twenty or so hits connected was that Saji managed to lift his arms in some manner of a shield.

That didn’t matter because Ise easily transitioned from jabs to a fast hit below his guard followed by an uppercut that sent the Pawn of Sitri flying up. Not that he got far as the purple Line was still tied to the brown haired young man’s leg and he didn’t even need to pursue much, jumping after his friend to deliver a fast blow to his face that sent him down.

Something cracked, of that Saji was sure but his whole body was in too much pain for him to ask himself what. All he knew was that he crashed into one of the stone tables that broke in half after the collision. That and also that Ise was far too strong for him.

“Gen-chan!!” Ruruko moved around, preparing to help her teammate and crush.

[Oi, don’t forget to cut off the Line. Boost!]

“I got it.” Ise’s gauntlet shone with power and with a swipe he was free from the Absorption Line. “Did we lose-” Another purple tongue was tied around his left arm, just above the Boosted Gear. “Oh come on!”

Both Sitri’s Pawns stood together, the girl concerned about her friend who had a bleeding forehead, bruises covering most of his face undercutted by his fierce look of determination. “Hah! Try to cut this one off!”

Raising an eyebrow the brown haired Pawn tried to break the line with brute force only to note the Line was stronger than it looked . “What the hell?” A stronger push resulted in nothing and the boy was starting to grow angry. “Ddraig, what the fuck is going on?!”

“Language, Ise-chan.” Ruruko chastised mockingly.

“Asia isn’t here.” It was the only reply she got as the Gremory Pawn fought against the Line.

Only for his struggle to be in vain as Ddraig understood what was happening. [It seems young Saji learned a few tricks.] Acknowledged with respect. [The energy he is absorbing isn’t going to him but remaining in the Line, strengthening it. If you use the Boosted Gear then cutting it off won’t be a challenge but to break it off you need a greater force. A blast of power or your flames should do the trick but also damage the area a bit too much.]

‘Fucking great.’ Complained Ise in his head which got the dragon chuckling. ‘So the rules are really helping them? That isn’t fair!’

[Kinda the point, I would say.] Fortunately the fact most energy was stopping in the Line itself the rate of absorption was slow but it was still there and relevant even if little.

“What is wrong, Ise? Having some trouble?” Saji knew exactly what he was doing, the taunt prompting the other Pawn to glare at him angrily. “Don’t worry, Ruruko-chan, I got this! Go win the match for Kaichou!”

Ruruko was impressed by the plan and nodded in full agreement. “In that case I don’t see any problem.” She turned and ran towards the hallway Ise came from. “Beat him up for me Gen-”

“Oh no you don’t.” The Red Dragon Emperor practically vanished from Saji’s sight and suddenly appeared in front of Ruruko like a shadow before using Absorption Line’s to hit her shoulder and ruin her balance as he attacked. “Dragon Lariat!!!”

Power surged around Ise’s right arm as he hit the Sitri Pawn right below the neck and sent her flying right back to where she came from like a torpedo. Then Hyoudou wrapped the rest of Saji’s Line around his arm and pulled, ruining his friend’s balance while he ran at him.

[Explosion x2]

Focusing the extra power on his leg he delivered a mighty kick in Saji's direction that the blond managed to just barely dodge. The kick was so powerful that his shirt got a little torn but he focused on escaping and holding the Line while his other hand touched the floor.

Opening his wings, Genshirou tried to pull the other Pawn with him Ise proved once for all he was stronger by pulling Saji so quickly and suddenly that the had no way to stop himself from hitting the ground.

Luckily for him the Pawn of Sitri was already absorbing his friend’s power more directly to strengthen himself, already expecting an attack of some sort. With the Red Dragon Emperor’s power circulating in his veins, Saji's defenses grew high enough that the impact actually didn’t do much damage.

But it left him open. [The Line is vulnerable.]

Ddraig didn’t need to say anything else and Ise got rid of the sacred gear’s tongue wrapped around his bicep with a grunt. “That is gross.” He commended once he saw the ‘tongue’ twitching in his hand.

“Rude.” Saji managed to get up but he could feel the bruise in his back. ‘Goddamned! Why can’t my dragon help me?’ But he bit back any other complaint, gritted his teeth and sent out his Absorption Line again.

However this time Ise was far more aware and easily dodge the tongue while rushing to attack the blond with another fist to the face. This time it wouldn't be that easy as Ruruko came to rescue her teammate, a magic circle stopping Ise’s fist in its tracks before breaking apart.

But when it did the thing blew up in golden sparks that sent a strong jolt on the brown haired Pawn that had him spooked. “Lightning?”

“Not quite!” Ruruko commented as she sent her own punch sailing and hitting the boy in the face followed by another blow to his chest and a third one to his forehead.

Only for her hand to be captured in the last punch of the sequence. “You don’t hit that hard.” He commented, his grip growing tighter as Nimura tried to escape. “Or use Lightning like Akeno-san.”

“I’m new to that, okay?” She kicked his leg several times but the Pawn wasn’t even flinching. ‘He’s too strong.’ When she tried to kick him in the balls Ise shifted his leg and blocked it with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. “Hehe, sorry.”

Before she could try anything else Saji hit one of the steel chairs on Ise’s back forcing him to let Ruruko go. “Gotcha!” He celebrated as his Line was once again tied on arm while he started to hit him with the chair repeatedly. “Now, Ruruko-chan!”

“Don’t need to tell me twice!” The girl began to stomp and kick the Gremory Pawn’s head rapidly as the brown haired boy was down but that wasn’t what Saji meant.

He wanted her to keep going but didn’t complain as if they defeated Ise then and there they could go together and win the whole thing. So he kept hitting his friend with a chain, barely noticing that the Red Dragon Emperor wasn’t bleeding while his weapon was starting to bend.

[So are you going to let them hit you for how long?] Ddraig asked in Ise’s mind, not even slightly worried about his Host’s predicament.

‘Nah, no rush. This is just-’ His thoughts were interrupted by a nasty kick on the back of his head. ‘-a light massage.’

Ddraig wasn’t buying it. [You are just using the opportunity to stare at the girl’s panties.]

‘... She is the one kicking my head.’ He said it like it absolved him of guilt.

Ddraig rolled his eyes. [You do remember that Genshirou is sucking you dry, right?]

‘Do you need to say it like that?’ But it worked and got Ise moving so Ddraig just sent him a sense of smug satisfaction as the Pawn of Gremory did a handstand to kick Saji away before finishing a flip and punching the other Sitri Pawn in the face. “I’m awesome!” He announced loudly while destroying the new Line in his arm but still holding the part connected to his friend. “My turn; get over here!”

Unlike his friend Ise made his voice a little more rougher while pulling with all his strength to deliver another uppercut that almost knocked Saji out. Fortunately Vritra’s Host was feeling himself extra energized thanks to Ddraig’s power, the fragment of his dragon’s soul stirring.

“Damn it! I am not losing this, Ise. Do you hear me?!” The blond Pawn stood up, black aura manifesting around his body as the extra power settled in. “For Sona-kaichou!” He charged in with all the courage he could muster.

“That is the spirit.” Ise declared as he prepared to fight back. The brown haired boy almost wanted to give up as he saw his friend’s determination and knew about Sona’s situation but his pride as a dragon and Rias’ orders demanded otherwise.

But upon seeing Saji’s resolution Ise knew he had to give his best or he would be insulting his friend in some irreparable way impossible to forgive so the Red Dragon Emperor roared and managed to connect his fist on the blond’s face again, not even surprised when a fist covered in black power hit him back.

No, he was satisfied and happy, both Red Dragon Emperors were.

Neither noticed as Ruruko got up, watching the events with a frown of determination of her own and waiting for a chance to join back in the fray as a golden aura began to form and focus around her right hand.

…

Despite being a Rook, Koneko was quite fast, fast enough to impress everyone watching as she ran on all fours covering most of the mall’s length in just a few minutes. The place was truly enormous but to her training under Yoruichi her time was excellent as it would be if she really tried to run from one side of Fuyuki to the other.

A great deal of that speed was due both to her constitution and her excellent manipulation of Ki of which was several times increased from her natural state since her ears and tail were already out to give her a boost.

Not only that but with her senses already expanded she could discern where everyone partaking on the Rating Game was once she reached the area around the center.

As a nekoshou and with the talent she had it was inevitable that Koneko could detect Akeno pushing Tsubaki on the top, Ise dominating his two opponents at the bottom, the Knights clashing below her and Luvia fighting someone whose energy felt as a calm stream in the middle of a forest.

Too calm, too serene and also familiar.

Koneko recognized Kuzuki the second her tail was manifested and knew that her teacher had been Reincarnated into a devil. Thanks to magic she didn’t even need to break her run to inform Rias who quickly grew cautious and debated out loud if she should call Luvia or go reinforce her personally.

She chose neither, trusting her second Rook, something that Koneko approved as she knew the magus was strong. It didn’t matter to the white haired nekomata what Kuzuki could do or that his movements were so machine-like perfect that it disturbed her a little, she believed in Luvia completely.

That also meant that the nekomata had to focus on her task and once she was close enough she detected Sona exactly on the floor she was already on. A lucky break that saddened her a little as she also wanted her King’s rival to win but one of which wouldn’t waver her resolve.

A free victory would be detrimental so if Sona didn’t have any sort of defense or counter for her then Koneko would finish everything. No room for hesitating in a Rating Game, especially with politics involved.

Yet there was a counter, one that was guarding the entrance to the electronics store and saw Koneko approaching the second she reached the third floor. Both sides had each other on sight, they knew each other well and knew that their encounter meant a fight. They barely spoke with each other in the past but that would soon change.

As they grew closer Koneko began to surround herself with more Ki as her senses began to focus on the girl yet there was something off with her from the get go and she didn’t need Senjustu to see it.

Sure Senjutsu helped her to gaze more than most and detect several differences with the young woman before her but the different color of her hair, from blue to a dark tone of lilac that seemed to consume the previous shade, told her that something had changed.

Her very life force, on the other hand, felt completely different to a frightening degree that almost threw Koneko off her game as Yura Tsubasa came flying with a punch that the nekomata barely had a second to intercept.

Their blows sent shockwaves that destroyed half of the display glasses around them before the two were shoved away from each other by the impact.

Yura landed first, retreating her wings before dashing towards her fellow Rook and surprising Koneko with a speed that could easily match her own. Yet that wasn’t enough to catch the nekomata off guard as she was used to spar with people many times faster. Still Tsubasa that spooked her a little.

Quickly Koneko entered in a mental state ready to face an adversary with such parameters, blocking the first punch and dodging the second before the former bluehead crouched for a swipe kick.

The white haired nekomata jumped several times in an almost desperate retreat only for Tsubasa to chase with a single leap. Realizing her fellow Rook was much stronger than before, Koneko allowed her Ki to cover her body completely, moving low and around the other girl’s punch to deliver her own.

It connected but the Sitri Rook didn’t flinch and instead tried to hit her with a knee that almost got Koneko’s chin. Almost but not close enough as the nekomata’s Ki was already flooding the now lilac haired maiden’s body and allowing her to perceive things she couldn’t before.

Which made her eyes grow wide as Koneko finally perceived something that shouldn't be there but that became an immediate secondary concern when she noticed the vitality of Tsubasa’s soul.

It was like a wave going up and down erratically, almost like a heart monitor stuck in someone having a heart attack. It was just so bizarre that she couldn't understand what was wrong and froze in place allowing her opponent to get a hit in.

So strong was that punch from Yura’s right hand that Koneko was sent inside a toy store and broke several shelves before noticing she took damage. Her constitution saved her from most wounds but there was a growing bruise in her cheek that wasn’t going to be going away for a while.

Making matters worse she felt too confused for what she saw and couldn't help but ask. “What is wrong with you?” Concern and panic joined the confusion as Koneko was truly worried for the other girl.

Tsubasa stopped to blink before smiling. “I got stronger.” Before any reply she was already charging again.

Koneko knew that couldn’t be just it but was too preoccupied to ask anything else as the distance between them was cut down in an instant. Still she avoided another hit successfully, her smaller frame allowing her to dance around her attacker as she dropped to the side and threw a kick at Tsubasa’s face. A kick very much reinforced with Ki and youki that threw the newly lilac haired girl off her feet.

Not done yet Koneko sprung into the offensive, several punches and kicks connecting with the other Rook’s body before she had to dodge again as Tsubasa’s hand almost caught her. Meanwhile she was dodging the lilac haired girl, she repositioned behind Yura, joined her hands and threw a fully charged with white Ki hammer blow on her back.

This time the older girl lost her footing and fell on the floor forming a web of cracks, feeling the effects of Senjutsu on her body for a moment before both Rooks felt it dissipate, much to the nekomata’s confusion as she identified that Tsubasa had some sort of resistance.

It was Tsubasa’s turn to go for a kick but the toy store had plenty of space and Koneko rushed deeper inside while pushing some shelves to get in the other girl’s way. “There is something really wrong with you.”

“But I’ll win.” Was all Tsubasa had to say as she charged like a mad bull and demolished everything in her path but failed to reach Koneko who moved to the side and avoided being hit.

That was still noticed by Yura who pivoted on her left foot and threw herself in Toujou’s direction with a powerful tackle. The nekomata did a flip, avoiding any damage again, and the Rook of Sitri had to stop herself before she hit a wall. Instead she opened her wings and chased from the air while Koneko remained with her feet firmly on the ground.

For an extra second as she suddenly went all fours and used all her limbs to swiftly climb the wall, basically stopping any charge as Tsubasa didn’t want to risk damaging the store any further.

Once they were at the same height the nekomata strengthened her Ki further and leaped towards her opponent, bluish white fire covering her form before focusing in her arms and almost exclusively in her hands.

Instead of claws like her sisters favored, Koneko focused that power into fists and fire that would maximize the impact zone. When it connected there was a small explosion that sent Yura flying outside and hitting the railing so hard that it bent into an imprint of her upper body, at least shoulders and back.

But that didn’t put the Sitri Rook for long as she cleaned some blood from her mouth and stood up. “I felt that.” Tsubasa said with a confident smirk.

With her presence still spiking erratically Koneko couldn't tell if it was real or a bluff. “You’re going to be feeling more soon.” She couldn't use her fire as well as Kuroka but with it the white haired girl felt far more confident.

Tsubasa smirk grew a little before she jumped towards her opponent, the girl getting too close which prompted the nekomata to again take advantage of her size and close in even more to deliver a hard Ki filled punch on her midriff.

Unlike before the damage was more than visible as the former bluehead was shoved back and held her side with a pained look. Koneko saw the opening and charged at full speed planning to end the fight quickly but the pained look vanished when she was too close and at that point it was too late to retreat.

Yura’s right fist moved too fast for Koneko to react and her charge was ruined as it connected right in the middle of her face. While the pain was real the Rook of Sitri played it up just a bit as her body filtered the Ki.

Koneko had no idea how she was doing it but by being that close and using more of her Ki she could tell that Tsubasa was getting rid of it every time the nekomata managed to inject any on her.

Like a cat the nekomata recovered quickly by landing on all fours before moving in zig zag with no intention of giving Tsubasa any recovery time. Unfortunately for her the lilac haired girl didn’t need it as she bit back the pain completely and met the nekomata mid charge with another punch to her head.

However this time Koneko was paying far more attention to Tsubasa’s moves and she dove in just in time to avoid the fist with a counter attack carrying most of her Ki in her own right hand.

The impact was so strong that white flames blew from Tsubasa’s back as she felt her body burn from inside out and her very essence was hit by the flames. It hurt more than any other pain she felt before but she gritted her teeth and managed to remain conscious even as she was sent flying until her back hit the floor.

Taking a moment to breathe and recover her center, Koneko settled herself in a more guarded stance as sending that much Ki in her opponent’s body finally shed some light on the situation.

“You have a Noble Phantasm.” Hidden deep in her being but powerful enough that a soul alone couldn’t hide it. So powerful in fact that just brushing against its power had Koneko fearing it. “And it’s killing you.”

Fearing not for herself but her schoolmate and a nice enough girl that she knew as the power seemed to have engraved itself in her very core.

“Funny you say that because I never felt so alive!!!” Jumping to her feet, Tsubasa began to let her body loose as her words were sincere. She never felt so good before and was grateful Olga accepted her suggestion. What they accomplished was nothing short of a miracle. “But I don’t need it yet.” Her words were said with a confidence that could only be genuine. “Need to save it for Buchou after I beat you.”

“Not going to happen.” Already Koneko could identify some of the Noble Phantasm’s characteristics, the extra defense and ability to shrug off foreign influences somehow. ‘Shirou said that to beat a Noble Phantasm you need to understand it.’

But it wasn’t enough, not even close, there was nothing there that gave Koneko any sort of indication what the power really was or the original owner before Tsubasa acquired it so that information was more disheartening than anything.

“Heheh. Let's have some fun, Koneko-chan.” Tsubasa began cracking her knuckles within her fists. “Can’t wait to scrap with you some more!”

It sounded as innocent as it sounded sadistic and Koneko knew the woman was completely sincere.

…..