Chapter 13
[Hello everyone. My name is Grayfia Lucifuge, in service to the House of Gremory, and today I will be the arbiter of the Rating Game between the House of Gremory and the House of Phenex.]
At the stroke of midnight, both opposing peerages were teleported into the combat arena set up for the Rating Game. As Riser Phenex looked around himself, he could not help but smile. It would appear that the chosen battleground for this match was the human school his betrothed attended.
[In the name of my lord, Sirzechs Lucifer, I will be overseeing this match. By using both Lady Rias's and Lord Raiser's opinions, we created this battlefield. A replica of the Kuoh Academy, which Lady Rias attends in the human world]
Riser looked around the room he was teleported into. It appeared to be an administrative centre of some kind.
[The location where both teams were transported is designated as their base. Lady Rias's base is the Occult Research Club clubroom, located in the old school building. Lord Raiser's base is the Student Council's room, located in the new building. These are the bases designated for the pawns to use for promotion]
Riser found a comfortable-looking couch, seating himself into it, his loyal queen already taking her place next to him. She leaned to his side, her pleasant fragrance pleasing to his senses. The rest of the peerage fanned out around the spacious room, waiting for the Lucifer's queen's announcement to finish.
[With this, the battle is ready to commence. Lastly, this match will continue till dawn in the local human time. The game starts now]
"Good, now we can begin," said Riser, smiling as Yubelluna stroked his chest.
"I see no reason to not proceed as we have discussed previously. We have a numerical advantage on Rias, so we shall make use of it," he said, and motioned to Xuelan, one of his rooks. "Xuelan dear, you shall take Mira, Ile, and Nel to probe the direct approach to Rias' base." His rook accepted his command and took the three pawns aside.
"Marion, take Burent and Shuriya. Approach from the east of Rias' base, see what we can draw out." Three pawns alone will not do much damage, but it will force Rias to split her already small force, giving the last strike force a clear advantage over whatever Rias can muster in opposition.
"Ravel, I give you command of the rest; you shall approach them through the longer path from the west. If Rias contests any of our two approaches, you should be poised for a checkmate. Do not engage Rias; I shall do that myself. Otherwise, clear the field of her peerage."
His sister, serving as his bishop, nodded her head dutifully, taking her assigned forces aside. With two knights, a rook and a bishop apiece, his sister should have no problem facing whatever Rias throws at her, the two additional pawns bolstering her forces even further.
Riser then turned to the woman resting at his side. "My Queen, you shall hold back for now; Rias' Priestess of Thunder is the only one truly capable of challenging our strength. When she shows herself, she will be your target."
With the stage set and tasks assigned, Riser took stock of his peerage. Just as in the previous Rating Games, they made him proud to look at them. This match might not be broadcast beyond the immediate families of the combatants, but he knew they would carry themselves as their pride dictated.
"Take heart, my peerage; today we shall show the strength of House Phenex. Be sporting to the Gremory Peerage, as it is their first game."
With those words, his peerage went about their assigned task while Riser leaned back into the sofa. The lack of heat left by Yubelluna's departure was keenly felt, but she would need to take overwatch on the top of the school building. Commanding a good field of view, she would be able to respond to Rias' queen when she made her move.
Summoning some wine for refreshment, Riser's thoughts turned to the Gremory Peerage and Rias herself. He did not lie when he spoke to her last; she was disadvantaged, heavily so. Her peerage was just too small; two of its members were just in their infancy as devils.
The lack of knowledge about their capabilities irked Riser, but ultimately it was something he felt confident his own peerage would overcome.
He could crush Rias, rushing headlong to her position, his peerage in tow. The sheer weight of numbers would spell doom for her. But that would not do. Aside from being unsporting, his future parents-in-law were watching, not to mention Lord Lucifer. Giving Rias a fighting chance, and the courtesy of facing her as an equal, would surely bring goodwill from his new family.
Rias herself would understand in time. There was more to this than just feeling; Riser himself has been told of this marriage in the same way he imagined Rias has been. His opinion was not asked for. Admittedly, Rias has grown up into a gorgeous woman, but the fact was that this marriage was a good thing for both of their houses and the Underworld as a whole; that was all there was to it. Taking another sip of the wine, Riser opened a small scrying window to see the progress his peerage was making.
/Break
[Kairos, Koneko, are you in position?] Rias' voice came over the magical communication device we each received before the battle. With it, we were able to communicate with each other without speaking out loud, a clear advantage in battle; you didn't want your enemies knowing what you might do next, after all.
[We are just entering the gymnasium], I replied.
[Good, Kiba is still patrolling the grounds on the eastern side; if anyone moves through there, we will know.]
Both of the bases were on opposing sides of the school. The approach from the main school building to our own base was not a straight line; rather, it was slightly diagonal. The ground in between could be divided into three parts. The western side, where the track course and playing fields were located; the eastern side, with its wooded area; and finally the centre, right here in the gymnasium Koneko and I were about to enter.
Because the western side was without much cover, we would be able to see any approach from there. Akeno took position on top of the ORC building, and she would be able to see if anyone approached from that side. Kiba, meanwhile, patrolled the eastern side; with its many trees, it would be impossible to see approaching enemies beforehand, so that is where most of our magical traps deployed by our familiars went.
We could not fully predict what Riser would do, but the eastern side with its cover of trees seemed like a good place. Riser might advance in force, so by placing Kiba there, a fast-moving piece, we would be able to react in time. If a large force made its way through, we would be able to move there to assist. Rias, Akeno and Asia were the first who could respond to such a threat, but depending on our opposition in the gymnasium, Koneko and I might also be able to assist.
Riser's queen was also a problem; Akeno would need to be the one to engage her. Unless we managed to whittle down Riser's peerage, then having more people face her would mean anyone else fighting Riser's other pieces would get overwhelmed.
Rias, despite being a powerful combatant herself, needed to engage strategically. Her defeat would mean the defeat in the entire match, so we couldn't risk her needlessly. It was important to husband our strength; while offence might be the best defence, the stakes were simply too high for reckless actions.
While Riser's peerage was larger, it was not as bleak as it may seem. Even with Riser's numerical advantage, in terms of Evil Pieces, Rias was just one rook, knight and bishop short for each. We assumed Riser did not know about me yet, as I have not been introduced to devil society at large, and having a full 8-piece pawn was very uncommon. What was even less common was having a Longinus; there were only 13 of them in all of existence.
Fully entering the gymnasium, it was time to see what moves Riser has made.
As soon as we entered, Koneko stopped me with a raised hand.
"...Presence. Enemy."
I could feel it too.
"We know you are there, servants of Gremory! We watched you coming inside," a voice sounded from a little further afar.
Koneko and I nodded to each other, and we approached Riser's peerage members.
From the recordings of Riser's previous games, I was able to identify them as Xuelan, Mira and the twins Ile and Nel.
The lead girl, the Rook Xuelan, started speaking, but I was already in communication with Rias. [Rias, we made contact: one rook and three pawns]
Ignoring the enemy and her speech, I focused on Rias' response.
[Very well, Kiba reports three additional pawns in the west, so either Riser is holding the rest back or they are coming from the east. Take them out and then regroup with Kiba.]
[…Understood], said Koneko, extending her fist to me.
With a grin, I bumped it, and we rushed at the enemy.
Koneko went straight for the opposing rook, so I took the three pawns for myself. The initial surprise at being interrupted in her speech, and the two of us charging into four people, must have unbalanced the Phenex members.
I decided to keep my Boosted Gear hidden for now, trusting in my strength to deal with three pawns, each worth one piece.
Unfurling my wings and using them to propel myself at speed, I drew Ancalagon. I flew close to the ground, straight at the closest enemy pawn. The girl Mira brought her staff into a block when she saw me rush her, my sword already in position for a swing.
I tensed my muscles and poured my strength into the blow, remembering how the stone wall gave before my fist. With my eyes glowing gold, I increased the speed of my strike, watching with great satisfaction as Ancalagon cleaved straight through Mira's staff and continued in its path, barely any speed lost.
Just as the sword made contact with her abdomen, Mira glowed in silver light and disappeared.
[Lord Riser's pawn has been retired.]
Grayfia's voice came as an announcement heard by all. Either the system that governed retirement was automated, or the person responsible was very quick on the draw.
I landed on my feet, coming from the flight-assisted charge, and faced the two remaining pawns. Both looked like young girls with chainsaws of all things.
"What was that?!"
"What happened?!"
Ile and Nel exclaimed in panicked voices almost simultaneously.
Not wasting any time for a reply, I charged the two pawns, dodging a panicked strike from one and deflecting the other one's with my sword. With power over Time improving my reflexes, it was almost painful for me to watch how slow they were; it was as if they were trapped underwater.
Not wanting to prolong this fight more than necessary, I dodged another hasty swing of a chainsaw and struck from high in a diagonal slash, retiring one of the twins. My blade came to a stop from its downwards descent, and I pivoted and struck the remaining pawn with the pommel of my sword.
Grayfia's voice sounded once more.
[Two of Lord Riser's pawns have been retired.]
I quickly looked towards Koneko and her fight with Xuelan and found the opposing rook staring with shock at me. The moment of distraction cost her dearly; as Koneko delivered a dropkick right on top of her head, sending her to the ground. Before Xuelan could even respond, the white-haired rook took her head in a chokehold with her legs.
Blood started to drain from Riser's rook's face, and soon she tapped Koneko's leg wrapped around her throat. Again, the silver light made its presence known.
[Lord Riser's rook has been retired]
Grayfia delivered another verdict, but this time it was followed by one more.
[Three of Lord Riser's pawns have been retired]
It would seem Kiba took care of the pawns coming from the forest. Extending my fist towards Koneko, I grinned as she responded in kind. My grin widened a little further when I saw a small smile on the usually laconic girl.
[Kairos, Koneko. Very nice work. I already told Kiba to head towards the gymnasium, meet with him at the entrance and head towards the track field; it looks like a major push is heading from there. Akeno will be on standby in case you need assistance.]
I looked towards Koneko, who gave me a thumbs up, and I spoke to Rias.
[We are still fresh; these four did not give us much trouble. Let Akeno hold in reserve and keep a lookout; it might be better to preserve our strength for Riser's queen and Riser himself.]
[If you think that you are still in good shape, then I agree; I will let you know if anything changes.]
Sending our agreement to Rias, we moved to join our knight.
We met with Kiba just outside of the gymnasium, the knight's speed enabling him to move here quite quickly.
"Yo, Koneko, Kairos. Glad you are okay."
I nodded to him in greeting. "Shock and awe – they did not know what to expect."
"It's good that you finished as quickly as you did, more are coming."
Koneko hummed in response, and I looked over to the track field; I could make them out just in the distance.
"I see them," I responded.
The knight squinted his eyes. "Looks like a large group, maybe the whole rest of the peerage."
I shrugged my shoulders. "Well, it's not like we expected to fight one on one. Might as well put into practice what we trained these last few days."
"We will demolish them," said Koneko in her deadpan voice, but still managing to carry through the confidence of the statement.
Before we could speak further, they were on us.
One of Riser's knights, Karlamine, sped up from her group, coming to a stop before us. Unsheathing her sword, she pointed it at Kiba.
"I'm the Knight of Lord Riser Phenex, Karlamine! Rias Gremory's Knight! I challenge you to a duel!"
Taking a small look at Koneko and me, Kiba turned back to the challenging knight when we both nodded to him.
"In the spirit of chivalry, there is nothing I can do but to accept. Very well, I, Kiba Yuuto, Knight of Rias Gremory, will be your opponent."
"Well said! Rias Gremory's Knight!
With that, the two knights rushed at each other, their great speed leaving trails of dust behind them.
Looking away from their fast-paced exchanges, I instead focused on the rest of the incoming Phenex members. Their advance was slow, but I could see some cautiousness in them. Our quick victory in the first two engagements must have made them a bit more cautious. However, they still outnumbered us, with two bishops, a solitary rook and knight, along with the last of the two pawns.
It looked like the whole Phenex Peerage was engaged, aside from Riser and his queen. This was good. Despite the odds being against us here, we still had Rias, Akeno and Asia in the reserve, matching Riser and even outnumbering his remaining pieces not yet tied in battle.
If we could defeat the forces arrayed against us here, while still preserving some of our strength, we could focus the rest of our strength on Riser.
Although the situation may appear dire regarding the number of pieces opposing us, this is the moment we can take advantage of the Transfer ability.
We quickly let Rias know our current situation, receiving a response that Akeno was still watching out for Riser's queen, so if she was coming, we would know beforehand.
I sent a quick message to Koneko. [We can use transfer here; be prepared, I will let you know when.]
[Got it, Sempai,] Koneko replied.
"So, it looks like Karlamine could not help herself," the woman saying that had short hair and a face mask. It was the other Rook of the Phenex Peerage, Isabela.
"She always was impulsive, but this will be a good showing; the Gremory knight has been with Rias for some years, and it will be good to get his measure. Still, the only thing all knights have on their minds are their swords."
This time, it was the singular question mark in Riser's peerage who spoke. His own sister, Ravel. She entered his peerage only recently, so we actually weren't sure how good of a fighter she was. In the end, she was still a Phenex, with all that came with it.
"What do you two think? Pawn and Rook of Rias Gremory. Aren't swords boring? It's the only thing knights can think about," said Ravel, standing very prim and proper, like how Rias sometimes would.
She is devil nobility, I guess.
Hefting my own sword, I looked to Ravel. "I could tell you, but I think I may be biased."
"… Swords are cool," said Koneko, and I smirked slightly, seeing Ravel pout, of all things to do in the middle of a battle. It did seem as if devils were less keen on treating this as a real battle. I guess the stakes were lesser for them, and they were more confident of their victory in any case.
We could stall for some time here. I was confident Kiba could win his battle, and with Phenex members here being fresh, only we needed to recover some stamina, so any time spent talking would be to our advantage.
I planned on keeping my Boosted Gear hidden for a little longer; the moment it came out, they would realise we were playing for time. Let them wonder a little longer.
"Hmph, you haven't even introduced yourself. No matter, I shall lead by example. My name is Ravel Phenex, first daughter and fourth child of Lord and Lady Phenex."
She motioned to five other women that were fanning out behind her. "These are Isabela, Mihae, Siris, Ni and Li – Rook, Bishop, Knight and Pawns, respectively. I am, of course, a Bishop as well." She motioned from right to left at the individual members of the Phenex Peerage.
"Now, I would have your names, members of Rias Gremory's Peerage. Name yourself, and then we shall battle so that my brother can put this whole affair behind us and marry Lady Gremory."
Well, there goes the idea to stall for time.
Alright, shock and awe it is. I looked at Koneko, letting her introduce herself first.
"Koneko… Rook."
What an expansive vocabulary, simply spectacular.
Ravel raised an unimpressed eyebrow and looked to me.
Well, there was no point in deception anymore.
AGREED, ENOUGH HIDING; LET THEM FACE WHAT THEY FACE
Stabbing my sword into the ground, I rested one hand on the crossguard; the other I raised to the level of my shoulders, fist clenched. With a mental command, I willed my Sacred Gear to appear on it.
"BOOSTED GEAR"
Did the lizard just announce himself? I couldn't but think in exasperation at the old dragon's ostentatious nature.
"Boosted Gear, a Longinus? Impossible!"
"BOOST"
"Very much possible, Lady Ravel. My name is Kairos, Pawn of Rias Gremory's Peerage."
"Was it you who defeated Xuelan and her team? Even with Boosted Gear, you are just a month old."
"Just the pawns, but do not fault them; they were terribly outnumbered."
"Outnumbered?"
"Sending three pawn pieces against eight cannot be called a fair fight."
"E-eight pawns."
"Indeed, and now," I said as I drew the sword from the ground with my dominant left hand with the Boosted Gear on it, "I will face you."
"BOOST"
"Mihae, Siris, get him," said Ravel, a look of concern on her face. The rook and the knight obeying the command.
[Sempai, I'll take the rook and pawns,] Koneko's voice came over the magical link.
[Just be careful, we will do a transfer manoeuvre. Keep ready and position yourself appropriately.]
[Will do, Sempai.]
With that, I squared off against the knight and the bishop, the rook going for Koneko. Ravel seemed to be hanging in the back with the two pawns. If they really wanted to continue coming to us in pieces, I couldn't help but oblige them.
Siris the knight was approaching me cautiously, very much unlike how knights usually fight. Either she was cautious of me, or she was positioning for Bishop Mihae to target me with ranged magical attacks.
Their composition was good; keep me busy with a fast knight and let the bishop lob spells at me from afar. Unfortunately for them, I was actually able to keep up with the knight's speed, and my durability was beginning to approach a rook piece even in my basic form. This was all before the Boosted Gear even came into play.
"BOOST"
With a final boost, I was ready to consume its power; however, before I did that, I wanted to try something else. I charged at the knight, but I kept my speed unaugmented by my demigod power, hoping to surprise Siris.
She matched my speed, and we met in a clash of steel. My sword crossed with hers, and we exchanged a few blows. Thinking this was the extent of my speed, Siris suddenly moved with a burst of speed and struck from an unexpected angle. With molten gold filling my irises, I weaved through the attack, watching the knight's eyes widen at the sudden increase in my own speed. With a kick to her abdomen, I sent her skidding backwards.
Turning away from her, I focused on the bishop, now completely alone in my path.
Mihae's eyes widened, and she raised her arms, preparing to fire a spell at me. Releasing the power of the boosts I still held, I felt energy course through me. A visible corona of green energy emanating from me.
I raised Ancalagon high, and I prepared to unleash the attack that I've only recently been able to master. In a blink of an eye, red demonic power gathered in the blade, and its runes and fuller glowed with golden light.
Just before I unleashed the attack, I remembered the conversation I had with Rias just a short while ago.
Flashback
Shortly before the Rating Game was about to begin, Rias approached me, an unreadable look on her face.
"Kairos, there is something you must do for me. It is a request I have, to agree to the one you requested of me," she said, looking intently into my eyes.
"What is it?" I asked, wondering what Rias had in mind.
"When you use that new sword for the first time, you must do something for me," responded Rias with a cheeky grin.
While I was quite exasperated at the time, right now I had one of the biggest grins of my own. Focusing on the power contained within the blade, I brought it down in a swing, a shout tearing itself from my lips.
"Dragon of Red, Dragon of Gold, Dragon of Black! Strike forth with your might and blot out the sun! Ancalagon!"
With the shout, the red energy pulsing around the blade of my sword tore itself from its prison and sailed through the air towards my opponent. In the back of my mind, I could hear something that I would almost call a dragon's roar, but I must have imagined it.
The magical slash sped through at an incredible speed, focused into a keen edge, thin and lethal, leaving a faint red trace behind itself. The slice was so fast, the bishop had no time to react, her arms still raised with an almost finished spell. With a sudden explosion of red power and dust on impact, it was quickly followed by a flash of silver light. Grayfia made her presence known once more.
[Lord Riser's bishop has been retired.]
If Mihae hadn't retired before the spell hit her, she would have been bisected in half; because of this, only the ground took damage.
I turned, sensing an attack from behind me. With some power of the boost still remaining inside me, I swatted the blade aside, the force of my counter forcing the returning Siris to be dragged to the side with the blade, or else it would have flown from her hands.
Before I could follow up with a strike on the unbalanced knight, I saw a ball of fire coming towards me from the corner of my eye.
Coating my sword in a thin layer of demonic power, I deflected the fireball upwards, sending a shower of cinders down on the battlefield.
Ravel Phenex stood some distance away, her face in a state of shock, her hand still extended from where she fired her spell.
[Lord Riser's knight has been retired]
So far, Grayfia has been a bearer of good news for tonight. I glanced to the side where Kiba and Karlamine fought, finding only the Gremory knight still standing. He looked a little roughed up but otherwise victorious.
"I-Impossible."
I turned towards Ravel, keeping my eye on Siris, but the knight backed away from me, seeing Kiba coming in our direction. She held her sword in front of her, her eyes skipping from me to Kiba in a rapid back and forth.
"Improbable, yet real all the same," I corrected her.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this," said Ravel. She looked quite shook; this may have also been her first battle. Unlike me, who had already gone through an almost mental breakdown from the nerves, she was starting to realise it just now.
Before I could say anything more to her, Rias' urgent voice sounded in my ear.
[Everyone, Riser's queen is on the move, incoming on your position. I am sending Akeno to intercept her.]
[Ufufu, it seems you are having all the fun; now it is time for me to play as well.]
It looked like the kid gloves were off. The relatively short distance between the two bases meant that Yubelluna appeared in only a few moments, apparently forgoing the leisurely pace Riser's peerage has adopted since the start of the battle.
Watching her arrive, hovering over the battlefield on her wings, I might have been concerned. Her staff was already poised, and she looked like she was about to start lobbing explosions at us. Fortunately for us, we have made her make the first move, and in the game of patience, the Phenex queen blinked first.
Before the enemy queen could engage, Akeno announced her arrival with a hail of lightning, dark clouds gathering in the sky.
The purple-haired Queen of the Phenex Peerage had to evade the thunderstorm of bolts raining down on her position, weaving expertly in the air on her wings.
"Ara, Ara. Better pay attention, you fight me now."
"Priestess of Thunder, your power is known to us."
"Ufufu, I wonder if that will save you."
"I cannot allow Lord Riser to lose; prepare yourself, Rias Gremory's queen."
Leaving them to their battle, I focused on the knight and Ravel before me. A hand on my shoulder signalled Kiba joining the fight.
"How are you for wear?" I asked, wanting to ascertain our next move.
"Could be better, but I can manage," he replied, getting his blade ready, "Yourself?"
"BOOST"
"Just peachy," I said with a confident smile. The fast pace of the battle and the complete unpreparedness of our enemy made it so that I was in quite a good condition.
"Shall I take the knight and you the young Lady Phenex?" Kiba asked.
I took stock of the situation. Looking further, Koneko looked to be struggling, bruises covering her body, but she was managing to hold off the enemy rook. I had a better idea; it was time for the Phenex Peerage to experience another unexpected move. Activating my communication device, I let Kiba know my intentions.
[I will do the move we practiced with Koneko. The two of us can handle this, go to Akeno, stay on the periphery of the fight and strike at the queen with attacks of opportunity.]
[And enable Akeno to deliver a devastating attack,] Kiba finished my thought process.
I nodded my head to him. It was a risk; a knight, a rook, two pawns and Ravel herself were still at play here, but retiring Yubelluna would be a massive boon for the fight as a whole. I was also counting on Ravel to not be able to react decisively to the changing battle environment. It was a gamble, but she was still a young girl, and this was her first taste of battle. If my read on her was correct, she would not be able to leverage the situation properly.
The knight beside me made ready to depart, but before he could do that, I stopped him. "Kiba, wait," I said as I placed an arm on his shoulder.
"TRANSFER"
The sound came from my gauntlet as I transferred a single boost to him. The temporary power would dissipate in a few moments, but it was enough for him to make an entrance in Akeno's battle against Yubelluna.
"Go surprise her," I told the knight with a smirk. He grinned in response, and with wings unfurling, he propelled himself towards the two queens fighting at high speed.
"W-What is this? What are you doing? Is he leaving the battle? Where is he going?"
Poor Ravel looked lost, the two pawns behind her looking unsurely between themselves.
Instead of replying, I focused on the last knight of the Phenex Peerage, who I have been keeping in my peripheral vision just in case she decided to attack.
"BOOST"
I readied my sword into position, something she quickly noticed and did likewise.
[Koneko, sorry for the wait, get into position; we are doing it.]
Her voice over the magical device came a little out of breath.
[No problem, Sempai… I got it.]
Still ignoring the sputtering Ravel on the side, I charged at Siris, maintaining a fast pace but still allowing myself room to speed up if necessary. We exchanged four blows, her technique quite good. It would seem she was no longer underestimating me, moving with bursts of speed, forcing me to draw on my demigod power to keep up.
"BOOST"
Two boosts – that should be enough. I signalled Koneko to prepare again, and when I parried her next strike, instead of striking back, I unfurled my wings and threw myself backwards, turning mid-leap to the other direction, flying away from her and keeping low to the ground.
With a surprised shout, I felt the Phenex knight follow behind me.
In just a moment, I was almost near Koneko. She was still battling with the rook, both looking worse for wear, and the ground was littered with craters around them. She was in position, apparently angling herself in the last few bouts, her back facing me.
[Now Koneko!]
Flapping my wings again to add myself another burst of speed, I rocketed towards the white-haired devil. The wide eyes of the Rook Isabela greeted me when she saw me flying at high speed towards them, Siris hot in pursuit.
Just then, Koneko jumped back, straight into the path of my flight, and I caught her already extended hand.
"TRANSFER"
With two boosts infusing the petite rook, I used the momentum of my speed and hurled the small girl towards the pursuing Siris behind me. As I flipped in the air, I watched as the black-haired knight's eyes widened, first from shock, and then even more from the impact of a small fist right into her stomach.
With the speed Siris was flying at me and Koneko's own imitation of a cannonball, Riser's knight folded almost in half, air knocked out of her lungs.
With my momentum arrested by grabbing and flinging Koneko, I once again flipped in the air and raised Ancalagon, the demonic power already gathering in the blade, glowing sinister red.
With a shout I unleashed the bound energy, making it sail towards the stunned rook. Unlike the bishop before, the magical attack I sent out has not been bolstered by the power of three boosts. Isabela was also much more durable, owing to her being a rook piece. So when she managed to put up her guard with crossed arms before her, the incoming attack landed squarely on it.
Perhaps from my own innate power, or perhaps because battling Koneko took its toll on her, the result had the enemy rook bleeding from both arms, gashes on her forearms bleeding red blood into the earth below.
I flapped my wings again and levelled Ancalagon at her, aiming to finish her off.
A panicked look made its way to her face, and already bleeding and battered, Isabela shouted out. "I retire!"
[Lord Riser's knight has been retired.]
[Lord Riser's rook has been retired.]
With two confirmed wins, I adjusted my sword in my hand and turned towards Koneko, offering a fist bump.
The young girl uncharacteristically grinned and reciprocated the gesture.
Of course, the news couldn't be all good, or else this would seem like a fictional story and not the real life that it was.
[Riser is moving; I am coming down there,] Rias' voice sounded in all our ears, and suddenly the elation we all felt at how well the battle was going so far felt much more muted.
So, here he comes.
HE MESSES WITH A DRAGON PARTNER, YOU KNOW HOW THE SAYING GOES
Mess with the dragon … you get the horns?
I thought, uncertain of the proverb the Ddraig was referring to, thinking that most dragons in fact did have a type of horns on their bodies. All the while accepting the fact that it was completely possible the dragon just made it up right now.
HAHA, NO. MESS WITH THE DRAGON AND GET A FIREBALL TO YOUR FACE
Yeah, he made it up just now. The booming laughter echoing in my mind.
Just then, Grayfia delivered the first bad news for us in the Rating Game.
[Lady Rias' knight has been retired.]
I looked towards the fight above us and quickly saw the last flash of silver light signalling Kiba's retirement. Yubelluna was hovering in the air, clutching at her arm, which was encased in frost all the way up to her elbow, with a few smaller cuts and bruises littering the Phenex Queen. With a furious shout, Yubelluna levelled her staff at Akeno, who looked slightly staggered, but before the Bomb Queen could finish her attack, I desperately threw my hand forward, the faint traces of ichor present in my blood flaring.
For just a few precious moments, the Phenex Queen slowed down to a crawl, her movements sluggish and the magic taking shape on her staff flowing like honey, heavy and ponderous.
Slowing people has always been very hard; it was not just about slowing down time in an area but contesting with the magical power of the person I held. For this reason, I was only able to hold Yubelluna for a few seconds.
But a few seconds was all that was needed. Before my power could lapse its hold on her, the Bomb Queen was hit with a stream of lightning, making her cry out in pain, her whole body shaking.
I looked toward Akeno, who, instead of her usual teasing face, wore a look of anger and something else. She too had cuts on her, but she came out of the battle better than her opponent.
Finally not being able to endure it. The silver light enveloped Riser Phenex's queen.
[Lord Riser's queen has been retired.]
Just as Grayfia finished her sentence, Riser arrived on wings of fire, a look of anger and confusion battling on his face. Just as he was about to speak, Rias also made her entrance, flying onto the battlefield on her wings, with Asia hanging behind her, the former nun's flight unsure and slightly unsteady.
"Rias, your peerage have conducted themselves flawlessly. I applaud their skill and bravery, but they are exhausted and now comes the final act."
Riser faced Rias on his flaming wings, high in the air. Rias, her crimson hair blown faintly by the wind, stood fearlessly against him.
"Resign, Rias. You have comported yourself as the heiress of the Gremory should have; none can doubt that, but you still cannot defeat me. Both of our families desire this marriage; despite the valiant struggle, this battle is now over, Rias."
"I think not, Riser. The battle is still being fought. You say the outcome is certain? Who decided that? You say I cannot win? Who decided that? My peerage still stands, while yours has been almost entirely retired. This battle is far from over."
I looked away from the two high-class devils and left them to their argument. Let them talk; more time to recuperate our strength was playing in our favour. Almost all of Riser's peerage was thoroughly swept from the field, while we have only lost Kiba so far. Despite sounding good on paper, the reality did not paint such a nice picture.
While the two pawns remaining were not an issue, Ravel herself was a Phenex too; I did not know how much it would take to bring her down.
I signalled Asia to come down; Riser was still focused on his argument with Rias. [Asia, start healing Koneko and Akeno, please; I will deal with the pawns.]
Not looking back to the nun descending towards Koneko and Akeno, who recently joined her on the ground, I turned towards Ravel and the pawns, who were still nervously shuffling behind her.
For what reason she did not send them to battle, if only to distract us, I could not say. Perhaps inexperience, perhaps for her own protection – who knew? But the fact was, she didn't, and now it was time to deal with them too.
"Don't come closer, Red Dragon Emperor! Stay away!"
I almost did a double take; the girl was frightened. I cannot say I ever thought I would frighten young girls. It wasn't a pleasant feeling; despite the situation we were in and Ravel being my enemy for the moment.
Steeling myself, I continued to advance on them.
Might as well play into it.
"I answer to only one master, and you are not her," I told the girl, trying to sound ominous.
It seemed to work, because Ravel took a step back from me and motioned for the two pawns. "Attack him! What are you waiting for?"
The two pawns, Ni and Li, looked at each other and attacked.
Just like before, they were just too slow – two pawn pieces against eight. It was simply not fair for them.
With molten gold filling my eyes once more, I weaved through their attacks, letting them past me, and delivered a single blow with a quick turn, swiping at their backs in a single wide horizontal slash.
[Lord Riser's two pawns have been retired]
I turned again towards Ravel and continued the slow walk, Ancalagon grasped in my left hand with the Boosted Gear.
"N-no, it-it wasn't supposed to be like this," said Ravel, and I had to steel myself once again. I would have to apologise later; the girl looked almost ready to cry.
"Lady Phenex, retire," I told her simply, once I came within an arm's reach of her, my sword still lowered to the ground. Despite my complete lack of a stance and appearing relaxed, Ravel just looked on with wide, terrified eyes.
"I r-retire."
[Lord Riser's bishop has been retired]
I released a sigh; despite being in a battle and Ravel being the enemy, this left a distaste in my mouth. I would really have to apologise to her later. Suddenly, Ddraig's voice brought me out of my thoughts.
THAT WAS NOT JUST YOU, PARTNER. A DRAGON, ESPECIALLY A STRONG, VICTORIOUS ONE, EMITS AN AURA. TO YOUR ALLIES AND COMRADES, YOU WILL BE A WELLSPRING OF HOPE AND JOY; TO YOUR ENEMIES, A TERROR.
I gave a mental nod, planning to ask Ddraig about it later, but right now, I refocused on the here and now.
Asia finished healing Akeno and was now working on Koneko. With a slight alarm, I realised Riser and Rias have begun their battle.
High in the air, Riser was throwing fire at Rias, who was weaving through the air and replying with her own Power of Destruction.
Before I could fly off to join her, Akeno's voice stopped me.
"Kai, let me handle this. I am healed. Take a second and let Asia look at you. We have achieved most of our victory objectives; now we can play around with the tactic we discussed. Rest for a little while and let your seniors shoulder some of the burden. You can join us soon enough."
The seriousness with which Akeno said it made me pause, and I nodded to her and went to join Asia and Koneko.
"Good job, Sempai."
"Yes, we watched with Rias from the clubroom through the magical mirror; you were amazing Mr. Kairos."
I suddenly felt a little sheepish. "Well, it's a team effort; we all did well today. But let's focus on the present."
"Yes, I am almost done healing Koneko, then I will take a look at you."
With a slight startle, I inspected my own body. Despite not registering it during the battle because of all the adrenaline and fast-paced movements, my body had a few small gashes and bruises. When exactly I got them I could not be sure, but they didn't look dangerous. Still, I took a moment to relax, centring my power and feeling the way my body was taking the strain, trying to ascertain how much I could go on and on at what level.
/Break
Akeno Himejima flew through the sky, exchanging magical attacks with Riser, working together with Rias to confuse their opponent. She was starting to feel the exhaustion. The battle with Riser's queen was not an easy one; the Bomb Queen has been a powerful opponent.
She thought of the last moments of that fight, where Yubelluna revealed the hidden Phenex Tears she had with her. If Riser's queen was allowed to consume the tear, Akeno would stand no chance; the Phenex Tears would have rejuvenated the enemy queen completely.
However, before she could have done that, Kiba intervened. Flying in dangerously close and striking at Yubelluna with a sword of ice, Kiba destroyed the Tears and encased her arm in a prison of ice. For his effort, Kiba was blasted at point-blank range with an explosion spell, retiring the knight and hurling Akeno herself slightly backwards.
Although the enemy queen damaged herself as well, with Akeno momentarily stunned, she had a direct path of attack on Akeno herself. It was only Kairos's Time powers that saved Akeno and gave her precious seconds to reorient herself in the air and blast Yubelluna with lightning, retiring the enemy queen.
She was taken from her musings by another of Riser's attacks. She evaded it just in the nick of time, flying diagonally away from Rias so that Riser would have to focus on one or the other, enabling the other one to attack him with impunity.
Before Riser could attack again, two more devils joined the fight. From the ground, Kairos and Koneko came flying in; taking positions on Riser's flank, and making him swivel from one member of the peerage to the other.
[Very good, everyone. Let's take him down. Someone distract him and another attack. Don't let him retaliate.]
Akeno and the rest of the peerage gave a mental agreement to Rias's command and started circling Riser. Akeno and Rias would send smaller attacks at him, taking away his attention. Just as one attacked from one side, the other would strike from another before Riser could react.
In the background, Kairos was boosting and preparing to launch Koneko at Riser. A punch from a rook boosted with transfer, if such an attack could be delivered to Riser's back, it would surely be felt by even the immortal Phenex.
Akeno focused on her lightning, making sure that Riser felt the pain despite his abilities helping him overcome it in the first place. A mental message came, signalling Kairos and Koneko were ready to attack.
Akeno looked to Rias, who nodded to her, and they both started weaving in the air. Taking Riser's attention and manoeuvring him from facing their two other peerage members.
The voice of the Welsh Dragon signalled the beginning of the attack.
"TRANSFER"
She and Rias both focused on Riser, pouring magical attacks at the Phenex scion, forcing him to focus on them.
Just as the white-haired Rook sailed through the air with great speed, fist cocked for a devastating punch, Riser unexpectedly turned on a dime, coming face to face with the incoming Koneko.
Before any of them could react, the Phenex devil dodged the rook just as she was about to connect her attack and, with a heave and a shout, sent a massive burst of flame at her.
Koneko!
[Lady Rias's rook has been retired.]
Grayfia's voice came over the announcement.
"Riser!"
It was Kairos. Akeno could see the anger on the face of the pawn, his blade already above his head, red energy swelling inside it. With a swing and an angry shout, he sent it flying towards Riser. She quickly added her own attack to it from the side and watched as Rias did the same. Three attacks converged simultaneously on Riser Phenex.
"Enough!" With an angry shout, Riser's whole body exploded in flame. The force of the inferno originating from him was so vast, the incoming attacks were swatted aside or dissipated on contact.
"Enough of this! This ends now! I shall not lose!"
Still heaving from the massive explosion of power, Riser ignored everyone else and turned to directly face Rias, his hands raised above his head. A tremendous amount of demonic power started swelling there; the attack he was about to unleash would surely be devastating.
Akeno's mind raced. If Riser retired Rias, the whole match was over; a peerage could not continue the battle if the king was taken.
Without wasting any more time, Akeno hurled herself on her wings towards her king, seeing her friend casting a wide barrier to shield herself from Riser's attack.
It was a desperate move; Riser's attack was too massive to evade, so Rias would try to block. Akeno knew Rias could not block it; for all her power, Riser was stronger than her. It was just that simple.
With a speed borne out of desperation, Akeno arrived at Rias' position, and without a word, she grabbed her friend and tossed her towards the ground, where she would be safe.
There was no time to attempt a barrier that would most likely not be enough. Instead, Akeno took the brunt of Riser's flame, feeling the flames licking at her body, pain registering a moment after the Phenex spell impacted her.
Akeno could feel the pull of the Rating Game system trying to retire her, pulling her from the battlefield.
In that split second, a thousand and one thoughts flew through her mind. Pride at how well they have done until now. Inspiration at seeing even their newest members give it their all. Love she felt for Rias, who was the closest thing alive that she would call family.
But most of all, she felt loathing, loathing for herself, for her weakness and for her fear.
Did she not have the tools to hurt Riser? Did that wretched man who called himself her father not pass on to her powers that she rejected since she had been reborn as a devil? What was it all for?
She held back when others have given it their all.
With a final thought of self-loathing and a cry of mental anguish, Akeno channelled her power blindly and hurled lightning at Riser, cutting through the magical attack still streaming at her.
Only then did she finally give in to the pull and let herself be teleported from the battlefield.
/Break
It all happened so fast. One moment, I worked with Koneko on an attack, and the next, I was flying backwards, a huge wall of flame emanating from Riser.
I was too far then to react to Riser when he attacked Rias. My thoughts were racing, only to be left stunned as Akeno took Rias' place, tossing her aside and taking on Riser's attack.
From the wall of flame that enveloped the queen, I could hear Akeno's cry of pain. It all lasted just one terrible moment.
Just then, a bolt of lightning cut through the mass of flaming demonic energy that streamed at Akeno and struck Riser dead in the chest.
For the first time since the beginning of the battle, I heard Riser cry out in pain. Real pain. Riser clutched at his chest, his mouth opened from his own scream of agony, and he was hurled backwards through the air and into the ground.
Quickly focusing, I flew towards Rias, who was on the ground, with Asia stumbling towards her.
[Lady Rias's queen has been retired.]
With a desperate flap of my wings, I finished my descent at their location.
"Rias—"
"I know Kairos, focus."
Rias had steel in her eyes, a mask of pure focus on her face.
I looked to Asia, who had beads of sweat pouring from her face, and gave her a nod as she started to heal Rias.
Turning back to Riser, I could see Akeno's last attack had left its mark on him. He was lying in a crater on the ground, lightning still jumping on his body from time to time.
I looked more closely at Riser, and the flames that licked around his wounds flickered. We were doing it; Riser was starting to run out of magical energy, and his healing was becoming less effective. Before I could think further, a voice made me turn backwards.
"I-I'm sorry, Rias."
As I turned, I saw Asia falling down, exhaustion written plainly on her face.
Before she could fall to the ground, Rias caught her in her arms, patting her hair softly. "You have nothing to apologise for, Asia; you did wonderfully. Now go and take some rest; Kairos and I have this handled."
With a nod, silver light flashed around Asia, and Grayfia's voice came over the announcement again.
[Lady Rias's bishop has been retired.]
Standing up straight, Rias stood up and straightened, coming to stand by my side, looking at Riser. After a few moments, Rias broke the silence.
"I have a plan; this is the finish line, Kairos. Let's cross it together," said Rias out loud, and mentally she relayed her plan to me.
I took her hand into mine and gave it a reassuring squeeze. It was time to finish this.
"BOOST"
"TRANSFER"
With a single boost transferred to Rias, I unfurled my wings and flew towards Riser, Ancalagon at the ready.
Behind me, I could feel Rias gathering her demonic energy for an attack.
As I closed in on Riser, he finally managed to get up from the crater, standing on his unsteady feet, the flames of his wings flickering faintly.
Before I could collide with him, I arrested my momentum, and with a flap of my wings, I flew higher into the air instead of straight at Riser. Just as I ascended to the sky, below me, just where I was previously flying, flew a translucent ball of demonic magic. Instead of her usual Power of Destruction, Rias used her demonic magic to conjure something akin to a telekinetic assault wave, for lack of better terminology on my part.
The wave hit Riser square on, taking him off his feet and hurtling him backwards. Unfortunately for Riser, backwards was the direction of the New School Building.
Just as Riser was tossed through the air by Rias' attack, I flapped my wings again and followed after him. When I neared the building into which Riser crashed, I could feel a mental click inside my mind.
With a determined expression, I was finally promoted to a queen. Arriving in the enemy base, my restriction on promotion was finally lifted, just as Rias had planned when she saw Akeno's attack knock Riser closer towards his own base.
By striking with an attack that did less damage and focused on pushing the opponent in a certain direction, we managed to get Riser back to his base and activate the promotion.
The power of the queen piece surged through me as I descended on Riser, my sword poised for a strike. With a shout, I pushed all my strength into the attack on Riser, just as he was digging himself out of the rubble of the former school building.
With the speed gained by flying down from the sky, I pierced Riser's shoulder with Ancalagon, embedding it deep into the stonework behind Riser, pinning him in place.
Riser's powers waning, he gave a grunt of pain, where previously he would not have even reacted.
Leaving my sword stuck inside Riser and the building behind, effectively pinning him to the building, I took a swing at his face. Greatly enjoying the way his nose cartilage cracked when my fist made an impact, flames already licking the wound, but slower, painfully slower than before.
Two more strikes, one to the abdomen, driving his breath out of his body, and another one to the temple of his head, making it snap to the side.
I was panting now too, the exhaustion of the whole fight beginning to take its toll on me.
Just then, Rias arrived, flying on her own wings, descending towards us. "It's over, Riser, surrender."
"Never," spat the blond devil.
Before Rias or Riser could speak again, I grabbed the sword and tugged it slightly upwards. With the blade still stuck inside Riser, the wound around the blade was unable to heal with the rune-forged steel in its path. Riser let out another cry of pain as Ancalagon tore through the muscles and flesh of his shoulder, still keeping him pinned but creating an excruciating pain.
Rias came closer, the power of destruction hovering over her fingers, putting them almost to Riser's eye, the threat of what she would do if he did not give up plain for all to see.
Riser's look was now one of panic. "H-Hold on, Rias! You know how important and necessary this engagement is for the future of devils! Don't do this!"
"I'm sorry, Riser, but I already told you about my stance on this marriage."
Rias looked at me, and I nodded. Straightening the fingers on my left hand, I plunged my armoured fingers beneath Riser's ribcage, the armoured and clawed digits digging into the flesh of the Phenex, drawing a cry of anguish from Riser.
"Surrender," said Rias again, looking Riser dead in the eyes.
…
Hanging his head down, the Phenex devil uttered the words that we all hoped to hear during this match.
"I retire."
[Lord Riser has retired. The match is won by Lady Rias Gremory.]