In a flash of crimson light, the Gremory Peerage appeared in the crowded waiting room, ready for the pre-match confrontation.
Across the room were their opponents, the Phenex Peerage, with Raiser at the forefront. The third son of the Phenex devil household looked relaxed as he sat back comfortably with his Queen on a couch, talking to a group of blonde-haired devils who were undoubtedly his family. His servants, meanwhile, gathered around him. Some were making last-minute preparations, while others remained idle behind their master, but each and every one of them looked ready for the match—unlike Raiser, who was clearly not taking it seriously.
"There you are, Rias."
"Otou-sama, Okaa-sama."
Rias said as she and her servants lowered their heads a little to the two devils that walked over to them, bearing striking resemblances to the heiress of the Gremory devil household. If Issei hadn't been informed beforehand then he might have mistaken the beautiful woman walking beside the crimson-haired man for Rias' sister, given the fact that she looked to be the same age as her daughter and the additions of their nearly identical facial features — save for the color of her hair.
Regardless, it was then that everyone else in the room noticed their arrivals and turned their attention to them, including Raiser and his Peerage. As Rias walked forwards and talked to her parents, Issei glanced over at their opponents, he had to stifle the urge to scoff at the smug grin plastered on Raiser's face. His irritation only deepened when he noticed the way Raiser eyed Rias. It was as if she were nothing more than a trophy he was about to claim.
Still, what caught his attention the most wasn't Raiser or the fact that he was sitting so comfortably with his Queen, a busty and beautiful woman, but rather his sister, Ravel Phenex—or, to be more precise, the weapon she was carrying, being a sleek, metallic red bow with sharp, angular edges and a reinforced grip handle. The bow was adorned with yellow accents that resembled flames resembling the feathers of a phoenix, adding a touch of elegance to its majestic design. Even from afar, Issei could feel the bow pulsing with a faint aura, which made the air around it shimmer slightly.
As Ravel continued to engage in a conversation with a blonde haired woman who Issei could tell was her mother, she noticed him looking her way. She must have thought he was glancing at her instead of her bow because the moment her gaze landed on him, it immediately turned into a look of contempt. Her bodyguard, Isabela, promptly stepped in to stand between him and Ravel and block his view, giving Issei a challenging look as if daring him to continue looking at her little mistress to see what would happen next.
Given that they might have done some research on him and the rest of the Peerage, it was possible they thought he looked at Ravel because he was interested in her, not the weapon she was carrying.
"Hey, Kiba..." Issei reached out and tapped Kiba on the shoulder, speaking just loud enough for the other party to hear in order to clear any misunderstanding. "Do you know that bow she's carrying?"
"Oh, the Phoenix Soul?" the Knight asked in response before continuing as Ravel looked at her bow "About twelve years ago, a raid party led by Ruval Phenex, the current heir to the Phenex family, cleared an S-rank, Ultimate Class Gate that had opened in the Underworld near their territory and slain a powerful Phoenix-like monster, whose feathers and talons were then used to craft that bow, the Phoenix Soul. Since then, the weapon has become a prized possession of the Phenex Household. I heard Ruval-san gave it to his sister to better protect herself. It's said to be one of the finest Gate Items ever created."
As Kiba finished explaining, Raiser, who had stood up, decided to chime in with a smug grin on his face. "And it's also the finest weapon a low-class devil like you will ever get to see in your life, Issei Hyoudou."
"No offense, but I've seen better," Issei replied coolly, causing Raiser to narrow his eyes at him. The blond then held his hand out toward his sister, who hesitated before handing him the bow, after receiving a nod of approval from their mother.
As Raiser took the Phoenix Soul, Issei noticed that its glow and aura seemed to dim significantly. Despite this, the blond maintained a prideful smile as he held it out.
"Really? And do tell, Sekiryuutei, what weapon could possibly match the majesty of the Phoenix Soul, the prized possession of my family?" Raiser smirked as he pulled back the bow string, causing a flaming arrow to materialize. "Surely you don't mean your Boosted Gear, a mid-tier Longinus Sacred Gear."
As it was his turn to narrow his eyes, Raiser continued, the grin on his face widening as he turned to Zeoticus. "Considering that you're a servant of the Gremory, the most renowned name in our Faction for crafting and selling Gate Items and Gears, I wouldn't be surprised if you've seen a few that are similar in quality. Of course, I believe the Phoenix Soul is still your finest work yet, father in law. It is, after all, the item that has brought our two families together, and after the match today, it'll be my marriage with Rias that strengthens our bond."
"I must admit... you do have a way with your words, Raiser." Zeoticus chuckled, exchanging a look with the man who Issei could tell was Lord Phenex. Unlike his son, who greatly resembled him, Issei couldn't help but feel that his smile was kinder, making him seem more friendly and likable.
"Here, why don't you take a closer look." Raiser said as he handed the bow to his servant, Xuelan, who then brought the weapon over to Issei "Soon, you will have the career choice to be a part of the Gremory family business, I'm sure that sure that inspecting this weapon with your own eyes and hands will give you a better..."
But whatever flowery words Raiser tried to say next died in his throat as Issei reached out and took the bow from Xuelan. The moment his hand wrapped around the reinforced handle of the weapon, the phoenix feathers roared to life, flaring into a brilliant golden aura that swirled around him like a blazing fire. The entire room fell silent, stunned by the display from the Phoenix Soul in response to Issei, who was also in awe when he saw its stats.
[!] Phoenix Soul - LV 1
ATK: 400
HP: 400
Rarity: S
Element: Fire
Description: This bow was crafted from the talons and feathers of a phoenix. It is said that its flaming arrows purify the souls of those they pierce, allowing them to be reborn anew.
[Active Skill] – Phoenix Rapid Fire: Applies the [Firebird Soul] effect every 3rd, 6th, and 9th normal arrow. Consume 200 MP per activation. Lasts 15 seconds, cooldown: 25 seconds.
[Firebird Soul: Changes Charged Shot to Phoenix Shot, sending a phoenix flying. The damage of Phoenix Shot increases by 70% per [Firebird Soul] effect stack (can stack up to 3 times). When the user uses Phoenix Shot, consumes all [Firebird Soul] stacks, dealing fire damage equal to 501.33% of attack for each stack. Max 1504%.
"Woah..." Issei uttered in amazement as he marveled at the Phoenix Soul. The aura it emanated gradually became less intense, but the feathers remained just as vibrant, becoming a flaming phoenix wing on the end of each limb before the bow string finally took shape, glowing with a fierce, fiery light.
"Ise..." Rias called out to her Pawn cautiously as Issei raised the bow and pulled the string back, aiming it at the vacant side of the room. A flaming arrow then appeared, its flame growing more intense as he drew the bow string back and held it there. The moment the energy reached its peak, a pair of phoenix wings flared out like a phoenix taking flight before disappearing, leaving a large charged arrow to radiate an intense heat throughout the room.
"I hate to say it but you're right, Raiser. This is one impressive bow." Issei commented, looking over to Zeoticus to give him a nod of his head before lowering the Phoenix Soul down, causing the flaming arrow to vanish as the string slowly returned to its original position. "But I suppose the true measure of a weapon is not just in its craftsmanship, but in its wielder as well."
As Issei handed the bow back to Ravel, she looked at him in surprise for a moment before accepting it with both hands. Even as the bow was returned to her, the feathers retained their fierce aura, though the glow had dimmed slightly.
"Thank you." The blonde said as Issei smiled at her, making Ravel blush slightly. At the same time, Issei knew full well that Raiser was fuming behind him, and he didn't need the System to alert him of the murderous intent being directed at him to know that.
"My, we still have a few minutes before the match starts, and it seems it's already heating up in here."
A cheery remark caught their attention, and every devil in the room turned their heads to the door to see Sirzechs Lucifer making his way in with his assistant Grayfia Lucifuge. Issei could see the striking resemblances between Sirzechs and Rias, with the Lucifer Maou being a male version of his master, with shoulder-length crimson hair and blue eyes, which he clearly inherited from Lord Gremory.
"Sirzechs-sama!" "Lucifer-sama!" "Sirzechs!" "Onii-sama!" The devils in the room greeted the current Lucifer, with the servants bowing their heads to show respect to him.
Smiling, Sirzechs waved a hand and nodded his head to them, his eyes scanning the room with a relaxed demeanor before settling on Rias, Raiser, and the other participants in the upcoming Rating Game match. His gaze eventually fell on Issei, who found himself feeling rather nervous because he could tell the man was seizing him up. No doubt that Grayfia had reported back everything about him to her master.
"Sirzechs-sama, I didn't expect you to be here." Raiser said, stepping forward to be the first to address the crimson haired Maou, who smiled and answered him.
"This is an event that will have a significant impact on the future of my little sister and possibly the entire Devil Faction as a whole, of course I have to be here." Sirzechs pointed out, making many devils in the room nod their heads in understanding "Also, a special guest will join us in the spectator room today with Serafall, so I want to ensure that everything proceeds smoothly. It's not every day we have such an important company, even for an unofficial Rating Game match, after all."
"Sir, may I ask..."
Before Raiser could finish asking the question, a magic circle appeared in the center of the room, bearing a crest that Issei had never seen before while emanating a blue glow. After a brief moment, two figures materialized from the circle.. The one on the left was a beautiful girl who looked in her late teens with black hair tied into twin tails by purple ribbons and striking blue eyes. She wore a dark green, long-sleeved button-up shirt paired with a long, flowing black dress, giving her a noble and elegant appearance.
The one on the right, meanwhile, was a breathtakingly beautiful and extremely voluptuous woman, who immediately stole the breath of almost every man in the room with her stunning beauty. Issei, however, was the only other exception in the room beside Sirzechs, simply because like the crimson haired Maou, he was used to her overwhelming allures by now after meeting her so many times.
"April-san!?" The Sekiryuutei blurted out before he could stop himself, causing every devil in the room to look at him, with the woman herself turning toward him with a beaming smile.
"Dear me, it's only been a week since I last saw you yet you seem to have grown taller and more muscular." April replied with a playful smile, one that Issei had learnt to be her signature, making it hard for him to tell if she was being serious or not.
"You two know each other?" Sirzechs asked in interest as he turned his attention between Issei and April, who both nodded their heads to him in response before answering at the same time.
"She is my client."
"I have been hiring him to do the household chores at my place in Kuoh."
Hearing this, the girl, whom Issei assumed was Serafall Leviathan, another leader of the Devil Faction alongside Sirzechs, uttered in amazement "Oh, so that's where you've been staying, Aphrodite-sama. No wonder I could never guess it right—the town would be the last place I'd think to look."
"Aphrodite?" Issei gasped in shock, his eyes widening in his belief as he stared at the blonde haired woman standing before him "You're the goddess Aphrodite? From Greek mythology?"
"Greek goddess of love and beauty, as well as all that related." Aphrodite confirmed with a nod and a playful smile. Her eyes twinkled with amusement as she continued "It was fun using my mortal identity every once in a while, but I do appreciate the acknowledgment. It's always entertaining to see how everyone reacts when they realize that the goddess of love and beauty herself is right in front of them."
Issei could only nod slowly in response as he was at a loss for words. Now that he thought about it, she had mentioned before that she was from Greece.
"And in case you are wondering, yes, what I told you was the truth. I came here for business. As the diplomat of Olympus, I'm working closely with Serafall here to build an alliance between Olympus and the Devil Faction. Thanks to you, I have been enjoying my time in the world of mortals." With that said, she turned her attention to Rias and gave her a smile. "I guess that means you should also have my thanks, Rias Gremory, for sending me such a capable servant. Issei is quite fun to hang around with."
"O-Oh, please don't mention it, Aphrodite-sama." Rias answered with a soft smile as she exchanged a look with Issei, who could only shrug his shoulders back to him in response.
"With that in mind, I have decided to come here today to watch this... Rating Game that I have heard so much about." Aphrodite smiled as she continued "Serafall tried to convince me that this was only an unofficial match to settle a dispute between two families, but when I heard that my favorite devil would be participating in this match with the Gremory Peerage, I couldn't really turn down the opportunity to see him in action— and that is me not even considering the fact that he's the famous Red Dragon Emperor of this generation."
The Goddess of love winked at him, making Issei chuckle nervously in response while wondering if she had known that he was the possessor of Boosted Gear from the moment that he showed up at her home.
"For that, I'll be rooting for you and your team, Issei. Show me what you're capable of, and prove to me that the week you couldn't come to work for me to concentrate on your training wasn't a total waste of time that could have been spent for something better." Aphrodite continued, making Issei and the Gremory Peerage widen their eyes in surprise.
Smiling, the love Goddess then turned her attention to Raiser and his Peerage to speak to him "However, that also does not mean just because I want to see them win, you and your servants should throw the match just for the sake of entertaining me, Raiser Phenex. Serafall has briefed me on the stakes of this match, and from what I have seen, you are in favor of winning. Therefore, I expect a fair and challenging game where each side gives their best effort to show me what the Rating Game is truly about."
"I have no intention of doing otherwise, milady," Raiser said, bowing his head to the goddess.
"How about this then. If you win, I will be more than happy to attend your wedding," Aphrodite said, causing Raiser and the Phenex to gasp in shock. "I might not be the goddess of marriage like her majesty of Mount Olympus, but a wedding blessed and graced by the goddess of love is sure to be an event no one will ever forget."
"Then it's a match that I absolutely must win now, milady. I will show you what the Rating Game is about." Raiser said with a smile that showed his barely contained excitement.
"Now, back to my favorite devil and his team." Aphrodite said in a sing-song voice as she asked Issei "What is it that you want if you win? Just so you know, I'm aware that you aspire to become a harem king. That is the reason you always work so diligently to earn your paycheck and credits, isn't it?" She asked, once again wearing a playful smile as she pointed a finger at Issei.
"Uh... yeah, you're not wrong there, Aphrodite-sama." Issei let out a chuckle while scratching the back of his head.
"Well, do you want a harem, then? I have quite a few handmaidens who would be thrilled to be with a fine young man like you. If you win, I'll personally handpick the most beautiful and attractive of them all to be your lovers. You can even pick them yourself if you want... as long as you and your team come out on top, of course." Aphrodite finished, causing his eyes to widen and his jaw to drop slightly in shock and awe. For a moment, it seemed to everyone in the room that he might accept the tempting offer.
"It would be amazing, Aphrodite-sama," Issei said, a hint of hesitation in his voice. "But what I truly want is something you cannot grant."
Aphrodite and many devils in the room looked at him in surprise. "And what might that be?" She asked, intrigued.
To their surprise, Issei turned to Sirzechs, and spoke to him "What I want is something you can grant, Sirzechs-sama. If we win the match today and you find my abilities to be up to par, I would be grateful if you could give us the clearance to participate in Raiding without having to wait until I reach middle class."
His words caused the entire room to fall into silence. Even the Phenex Peerage found themselves at a loss for words in response to hearing such a request from him, a low class devil. Aphrodite, meanwhile, eyed the young devil with amusement and new found interest, clearly fascinated by the audacity.
"I would like to know what led you to make such a request, Issei Hyoudou-kun." Sirzechs said, his tone becoming slightly more serious than before "Sekiryuutei or not, Raiding is extremely dangerous for those who might not be ready for it. You are aware that there's a reason such privilege has never been granted before?"
"I am, and that is precisely why I want a devil of your caliber to judge whether I'm ready after the match today." Issei replied with a firm nod. "As for my reason, it's simple – I want to keep pushing myself to become stronger. Every battle I fight, every challenge I overcome... brings me closer to the strength I need to protect your sister and all those I care about. It's not that I have any problem with working mundane tasks and devil jobs, but I have heard that a low-class devil might take months, maybe even a full year to earn the right for a promotion doing them. I can't afford to slow down now and wait until that."
"It has come to our attention that you have been raiding the Gates that opened in Kuoh, Issei-kun, without telling my sister or anyone." Sirzechs said, causing Aphrodite and the Phenex Peerage to widen their eyes in shock. "Tell me, how many Gates have you attempted so far."
"Four, Sirzechs-sama." Technically, the correct answer would be none, but if Instance Dungeons were the same as Gates, then there was no reason to not include them.
"And you cleared all of them?"
"If defeating the most powerful monster inside is what it takes to close them, yes, Sirzechs-sama."
"Nonsense!" Raiser scoffed "Those Gates must be E-rank at best. There's no way that a low born person like you could have cleared all four of those Gates by yourself."
"Even if they were and he didn't do it alone, what's with the sudden change in attitude, Raiser? Is discovering another servant of mine who can stand toe to toe... no, one who can even beat you and your Peerage that shocking to you?" Rias taunted, making Raiser narrow his eyes at her while a golden aura surrounded him, causing the atmosphere in the room to grow tense.
"Don't you dare mock me, Rias. Your servant might show great potential by raiding those Gates himself, but that doesn't change that he has broken the rules that are set by your brother and the other Maou." Raiser said before he turned his attention over to Sirzechs "Surely a punishment is in order for such reckless behavior, Sirzechs-sama."
Rias, however, wasn't about to back down. "Punishment? You said it yourself, Raiser. Those Gates must have been E-rank at best, so the punishment should be nothing more than a light warning. Moreover, Issei should be recognized for handling four solo raids by himself. I think you're just afraid—afraid that even with all your power, you might actually lose now."
"Lose? How laughable!"
At that, Raiser summoned his phoenix wings as his servants rushed to his side. But at the same time, the Gremory Peerage did the same for their master, with Issei immediately stepping up in front of her, unleashing an aura that matched that of Raiser and pushed back the heat radiating from his wings as the two Peerages glared at each other.
"Ooo, how exciting!" Aphrodite remarked, breaking the tension that had fallen upon the room with her voice as she turned to Serafall and said. "You said because of the nature of the match, there would be no trash talk. Yet here we are, throwing words at one another... I must say this is turning out to be quite the spectacle."
"Believe me, Aphrodite-sama, I am just as surprised as you are." Serafall said while scratching her cheek with a finger. At the same time, Grayfia checked the clock and leaned toward Sirzechs to whisper something to him, making the crimson haired Lucifer nod his head in acknowledgement before announcing with a smile as the silver haired maid turned on her heels and left the room.
"The time for the Assessment Ceremony is upon us, everyone." Sirzechs announced before looking at Issei "We will talk more about your request, as well as punishment later, Issei-kun."
A moment later, Grayfia returned to the room, bringing with her a white-haired male devil who appeared to be in his fifties, an unusual choice since adult devils were known to use their demonic powers to appear much younger than their physical age. His choice was also equally striking, consisting of a three-piece suit with a dark jacket featuring long coattails and sharply striped trousers. He completed his look with a pocket square, a crimson colored tie, and a monocle on his left eye, giving him an air of distinguished elegance and professionalism.
"How do you do? My name is Horace Morgan Winston." The devil introduced himself formally, bowing his head to both sides of the room. "On behalf of the household I serve, the Gremory, and the Crimson Emporium, I shall begin the assessment of the items that the two Peerages participating in this Rating Game match will be bringing with them."
Both Peerages nodded, with Raiser and Rias leading their servants to the table on the other side of the room. Raiser placed the Phoenix Soul and a vial containing a clear substance onto the table. Issei, having been briefed about the Assessment Ceremony in advance, took off his jacket – the only piece of equipment he had on since any additional gear could be detected by the Evaluator, even if they were invisible to the eyes, and might be considered cheating due to the rule of 2 items – and handed it to Rias to set in on their side of the table alongside an amulet with a gleaming red gem that seemed to pulse with a faint, magical glow.
"Serafall, what is this about?" Aphrodite asked as she leaned toward Serafall.
Serafall turned to Aphrodite with a knowing smile. "What we are watching right now is the Assessment Ceremony, a crucial part of every Rating Game. This is where the quality and effectiveness of the items each Peerage will use in the Game are evaluated to ensure they meet the standards set for the match."
As Horace carefully picked up the Phoenix Soul and examined it, Serafall continued "Because both households have agreed to play the standard Rating Game, each Peerage is allowed to bring a maximum of two items into the match. There are other versions that allow teams to bring more, but one rule that must be complied with across all variants of the Game is that items chosen to be used in the match by one team cannot exceed the quality of those from the opposing team. The benchmark will be determined by the highest quality item of the team that wins a minigame, or the team that is under challenge. In this case, it has been decided that Raiser-kun will have the right to set the bar with his items."
"Horace ji-chan, a Senior Evaluator from the Crimson Emporium and the current Advisor for the Item Evaluation Committee of the official Rating Game Tournaments, is highly regarded in this area. With how many Gate Items and Gears there are in the market, his task is to ensure that the ones brought into the game are fair and compliant with regulations as well as restrictions." Serafall concluded, making Aphrodite nod of her head in understanding.
"Ah, yes, the Phoenix Soul. One of the finest weapons my lord, sir Zeoticus Gremory, has ever crafted from the materials harvested within Gates and their monsters. It appears this weapon has been remarkably well-maintained. Quite impressive," Horace marveled as he examined the Phoenix bow.
"Yes, I clean it daily ever since Ruval nii-sama gave it to me, to ensure it remains in top condition," Ravel replied eagerly, her mother nodding in approval behind her.
"I couldn't have chosen a better wielder myself, young lady. You and your eldest brother seem to have a unique connection with the bow, stronger than anyone else even in your noble household." Horace said with a warm smile before his expression shifted to a frown as he examined the bow more closely. "How curious— though the feathers seem more vibrant than I remember. Moreover, its aura seems to be yearning for someone..."
Before Horace could finish, Raiser impatiently interrupted, "Can we just get on with the assessment? We don't have all day."
Horace glanced at Raiser, slightly taken aback by the interruption, but eventually lowered his head in acknowledgment. "My most sincere apologies, sir. It's an old habit of mine to delve into the details when evaluating items of such quality as the Phoenix Soul."
With that said, he placed the Phoenix Soul down and turned his attention to the vial. "The second item is the pride creation of the Phoenix Household—a vial of Phoenix Tears, renowned for its ability to heal even the deadliest of wounds. An item of this caliber has been classified by the Rating Game officials as S-rank in quality."
"With that, I have finished assessing the items of the Phenex Peerage. The maximum quality for the items chosen by Rias ojou-sama and her Peerage will be set at S-rank as they are the challenger." Horace then turned his attention to Rias and Issei to address the items before them "Now, I will begin evaluating the items of the Gremory Peerage. The first item is the Cinder Ward Amulet, an A-rank quality item that grants the user a magical barrier against fire damage. A fine choice against a peerage skilled in fire magic."
Rias nodded her head in confirmation. It was an item she had prepared beforehand, and it actually granted the user a total of 15% fire resistance, as Issei had confirmed in secret using the System.
"And now, the jacket. May I have a closer look? This is my first time seeing this item." Horace requested, placing the Cinder Ward Amulet down as Issei pushed his hooded jacket over and waited for the evaluator's assessment. "Impressive needlework. The surface is so much more durable than it looks, yet so light. May I ask from whom you acquired such an item?"
"In my first raid, I defeated the Goblin Chieftain for it." Issei replied, drawing curious glances from everyone in the room.
"A Goblin Chieftain dropped this item, is what you are saying?" Horace asked slowly.
Issei chuckled nervously and explained, "Ah, well, it was a tattered cloak at first, but when I picked it up, it transformed into this jacket."
"Ah, that makes more sense. Although this is my first time hearing about an item capable of transforming itself to fit the wearer, the magical beasts and monsters inside Gates possess magic that we have yet to fully grasp." Horace acknowledged before he moved his hands, which emitted a soft glow, over the jacket as a puzzled look crossed his face. "How strange, though. Aside from its rather interesting backstory, this item is a B-rank..."
"A B-rank item, seriously, Rias?" Raiser demanded, his voice dripping with mockery. "Your family is the prestigious owner of the Crimson Emporium, renowned for crafting and selling the finest Gate Items and Gears of our Faction. Yet you chose to bring a somewhat decent A-rank amulet and a B-rank trash jacket looted from a lowly goblin into this match against me? Do you want to lose that hard."
"Bet that goblin could have smoked your ass, Raiser, just saying." Issei held his hands up and said with a small grin, making Raiser turn to him with his eyes narrowed.
Rias responded with a pleasant smile. "Saying anything right now will just reveal our strategy to you, Raiser. Keep provoking us if you want, but that won't change the outcome of this match. Victory will be ours." She paused before adding confidently, "And in case you're wondering, yes, my parents did offer me a wide variety of powerful items to choose from before the match, but I felt it would give us too much of an unfair advantage. So... I declined."
"You should have accepted those items. They might have helped you hold out long enough for me to make this match entertaining for our spectators, but suit yourself, Rias." Raiser scoffed, snatching the jacket from Horace before he could evaluate it further before tossing it to Issei, who caught it with a snicker. "No matter. It's time I show you the difference between our levels. Let's get this fight started."
"The Assessment Ceremony is done. The match can now start. Good luck to both Peerage." Horace lowered his head to both Rias and Raiser before stepping back, allowing them to return to their families and exchange some last words with the lords and ladies of their respective households before the match began.
"Rias, a word." Venelana said as she stepped forward, making her daughter turn and look at her "I know you may think that we've pushed you to this point, and perhaps you believe we want you to lose so you'll comply with our wishes."
Venelana's voice softened as she continued while looking at her daughter, taking her hand into her own, "But remember this—you are still our daughter, and we want nothing but the best for you. While we may have our own expectations and hopes because you're the heiress of our family, that doesn't mean we wish for your unhappiness. No matter what happens in this match or afterward, know that we will be supporting you."
"Thank you, okaa-sama," Rias said with a smile, feeling a wave of relief wash over her, as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
"Your mother has already said everything I would have, so... good luck, Rias, everyone. Give it your all." Zeoticus encouraged heartily, looking at his daughter and then at the rest of her Peerage, who smiled and nodded in response.
After both Peerages had teleported to their respective base in the battlefield, those who remained behind, the parents, officials, and the esteemed guest, started moving into the spectating room, taking their seats in front of the large, magically-enhanced viewing screen dominating the wall across from them, offering a clear view of the battlefield from multiple angles.
"Sirzechs-sama, you felt it too, didn't you?" Grayfia asked quietly as she followed Sirzechs into the room, ensuring her voice was low enough to avoid being overheard. "From Issei-san..."
"I did. You're right, Grayfia." Sirzechs said, his tone serious.
"There's something else you should know," Grayfia continued, her expression serious. "Not only has he grown significantly stronger since I last saw him, but the number of presences I could sense from him has also increased. If he can summon some kind of familiars as I suspected, then the number of his familiars has likely doubled."
Their conversation ended after that, with Grayfia taking her position as both the announcer and referee of the match at her post on the other side of the room, leaving Sirzechs with questions as he took his seats next to Serafall, who was chatting happily with Aphrodite, at the front row. His gaze shifted to the Gremory side of the screen, where he watched Issei with a mix of curiosity and interest as the young man prepared for the match alongside his sister and the rest of the Peerage.
After being teleported to their base, which was none other than their clubroom, with the battlefield being a perfect replica of their entire academy, each member of the Gremory Peerage found themselves engaging in different activities to calm their nerves. After all, this was their first major battle—a fight that would determine their futures as well as that of their beloved master, Rias, whom they all adored and wanted the best for.
Rias sat in her usual seat; her eyes closed. A map of the entire school lay before her, but she wasn't using it. On the surface, she appeared calm, but anyone could tell she was boiling with anxiety. Akeno stood by at her side, her serene smile masking her own nervousness. Kiba was checking his blades, despite knowing each and every one of them was perfectly sharp, as they were crafted by his own Sacred Gear. Koneko, meanwhile, kept her attention on checking the grip of her fighting gloves.
"Don't you feel nervous, Issei-san?" Asia asked as she walked over to Issei, who looked surprisingly the calmest compared to the rest of the group. He was the one standing on the side of the room, doing some light stretching that he always did before a fight.
"Oh, honestly I don't think I am..." Issei answered Asia with a small smile, looking at his hands. He felt fine, surprisingly enough.
[I would be surprised if you do otherwise, partner.] Ddraig chuckled in his mind [After all those life-threatening battles you've been through in the Instance Dungeons, I bet this feels like a daily quest routine for you.]
'Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Ddraig.' Issei responded to Ddraig while still looking at Asia, although he had to admit that his dragon partner had a point.
Asia watched him closely, her eyes full of admiration. "You're really amazing, Issei-san. I wish I could be as brave as you."
Issei chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I'm not that amazing, Asia. Just trying to do my best here, like everyone else. And don't sell yourself short, you are brave too. You have come a long way, so let's do our best together and win this for Rias-senpai!"
Asia nodded with a beaming smile, feeling reassured by his words. "You're right. We'll do our best, together."
"Greetings everyone." The familiar voice of a certain silver haired maid sounded from the speakers. "My name is Grayfia Lucifuge, a servant of the Gremory Family. I have been charged with the honor of refereeing the match between Riser Phenex-sama and Rias Gremory-sama. After taking in the opinions of both Riser-sama and Rias-sama, we have decided to use a replica of Kuoh Academy, the school that Rias-sama and her servants attend in the human world, as the battlefield."
"Here we go, everyone." Rias announced, looking at Issei to see him nodding his head reassuringly at her before taking a deep breath.
"Both Peerage have now been transferred to their respective strongholds." Grayfia continued to speak. "The stronghold of the Gremory Peerage is in the Occult Research Clubroom of the old school building, while the Phenex Peerage will have their base located in the Student Council Office of the new school building. As this is the standard variant of the Rating Game, in order to promote, each Pawn will have to cross into the stronghold of the opposing opponent."
'The match will officially start in 10 minutes. I wish everyone the best of luck.'
Just as Issei had expected, a Quest Window came up in front of him, bearing the notification that he had been waiting for.
[!] Notice – Important Main Quest Accepted!
Quest Title: The King of the Game
Primary Objective:
- Defeat Raiser Phenex while ensuring the safety of your King, Rias Gremory.
Enemy Remaining: 1/1
Optional objectives:
1. [A Lone King: Work with your party and eliminate all servants of Raiser Phenex before confronting him.
Enemies Remaining: 15/15
2. [No Promotions Allowed: Work with your party and stop the Phenex Pawns from reaching your base and achieving promotion.
3. [Team Player: Ensure the safety of your teammates throughout the battle.
4. [Domination: Deal a total of 30.000 damage.
Damage Done: 0/30.000
5. [Rock Steady: Sustains no more than 2500HP worth of damage for the entire Game.
Damage Taken: 2500/2500
Note: You will be rewarded for your performance with each additional task completed.
'Alright, sounds simple enough...' Issei thought as he reviewed the Quest. Basically, he had to convincingly defeat Raiser and his entire Peerage, while keeping Rias and his comrades from getting eliminated. What interested him the most, however, was the fact that the Quest would reward him based on his performance with the optional objectives, which seemed to be the real challenges of the Quest. Issei had a feeling he could earn some amazing rewards if he managed to complete them.
"Everyone, gather around. We need to discuss our strategy." Rias called. The members of the Gremory Peerage quickly assembled around Rias, who finally looked at the map on the table before her though not before she had made a request to her best friend. "Akeno."
"Take these, everyone." Akeno said as she handed out small earpieces, which were clearly their communication devices. "We will keep in touch at all times with these."
"Thanks, Akeno-san." Issei said as he grabbed a communicator and put it in his ear.
"Our goal is simple. We need to get Issei here so that he can promote himself to Queen." Rias said, pointing her hand at the new school building on the map. "At the same time, we must eliminate as many of their Pawns as possible to prevent them from reaching our territory and promoting themselves. It would be incredibly problematic if the Phenex manages to promote even one Pawn, let alone all eight, into Queens."
"Going through the schoolyard is the fastest route to reach the new building." Rias continued, accepting a red pen to circle a yellow-bordered area on the map between the two buildings. "However, this area here can be seen clearly from the Student Council Office. Raiser could easily mobilize his strongest servants to intercept us if we attempt to cross the schoolyard. A direct confrontation with them, especially Yubelluna who is known for her destructive fire magic, would be needlessly dangerous."
"What about the Gymnasium? Perhaps we should try taking this location first?" Kiba said, pointing his hand at the square with the word Gymnasium written inside. "It's close to our base, and at the same time, we can use it to gather more information on our enemy."
Rias tapped her chin with the butt of the pen in a thoughtful manner. "That is true. If we can take control of it, then certainly we will have an advantage." She leaned over the desk. "So be it then. However, in an enclosed space like this, the heavy hitters will definitely have an advantage."
"Then Koneko-chan and I are the ones who should go then." Issei said, looking over to Koneko to see the white-haired girl nodding her head to him.
"While you move there, I will have Kiba set up traps at these locations around the forest. Be sure to avoid them." Rias said as she pointed them to the locations of the traps, which Issei memorized to the heart "Once done, Kiba will assist with the capture of the Gymnasium. Akeno will provide support from a distance, but you need to stay hidden until we see their Queen making her own move."
"Roger that." Akeno nodded her head to her best friend before looking over to Issei as he prepared to leave with Koneko and Kiba "You two be careful out there, alright?"
"Alright, Akeno-san." Issei smiled, then added something that Sirzechs and the more experienced devils in the room couldn't help but feel wasn't directed at any of his friends. "Keep them safe."
"Good luck, Koneko, Ise." Rias called after them, making Issei nod his head to her with a reassuring smile before closing the door behind him.
The journey to the gymnasium was swift and uneventful. Kiba soon parted away from Issei and Koneko to go set up the traps around the old school building, leaving the Pawn and Rook to head to the place until the two were able to sneak in through the backdoor. The place was dark with most of the lights being out, but their devil vision allowed them to make out enough of the room to see that it looked exactly like the original gym it was made to resemble.
"Someone is already here." Issei whispered to Koneko, who nodded her head to him and tightened the straps of her gloves around her wrists. Cracking his knuckles a little, Issei then called out, his voice echoing through the empty space "We know you are there!"
For a moment, there was no response, but it was clear that the enemies weren't trying to maintain a stealthy approach either. The lights of the Gymnasium were then turned on, revealing the four female figures standing on the other side of the room near the front entrance. Having done his own research about them, Issei did not need to see their Status Windows that popped up next to them to know that the four were: Xuelan, the girl who was dressed in the revealing Cheongsam; the chainsaws wielding twin, Ile and Nel; and the bo staff wielding Mira.
"Seems like Rias-sama has the same idea as our master." Xuelan said as she walked on ahead and took a fighting stance "Shall we start, then? Summon your Boosted Gear. Show me what..."
[Skill Activated – Sprint]
Before she could finish, Issei had already launched himself forward with speed greater than that of a Knight, his glowing eyes leaving a trail in the air as he moved his body in a blur and threw his punch with Boosted Gear materializing on his left arm at Xuelan, who had just enough time to bring up her arms and cross them in front of her to block.
[Boost!]
[Skill Activated – Penetrate]
MP: 1975 / 2135
A shockwave rippled through the entire Gymnasium, rattling the walls and shattering the windows. Xuelan widened her eyes in shock as she felt the overwhelming force behind the blow, which seemed to tear through her defense and launched her backward like a missile. Her body tore through the gymnasium wall, the concrete and metal crumbling around her as she was sent hurtling into the forest outside. She tumbled through the air, smashing through the treeline before finally crashing into the forest floor, skidding to a stop amidst a long cloud of dirt and leaves.
"Raiser Phenex-sama's one Rook retired."
Enemies Remaining: 14/15
"Oh, dear me..." Aphrodite let out a gasp of amazement as she watched the scene that had just unfolded on the viewing screen. Her eyes sparkled with a mix of admiration and surprise as she leaned forward, a playful smile dancing on her lips.
"He eliminated a Rook whose ability is on par with a Queen with a single punch..." Zeoticus uttered in amazement, voicing the thought that many devils in the room were having in their mind. Like them, he was stunned by the display of raw physical prowess, having not expected the Pawn to open the match with an attack like that. Shifting their attention over to the side of the screen showing the view inside the Student Council office, Sirzechs noticed Raiser Phenex wearing the same expression of disbelief. It was clear that Raiser hadn't expected one of his strongest servants, Xuelan, to be eliminated so early in the battle.
Before the twin could recover and activate their weapons, Issei had spun around and delivered a powerful punch to each of them in rapid succession. Ile was slammed into the ground while Nel was sent flying backward, her body soaring through the air before crashing into the far wall with a deafening thud. Mira was able to snap herself back and tried to hit Issei from behind with her bo staff, but the weapon was caught mid-swing by Koneko, who then twisted it out of her hands before launching a quick jab to her midsection. As Mira stumbled back gasping for breath, Koneko then shot forward and followed up her attack with a palm strike that sent the Pawn sprawling across the floor before being teleported away by the Retired System just like the rest of the defeated fighters.
"Raiser Phenex-sama's Three Pawns has retired."
Enemies Remaining: 11/15
Damage Done: 8540 / 30.000
"Good work, Issei-senpai." Koneko said, nodding his head to Issei, who held up his thumb to her.
His smile, however, turned upside down when he felt his inner alarm alerting him of an imminent threat, which casted an orangish glow over the broken window of the Gymnasium. Without wasting a second, Issei rushed over to Koneko and grabbed her to dash as fast as he could out of the building, bursting through the door just as a colossal fireball collided with the roof of the gym. The next instance, the entire place exploded, consuming everything within in a blazing inferno and sending out a shockwave that knocked Issei and Koneko flat on their faces.
"You okay?" Issei asked, shouting over the ringing in their ears as he glanced over to Koneko as the little Rook picked herself up and nodded in response.
After standing up himself, Issei looked over his shoulder and saw Yubelluna, the Queen of Raiser Phenex, hovering over them with her devil wings outstretched. Defeating the four who were sent to capture the gym had likely escalated whatever original plan they had, leading Yubelluna to blow up the entire place to take out everyone inside. Issei had to admit, it was a sound strategy despite the cold nature of it. Given their smaller number, they would have suffered far more from such a devastating attack compared to the Phenex Peerage.
As Issei prepared himself to face Yubelluna, who he could tell had noticed them coming out of her attack unharmed, the sound of thunder alerted her to the arrival of another combatant. The Bomb Queen instantly reacted, creating a magical barrier to block a bolt of lightning surging toward her from above. The force of the lightning pushed her back slightly, but Yubelluna wasted no time to regain her composure as she turned to face Akeno, whose black wings spread wide as the air around her crackled with electric energy.
"Ise, Koneko, do you hear me? Get out of there and let Akeno handle the enemy Queen." Issei heard Rias speak to him through the earpiece.
"But I can help." Issei protested, his gaze shifting back to Akeno and Yubelluna, who were locked in a fierce aerial magic duel. The sky above was set ablaze with their magical prowess, a chaotic dance of fire and lightning that illuminated the battlefield in brilliant orange and yellow.
"No, Ise. Akeno is more than capable of handling Yubelluna on her own. You have to trust her." Rias insisted before she told him. "Your priority right now is to help Yuuto secure the area. He is engaging the enemies just a hundred yards from you. More are closing in his location as we speak."
"Go, senpai. I will be right behind you." Koneko spoke to him, making Issei nod his head in understanding before dashing away after giving Akeno a final glance.
As Issei sprinted away, the sounds of magic clashing in the air roared behind him. His focus shifted to finding Kiba, and he quickly spotted his friend in the distance, dueling valiantly against the enemy knights while the Pawns rushed toward him from the distance, clearly receiving the same order from their master as Issei had from his. The blond Knight was clearly overwhelmed, but holding his ground well even if the odds were stacked against him.
"Kiba!" Issei shouted as he leaped out of the forest, his voice cutting through the din of battle.
The knight glanced over, relief flashing across his face. "Issei-kun! Great timing!"
With that said, he tossed the sword in his left hand to Issei, who caught it with his right hand while running alongside Kiba, the two of them charging into the fight together with renewed determination. Their blades clashed with those of Karlarmine and Siris, who found themselves being pushed on the defensive against the combined assault of Issei and Kiba, who unleashed a flurry of strikes together to send the two swordswomen reeling back, their defenses barely holding under the relentless pressure.
The Pawns tried to come to their aid, but it was then that Koneko arrived, leaping into the air to descend before them with her tiny fists. The crater she created by punching the ground in front of them was anything but small, sending out a shockwave that pushed the Pawns back. Ni and Li, the two cat-girls who specialize in hand to hand combat, rushed at Koneko to engage her in close quarter combat, but even fighting together two versus one, the two quickly found themselves biting off more than they could chew. Dodging their attacks, Koneko then retaliated with a left hook, knocking Ni off balance and sending her crashing into a nearby tree. Li attempted to strike from behind, but Koneko spun around, delivering a crushing blow that sent her sprawling to the ground.
At the same time, Issei clashed blade with Siris, the swordswoman who wielded a Zweihander in battle. Despite the force of her swing with her large sword, which unleashed shock waves and powerful gusts of winds at him, Issei found himself having little trouble holding his ground against her, channeling his demonic power into the sword Kiba had lent him to make sure that it would not break whenever their blades clashed. Siris was clearly a talented swordswoman, and she was surprisingly strong for a Knight, but her techniques paled in comparison to Kiba.
"Take this!" Issei shouted and slashed his sword in the same manner Siris did, forcing her to raise her Zweihander to defend herself, expecting him to unleash a shock wave just like she had been doing.
[Boost!]
To her surprise and that of everyone who was watching, Issei threw his sword at her instead before dashing forward with the green jewel of his gauntlet shining once more. Siris reacted quickly, deflecting the sword with the broadside of her own weapon before slashing her blade at Issei, who ran directly at her.
[Skill Activated: Ruler's Hand]
You can exert physical force on objects without having to touch them directly. This skill does not cost mana.
Just when everyone thought Issei had made an incorrect decision, he held out his hand out and recalled his sword to him, using it to parry the strike from Siris and give himself an opening to launch his fist into her guts, sending her soaring back and crashing into the new school building before she could even let out a sound.
Damage Done: 11.140 / 30.000
Next to him, Kiba dueled the other knight, Karlamine, who was clearly much more skilled with her blades than her fellow swordswoman. Both her sword and dagger were engulfed in flame, and a few strikes were all that she needed to shatter Kiba's weapon, allowing her confidence to grow. Kiba, however, was far from finished. Holding his hand out, he summoned a new sword from his Sacred Gear, its blade looking to be made of solid ice, stunning Karlamine, who had not anticipated this.
"You have multiple Sacred Gears?"
"Actually, I have one that can create multiple swords." Kiba answered with a smile. At the realization that he possessed the Sacred Gear Sword Birth, Karlarmine shifted her expression from confidence to concern. The ice blade met her flaming weapons in a flash, the intense cold it radiated rapidly absorbing the heat of the flames and causing her weapon to crack. The swordswoman switched her tactic, unleashing a whirlwind to overwhelm Kiba.
But once more, Kiba proved the vast diversity of his swords created by his Sacred Gear, summoning another blade with a square-shaped hole at its tip, where a black hole then appeared and sucked in the whirlwind just as it reached him. Stunned, Karlarmine barely had time to react as Kiba suddenly dashed at her with both blades, slashing her chest in an X-formation. The swordswoman could only let out a cry before she was swallowed in a bright light and disappeared, being retired from the match.
"Raiser Phenex-sama's two Knights have retired."
Enemies Remaining: 9/15
Damage Done: 11.140 / 30.000
'Two more and I should be halfway there...'
Issei thought as he nodded his head to Kiba and shifted his attention to the Pawns, leaning his torso back to dodge a fireball thrown at him by one of them—Shuriya, if he remembered correctly. Aside from Karlamine and Siris, no one in the Phenex Peerage appeared to dress appropriately for combat, with the Pawns wearing outfits more suited for private activities. Issei admitted he appreciated the view, but at the same time, he couldn't help but wonder if this was Raiser's intention with his fetishes for his harem. It was clear, however, that the Phenex wasn't taking this match seriously at all.
Then again, neither were they, since Rias had decided that they should wear their school uniforms.
No matter. Unlike them, Issei had come here with the goal to win. As he dashed into the fight alongside Kiba to assist Koneko against the remaining members of the Phenex Peerage, his only regret was the lack of a significant challenge to prove himself to Sirzechs for the Raiding Clearance.
But winning was more important, and Issei had no reason to hold himself back either. Better make the most out of it.
Ravel Phenex could do nothing but stand behind Isabela, who shared the shock she was feeling as they watched the battle taking place in front of them.
No, calling it a battle would be generous. In a battle, there was a chance of victory for either side.
But there was no such chance here.
Massacre would be a much more benefiting term to what she was seeing. After Karlarmine and Siris, it was Mihae, her fellow Bishop, that fell next. Being the last piece that was not a Pawn aside from Ravel and Isabela, who had to prioritize protecting her instead of fighting, she was the first one to break out of her fear and attempt to fight back. As a Bishop with extraordinary magical abilities, she tried to provide support to the others by casting enhancement spells on them while keeping her distance from the Gremory with a series of offensive spells.
Issei Hyoudou seemed to realize that she was the problem instantly, and dashed past the rest to get to her, leaving his two comrades to deal with the others. In Rating Game, a Knight could move fast, and a Rook could hit hard, but Issei seemed to be a combination of both. Ravel could barely see his movement as he rushed toward Mihae, avoiding all the spells that she threw at him from the magic circles that she had summoned around her, and drove his fist into her guts with so much force that the girl barely even had time to let out a cry of pain before she passed out, her body sailing backwards several meters before striking the ground hard and being retired from the game.
"Raiser Phenex-sama's one Bishop has retired."
Without Mihae supporting them, Kiba Yuuto and Koneko Toujou made quick work of the rest of the Pawns. Ravel was the only one who had done any research on the Gremory Peerage, so while she knew they had amazing potential, their combat capabilities surpassed her calculations.
"Raiser Phenex-sama's Seven Pawns have retired."
[!]Congratulation – You have completed the optional objective [No Promotion Allowed]
Reward: The healing and restoration effect of potions has increased. You can now carry double the current amount.
However, given the seven days her brother had given them to prepare for the match, their growth was still reasonable. Issei Hyoudou, however, was not, even if he was the legendary Red Dragon Emperor. When talking to her eldest brother, he had told her that someone like him was the unknown factor that they had to always account for, but the Pawn of Rias Gremory had exceeded her expectations, something that she knew her other brother Raiser did not share because of his own ego.
"Ravel-sama, stay back!" Isabela shouted, making Ravel realize that the two of them were the only remaining members of the Phenex Peerage. Instinctively, Ravel raised the Phoenix Soul in her hand and aimed the flame arrow at Issei, who held out his hand to signal Kiba and Koneko to hold their position before they could make a move toward her and Isabela.
"There is no need for us to fight, we are aware that you're not supposed to take part in combat." Issei said before he looked over to Isabela "The same goes for you as well. As Ravel's bodyguard, you will prioritize her safety over anything else, or am I mistaken?"
Isabela hesitated, her eyes flicking between Issei, Kiba, and Koneko. Finally, with a reluctant nod, she lowered her fists and looked at Ravel to see her doing the same. At the same time, Issei could see the counter for remaining enemies going down from 3 to 1, meaning he didn't have to actively eliminate Isabela and Ravel from the match for it to still count. There was only Yubelluna left before he completed the first optional objectives, and he could still hear the sounds of her battle with Akeno raging in the distance.
"Our surrender does not mean you have won the match." Isabela said, and Issei knew why she had phased it like so. There was still Raiser, and without a doubt the fight against him would be much harder than any that they had had so far.
Issei opened his mouth to speak, but the words died in his throat as the deafening noise of an explosion erupted from the rooftop of their base, the old school building. Issei, Kiba, and Koneko immediately turned around and saw the source of the commotion, being none other than Raiser Phenex, who seemed to have made it to the location without them noticing and was engaging Rias in a battle.
"While you are wasting your time here, thinning your force out and trying to get to our base, my master has..." Isabela began triumphantly, but she was cut off when she realized that none of the trio in front of her seemed worried.
It was Ravel who acknowledged this first, her eyes widening in realization as she gasped and spoke. "You have expected this."
Instead of replying to the question, Issei turned to Kiba and Koneko to speak to them "Kiba, Koneko... you two here and keep an eye on these two. I will take it from here."
"Good luck, Issei-kun."
"Destroy him, senpai."
Nodding in response, Issei held up his Boosted Gear and activated his Balance Breaker after Kiba and Koneko had retreated to a safe distance. As the green jewel on his Sacred Gear shone brightly with the Over Boost, Issei unleashed his dragon aura at full force as he threw his fists out at his sides, causing the winds around him to pick up as the second gauntlet appeared on his right arm along with a pair of dragon wings, stunning everyone who was witnessing the display.
[Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker]
[BOOSTED GEAR: CRIMSON ARMAMENTS]
With that announcement from Ddraig, Issei took off, breaking the sound barrier and soaring into the multicolored sky before launching himself back to his base.
Akeno smiled as she raised her hand. This battle had gone on for way too long as far she was concerned, but the Yamato Nadeshiko of Kuoh Academy was more than ready to end it. There was no doubt in her mind that who was the better fighter between her and the other Queen.
The sky seemed to darken as Akeno summoned a massive magic circle over her head, unleashing a torrent of lightning bolts towards Yubelluna, who responded with equal fervor, channeling a destructive fire spell using the staff in her hand. The two spells collided in mid-air between the two of them, creating a dazzling display of electricity and fire that illuminated the battlefield. Lightning sizzled and crackled against the raging flames, as the ground shook with the force of their magic, each spell pushing against the other in a fierce struggle for dominance.
Although the magic used by the Bomb Queen was powerful, it started to falter under the overwhelming electrical onslaught. Akeno seized the opportunity, launching a final, decisive bolt of lightning at Yubelluna, tearing through the protective barrier that she had casted on herself, striking her directly. The impact was explosive, sending Yubelluna crashing to the ground with a pained cry. Her fiery magic sputtered out as she lay on the battlefield, clearly overwhelmed and defeated.
But the battle seemed to be far from over, not just yet, as Yubelluna reached into her staff and pulled out the vial of Phoenix tears. With this, all the wounds she had received, and all the magic power that she had exhausted during the fight against the fame Priestess of Thunder, who had lived up to her expectation, would be restored instantly.
It was the gift from her master, who had entrusted her with their trump card. With it, she would be able to...
Rias winced when another wave of hellfire fire unleashed by Raiser bashed against the magical shield she had created, licking at the edges and threatening to break through. Even though the attack was blocked, Rias could still feel the heat coming from it. The intensity was enough that she was almost afraid of getting burned.
When the attack died down, the shield dropped and Rias dropped to her knees and gasped for breath. It took a lot from her just blocking one of those waves of hellfire, and it was merely the latest of about a dozen such attacks she had already tried to counter with her demonic power. She was tired, her body was running out of energy and her magic pool depleted. If this kept it, she would undoubtedly lose.
"Buchou-san," Asia whispered worriedly to Rias as she rushed to her side and looked for injuries. She desperately tried to heal her, but her Sacred Gear was incapable of healing magical and physical exhaustion.
"Maybe you should have worn that Amulet instead of giving it to your useless Bishop, Rias." Raiser said as he played with a fireball in the palm of his hand. If that hit, Rias knew she was done for.
"Shut up, Raiser!" Rias scoffed, as a dark, reddish-black orb of pure power of destruction formed in front of her. The crimson haired heiress then sent it hurtling towards the arrogant blond, who did not bother to dodge and let it strike him square in the face, annihilating almost half of his head.
"How long are we going to continue this pointless battle?" asked Riser as flames erupted along the half of his head that got destroyed. In less than a second, all the muscles, bones and organs had regenerated and the skin re-knit itself until it looked like half his face had never been blown off.
"I told you before, a Rating Game isn't something you can win based on feelings alone. You sent your servants out with the hope of promoting that low-born trash to Queen, yet you were completely unaware that you left yourself defenseless. Your servants might have eliminated most of my Peerage, but they were merely decoys for me to reach you unnoticed, and for Yubelluna to take out your remaining forces once they had exhausted their strength."
"You know... that has to be the smartest thing you've ever said around me, Raiser," Rias said with a taunting smile, causing Raiser to narrow his eyes at her.
"It seems I will have to force my hand then. From this day on, you need to learn who you are talking to." With that said, Raiser marched toward Rias, who seemed to look down in defeat, his hand reaching out to grab her. Asia held tightly onto her master and closed her eyes as Raiser loomed over them.
It was then that Rias finally turned her gaze to look at him, showing him the smirk that she had been wearing on her face the entire time. At the same time, on the other side of the battlefield, the vial of Phoenix Tears Yubelluna was holding was snatched away from her hand before she could pull the lid and drink the tears inside by something extremely quick, making her widen her eyes in shock and horror as her trump card was taken from her.
"NOW, EVERYONE!"
Rias shouted, her words echoing across the battlefield before four elemental Shadow Wolves leaped out from hers and Asia's shadow to pounce on Raiser, who widened his eyes in shock at the sight of them, a feeling that was shared by all those who were watching. The sudden attack caught Raiser completely off guard, and he struggled to fend off the wolves as they forced him back, tearing and gnawing through his flesh with their fangs.
Just before he could unleash his flame to destroy them, Issei finally reached Raiser and launched his metal gauntlet into his face with an incredible amount of force. The impact launched Raiser soaring through the air before crashing into the schoolyard several hundred meters away from where he had been standing, leaving shockwaves rippling across the battlefield while body tumbled across the dirt like a rag doll that had been thrown by a rampaging giant.
Damage Done: 17.450 / 30.000
"Sirzechs, those must be..." Zeoticus said, looking over to his son to see the crimson haired Maou nodding his head seriously at the four shadowy wolves that moved around Issei as he landed on the schoolyard, and the one whose streamlined body was covered in dark lightning that had snatched the vial of Phoenix tears away from Yubelluna to take it to Akeno.
"You didn't think we wouldn't expect you to be the one who got the Phoenix Tears, did you?"
With a smile, the Priestess of Thunder patted the wolf gently on its head as she took the vial from its snout and brought her hands above her head, calling down the massive bolt of light that the wolf lunged itself into, infusing the spell with its own dark lightning that struck Yubelluna with a resounding howl. In a blinding flash of light that engulfed the entire area, Yubelluna let out a cry of pain before she was teleported away, effectively eliminated from the match.
"So these wolves are what you have been hiding, Issei-kun." Sirzechs muttered with a hint of impress in his tone.
"Raiser Phenex-sama's Queen has retired."
Enemies Remaining: 0/15
[!] Congratulation – You have completed the optional objective [A Lone King]
Reward: 3 levels.
[!] Notice – Level up!
[!] Notice – Level up!
[!] Notice – Level up!
"Impossible... Yubelluna." Raiser whispered in disbelief as he crawled out the crater Issei had sent him into before turning his attention over to Issei, his eyes widening in shock at the sight of the Pawn as well as the four wolves baring their fangs at him. "You... so you have unlocked your Balance Breaker. And these wolves... I don't recall Boosted Gear having such ability..."
"It's something of my own." Issei answered coolly "And also, you think we didn't expect you would try to sneak your way to our base to defeat Rias-sama with your servants drawing our attention? Nice try, but I have these guys protecting her and Asia the entire time. You fell right into our trap. You're not the only one who came to this fight with a plan."
"And? This will not change the outcome of this match. Do you really think your... familiars will be enough to defeat me, the immortal Raiser Phenex? No matter how many tricks you have up your sleeves, I can burn them and you to ashes with a single thought!"
Raiser growled as he summoned his flaming wings, larger and more intense than ever before, the heat radiating off them scorching the ground beneath him. His confidence seemed to swell with the flames, as if he believed that no matter what Issei or his wolves did, his immortality would carry him through.
"I do not think they will have to... because I will be the one who will punch your face in first, Raiser Phenex."
With that said, Issei launched himself at Raiser, who also took off and did the same against him. The two of them collided in the center of the schoolyard, sending shockwaves across the entire academy, but it was Issei who managed to land the first blow, punching Raiser across the face with enough force to shatter his skull. He instantly healed, and retaliated with a straight hook of his own, his fist covering in hellfire. Despite his pride and being far too reliant in the powerful regeneration ability that his devil household was so famous for, it did not mean he had completely ignored other aspects of hand to hand combat.
[BOOST! BOOST!]
But he was far from the best Issei had ever fought, and Issei had no intention of failing any of his optional objectives. Ducking his head down, feeling the wind ruffle his hair as the flaming fist sailed by over his head, Issei instantly shot up and launched an earthshattering uppercut into his jaw, shattering it like glass before he launched Raiser into the air. Issei instantly took off with his dragon wings and followed him, not allowing a moment to breathe.
Damage Done: 19.240 / 30.000
At the peak of his flight, the Phenex forced himself to act through the pain he was suffering to retaliate. With a burst of speed, Issei flew past him and turned around in mid-air to launch a powerful Dragon Shot directly at Raiser, who somehow managed to force himself out of the way before the blast of demonic energy could swallow him whole. Channeling more demonic energy than he had ever been in his life, Raiser forced himself to recover, his wounds healing up within a matter of seconds as he flew at Issei with a snarl, really losing his composure for the first time as his wings increased tenfold in size.
The two forces clashed in midair, one dark red, the other yellow, but Raiser was the one who was thrown back after seven collisions. What followed next was a beating like no other as Issei increased his speed, activating his Penetrate Skill to deal as much damage to Raiser as he could, leaving the blond to cry out in pain as Issei flew around and attacked him from every direction. He could block a few of those, but the other blows hit him with devastating power, rupturing his organs as the force blew right through his body.
Damage Done: 20.220 / 30.000
Damage Done: 21.460 / 30.000
Damage Done: 22.850 / 30.000
Damage Done: 23.590 / 30.000
Damage Done: 25.150 / 30.000
Damage Done: 26.850 / 30.000
Damage Done: 27.710 / 30.000
As the Phenex started to descend freely, Issei shot down and seized the collar of his shirt, smashed him through all three floors of the school building before throwing him through the wall to crash into the schoolyard outside. Before he could pick himself up, Issei was already right upon him, grabbing the back of his head to slam his face back down, crackling his skull in the process while creating a massive crater under them.
Damage Done: 28.850 / 30.000
"Have enough yet?" Issei asked as he stood up and walked around the crater, leaving Raiser to groan out in agony to the world. It was clear that the pain was indescribable to him. Issei had just beaten him harder than anyone had ever done before, and he was ready to diss out more if needed. "If you surrender now, I will stop."
"Smug... little shit. Who do you think you are fucking with?" Raiser growled as he planted his hands down and pushed himself up with all of his might. His wounds were healing, albeit at a much slower rate than before. His once confident demeanor had now been replaced by sheer determination and anger, the flames that surrounded him flickering with renewed intensity. He threw himself at Issei, who took a step back as the man tried to get in his guard before moving his body to the side to put himself into the perfect position for a hook straight at his face.
Damage Done: 30.040 / 30.000
[!] Congratulation – You have completed the optional objective [Domination]
[Reward] Rune Stone - Phoenix Shift.
Mana cost: 50
Element: Fire [Exclusive to Fire Dragon Pacts]
Allow the user to instantly teleport a short distance. Attack just before reaching your destination will transform the Phoenix Shift into Phoenix Strike, dealing fire attack damage.
Level up this skill to increase the range of teleportation.
As a loud crunch resounded from his now shattered nose, his feet were lifted into the air as Raiser sailed backwards out of the crater. Recovering, Raiser ignored the pain tearing through his body from his bloody nose and gathered his demonic power into a massive ball of hellfire, which he then hurled at Issei with a furious roar.
As the fireball collided with the ground, a massive explosion occurred, filling the battlefield with intense heat and blinding flames. The impact sent shockwaves through the air, causing debris to scatter and the ground to tremble. Raiser hovered in the air and looked down at the explosion, smirking in satisfaction as he believed his attack had swallowed Issei whole and effectively ended the fight. There was no way that he could...
[BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST!]
Before Raiser could enjoy the short moment of victory, Issei appeared behind him, his momentum carrying through into a powerful kick aimed at the side of his head, sending him flying. Raiser let out a cry of pain as his body twisted in the air before crashing hard into the ground across the entire schoolyard. The force of the empowered blow left him momentarily dazed as he found himself lying face down once again on the ground, his flames flickering weakly as he struggled to process what had just happened, only for Issei to reappear right on top of him and stomped on the back of his head with enough force that another indent was born into the ground. Before he could pick himself up, Issei spun around and kicked Raiser square in the face, sending him crashing into the headmaster office on the first floor of the new school building.
"Doesn't take a skilled energy reader to see you're at your limit, Raiser," Issei said calmly, his eyes fixed on the Phenex as he crawled out of the collapsed section of the building, his once-proud flames now little more than weak embers.
Raiser gasped for breath, each word a struggle. "You... do you even understand... what you are doing? Do you... even know what this marriage could mean for us... high...?"
"To be honest, I do not care," Issei interrupted, speaking every word very slowly and carefully. "But there's one thing I do care about. Their appetite."
As if on cue, the shadow wolves emerged around him, silent and deadly. Their streamlined, shadowy forms circled slowly around Issei before all four of them turned their attention toward Raiser, whose eyes widened in horror as he pushed himself further back, realizing what was about to go down. Each of them bared their fangs at him, low growls rumbling from their throats as saliva dripped from their jaws.
"I know wolves love meat... but what about fried chicken?"
With that said, Issei sent his shadow wolves at Raiser, who cried out in panic and hurled fireballs in a desperate attempt to fend them off, but even as one wolf was struck and seemingly dispersed by the flame, it quickly regenerated and fully reformed to rejoin the others, which weaved through the fireballs and its explosion with ease.
"NO! STAY..."
But the shadow monsters never let Raiser have the chance to finish, pouncing on him with their massive forms. Their sharp, shadowy claws ripped through his clothes and tore into his skin. Raiser screamed in agony as the wolves bit and clawed at him, filling the entire battlefield with his cries as the wolves sunk their fangs deep into his body without pause. Blood sprayed as they tore chunks from his arms and legs, the pain overwhelming him as he tried in vain to push them off, his arm being the only thing that could be seen but even after a moment they were swallowed in the onslaught of the shadow wolves.
"I think he has had enough. Stay back, boys." Issei called, and the shadows halted their attack, walking back while growling ferally as they surrounded the now bloodied and battered Raiser Phenex, whose regeneration that was at its limit struggled to keep up with the damage. His flames no longer flicked, having long since disappeared as his immortality healed him of the deadliest wounds.
"Before I finish you off and end this match with our victory, I will let you in on a little secret of ours. From the start, you come into this fight thinking that you outnumbered us..."
As Issei said that, his shadow extended. From the pool of darkness, shadowy soldiers and wolves started to rise, pushing themselves up to take their place behind Issei with their claws and weapons scraping against the ground. At the forefront the shadow legion were Lycaon and Gladio, who towered over the other shadow soldiers as he strode forward to stand by the side of his master and rested the palms of his hands on the pommel of his sword after driving it into the ground with a heavy thud.
Lycaon was the last to come out of his shadow and prowled behind Issei while keeping its red, predatory eyes on Raiser, filling the Phenex with a feeling of dread. The sight before him with Issei and his shadow soldiers was unlike anything him or anyone had ever seen before.
"But we were never outnumbered."
"This is your loss."
[Boost!]
[Transfer]
With that said, Issei unleashed an orb of his demonic power and transferred his power into it, firing a massive beam of Dragon Shot at Raiser, who was still in total shock at the sight before him just like many devils in the spectating room. The beam swallowed him whole, and despite his immortality, Raiser was still teleported away by the Retirement System, leaving only a massive hole in the school building behind him.
"Raiser Phenex-sama, the king of the Phenex Peerage, has retired. Victory of this Rating Game goes to Rias Gremory-sama and her Peerage."
[!] Notice – Main Quest Completed!
Congratulation, you have completed the Quest - The King of the Game
All Optional Objectives have been fulfilled.
[!] Notice – Level up!
[!] Notice – Level up!
[!] Notice – Level up!
[!] Notice – Level up!
[!] Notice – Level up!
[!] [Hunts and Bounties] has now become available.
[!] [Reward] 500.000 (G)
[!] [Reward] Sigil of the Shadow Ice Bear – Tank obtained.
[!] Ascension Quest has been unlocked – [Tower of Shadow Ascension] is now available
You can now use the [Shadow Sigils] to challenge the associated bosses of the Tower, unlocking the rank of General for your shadows.
Current Stats:
Name: Issei Hyoudou
Race: Reincarnated Devil
Class: Level 34 Dragonsworn / Level 10 Shadow Monarch
HP: 7615 / 7615
MP [Current Attribute: Draconic/Demonic: 2135 / 2135
Title: Shieldbreaker [Add 10% Armor Penetration]
Strength: 160
Vitality: 129
Intelligence: 124
Dexterity: 134
Perception: 114
Charisma: 104
Unique Class Skills: Fire Imbue (LV1), Shadow Extraction (LV1), Shadow Storage (LV1).
Active skills: Doubling (LV2 – Pact Affected), Transfer (LV2 - Pact Affected), Penetrate (LV2 - Pact Affected), Sprint (Max Level), Vital Slash (LV1), Jump (Max Level – Equipment Ability), Observe (LV1), Ruler's Hands (LV1), Phoenix Shift (LV1).
Active spells: Fire balls (LV2 - Fire Dragon Pact Affected), Firewall (LV2 - Fire Dragon Pact Affected), Lightning Strike (LV1), Water Blast (LV1), Earth Shield (LV1), ...
Current Pact [1/4: Y Ddraig Goch (Fire) – Pact LV1.
Current Shadows: 67 / 90
Elite Rank Shadows: Lycaon (Knight), Gladio (Knight).
Items: Boosted Gear (LV4), Abyssal Cloak (LV15), Razan's Blade (LV7), Magitek General's Helmet (LV1), Palace Guard's Boots (LV6), Metal Gauntlets (LV5 – Only one currently in use -Stats Reduced), Kamish's Slumber (LV?) ...
Potions: Healing Potions x15, Mana Potions x15, Greater Healing Potions x10, Greater Mana Potions x10, Miracle Potions x3...
Gold: 1,510,420 (G)
Ultimate: Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker – Boosted Gear Crimson Armaments (LV. 1 – Pact Affected)
Sigils: Sigil of the Shadow Commander - Igirs, Sigil of the Shadow Ice Bear - Tank.
End of Chapter 9