One-Punch DxD: NEO

Chapter 14: Let The Game Begins!

Under a Friday evening sky, Issei sighed as he walked towards Kuoh Academy. Black, Rover, Asia, and the rest of his wards followed him through the gates, towards the ORC building.

Today was the day of the Rating Game, the match that shall determine Rias' ultimate fate. The sun already dipped orange in the horizon, the light dying in the dusk before night unfold.

"You think they got the chops to pull this off, kid?" Black asked.

Issei glanced at the creature - his mien was stoic, but his nervousness was concrete on his face.

"Huh. Lemme guess, first time you're betting the chips on the table?" Black jokingly asked.

"...I'm not a gambling type," Issei admitted.

"Yeah, you are. You just suck at having faith in others." Black snickered as they walked through the Victorian doors of the old school building.

Issei rolled his eyes. "Shut up."

"Feeling better at least?"

"...Yeah." Issei smiled before he looked down on the hallway to his left. He needed to go and greet Gasper before the match.

"I'm gonna drop by Gasper for a bit. I'll see you guys there later." Issei announced.

"Oh, of course. Please send my regards to Mr. Gasper!" Asia nodded in understanding; Rover barked in compliance and the other three female devils obeyed without a word.

Black, however, stayed as he looked at Issei, staring at him without a word. "Who the fuck is Gasper?" Black asked.

"Oh, right. You haven't met him. Anyways, he's Rias' only Bishop. He is currently hiding somewhere in his room down the hall."

"...And why haven't I seen him at training camp?" Black asked.

"Don't know his story, but all I know is he's a hardcore recluse, and Rias can't let him in the Rating Game for some reason," Issei replied.

"For some reason?" Black repeated the last words with skepticism.

"Yes. For some reason. I don't know, alright." Issei pushed with an annoyed frown.

"Alright. So, what's his gimmick?" Black enquired, changing the subject.

"About that. No idea, Rover seems to like him, though." Issei shrugged.

"The dog actually likes someone other than you and the blonde babe?"

"Yeah, I'll tell you the story later. Wanna go meet him?"

"Sure thing. Devil culture is so entertaining," Black flashed a devious smirk.

"Yeah, right. You want to see if he's punching bag material," Issei gave Black a wry smile.

"You know me too well." Black snickered as another Black popped up. Issei could not deny Black from following him since he could be everywhere at once.

Heading towards the end of the hallway, Issei and Black stood before the yellow-taped double-doors. The latter asked, "What's with the police tape?"

"Didn't ask" Issei did not question what the tape was for. All he knew was Rias made it for 'safety measure' or something.

Issei lightly knuckled the door thrice, trying not to scare the crossdresser. "Gasper, you there?" He called out. "It's me. Issei."

Black watched as the door remained unmoving. A timid voice squeaked behind the taped doors.

"I-Ise-senpai? Is that you?" A voice that barely sounded masculine enough to be from a male came from the other side of the door.

"Yeah, it's me. May I come in?" Issei glanced at Black standing beside him. "...And I think I can introduce you to another friend of mine."

"A-Another friend? I-Is he a dog?"

Black narrowed his eyes into rectangles at the question. Issei snickered a little when he recalled Black's hard times in the early days.

"Well, no, but he is definitely something!" Issei vaguely phrased.

"U-um, a-alright! C-C-Come in!" The door creaked open, revealing the interior.

Inside was dark. There was little to no light lighting the room. Black did not mind the darkness as he used to live in worse conditions than this, plus he had night vision in a manner of speaking.

Suffice to say, the room was weird.

Black's mental image of the room and the room itself did not agree with each other. The furniture and decorations inside was too effeminate. The wall decoration along with the furniture looked like something from a girl's room, pink tapestries, unicorn dolls, and lace carpets. The only that seemed unisex was the computer, televisions, and laptops.

Not to mention, when Black laid his eyes upon the sole occupant of the room, his eyes stiffened because he swore he saw a girl - schoolgirl uniform and all.

"Yo, Gasper. How are you doing these days?" Issei greeted with a raised hand and a casual smile.

Gasper did not answer. He was too busy staring at the black dwarf that was looking up at him with squinted, scrutinizing eyes.

"S-senpai, who is that?"

Issei looked between the monster and the dhampir. He could see Black's trying to process Gasper's rare existence while Gasper him.

"Oh, right. This is Black. Black, this is Gasper. Don't ask what he is, it is better that way." Issei advised to the dhampir.

"U-Um okay. H-Hello, M-Mr. Black... N-Nice to meet you," The 'boy' timidly waved.

"...I am seeing a girl. Why am I seeing a girl in place of a boy?" Black asked with a dry tone.

"That girl's a boy." Issei threw the cold water of truth at him.

"...What?" Black dropped his jaw with a comical face of disbelief. "Wait, wait, wait. Are you telling that thing that screams 'girl' no matter how I look at it is a 'boy'?"

Issei slightly sweat-dropped when Black pointed his finger at Gasper.

"S-Sempai" Gasper started to whimper, his eyes becoming watery.

"I get it, but yes. Gasper is a boy that happens to look like a girl, but that's not the point." Issei replied to Black.

"Is it?" the creature asked with a skeptical tone.

"It's not."

Black remained silent for a moment before he immediately waddled towards Gasper, peeking up under 'his' skirt. Without any warning, Black's hand suddenly shot forward and made contact with Gasper's crotch. The dhampir yelped and his face paled as the tiny hand continued fondling the only proof of gender. The instant sexual harassment rendered Issei stupefied, speechless and in horror.

"...Well, I'll be damned," Black stepped back, looking at the hand that confirmed the truth. "He really is a boy," he uttered as if he still could not believe his own verification.

"Black, what the fuck?!" Issei nearly shrieked as Gasper's face turned redder and redder.

"EEEEEEK!" Gasper unleashed a girly shriek.

The last thing Black and Issei registered was a pair of glowing red eyes. A cone of stasis purple shot out from Gasper's eyes and caught Black and Issei in its iridescence before Gasper ran away and hid under a box.

To the two, however, they saw Gasper somehow disappear from their sight faster than any teleportation trick could pull off.

"...What just happened?" Issei asked as he rubbed his eyes, making sure his eyes did not play tricks on him.

"Oi, oi, oi! Are you serious?! The girl-boy just fuckin' blinked out! Like Awakened Garou!" Black shouted as he also rubbed his eyes.

Issei blinked at the name, the familiar name that scratched the back of his memories.

"Who?"

"Really?! The crazy martial-artist that kicked my golden ass! And went toe-to-toe with the fuckin' Baldy!" Black replied cryptically.

"Oh, that one!" Issei snapped his fingers at that one.

Issei had heard the stories of the guy - a Hero Hunter that became so powerful that his dad had to step in and bring him down. There were also stories from Black and Genos on Hero Hunter's martial prowess - his speed, strength, etc; but mostly his techniques and tenacity. He did not think he would know how fast Garou was until Gasper became the benchmark.

"Yeah, now you get it! Also, where's the girly boy?" Black asked as he looked around. Issei scanned the room with Black, finding no trace of the Bishop anywhere. "...You think he can turn invisible?" Black questioned, rubbing his eyes again.

"That's a good question" Issei hummed in thoughtful ponderance.

However, the door suddenly flung open, revealing Rias as she entered with a face in panic. "What happened?! We've heard Gasper's cry from above! Is he alright?!" Rias shouted with palpable worry.

Following Rias was her Peerage and Issei's female house-mates, the former sharing Rias' face of worry while the latter only bore confusion.

Issei and Black made eye contact for a moment - They were definitely in trouble.

"...Uhhh, he disappeared." Issei gave Rias the direct summary.

Rias did not look surprised, however, though she narrowed her eyes at them. "Explain 'disappeared'."

"Well, how to say this" Issei pursed his lips.

"Girly boy's eyes lit up and poof, he's gone." Black roughly summarized their experience.

Rias stood there, staring at them, digesting their crude answers until she let out a long sigh of understanding.

"...I see."

She looked around the room and noticed a cardboard box that appeared to be shaking at the corner.

With a soft smile, Rias approached and knelt before the cardboard box. "Gasper? Are you in there? It's me." Rias spoke as she placed her hand on the box.

Issei didn't notice the cardboard there before, now that he thought about it.

"P-P-President" Gasper's sobbing voice could be heard from the box.

"Huh." Issei had an urge to compare Gasper to a certain iconic character associated with cardboard boxes and had the same name as a snake. Only this time Gasper looked more like a cowardly version of that guy... Girlier too.

"Are you alright? We heard you screaming." Rias gently asked with a motherly smile.

"P-President, I-I-I don't think I can get married anymore!"

'And cue the pointing fingers.' Issei thought as Rias questioned him with her eyes. Issei pursed his lips and pointed a finger at Black.

"...Et tu, kid?" Black uttered at Issei's justified betrayal.

Every pair of eyes in the room, except Gasper's, was focused on Black, pinning him in their lines of sight.

"...What did you do?" Rias asked Black. Her brows were creased, her anger starting to leak.

"What? I just wanted to know if it's a boy." Black defended himself with a casual shrug that invited a lot of angry eyes in his direction.

Issei crouched and slapped Black's head.

"Ow?!" Black looked up at Issei and rubbed his head. Issei just slapped him again. "What gives?!"

"What?" Rias' right eye started to twitch at Black's nonsense.

"You have something that made me question the value of gender, so sue me for trying to feel the truth!" Black shouted in his defence.

Rias kept glaring at the black creature for some time before her eyes slightly softened when she turned to Issei as he shook his head. The silent exchange carried on until she heaved a heavier sigh and returned to address the dhampir in the box. "Gasper. Would you please come out?"

"Nooooo! Outside is scary, and people out there just want to molest me!" Gasper shrieked.

The eyes started to narrow at Black with stinging criticism. Black clicked his tongue, no longer caring about their lashing disapproval as he looked away.

Issei sighed as he walked to the box and knelt before the cardboard shell. "...Gasper. I cannot apologize enough for what Black did to you. Um, well, I was hoping that you could make another friend, not get Well, you know." Issei flashed an awkward smile for a moment. "The point is, I am so sorry for Black's actions. So, um, could you please come out so we can start over? I swear Black won't do it again this time."

Gasper remained quiet in the box, sniffling with whiny whimpers. It didn't look like mere words would bring this turtle out of his shell. Seeing this, Issei decided to resort to another approach.

"...I also brought Rover with me."

Rover perked his head upon hearing his name.

"...Really?" Gasper squeaked under the cardboard. The hardcore hermit was taking the bait.

"Come on. You wanna keep Rover waiting?" Issei then whistled at Rover in Asia's arms. Barking in response, Rover wiggled out of her arms and dropped to the floor, paddling towards the box and nudged the cardboard.

As soon as Rover barked, Gasper's head popped out from the cardboard box - which to some eyes of the females in the room, was downright adorable.

"...Mr. Rover?" Gasper squeaked at the sight of his first friend.

The monster puppy whined as he nudged Gasper's face. Gasper slowly smiled the more Rover continued nuzzling against his cheek, a small giggle breaking out as Rover tickled his face.

"Nothing like a man's best friend to heal your soul, right?" Issei's smile grew wide with pride for Rover's bonding with another.

Gasper slowly came out of the cardboard to pet the loving dog, two hands wrapped around the mass of black fur and hugging him.

"Awww." Rias cooed at the scene. "Now I feel like cuddling them"

"Even though Rover tried to kill you?" Akeno interjected with a teasing smile.

"...Maybe." Rias was not sure; the dog must have grown on her for her to have that thought.

However, someone loudly cleared her throat from the door. Everyone turned to see Grayfia standing just by the door, calmly standing straight with her hands clasped around her waist.

"M'lady Rias. I am afraid your time is drawing near."

The King in question along with her subjects straightened themselves up before the silver-haired maid.

"Yes, of course." Rias nodded. Their time had finally arrived, the match that would determine her ultimate fate. "Akeno, Yto, Koneko and everyone that offered your hand. I thank you for your support." Rias gave a small speech to her peerage as she closed her eyes. With a deep breath, a long inhale and exhale, she opened her eyes and looked at Gasper, reaching down and patting her Bishop with a gentle smile.

"Gasper. I will return. Please wait for me after we win."

"Y-yes. I-I will, President!" Gasper managed to reply.

As everyone left the room following Grayfia, Issei knelt down before Gasper and Rover - his eyes honed on the latter.

"Rover, look after him while I'm gone, okay? I'll be back for you soon." He smiled at both Rover and Gasper. "...And Black?" He turned to his little friend. "We're going to talk about boundaries after this."

"I will not apologize for him being a failure as a male." Black instantly replied in annoyance.

Issei heard some whimpers from Gasper, making his frown sink deeper.

"Blaaack. Don't make me get Mom to make you vegan." Issei chastised.

"Hah! She can try! I'm everywhere, kid!" Black scoffed at his threat.

The two left the room, following the peerage going to battle, leaving the feminine boy and the dog alone. Once Gasper and Rover were the only ones inside the darkroom, the former turned to the latter.

"Um Would you like to watch some videos with me?"

Rover barked happily in reply.

Issei and Black entered the lounge of the clubroom through the brown victorian doors.

Everyone from the training camp was here, Rias and her peerage, Saji and Tsubasa, the wards that participated, and a few extra like Sona sitting on the couch sipping her tea from a porcelain cup.

Saji was doing squats while Yto was practicing basic swings kendo-style in the corner with a standard demon sword.

"Yo, Kiba. Saji," Issei greeted.

Saji and Kiba noticed Issei heading towards them. When they saw Black beside him, they felt their bodies wincing in pain. Black did not miss that as he smiled wickedly at them.

"'Sup, Hyd." Saji waved while still performing squats.

"Hello, Ise. Black." Yto greeted Black.

"Heyo, sandbags. You greenhorns finally ready for the big showdown?" Black snickered.

They regarded Black, the most evil coach they ever met, and the most dedicated trainer for their cause with a welcoming smile.

"Coach, you know I know better than you let you down." Saji pointed a thumb at himself with a dash of hype in his voice.

"It is either we succeed or you will dance on our bodies back at camp. I prefer not to become your sandbag," Yto joked with a smirk.

The two boys were more used to Black and his presence now. They would never forget how much pain and suffering Black inflicted, how much he made them face their limits, how much he forced them to move forward at their expense.

"Good. You kids better win. Don't half-ass it." Black threatened as he threw himself onto the couch, sitting beside Sona.

Ever since the creature entered the room, Sona couldn't take her eyes off the alien creature. Now since it sat next to her, Sona accrued an inexplicable desire to scooch away from it.

The creature called Black, however, did not fail noticing her curious gaze. "Lemme guess. You are wondering what the hell I am?" Black asked as he waved at her in greeting.

"I take it you're another one of Issei's acquaintances?" Sona glanced at Issei. She silently conveyed a 'what is that thing' look to Issei.

Issei simply shrugged a 'don't ask' back at her.

"What? No 'what are you' questions? Name's Black by the way." Black smiled at her. Sona could see how much Black was enjoying her stupefied reaction to his existence and it did not bring her comfort.

"...I will catch up on introductions later." Sona decided to leave it be. The Rating Game was already stressful for her psyche enough, worrying about an alien creature was past her breaking point.

Koneko was performing push-ups on the carpet. She was still working hard despite that she would soon face formidable foes.

"Hey, Koneko." Issei greeted, walking towards her.

Koneko stopped upon hearing him and got up, standing with heavy huffs from her extensive warmup.

"You okay?" Issei asked.

"...Yes." Koneko nodded.

"...You think you can do it this time?" Issei asked.

Koneko tilted her head down for a moment before looking back up, nodding with eyes burning with determination.

"Please watch us, Ise-senpai."

Issei smiled; his hand then reached out to gently rub her head as he knelt down to meet her on eye-level. "...Just remember, Koneko. I'm not scared of you." Issei whispered the last part with a wink, and Koneko responded with a faint pink tinge on her cheek as she leaned her head against Issei's palm.

"Awww." Tsubasa walked up to Issei with an impish smile. "That's so cute".

"Yeah, and I probably know why," Issei replied as he stood up to address his old friend.

He was also unaware of Koneko's flustered reaction as she quickly moved away from Issei to the bookshelf, hiding her face in one direction.

"What about you? You ready for your first Rating Game?" Issei asked back, turning to Tsubasa.

"As ready as I can be. Besides, after this, you still owe me those Youkai trick lessons you promised," the blunette replied with a knowing smirk.

"Yeah, I remember that. So it's a date then?"

Tsubasa froze as Issei turned his head away to look at the others, the latter was unaware of the flustered expression on the former's face.

"Y-Yeah" She admitted.

"My, my, ufufufu... Aren't you a ladies-man?"

Issei turned to Akeno as she walked towards him. "Oh Akeno. Err" Sparks of awkwardness frictioned when she stood before Issei. His eyes were veering away as if her mere presence were repelling magnets.

Nevertheless, no enmity was shared between them especially after that night before the end of their grace period. It was not his best moment, but Issei certainly tried to meet Akeno's eyes. To his surprise, she did not look as hostile as he expected.

"Are you Everything good?" At this point, Issei had prepared himself for at least one snarky reply.

But to his surprise, Akeno simply smiled - the smile she usually wore around Rias, not the plastic one since Black's outburst.

"Yes, I will be fine, Ise-kun," The Queen replied.

"Um, okay?" Issei blinked at the reply. "You're not.. Nervous, angry, anything like that?"

Akeno giggled in return in a mild amusement. "Ufufu What you told me the other day wasn't the reason for my anger, Ise-kun."

"...Really?" Issei trailed.

Akeno shrugged, "Well, in truth, I was never really angry with you. You made your point out of good intentions, and I have no excuses to refute everything back then. But"

"Let me guess. You're still a little miffed I didn't handle it better?" Issei asked with a more lighthearted tone.

"...A little." Akeno smiled in response, "You need more practice in handling the delicate maidens, Issei-kun." She winked at him with a warm giggle.

Issei scoffed at her mention. "Akeno, since when are you delicate?"

"Hmmm, I won't tell you. You might need to get your eyes inspected after I convince your mother to deliver a crash course on the delicate subject for you."

"Hey, don't drag my mom into this," Issei frowned.

Issei felt a sense of deja vu ah, it was with Tsubasa, only Akeno was more direct.

"Akeno, please spare Issei your torments." Rias walked up to him and smiled.

"Thank you." Issei smiled in relief at the rescue.

"But reserve your words for after we win this game. I find it enjoyable to watch his reactions like this."

"Nevermind, you are not helping." Issei's smile instantly fell. For some reason, the girls he met were starting to turn against him one after another. It was starting to become a trend the more he thought about it.

Black started to snicker from his couch.

"Say, four-eyes, you got a type?" Black asked Sona, nudging her thigh with his elbow. Sona looked at the smugly grinning black creature.

"...That is confidential." Sona replied.

"Alright, alright. Quick question, though, are you the girl of that one lad?"

"...I'm afraid you must clarify."

"Messy hair and with the Black Gecko arm decoration? Whiny as hell?"

"Oh, so you mean Saji?" Sona understood. "What about him?"

Black smiled. His smile was one of relishing remembrance if Sona could describe.

"Well, let's just say I spent a loooot of time trying to turn him into a super-soldier. We got to know each other reaalllly well."

"Is that so?" Sona quirked an eyebrow.

"He didn't tell you?" Black asked.

Sona merely shook her head at his words.

"Did he ever tell you how I treated him with kind-hearted care?" Black's irritable smirk grew even wider.

"All he ever told me was how much he became a better man in that 'hell' instead." Sona confirmed with a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"Heh. I'll tell you all about it after the game. You'll definitely love the story," Black snickered as he hopped off the couch.

oXo

The Rating Game was about to commence.

Asia, Zama, Sona, and Black, moved into the observation room, sitting around a table with holographic screens on one far end of the table.

Issei stood with Rias in the main ORC clubroom, the latter sitting behind her mahogany desk with Issei standing. Her peerage waited in the center of the room, waiting for the teleportation circle.

"Anything you want to say before you go?" Issei asked.

Rias fidgeted on her seat a little, her crimson locks hiding her eyes. She clapped her cheeks with a loud slap, taking a deep breath as she looked at him straight in the eyes with confidence.

"...I am happy. I did not think that you will go this far for me even though I tried everything I can to get you to my Peerage." Rias nodded resolutely. "You are hard to get. You are mysterious, casual, and whenever I believe I finally understand you, you keep disproving me every time in ways I cannot imagine."

"If you think that's enough, wait till you meet my dad," Issei snickered.

"...I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Rias pouted.

"Alright, alright I want to ask you something. Even if Riser isn't around the corner, would you still try to recruit me like before?" Issei asked.

"That is not an easy question to answer." Rias admitted.

"If it makes you feel any better, there is a chance, a very small chance, that I might join your club under very different circumstances. But, it's too late now," Issei playfully teased to motivate her for the match at hand. It did earn him a very big pout from Rias, but at least she seemed very spirited, if that was the correct word.

"...And is there a reason for saying this now?" Rias asked, unamused.

"Hmmm, something to get you fired up. And I like to see you teased As payback," Issei smirked, referring to Rias' playful jab before.

"Oh, that's it." Rias frowned. "I would've pondered on giving you up, but now I'm determined to drag you into my Peerage even if it's the last thing I'll do."

"Oh, please. Like I need to join the Devil side. I already got a devil and his name is Black."

The two stared at each other in a moment of silence. The two broke the silence as they giggled over their common opinions on the multiplying miscreant.

"Hah" Issei sighed, smiling as they regarded each other eye to eye for a few seconds before he asked, "So, you feeling better?"

"Yes, I feel relieved." Rias phrased. She felt as if a burden lifted her shoulders.

"...Go kick some ass out there. Give Riser my regards when you win," Issei patted her arms, nodding to her.

Rias nodded with another small smile as Grayfia's voice echoed in the room.

[The Rating Game will commence shortly. All participants are required to be ready.]

Issei and Rias shared one last nod before the latter left her seat to calmly join the rest of her team, watching the former leaving the door.

Issei did not look back as he closed the door, not even as they vanished to the battlefield. He headed back to the observation room, wondering what the Rating Game was like. This was his first time seeing a Rating Game in action after all.

However, when Issei arrived, he noticed additional guests, aside from the Student Council, his wards, and Black. One of the two was a middle-aged man with red crimson hair like Rias - tied in a loose ponytail, with a handsome face adorned with a red stubble on his chin. His looks were completed with a set of nobility clothing on his person.

The woman accompanying him - bluntly speaking, it was as if Issei was looking at an older-looking Rias with brown hair over her red. However, Issei also noticed that her eyes were violet instead of teal blue like Rias.

"...Uh, hello?" Issei greeted the two strangers with confusion.

"Greetings, young man." The man with the red hair calmly responded with. "May I ask if you are human that my daughter spent most of her time recruiting perchance?"

Issei quirked a brow for a moment as the word 'daughter' slowly clicked in his brain.

"Um Yes, I- Wait. 'Daughter?'"

"Hahaha. Yes, indeed. Allow us to introduce ourselves." The two adults rose from their seats, the man calmly holding the woman's hand as he gently pulled her up.

"My name is Zeoticus Gremory, father of Rias."

"I am Venelana Gremory - her mother." The woman smiled at Issei with maternal warmth as they slightly bowed before him.

"...Eh?" Issei looked at Sona and Tsubaki sitting across the parents.

"Don't look at me, Mr. Hyd." Sona pushed her glasses up. "They have decided to make their visit unannounced. I am as shocked as you."

Rias' parents were here. Issei did not expect that he would meet her parents this soon honestly or at all. And they were watching their daughter fight for her future through the screens.

"They keep staring at me from time to time." Black interjected as he continued throwing chips into his mouth, chewing.

Issei had a lot of questions to ask the two. However, he remembered that he had to address their question first along with returning an introduction to them.

"I yes. To answer your question, I am that human. You two probably already know my name but call me Issei. Issei Hyd."

"The pleasure is ours, Mr. Ise. Come, have a seat. The match is about to commence." Zeoticus heartily invited him over.

Issei casted a glance at the others in the seat. He only received shrugs from them, wordlessly telling him to go with the flow despite the awkwardness of it all.

Without another word, Issei took the seat beside the patriarch as he rested his arms on the table. The close proximity felt more unnerving than he thought. He was half-expecting some uneasy questions to be shot his way, something about how he treated Rias or asking why he refused his daughter's invitation again and again - probably with some hint of fatherly wrath.

Still, Zeoticus seemed accommodating without for now, and after a minute sans any such questions, Issei sighed in relief, calmed enough to focus on the unfolding match behind the holographic screens.

Meow.

However, a certain black mass of fluffiness jumped onto the table. Issei turned to the source and saw Tsubasa's cat giving him the googly eyes with its tail swishing back and forth with Cheshire grace.

"Hey, it's you." Issei uttered in surprise as the cat gracefully walked towards him and hopped into his arms. "How'd you get here, little guy? You worried about Tsubasa?" He asked as he felt the cat purring, rubbing its head on his chest. He smiled a little as he found the sensation familiar almost as if Koneko was nuzzling against him, but fluffier. It was a nice, fuzzy feeling he never felt before.

"Oh, my?" Venelana noticed the feline from her seat. "I wonder how it came here?"

"That's a good question." Issei shrugged as he let the cat make itself comfortable on his lap. "Funny thing, this one belongs to a friend of mine, who is now in the Rating Game, though I don't remember her telling me about bringing it here."

Venelana and her husband merely hummed while the rest of the girls, sans Sona, were gushing over the cat with their eyes while refraining themselves in the presence of a couple of high-class devils.

Issei caught the cat meeting the devils' eyes. For some reason, Issei could feel a connection between the cat on his lap and the parents, some small spark between them. Eventually, the devils relaxed on their seats.

"Well, then let's ensure that the little one won't cause any trouble, yes? At least until the Rating Game is concluded." Zeoticus asked with a cordial smile at both Issei and the cat.

"Sure thing," Issei nodded before he looked around the room. "On another note, mind if I ask where Ms. Grayfia is? I half-expected to see her here with us."

"Grayfia is in another room with my son - Rias' brother. Both of them were in charge in adjudicating and overseeing the Rating Game."

"Ah, I guess that makes sense"

Appearing at their destination, the ORC plus their additional members found themselves inside the clubroom of the old school building.

"Err Aren't we still in the same place we were before?" Saji asked as he looked around. The layout of the interior was the same, western, Victorian, the same mahogany desk, everything like in the room before.

Out of curiosity, Tsubasa walked to the windows and opened the curtains.

"Saji, you stand corrected."

"Hm?" Saji looked at Tsubasa beckoning him to come over and look out the window.

Outside the glass, an iridescent aurora replaced the usual sky, unnatural colors over the iconic blue alongside a purple sun.

"Oh" Saji stared at the sky for a moment. "U-um, w-where are we?"

"An artificial dimension, made with Kuoh Academy as its foundation." Rias noted after a brief look around.

"Looks like both Gremory and Phenex Household wanted to give us a home-field advantage," Akeno commented.

Rias frowned, "...Because they think I still would be hard-pressed to win Those meddlings!" She soon reigned over her temper with a quick breath. "In any case, we must review the plan."

Upon arrival, Grayfia's voice echoed throughout the school, announcing that they were using the standard rules of the Rating Game.

Rias' base was on the top floor of the Old School Building while Riser Phoenix's base would be in the principal's office of the new building. Her announcement also stated that the team that entered their opponent's base would receive the privilege of Promotion.

"I guess all that torment under that midget is worth it, huh?" Saji joked.

The mention of Black made Yto and Catherine wince a little before they broke out a small smile upon remembering the tortures in that place. They still couldn't find a way to escape from Black's bash-the-devil-into-the-ground routine, but at least his coaching prepared them.

"Tell me about it." Yto commented with a slightly wry tone. "Let's do our best so that thing has no reason to punish us further."

"Oh, please. That thing will always find some way to torture us." Catherine was actually the one who replied.

Rias smiled. This was her moment, her time to show her parents and Riser that she was not an object for trade.

"Alright. Now, let us review the plan."

oXo

"Tell me, Ise." Zeoticus spoke. "What is your opinion on the chances of my daughter's victory over Riser?"

Issei glanced at the older man for a second.

"Any reason why you're asking?" Issei asked.

Zeoticus smiled. "I am more than aware of your efforts to support my daughter. I would be happy to list your accolades if you wish."

Issei did not need the man to say it as he pursed his lips for a few moments before replying, "...Honestly? When I saw Riser for the first time? I don't see a silver lining for Rias no matter what I pictured."

It was more of an understatement. The moment he confirmed Rias' ability in that camp further supported her hopelessness as she was before.

"Crude words, but unfortunately true. But what about after your grace period? Is she ready?" Zeoticus asked again.

"...I did all I could. Rias did spend a lot of time trying to get me into her Peerage, but I made sure she can pull herself out of the dirt this time." Issei flashed a small smile for a second.

"Are you confident enough to say that my daughter can win?" Venelana asked.

"Win? I'm confident she can kick Riser's ass." Issei scoffed. "Though I'm not dumb enough to count my chickens before they hatch. I've never fought the guy, so I don't know much about his cards."

The one thing Issei could not plan for was Riser's Peerage. There was little to nothing he could do about them other than unleash the hell that was waves of Black's self-army on Rias and the others during the last three days.

"I do understand. You are still an outsider of our customs, after all." Zeoticus agreed as he returned to watch the screen.

Issei looked at the screen at the moment. He saw Rias discussing the plan with her team members before mobilizing. He turned his attention to Riser's screen, curious about his Peerage although it was not what he expected.

"Wow. They're all girls." Issei commented aloud upon seeing an all-female team surrounding the king in the middle. The girls seemed to cover every single fetish a man could have - catgirls, tomboy, china dress, noble princess with golden drillhairs, and more. There were girls in maid outfits as well, making Issei think they were his personal maids until he started counting the girls up to the max number of members allowed in a Peerage.

Seeing everyone other than Riser being female, Issei was now curious whether every male king had only female members.

"Yes, indeed. The members are strictly under the King's preferences and circumstance after all." Venelana smiled at Issei.

"Are all male Kings like this? The only other male king I met is Diodora, and that guy's a total asshole." Issei asked.

"Not necessarily, Ise. I myself am a King, but I do have some men within my peerage." Zeoticus replied with an amused tone.

"But you do have a harem of your own, which I manage." Venelana quipped with a teasing voice.

At this point, the line between a Peerage and a personal Harem was starting to blur the more Issei learned about Devils and Peerages.

"So I got a weird question. Are you okay if I ask something personal?" Issei asked.

"My, my, boy. I don't mind at all. Please, what is your current curiosity?" Zeoticus allowed.

"Does having male members in your Peerage makes you gay?" Issei asked with a hint of curiosity.

Sona started coughing, doubling over as she hacked her throat out as if she choked on her own spittle. Tsubaki immediately rushed to her aid and held Sona's shoulder as she suffered.

"Pfffff! Ahahahahahahahahaha! Ohhh, that's a good one!" Black, on the other hand, started to laugh his ass off, doubling over at Issei's ridiculous question.

The boy himself looked around nervously, slowly realising that he perhaps had asked something outrageously rude.

Fortunately, the couple before him bore faces of amusement.

While he did not hate the concept of harem, he did find having multiple women loving a single man very promiscuous under most circumstances, relationships doomed to falling apart.

"Now, that is an interesting way to interpret a King's sexual preference. I don't blame you, don't get me wrong, our kind can be very lustful. It is in our nature." Zeoticus, along with his wife, chuckled warmly at Issei's question.

"So... Are you?"

"Mr. Hyd!" Sona shrieked at the human boy.

"What? The kid's just curious." Black snickered as he continued shoving chips into his mouth.

"That's not the issue here!" Sona glared at the dwarf creature.

"Okay so does that make Female King's Peerages like personal friend groups instead?" Issei asked, shifting his eyes to Sona. "Or does having girls in your Peerage make you-"

"Not another word out of you or I promise you will end up in the worst hell imaginable as I take away everything you stand for." Sona threatened Issei before he could finish that sentence.

With Sona glaring daggers from behind her glasses, Issei looked around before he raised his hands up in surrender. The Student Council President seemed satisfied as she nodded and returned on her seat. Asia gave Issei an awkward smile as the cat on his lap purred, smiling as if amused.

However, as soon as Sona looked away, Issei leaned towards Lord Gremory and whispered, "Can we talk again about this later?"

"I think it is best if we nip the bud before it blooms." Zoeticus smiled.

"Thank you." Issei sighed, now wondering how Rias and her team were doing on the screen.

Saji, Amanda and Tsubasa were making their way through the gymnasium, per Rias' strategy. According to Rias, some of Riser's forces would greet them in the building. Rias' sole advantage was the element of surprise, Riser's arrogance, and their experience dealing with unstoppable forces Well, their experience was not perfect, but more than enough to handle Riser's goons.

Darkness greeted them when they entered the building, no outside light reaching them at this point.

"We've been waiting for you."

An unfamiliar voice greeted them from the shadows. The lights flickered on, blinding the room in their revealing four girls. The acting leader was a girl in a blue Cheong-Sam dress, another one was a short girl with blue hair dressed kind of similar to a monk carrying a Bo staff, and finally was a pair of young twins in elementary gym uniforms.

"Yeah, we know," Tsubasa sized up her opponents. "Three on four. Wow, I kinda expected like six or more considering your numbers."

"Snarky. But Lord Riser believed that we are enough to take you down." The girl in china dress replied with a confident smirk. "At least, we shall introduce ourselves. I'm Xue Lan, a Rook."

"Mira, a Pawn." the girl with the Bo followed suit.

""Ile and Nel, a Pawn too!""

The identical twins finished with a cheerful tone; their synchronized introductions made it hard to tell which was which.

"If that's how you want to do it, then; Tsubasa, borrowed Rook from Sona Sitri." Tsubasa began the return-courtesy with her friends following suit.

"Amanda Jade, a Rook borrowed from Issei Hyd."

"Genshirou Saji, a Pawn borrowed from Sona Sitri as well."

Xue Lan scoffed in return, "Hmph, we've heard that Rias Gremory is short on members, but I didn't expect it to be this bad."

"Hey, you're the one picking a fight with newbies, so you can't call the kettle black," Tsubasa shot back.

"Hmmm, I cannot argue with that logic. But it is your King's fault for not giving in to our Lord." Xue Lan smirked as she entered her fighting stance, standing on one leg with the posture of a flamingo. "Our Lord tasked us with showing your King the error of her ways with your defeat. I assume you're at least ready for your downfall?"

"Ohhh, we did more than that. Amanda, Saji, I'm taking Princess Xiaolin on." Tsubasa smirked as she readied her basic boxing stance.

"I'll handle the one with a stick." Amanda nodded.

"Then I guess that leaves me with the twins. Alright." Saji confirmed the match-ups as he manifested his Absorption Line.

The combatants then branched out into three lines for each side until enough space separated them with their respective opponents. A tense silence stood between them. They did not need a signal to commence their battles.

"Hyup!"

Xuelan flew towards Tsubasa with a flying kick and crashed into her guard. Tsubasa grunted as she pressed down on her toes and grabbed Xuelan's offending leg, grinning as she pulled her in and responded with a heavy right hook to Xuelan's face, smashing her tumbling across the floorboards.

"Come on, Chun Li. Hit me." Tsubasa grinned as Xue Lan picked herself up, holding her bruised cheek with a grimace.

The Chinese girl clicked her tongue as she put up a different stance before launching towards Tsubasa once more. Fire conflagorated her hands and feet, making Tsubasa whistle as she danced around her jabbing punches and lashing kicks as the heat grazed the skin of her arms.

"Don't get too cocky from a warm-up, tyro!" Xuelan shouted with increasing frustration as Tsubasa hopped on the balls of her feet, the latter smiling as she blocked Xuelan's heavy reverse roundhouse kick to the girl's surprise, not minding the fire burning her hands.

"Yeah, keep talking and see where that leads you!" Tsubasa sweeped Xuelan's standing leg with a low kick, knocking down into a spiraling fall as she crashed on her back. Before Xueland could get back up, Tsubasa quickly jumped to give Xuelan an elbow dive to her gut, slamming into her with all of her weight.

"Agof!?" Xuelan coughed as all the air left her mouth along with some spittle.

As for Saji, he was staring at the two unexpected weapons in the hands of the lime-haired twins, each girl giving him deceptively innocent smirks.

""Disassembling time!""

The twins shouted cheerfully as they revved the engine of their flame-coated chainsaws.

"Oh, shit!" Saji cursed as he yanked a line from his Sacred Gear, pulling it taut when the girls jumped at him with those murder weapons.

The grinding blades bit into the slippery frog tongue in the twin's attempt to tear him to bloody shreds. Much to the twin and his own surprise, the shiny gecko tongue withstood the constantly moving blades despite its slippery, soft appearance, keeping the murder weapons at bay.

"Ah-ha! It worked!" Saji shouted in triumph of his quick wits.

"What the hell?! What is that rope made of?!" One of the twins yelled in confusion - at this point, Saji still could not tell which one was which.

"No idea, but I'm not gonna complain!" Saji retorted as the revolving metal teeth of their modern weapons suddenly stopped in a sudden halt, chips of the sharp edges flying off with the sound of thunderous cracks.

Meanwhile, Amanda was engaging Mira; the former had the advantage in terms of strength thanks to her status as a Rook, but the latter appeared to have advantage in terms of combat experience... And range.

Amanda could not get close to Mira. Her wooden staff kept Amanda at bay, pummeling her with thrusts aimed at her raised arms and openings.

"You should give up while you still can, girl!" Mira stated as she continued slamming the tip of her staff into Amanda's guard.

Amanda gritted her teeth as the strikes continued hammering her defenses. She gritted her teeth as she threw down her guard and let the next strike hit her clean into her stomach, tanking the hit as she attempted to throw her arms at the bo staff to grab it and snap it in two. However, she underestimated Mira's power as a whirlwind of force gathered around the staff tip and violently launched Amanda into the wall.

Amanda only let out a brief grunt when her back dug into the wall, the impact inflicting moderate damage. Still, she knew that she could not keep this up, lest she would lose. She pulled herself out of the wall as she dropped to the floor, grimacing at Mira's smug smile.

Amanda refused to fall behind her comrades as she ran towards Mira once more.

oXo

Yto, Catherine and Koneko were running through the trees at the edge of the sports field towards the new school building. Rias had chosen to remain behind to give out commands and tactics while Akeno would provide a birds-eye view, as well as maintaining barriers and illusions covering the old building.

In technicality, they only have one Pawn on their side, so they do not need to run towards the enemy's base for a promotion. However, they do need to clear the path for Saji to get the strength needed to further bind the immortal phoenix.

"I just remembered something." Catherine mentioned while running through the trees with Yto, Koneko following behind them.

"What is it?" Yto asked.

"Don't you think Riser's ability is a bit like that of the Black demon's?" Catherine asked. It was her nickname for Black due to his sinister nature being more demonic than an actual devil's during their training.

Yto and Koneko hummed in thought; the former then shook his head a few seconds later, "...No, I don't think they're the same," the Knight gave his opinion. "I still can't really put my finger on it yet, but I don't think that thing's power involves any sort of self-healing But where did this question come from, though?"

"I am comparing their annoying ability to refuse death," Catherine answered.

"...Okay." Yto nodded just to humor his fellow Knight while Koneko rolled her eyes. "But one thing we know is that Black is surprisingly not a devil like us. Riser on the other hand"

"I can see where you're going, but we don't have any holy items with us. We can't even touch them in the first place." Koneko joined their conversation.

Another reason why wielding holy items were unfavored in the Rating Games - all participants are vulnerable to their scalding effects.

"Let's hope that Plan A will work well enough for us to get to Plan B." Yto concluded, receiving nods from his two comrades.

However, their trek was halted by a loud, yet haughty voice from the middle of the field.

"Well, if it isn't the members of the rigged Peerage."

Up ahead, within the shadows of the tree, three figures emerged from the foliage.

In the center, was a beautiful young girl with dark blue eyes, her blonde hair tied into twintails with large, drill-like curls with blue ribbons keeping them in place and several bangs hanging over her forehead. Her dress was light purple with dark purple accents and a blue bow at the front. At the back, three feather-like extensions mimicking a bird's tail protruded from the dress.

At her left was a young woman with light brown hair and green eyes, her attire a full set of black-accented silver armor, one with the chest plate, gauntlets, and greaves of an European knight's and the hip plates and shoulder guards of a Samurai's. Across her hair and forehead was a headband, a broadsword held by brown belts slung on her left hip.

At her right was a tall young woman with long black, dark-blue tinted hair, and brown eyes. Her hair features five thin ponytails dangling around her head, all fastened up by a golden hair accessory atop. A Chinese cheongsam, white top with black accents, donned her figure, followed by red shorts, and armored, knee-high boots with matching gauntlets.

The next was a girl wearing a mask that covered the right half of her face. Her light brown hair was short, streaking three red highlights across it, and her eyes were grey. She wore a black jacket with matching jeans, the jacket having wide shoulders and a wide collar, featuring three leather straps on both her arms. Yto and the rest could see part of her rather large breasts through the slight opening of her cleavage.

A section of her pant's right leg was cut off, revealing some of her thighs and rear end, and also features three leather straps on her calves, just below the ankles, and two extra straps on her right pant leg to keep it in place.

The last girl was basically a traditional Japanese woman with purple-motive kimono - as if she has been alive since at least four hundred years ago.

"Oh, dear." Yto gave a confident smile at the numbers. Compared to the nightmare that was Black, this was a blessing, honestly. "Who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?" Yto asked, conjuring an intricate sword that forms frost with every swing. Catherine, both hands gripping her pommel, aimed her sword at them while Koneko entered her basic fighting stance.

"Hmph. You're severely outnumbered yet your overconfidence is aggravating." The petite girl in the center gave a condescending smile at the trio. "But very well. Ravel Phenex, Bishop of Riser."

The name Phenex stiffened Yto, Catherine, and Koneko.

"...Excuse me?" Catherine wondered if her ears were playing tricks on her. "Phenex?"

"That I am, the younger sister of Riser Phenex himself. What of it?" Ravel asked without missing a beat.

"...What?" Yto blanked out.

They did not expect another Phenex. They assumed that they were only facing one immortal bird, not two.

"...What are we going to do?" Catherine whispered.

"What we plan to do." Koneko answered, determined.

She stepped forward, taking two steps, and pointed her finger at the lady in the middle.

"Hmm? Are you, by commoner definition, challenging me?" Ravel asked, amused with Koneko's brazen act.

"I am." The Rook cryptically replied as she walked forward.

"Ho? Not only you're challenging me, but you're also approaching me despite my brother's servants by my side?" Ravel taunted.

"I can't beat the tar out of you without getting closer," Koneko stated.

"Wait a sec" The thug-like girl with the half-mask narrowed her eye at Koneko. "Did you just make a Jojo reference?"

Koneko paused and stared at the masked girl. The girl's Peers, Ravel included, stared at the woman with equal confusion.

"...Who, or what is a 'Jojo'?" Koneko asked.

"..." The masked girl glanced around, finding that every pair of eyes shared the same questioning stare. "What? Are you saying none of you?"

At the silence given from her peers, there was a visible blush on her face for a moment before she sighed in resignation and embarrassment. "...Never mind. Disregard my previous question."

"...Right, Isabella's bumbling aside," Ravel sighed as she smiled at the girl, "I believe you have mistaken my intentions, little girl. I will not be fighting."

Koneko raised a brow at the Phenex's remark. "You won't?"

"Indeed. Isabela." Ravel turned away, her cheek facing Koneko as the thug-like girl walked forward, her face donning a serious mien.

"Putting aside my blunder, I am Isabela, a Rook in the service of Lord Riser. I will be your opponent in place of Lady Phenex," Isabela sauntered towards Koneko until she was several feet from her, raising her arms up in a boxing stance.

"Koneko. Rook of Rias Gremory." Koneko introduced herself without wasting time.

"Mihae, a Bishop." The traditional Japanese lady introduced herself next.

"I'm Siris, a Knight." The woman with a Zweihander came next.

Finally, the Knightly-looking woman stepped forward. "...And I'm Karlamine, also a knight who serves Lord Riser. Knights of Rias Gremory, I formally requested a duel!"

Yto and Catherine shared a glance at Karlamine's sudden request. Karlamine was flashing an excited smile. As Knights, they were compelled to follow a fellow Knight's request for an honor-bound duel.

"Mr. Kiba. Will you allow me to take her on?" Catherine asked, stepping towards Karlamine.

Yto did not say a word. He simply nodded as Catherine went to greet Karlamine.

"Lady Karlamine, correct? I, Catherine Lazuli - a temporary Knight of Rias Gremory, shall answer your challenge." She brandished her sword.

Karlamine regarded Catherine for a couple of seconds before she nodded, "Hm, I like the look in your eyes Very well! Let us begin, Knight of Gremory!" She flourished her sword, flames wreathing her blade brilliant orange

Without another word, the Knight of Riser dashed towards Catherine, the latter meeting her charge head on, their blades singing ringing discord, the melody of clashing steel.

Not looking at Catherine's fight, Yto remained focused, his eyes locked on the other knight, Siris.

"Will you answer my call for arms, Lady Siris?" Yto inquired with a soothing, inviting tone.

The female warrior merely scoffed in return. "Hmph. Prepare yourself, swordsman. I am not as soft as Karlamine." She brandished her zweihander as Yto drew his blade.

The Knight, however, threw a brief glance at Ravel Phenex, who remained on the side with Mihael standing by her side as her guard.

Koneko and Isabela orbited around each other with cautious steps, eyes locked into eyes with fists ready to fly at the slightest stimulus. Koneko's fingers curled and flexed, tightening into knuckled balls again and again to warm up her fists as Isabela leaned her weight into one leg, ready to engage.

Without another word, the two Rooks exchanged their blows, Koneko lodging her knuckles into Isabela's gut while the latter crashed her knee into Koneko's face. The two were launched, but managed to keep themselves planted to the ground, salvaging the distance between them. Isabela smirked as she pulled a deep breath to exhale the pain of her throbbing stomach, while Koneko merely snorted out a blood from her nose.

Meanwhile, Ravel merely stood in observation. Mihae stood beside her superior, casting a glance to the Phenex daughter before she gave a small nod, eliciting a small smile on Ravel's face - just as planned.

Five shadowy figures traversed through the thick flora.

While the Rooks, Knights, three Pawns, and Bishops kept the majority of Rias' Peerage busy, the rest of the Pawns headed towards the old school building, wanting to obtain their promotions before overwhelming the opposing force with their superior numbers.

"Sooooo." One of the five - a cat-girl with pink hair, clad in a skimpy school uniform, melodically hummed. "Are we there yet? We've been running for houuurrrs."

Another one - a woman in an exotic dancer outfit, replied, "Calm yourself, Ni. And it has only been minutes".

"But I'm borrrred" Another catgirl, this time with blue hair, whined. "I want to fight someone already!"

"Considering Rias Gremory' inferior numbers, I doubt she could spare enough to entertain us. Still, I did expect some kind of resistance. Either she's careless, or too desperate to end the match as soon as possible before we could promote ourselves and surround her." One in a skimpy maid uniform responded.

"In any case, this is an opportunity we can't miss. Our goal is to promote ourselves into Queens and return to Lord Riser before engaging the others." The other maid, scantily clad, followed.

However, just when they arrived right in front of the entrance of the old school building, the door opened, a long figure walking out of the shadows and into the limelight of the aurora sky.

Emerging was Rias Gremory, standing in her regal splendor as she flicked her crimson hair behind, addressing the intruders with a confident smile.

"Pawns of Riser, I assume? I welcome you all to my clubhouse, but I'm afraid we don't have enough tea for you. Even though I did expect Riser to throw in all of his Pawns here for mass Promotions." Rias greeted with a playful giggle.

"Rias Gremory. What an honor for someone of your stature to greet us, lowly servants in person." The other one of the two maids returned the greeting with a curtsey.

"The pleasure is mine. After all, it is my duty as a King to manage her home." Rias curtseyed back.

The five pawns dispersed, spreading out as they surrounded Rias in a half-circle. The cat girls were smiling with playful confidence, the maids smiling condescendingly, the Arabian dancer calmly smiling with disregard for Rias' status.

"Even if it is you, the King, you cannot defeat all of us." One of the maids called out.

"Nyaaa, just give up."

"Or play with us and lose, nya!"

The two cat-girls followed.

Rias only regarded her opponents for a few seconds while humming. "...True, you outnumber me, but that doesn't mean you outmatch me." She then flashed a knowing smirk. "Besides. I am not alone."

The King smiled at the confused faces of the Pawns as a dawning realization took over them.

Rias looked up, "Akeno, now!"

The sky rumbled as a flashes of lightning blinded the world white for intermittent seconds, prompting the panicking Pawns to leap away or fly back on reflex. However, several thunder lances pierced the unlucky few through their heart, the electricity coursing through their insides, leaving a cauterized hole in their bodies.

[Three Pawns of Riser Phenex have retired.]

"Noooo! Li!"

"Marion!"

Upon Grayfia's voice announcement, the surviving catgirl cried out as she and the surviving maid, Burent, watched helplessly as they watched their teammates retire, disappearing from the scene as the Rating Game recalled them back to base for recovery.

"You missed some, Akeno." Rias amusedly remarked as, from the sky, another figure flapped their wings as they descended.

The surviving Pawns scowled and glowered at the Queen, the Priestess of Thunder.

"At least we have evened the numbers." Akeno giggled with one hand over her mouth.

"Indeed. As for you I shall return your words to you. Surrender yourself, or play with us until you retire." Rias playfully teased as the two Pawns creased their brows in anger at Rias.

"You witch!" The catgirl screamed as she jumped towards Rias with feline acrobatics, zigzagging towards her before she swiped her paw at her face.

However, Rias grabbed the girl's hand and twisted her body around as she threw the girl over her shoulder.

"HA!" Rias shouted as she slammed the Pawn into the ground.

"Nyah?!" The girl coughed as she bounced off the ground. When she looked up, the last thing she saw was Rias' hand who was charging up her Power of Destruction.

"Checkmate."

The air was filled with the cries of the Pawn before another Pawn joined her defeat, courtesy of Akeno's aerial attacks.

[Two of Riser's Pawns have retired.]

"Already?" Ravel looked up, pondering at the announcement. The pawns they sent to Rias' base have fallen faster than estimated.

"How should we proceed, m'lady Ravel?" Mihae asked - Ravel could sense a hint of panic in her calm tone.

"Rias and her Queen turn out to have grown stronger than we expected, but it is of no consequence." Ravel replied dismissively as she observed the battle in front of her. "As long as my brother and Yubellena are here in play, our victory remains assured. Besides"

She smirked deviously as her blue eyes glanced at the new building where her brother resided. "If Rias Gremory chose to go all out, then we shall do the same."

Thoughts on this one?