In the end, they had decided that he would be best suited as a Rook. It was a notion that he did not disagree with. A Knight was too fast, too swift, and though he had shown aptitude for close combat, he simply did not have the speed. His spar with Kiba had proven that. Unwavering defense had been his sole advantage, and he had relied on that to counter the blisteringly fast moves the sword-user threw his way until a final opening had revealed itself to him. His bout with Issei was much the same, though the boy was far from experienced, the advantage of speed his opponent possessed still surprised him. It seemed becoming a devil strengthened one's physical abilities far above human capabilities. Technically, he could match them if demanded. Their speed, that was. Hermes, Junpei's initial Persona, was the manifestation of the Greek God of the same name, and he had that in his collection as well. It had chosen to appear soon after Penthesilea when he first arrived on this world, along with the rest of SEES's Personas, reminding him of the power of the bonds he had forged. But Hermes was a god, not a demon, and he needed a demon to be of any help at all.
A Rook it was then, slower, steadier, but no less deadly in a Rating Game.
It was Rias who first raised an issue. It had taken all eight of her Pawn pieces to resurrect Issei, such was the strength and potential of his Boosted Gear. He had summoned Nidhoggr, a dragon just as powerful as the one stored in Issei's gauntlet, and she was genuinely afraid she did not have enough pieces left to have him in her peerage. It was a valid concern. But he had a good understanding of how things worked in this world from both observing them and listening to the explanations they sometimes offered.
The number of pieces required was dependent on the power of the Sacred Gear. This he had guessed earlier before Rias's request for the training session. Her words now merely confirmed that fact. Sacred Gears were the foundation on which the Rating Game was based on, and he had none to his name. The source of his power, the identities of his Personas came from the Sea of Souls and the unlimited potential that was his Wild Card. They were vastly different from the weapons he had seen Issei and Kiba use so far.
Rias's worry was unfounded. The ability to summon a Persona was not tied with Sacred Gears. It was not even tied with any power in this world as far as he could tell, and as a result, not tied with the amount of pieces needed. He had told that to her, mentioning that even a minor piece like a Pawn would most likely be sufficient. The devil had smiled at him and replied that it would be best to keep that a secret. He had seen the wisdom in her suggestion almost immediately.
The implantation process itself did not take long. There was no need for rituals or anything of the sort. The piece recognized the demon's essence as his own, accepted that he was a devil while he was truly not, and melded into his body flawlessly. On the outside, it was a smooth transfer of power, and Rias had stepped back in relief after it was done. On the inside, it was anything but.
An Archangel would never bow to an angel. A king would never kneel to his subjects. A demon would never grovel before a mere devil. It was the way power worked. Even in this world, where devils were not evil and humans could become devils, that tenet held true. A higher power would never submit to a lower one.
It was such the case here. Rias Gremory was a high-level devil, this he knew. He had seen the power she could wield when they still had been strangers in the ruined church, preparing to destroy the Fallen Angels that had already been judged. The presence within him would have crushed her without a second thought. The disparity between the two was too large, too huge for it to be a contest. So when she stepped back, thinking it had worked, in reality he was actively fighting the demon in his mind, preventing it from obliterating the piece that linked him to her peerage.
A demon would never bow to a devil. Not when it had once ruled over kingdoms of devils in days long ago past and led legions of them in battle against the Heavenly Host. Its presence sought actively to expel Rias's power from his body, swirling wrathfully around the implanted piece, aggressively trying to rid the devil's influence from what it considered to be its domain. Preventing it from doing so was a constant strain on his conscience, and had he not had experience before in sealing away powerful beings, he would most likely not been able to accomplish it.
The irony of protecting someone else's power from his own was not lost on him.
It was partially why he had been so tired when he arrived at home that night to Raynare's angry glare. It was also why he was still feeling tired the following morning when he trudged to school.
The demon made him think dark, dangerous thoughts. Its attempts to scour what it felt as a challenge to its power from his body taxed his mind. The two added together, and he was not exactly in the best of moods when he arrived at the school gates.
He had almost glowered at Asia when the kindly girl offered him a gentle greeting in the hallways. He had nearly snapped at Issei when the boy visited him to congratulate him on becoming a Rook in Rias's peerage. He had just about suggested where Kiba could stick his swords when the Knight proposed they later spar together to practice for the coming fight.
In all those cases, he had nearly shown them the full extent of his annoyance, but at the last second, reined it in. It was why he was different, he supposed. Thoughts were only dangerous when acted upon, and while any Persona among his collection could make him think thoughts, they couldn't make him do them. It was why he could call upon the highest of Archangels and not bow to its glory, why he could summon a dragon and not be tempted by its greed and avarice, and why he could hold a demon in his head and not be utterly corrupted.
They were trying to comfort him he knew, ease him into his new role, even if it was temporary, and he could at least appreciate the effort. Appreciate it enough that when Rias requested his presence in the Occult Club's meeting room to discuss strategy, he acquiesced without complaint.
The original plan had called for Issei to support the higher ranked pieces in battle, boosting each so that when they faced Riser's peerage, they could overwhelm their respective counterparts. It was not bad as plans tended to go. But that strategy went out the window when it became clear that Boosted Gear had still not recuperated from expelling all its power in that clearing. He was not surprised. He had expected it to remain inert for at least a few more days if not a full week. Rias had held on hope, however. If Issei's Gear could recover in time before the Rating Game it would make her peerage all the more stronger and all the more likely to win, especially now that she could count him among her ranks. Sadly, it was not to be, and she would have to make do without the crimson gauntlet's ability to boost.
He had listened patiently for a good twenty minutes while they formulated plans on how to incorporate him into their strategy, knowing it would be pointless. It had taken the members of SEES weeks of fighting the Shadows before they were familiar enough with each other's combat styles to become a truly cohesive unit. And that was only with the initial members of Yukari, Junpei, Akihiko, Mitsuru, and him. With each additional Persona user they gained, they had to reacquaint themselves with their styles to fit in their newest member until the cohesiveness was regained. What Rias and her peerage was suggesting was simply impossible within their limited timeframe.
He had pointed that out politely when the devil asked him for his input, mentioning that he was unused to their methods of combat. They had ample time to train together, and he had not. It was that simple. Better to have him roam autonomously and act independently than force him to fight with them and disrupt the unity they had developed as a team. Rias had agreed to that resignedly.
It was Kiba who directed their attention to the obvious. Why not call forth the dragon as they had seen him do before? It would be a simple affair to have Nidhoggr cover Riser and her peerage with a breath of ice and be done with it. He had explained then that in most cases Personas could only be summoned one at a time, and the one he had chosen to call forth was the reason he was even capable of taking in the Rook. Its presence anchored his own with demonic taint, and should he summon another in its place, that essence would be gone, swallowed back by the Sea of Souls, and he would no longer be able to hold in the piece that had been implanted in him.
Rias took that explanation a step further, surmising that it was for that reason the current presence within him could not manifest, that in order to fool her piece into thinking he was a devil, the Persona he had selected had to stay anchored to his identity and could not be summoned. She was wrong on that count, but he led her into believing she was correct. If things went well, it would be a moot point anyways, and he would not need to call forth the demon into existence and deal with the fallout that would surely follow.
Akeno had asked then how he would exactly help them if he could not summon a dragon or the Persona he was currently holding. He had smiled and showed them the fire that he could pool in his hands, the flames that he could wield as though an extension of his own body, the inferno that he could conjure with a flick of his fingers. It was like this with all Personas. Once in his mind, their element became his element, their strengths became his strengths, and their weaknesses became his weaknesses as well.
A Rook who could cast like a Bishop yet remained proficient in close combat.
Kiba had shaken his head after his display and expressed the notion that the coming battle would, at the very least, be interesting.
That, he could agree on.
His first impression of Sirzechs Lucifer was a being of immense presence. It was sheathed behind a handsome face, concealed by a kind and compassionate demeanor, but like it had been with him and Rias in that clearing, it was still readily discernible. Power could never truly be hidden, only masked, and as he watched the older devil making his way around the waiting room, greeting each of Rias's peerage in turn, even he had to admit that the mask was worn exceptionally well. If it had not been for the demon within him sneering at the tall, graceful figure, he probably would have never noticed.
Tall. Handsome. The very picture of gentlemanly manners. He could almost hear Akihiko's fangirls squealing in delight.
He was also a siscon. But then again, everyone had their faults, and he wouldn't judge him for that.
The devil made his way to him at last, long, red hair draped regally over his shoulders.
Sirzech: "Walk with me."
It was not a command. It was a request. An invitation between equals.
Just had he sensed his power, so had he in return.
He nodded. From the way Rias sent worried glances at him as the two of them left, he guessed that the man's presence was not entirely expected.
The door closed behind them with a muted click, and they were in the empty hallway, absent of all life except for them. The devil's long legs carried him at a faster gait, and he had to speed up his own pace to keep up.
Sirzech: "Rias has told me about you"
Sirzechs began conversationally
Sirzech: "She has written many letters to me regarding you and your ability to summon... what were they called again? Personas?"
He frowned. The man seemed to know what he was thinking and smiled.
Sirzech: "I can assure you Rias has told no one else. She was even hesitant in telling me, but I have my ways of prying. And that is the issue, isn't it? Manifestations of mythological figures. An Evil Dragon. And now this."
Sirzechs gestured at him, but the motion was neither accusing nor recriminatory.
Sirzech: "I do not believe I know which devil's power is residing within you,"
The man tilted his head to regard him
Sirzech: "And I do not believe you would tell me if I asked."
He stuffed his hands into his pockets and did not reply. His companion took his silence in stride, and did not press.
Sirzech: "It is strange for when my sister sent me her letters, they were filled with details about how you continued to refuse her offers of peerage. And yet, on the eve of her Rating Game, here you stand. Why the sudden change?"
He smiled. The purpose of the walk became clear. Not an interrogation as he first suspected. Just an elder brother concerned for his younger sibling.
Devils, not demons. The presence within him sneered further.
Sirzech: "My sister mentioned that she looked like someone you cared for. Is that the reason?"
She was not Mitsuru. She would never be Mitsuru. The resemblance had always only been passing.
He shook his head. Sirzechs nodded.
Sirzech: "I am sorry, by the way"
The man's words and gaze were sincere
Sirzech: "No one should have to lose a loved one at your age."
His lips twitched. A few months ago, if someone had told him he would one day have the sympathy of a devil, he would have thought him mad. But then again, he never expected he would sympathize with one either.
Sirzech: "Was it her plight that moved you?"
Sirzechs asked
Sirzech: "This whole marriage business was not my idea, you know. I do not wish to impose anything on Rias that she does not wish for herself. The head of the Phenex house asked my father for this favor, and he agreed"
A small frown creased the devil's handsome features
Sirzech: "You will not find a more gentler, kinder, and caring man than my father, but even he can be a bit old-fashioned at times."
Her plight had influenced him, but it was not the main reason.
Sirzech: "What was it then?"
Annoyance flickered, fueled by a presence not his own. He turned to face him, and realized just how tall the man was when compared to him.
Minato: "You ask many questions."
Sirzechs chuckled.
Sirzech: "Forgive an older brother for asking the human who turned into a devil without the use of rituals or being resurrected what his intentions are to his sister."
He did have a point there.
Minato: "Rias, she is not a bad person."
Her brother glanced at him. There was approval tinged in his gaze.
Sirzech: "No"
The man smiled
Sirzech: "She is not"
And then he paused thoughtfully
Sirzech: "Her Knight. Kiba. She found him dying in the snow. So many of our kind would have left the boy there to his fate. Rias resurrected him and brought him back to our manor. I still remember my father being particularly aggrieved by that. We were all puzzled by her actions. We didn't know Kiba would eventually be the wielder of Sword Birth at the time, and to us, he was just a normal human boy and unworthy of the piece that Rias gifted him. And then he manifested the ability to use demon swords, and all our complaints became rather empty, as you can imagine. I do not believe Rias has ever let us live that one down."
If those words were meant to change his opinion of her, they failed. They merely reinforced that he had made the right choice.
Sirzech: "No, she is not a bad person. They are all not bad people. Not even Riser."
He raised an eyebrow.
Sirzech: "While I do not know which devil lingers within you, I do sense it is rather vengeful. Do try and not to hurt him too badly. Riser is not a bad person at heart, even if he is a bit arrogant, a bit cocky, a bit lecherous, and a bit conceited."
Minato: "Those are not exactly good traits"
Sirzech: "Indeed"
The man nodded
Sirzech: "Which is why I will not mind at all if said person loses his chance to take my sister's hand in marriage. Just don't make him lose too badly. The pride of a devil is sometimes more important than his greed"
Sirzechs tilted his head and smiled at him
Sirzech: "Sometimes."
They walked in silence for a while, and he discovered he rather enjoyed the tranquility that had settled between the two of them.
Sirzech: "I have the impression that my sister is fond of you"
And just like that the tranquility vanished. A perturbed expression found its way onto his face. His companion noticed, and chuckled,
Sirzech: "Yes. The last few letters she sent me were rather specific, and while they didn't contain anything about that particular subject per say, I have a feeling that she is glad to have you in her peerage not only because of your strength but also for a different reason entirely"
Sirzech tapped a finger lightly against the side of his head
Sirzech: "Call it a brother's intuition."
He really had no idea what to say to that.
Sirzech: "If she does choose you"
The devil's face had turned crafty, and there was a certain perversity in that expression that should not have belonged to a being of his station
Sirzech: "You will tell me all about it, won't you?"
He twitched.
He would not judge. He would not judge. He would not judge.
If Sirzech Lucifer was humble and modest in his approach, then Riser Phenex was on the opposite end of the spectrum entirely. Roguishly handsome, with a fitting scar to match, the devil virtually oozed confidence. The arrogance he carried like a cloak wrapped around his body, and he could almost feel the haughtiness radiating from his body in waves. The presence within him laughed, mocked that arrogance, and filled his mind with images of how to violate said arrogance.
Some of those images he would rather have not seen.
The agreed upon battlefield was fairly mundane, as battlefields tended to be. It reminded him somewhat of the Kuoh Academy's school grounds and the surrounding districts. Parts of the landscape were covered with buildings, no doubt summoned there to grant cover for the combatants. Other areas were relatively open, providing zones where opponents could duel in with space to spare.
They were in one such area now, the two opposing peerages, facing each other, gauging each other's strength while their respective masters exchanged words, though in Riser's case they were more akin to boasts. He ignored them. Their words did not concern him, and he instead took the time to study the enemies that he was supposed to fight.
Rias had not been lying when she said their opponent's peerage consisted entirely of female devils. He could even count twins amongst their number, two sets of them, and inwardly he shook his head. Debauchery, it seemed, was prevalent among devils as well as demons.
His eyes roamed across them, studying the way they carried themselves, memorizing the weapons some of them wielded. A few of them gazed curiously back. He could understand. His inclusion into Rias's peerage had only been a recent affair. Then those few started to smile at him, not in a good way, and that was when he realized the conversation had somehow had turned to become about him.
Riser: "And where did you get this one?"
Riser was in the middle of saying
Riser: "He looks too scrawny to be a Rook. You must really have been desperate, Rias. Taking trash off the streets and converting them to be in your peerage."
Out of all those assumptions, he was rather surprised the devil had only gotten one right.
Rias:"Do not underestimate him"
Rias replied stoically
Rias: "You would be surprised at his power."
That was an understatement, and he found himself being amused by it.
Riser: "Power?"
Riser spread his arms wide
Riser: "Power beats within our blood, Rias. We have always been gifted it from our forefathers, the true, pureblooded devils. It does not come from humans and their resurrected ilk. Tradition dictates that we are the superior beings, and that we are the rightful rulers of the Underworld. Judging from the servants you choose to uplift, I see that tradition holds no sway in the Gremory Household. But that is of no consequence, for once this battle ends, you will be my wife and we will have ample time to discuss matters of tradition. In bed, perhaps. Naked, preferably. With you on top, and me on the bottom."
He could literally hear Issei grinding his teeth beside him. Riser noticed, and his smirk grew.
Riser: "Though if you are the submissive type, I will not mind if you choose to be on the bottom."
He sighed and placed a hand on Issei's shoulders, pressing firmly down and preventing the anger from rising to unbearable levels. The boy snapped a startled look at him.
Minato: "Focus."
Issei: "Yeah. Right"
The Pawn nodded, somewhat numbly
Issei: "Thanks."
He ignored him and turned to the feminine figure standing by his other side.
Minato: "When is all this going to end?"
Akeno reluctantly tore her gaze away from what could only be the opposing Queen. The look she gave him could almost be described as affectionate.
Akeno: "What is?"
He inclined his head towards Riser, who had now rambled on to another subject entirely.
Minato: "The talking."
Akeno: "Impatient, are we?"
She teased.
The demon's broiling anger could be loosely defined as such.
Minato: "Somewhat."
Akeno: "Officially the Rating Game has already started"
The beautiful girl smiled
Akeno: "But it is custom for the masters of two peerages to exchange greetings before the fighting begins. It would be seen as dishonorable to interrupt, and it would taint your reputation as a devil if you attack while the exchange is still going on."
Minato: "But the tarnishing of that reputation would be meaningless to someone who does not wish to remain a devil"
Akeno: "Yes"
Akeno nodded
Akeno: "I suppose you're right"
And then her features lit up with realization
Akeno: "Oh my, Arisato-kun, what are you planning to do?"
He shrugged.
Minato: "This."
The blast of fire erupted from the ground below Riser's feet and engulfed him in full view of his peerage.
When their opponent emerged from the flames, he was no longer wearing the smirk. He imagined it would be hard to with half the devil's face a scorched, smoldering ruin. All of that had regenerated though, and their opponent had reappeared, pristine and seemingly unharmed. He was not surprised. Rias had mentioned that this would be one of his abilities.
Riser had scowled at him as soon as the last of his wounds healed.
Riser: "You."
He had nodded in acknowledgment at the accusation laden within that word.
Minato: "Me."
And then promptly engulfed his accuser in another pillar of searing heat.
That seemed to spurn both peerages into action, and the air around him grew thick with fired spells and dueling figures.
For all his arrogance, for all his pride, Riser Phenex was still no fool. As soon as he recovered from the second blast, the rival devil had immediately deduced that he would be the most dangerous piece and hastened to counter. The opposing King had pounced on the fact that as the newest member of Rias's peerage, he would not possess the same cohesiveness that kept the rest of her force working together as a team and slowly funneled him away from the main battlefield, where he hopefully he could be dealt with to the side.
It was why he was currently standing on open ground watching the battle move further and further away from him while the six figures hovering above watched him in return.
Four Pawns, a Rook, and a Knight. Two pieces to match his and four lesser ones just to make sure. He supposed he should be honored Riser deemed him such a threat.
It was a stalemate, and they knew it just as well as he did.
He could not reach them with his flame, and it was futile for him to try. The wings they possessed gave them an advantage in mobility that he could not easily overcome. Pillars of fire he could summon, streams of flame he could conjure, but all of them were useless if his targets could dodge with impunity or dance just out of range. Likewise, they could not risk to attack. Closing the distance meant shortening the time his flames had to travel before connecting. Indeed, some among them bore singe marks on their clothing where they had tried and found he could react faster than they anticipated. He had nearly shot down the Knight that way, a great blast of heat erupting from his palm as the woman angled to strike. It was the Rook who saved her, dragging her back in time, but not before the vengeful flames had grazed her side. She was still holding it now, the wound, a charred mess of flesh and skin, emitting thin trails of smoke.
He smiled up to her. She glowered back in return.
He could not move either. That much was clear. Like hawks they watched him, searching for the smallest of opportunities, waiting for a slip in his guard. He had a mind to do just that, let slip his guard so he could finally move. He did not doubt he could endure the weapons they bore and the wounds they would inflict, but it was a question of how much before it became too much. The soul was strong but the body was weak. He could bleed, like any other man, and while Thanatos protected him from the worst, grievous injuries were still problematic. He did not think he would be useful at all if he finally arrived at Rias's side missing an arm or a leg or perhaps both.
So it was a stalemate. On his side, at least. The battle that raged in the distance was an entirely different matter.
Riser's advantage had always been numbers. His servants outnumbered his opponent's badly. But Rias had the stronger pieces. That had been apparent when shortly after the battle began Kiba had chewed through one of Riser's Pawns and badly savaged another, whom Issei put down with a single punch. Individually, Kiba, Akeno, Koneko, and even Issei to some extent were superior in terms of power to their respective opposites. The only chance the heir of Phenex had was to overwhelm them with numbers, and he couldn't do that when nearly half his peerage hovered on the opposite side of the battlefield, watching him but too far away to do anything else.
The tactic to separate him from his allies had been a good one. He could commend Riser for that. Unfortunately, it also had the side effect of diluting the his strength in numbers, a side effect Riser was feeling most keenly as his opponent and her peerage pressed the attack.
The two high ranking devils circled each other high above the ground, exchanging beams of dark energy and gouts of orange fire. Below them but still in midair, Akeno battled with the purple-haired woman that was Riser's Queen. Lightning forked, and in response explosions riddled the sky. On the ground, Kiba took on an enemy Knight and Rook, and drove back both with immaculate bladework. Koneko stood on the stooped roof of a building, weathering anything and everything the opposing Bishops hurled at her, and in between the time she was forced to defend, the petite girl launched ranged attacks of her own that her enemies was ill-equipped to reflect. Asia was being guarded by a determined Issei, and while the Pawn could not exactly stop higher ranked pieces from interfering without his ability to boost, he could at least waylay them until help arrived.
He felt like a spectator in all this, but knew by keeping six of Riser's pieces from joining the fight, he was giving them all the advantage they needed to win.
Their faces were flushed with victory when finally they landed around him. One more Pawn and most importantly a Rook had fallen before Riser had finally chosen to withdraw. The six that had been watching him had flown off then, joining with the rest of their cohorts in the distance as their master consolidated his position. A brief respite in the battle was what it was, a lull in the combat where both sides could regather and restrategize.
Kiba hit the ground first. It suited him. He was the vanguard, after all. Always attacking, always probing, using his incredible speed to launch himself into the enemy's weakest points and swiftly retreating before superior opposition could arrive to stop him.
The sword user flashed him a smile as he walked past, and twirled the demon sword he held in each hand expertly about his wrist.
Koneko was next, landing daintily on her feet. She nodded to him and took up position to his right. He nodded back. If Kiba was raw offense, then Koneko was pure defense, and even he had been surprised at just how much damage the slender girl could take. And when combined with Asia's Twilight Healing, that ability to endure was raised to a whole new level.
Speaking of the former priestess, Asia was being carried by Akeno, and the two of them descended, followed by a grinning Issei, his face glowing with excitement. The trio floated down, and Akeno deposited Asia neatly to the ground before landing herself. The Queen's features sported a vindictive smile. The Rook had been her kill, and judging from the hint of sadism that found itself on her face, it must have been a satisfying one at that.
Rias was last. Her descent was otherworldly graceful, appropriately refined and when she landed the pride that emitted from her body could be felt by all.
Rias: "If we keep this up, we will win"
Was the first thing she said to them.
He found that he could not disagree with that statement. Their smiles told him neither could they.
Issei: "And it is all because of Arisato-san"
Issei slapped a hand against his back, making him stumble.
Kiba: "Indeed, that was a good idea to split up Riser and his forces. It made the rest easier to handle. What made you come up with it?"
He hadn't come up with it. He had merely seen a chance and seized it, and Riser had reacted. He could not take credit for something that had entirely been accident, even if it ended up benefiting them.
Issei: "Whatever it was, it worked"
Issei said brightly, and then a wistful expression spread over his face
Issei: "I don't think I'll ever forget Grilled Chicken's face when you burned him. Though technically he would be Barbecued Chicken now, wouldn't he?"
Koneko: "Roasted Chicken,"
Koneko amended, and shrugged when he turned to regard her in surprise
Koneko: "Too much heat to be barbecued."
He supposed that was one way of looking at it.
Kiba: "I am quite partial to Baked Chicken, myself, less calories in the intake."
Why was he not surprised that it was the sword-user who was worried about something like that?
Akeno: "Hmmm, all these dishes are nice, but all of you forget just how heavenly Seared Chicken can taste."
Really, the only thing surprising about all this was that he was not surprised that it was happening at all.
Asia: "Umm... I don't know why we are all talking about chickens"
Asia blushed and toyed shyly with her fingers
Asia: "But if it's cooked by Hyoudou-san and Arisato-san I think I will enjoy it."
His lips twitched. Rias must have noticed for she sent him a warm smile.
Issei: "Heads up"
Issei said cheerfully
Issei: "The Barbecued Chicken and his desserts are coming."
He turned to look and saw that it was true. Distant figures were growing closer, and the bat-like wings that spread over their shoulders made no mistake of what they were.
Kiba: "If the Baked Chicken is the main dish"
Kiba wondered out loud
Kiba: "Wouldn't that make the rest of his peerage the appetizers?"
For a moment he wondered if he was the only sane one here. Then battle was joined and one's sanity became the last thing on his mind.
Perception faded, as it always did in combat, replaced with a series of flickering images that came instant by instant. Dimly he was aware of the fighting going on around him, but helpless to focus on one single thing. He traded fire with one of Riser's Bishops, noting absently that she somewhat resembled her master, pivoted on his heel to ward off a Pawn sneaking past his side with a blast of flame, then moved to support when Kiba was forced back. The fire that flared from his hands came in a continuous stream and he manipulated that to his whim, igniting the ground with streaks of wildfire, hurling beams of white heat that scorched all within vicinity, conjuring great waves of spitting flame and sending them crashing towards gathered throngs of enemies.
He was outmatched by their speed, but in sheer volume of firepower he outclassed them all.
He took note of the fact that even in the chaos Rias had still managed to arrange her pieces in an effective formation. Kiba and Issei roamed in the front, preventing Riser's superior numbers from concentrating in one place. Koneko stood further back, shielding Asia and protecting her from harm. Rias and Akeno hovered above them, where they could have a commanding view over the battlefield and exchange fire with their ranged counterparts with impunity.
It was against this formation that Riser threw his forces into, and it was against this formation that he was savagely hurled back.
One of his Pawns strayed too near. Kiba trapped her against the anvil that was Akeno's lightning and Koneko's defense. With nowhere to go, the girl turned, and the Knight took her to pieces.
His own labor eventually bore fruit as well. A plume of flame seared from his open palm and caught another Pawn in its path of carnage. The girl tumbled from the air, spiraling out of control, plummeting towards their midst, but instead of the ground, it was a crimson gauntlet bearing a gleaming green jewel that arrested her descent. And then she was sent flying in another direction entirely to land in an unmoving heap before disappearing.
Issei: "Issei with the kill!"
The boy let out a whoop
Issei: "Arisato-san with the assist!"
Technically it should be the other way around, but he found that he did not mind.
Riser drew his forces back, and he saw that many of them bore lingering wounds that could only wear them down as the battle progressed. They had received injuries of their own, but Asia's Twilight Healing solved that particular nuisance before it could fully become a problem. The former priestess's features were alight with cautious optimism as the last of Riser's peerage retreated off into the distance.
Asia: "We really are going to win, aren't we?"
She smiled at them all.
He saw the blur before anyone else did. The rapid approach of distorted color. The plume of flame that leapt from his hand was the warning, yet her speed prevented them from reacting in time. The Knight he had injured, her side still smoking, her face strangely resigned, dove into their midst, sword bared. Crimson droplets spilled into the air, and Asia disappeared, the smile still frozen onto her gentle features.
Her killer did not resist when a combination of demon blades and steel claws found her a bare second later.
They lost Kiba in the same way as Asia. The other Knight darted under their guard, and sacrificed herself to take out the sword user. The devil's normally handsome face was contorted in fury at the underhanded tactic that had cost them their Bishop, stunned at her sudden disappearance, and could not defend himself when the second Knight plunged into their ranks and impaled him with her zweihänder leveled like a spear. His last act of defiance was to ram both demon swords into his foe's stomach and out her back in a spray of blood. Then the two of them fell, linked together by each other's blades, slumping to the ground and disappearing as the Rating Game registered their deaths.
The effect had been instantaneous. The feeling of imminent victory was gone, washed away like words in the sand. The rush of adrenaline from winning vanished, abandoning them in their most dire hour of need. The sudden loss of two of their most important pieces left them shaken, dazed, and in a deplorable state to resist when Riser suddenly seized the initiative.
Out of all of them, he was the least affected, but that was because his stay among their group was the shortest. The bonds they shared together as fellow members of the same peerage were strong, and what they were feeling he could understand. Many were the times he had woken up in the middle of the night back in his world with treacherous dreams of SEES being swarmed by Shadows assailing his mind.
They lost Koneko shortly after. It took the combined might of Riser's Bishops and his Queen to take her out of the fight, but that they did, saturating the area where the girl stood with ranged firepower. Without Asia's Twilight Healing, she could not endure, and Koneko fell, further reducing their numbers and weakening their resolve.
He took a measure of revenge by incinerating one of the Bishops. The one dressed in a kimono. She had paused for the barest of moments to savor their victory, and the barest of moments was all he needed. He caught her in a pillar of fire, blasting the column of white heat from beneath her, transfixing her in an eruption of volcanic fury. He stripped her of her skin, denuded her of her flesh, and when only bones remained, continued to burn her until there was nothing left but ash, and dust, and the faint lingering echoes of her screams.
Vengeance taken, he stepped back. The smile Akeno gave him sent shivers of warning up his back.
This continued on for he didn't know how long. Such was the nature of battle, where moments of combat became flickering blurs and the mind lost track of time and presence. The two peerages exchanged blows, but it was clear now which side was winning. Riser still had the superior numbers, and at last he was using them to his advantage. His remaining Pawns served as a skirmishing screen, jabbing and probing at their vulnerable flanks, distracting them while his more powerful pieces hovered at a distance, waiting for the time an opportune moment would appear. And appear they did.
Akeno could no longer bear the irritation of the harassing Pawns any longer. The black-haired beauty turned her attention to the lesser pieces and sent coruscating tendrils of lightning in their direction. She fried two and their twitching, blackened bodies dropped from the sky to land in smoldering heaps. The third came from the side, preparing to use the diversion to land a fatal blow on the Queen's unguarded back. He prevented that by conjuring a wall of flame between the Pawn and her target, and the girl surged through it, unable to stop from sheer momentum.
The flames set her alight, and her charge became a careening, tumbling mess of loose limbs and flailing arms. Akeno stepped gracefully to the side as the fiery blur bowled past, raised her delicate brows in amusement as the Pawn crashed unceremoniously to a halt, and then proceeded to electrocute the girl until she stopped moving.
She turned to face him, and he could see her lips moving to form words of thanks. Those words disappeared along with her in an explosion of cloud and dust. He looked up, to where Riser's Queen hovered, a satisfied expression on her perfect face. The plumes of flame he sent her way were easily dodged, and from the way she maneuvered almost lazily as blasts of fire shot past, he knew she was taunting him.
Akeno was gone, and their numbers fell from four to three. The three threatened to become two as Riser's last Rook descended from the sky to land near Issei.
The boy had been running interference, trying in vain to engage the other three pawns and prevent them from harassing their flanks. It had been a noble effort on his part, but he was outnumbered and more importantly, his opponents were fresh while he had fought in almost every bout against Riser's pieces. It was for that reason he was separated from them, and such was his exhaustion, that he could not return before the enemy Rook had already landed.
They could do nothing to help either. The ground around him shook with detonations as the enemy Queen selected him to be her target. Jets of fire wreathed about him as the Bishop lent her weight to the fight. Above him, Rias still battled with Riser, and while she had scored numerous wounds, many of them grievous, her foe merely regenerated them seconds later. The heir of Phenex had seen their lone Pawn alone and hideously vulnerable out in the open, and sought to pin them in place so his sole remaining melee piece could crush her inferior counterpart without intervention.
From the periphery of his vision he could see Issei being savagely beaten back. The Rook, half her face hidden by a mask of steel, was brutally efficient, punching her fists into the openings that were left in the boy's lagging defense. Each blow sent Issei reeling but somehow the devil continued doggedly on, staying gamely on his feet, launching strikes of his own that in his dilapidated state, were easily blocked or parried. Finally the woman seemed to tire from toying with him, and smashed her knee up into his stomach with enough force to double him over.
The boy coughed blood. His face was clouded with pain.
He felt a spark of anger light up within him and for once it was not the demon that was the cause.
And then the boy surged forward, despite the pain, despite the trails of crimson that leaked from the corner of his mouth, and wrapped his opponent in a tight bear hug, pinning her arms to her sides, trapping her with the last of his strength.
Issei: "Do it, Arisato-san!"
He heard him cry out above the din
Issei: "Finish it!"
Desperation shone in his eyes, and it was clear what he wanted. A pillar of flame could easily incinerate the Rook now that she was struggling to move, even if it meant catching the one holding her in the blast.
He wanted to laugh. So suitably heroic. So suitably brave. So suitably like Junpei.
His legs were already moving by then, spurts of demonic strength spearing through them, granting him swiftness that could not match a Knight's, but was adequate enough for the task at hand. He closed the space between them in great, distance-eating strides, ignoring the world around him, ignoring the way his surroundings exploded as Riser's Queen tried to compensate for his sudden spurt of speed, ignoring the lashing tendrils of fire that sought to waylay him as the Bishop did the same.
And then he was before them, the two of them, the Rook and the Pawn, and the same demonic power that lent him speed rippled like wildfire down his shoulder.
She stiffened when she felt his hand on her back then sagged when he pulled out her spine in an explosion of gore.
The sheer brutality of that act made even them pause, and he used that time to drag the boy back, hauling him by the collar with the arm not completely drenched in blood.
Rias met him halfway, descending from the air, her eyes wide but her lips curled grimly upwards in approval. Together they half-dragged, half-carried Issei behind the shell of an eviscerated building, its innards carved out by one of their many ranged exchanges. Riser did not pursue. The loss of his last melee piece deterred that notion. But he did not need to. The damage his Rook had inflicted upon her victim was extensive, and he knew instincitely that the boy was barely holding on.
He watched Rias set her Pawn gently down by the wall, where he could lean for support. The boy's eyes rolled loosely in their sockets before focusing on him and settling on the limb that leaked crimson fluid to the ground.
Issei: "You should teach me how to do that some time."
He tried hard not to smile. That would be a simple affair, really. Reach in, grasp the spine firmly, and pull. It was all in the execution.
Issei: "I am sorry"
The devil's gaze was wandering now, roaming aimlessly, and he could see that the boy was fighting hard to remain cognizant
Issei: "I am sorry I couldn't be of more help, Buchou."
Rias nodded and bit her lip. He realized he was supposed to say something in a situation like this and nevertheless, grasped at straws. Conversation. Never his strong suit.
Minato: "You did... well"
Was what he finally offered.
Issei grinned up to him, though in his ruined state it was more of a lopsided leer.
Issei: "Being praised by Arisato-san... That's not... so bad..."
Then he lost consciousness, his body disappearing like he had seen the rest of them do, and it was just the two of them, the King and her reluctant Rook.
Rias stared at the space where Issei had rested. Her shoulders were slumped. It was a far cry from her usual noble, confident demeanor. He found that it did not suit her. They stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity, but in reality, could not have been more than a few seconds. Her, kneeling next to the place where the last of her true peerage had vanished. Him, leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets, merely observing.
She finally rose from her position, gathered herself, and turned to face him.
Rias: "This was my fault"
She said softly
Rias: "I should have foreseen that Riser's Knights would sacrifice themselves in this way. I should have been able to stop it. Or at least do something to help when we lost Asia and Yuuto"
A flicker of pain passed over her face as she recalled that instant
Rias: "I should have been able to do something."
He disagreed. She had proven to be sound at commanding. But sometimes, even the greatest of commanders could still be defeated by innovative tactics and unexpected strategies. He was about to make his disagreement known when she spoke again.
Minato: "But we made him bleed, didn't we?"
A fierceness had overtaken her, and he could see her fingers clenching into fists
Minato: "We made him work for this win. And when we fought together, battled together, in that moment, I could not have been more proud of you all."
Good words. Fine words.
Rias: "It was pyrrhic victory for him"
Sadness now, tempered with regret
Rias: "But still a victory,"
She gazed at him evenly, a trace of weary humor lighting in her eyes
Rias: "I do believe the next time I see you, Arisato-san, I will be married."
Mitsuru had said something similar to him. She had come to him one night, her face unusually absent of the sternness it normally carried, an aura of vulnerability about her in lieu of ice and steel. That was back when they felt the connection between them, yet had not the time or the courage to make anything of it. The memories came in waves, and for a moment he was captured by the familiarity of it all.
He was driven out of his reverie by the touch of her fingertips on his chest. He frowned and looked down.
Minato: "What are you doing?"
Rias met his curious stare with a half-hearted smile.
Rias: "I am removing your piece."
There was enough meaning in that simple sentence that he could not help but match her smile.
Minato: "If you do that, you will lose."
In that moment, her laughter could not have sounded more beautiful.
Rias: "I have already lost"
The words, like her laugh, were stained with accepted defeat
Rias: "I am making sure you do not lose with me. By retiring you now, Riser will not be able to influence you as a servant in my peerage."
He watched as her fingers continued to dance across his chest, the hand searching for the place she had implanted the Rook within him.
He made a decision then.
His own hand raised and pushed hers gently away.
She looked at him, not understanding. He stepped forward from the wall, and for a moment he debated if it was worthwhile what he was going to do next.
Others might have hesitated, guarding their power jealously and withholding knowledge as was their right. He was not them. It was never his way. The Social Links he had completed, the friends he had made, the bonds he had forged did not come from secrecy and apathy. They came from acceptance and the willingness to help those in need.
He had seen their courage on the battlefield. Witnessed their loyalty to one another. Beheld their selflessness as they stood with one another and sacrificed for one another. Those were human traits. Traits he respected. Traits he had died to protect. Traits that were worthy of being saved.
And in the end, that was all that mattered.
He turned, knowing that there would be no going back, understanding that his place in this world would be irrevocably changed. He turned to meet her eyes with his own.
Minato: "Promise me something, Gremory-san."
Rias: "Gremory-san?"
Her lips twitched. Even now the humor in her defeat lay thick in her mind
Rias: "Since when did you start calling me by that?"
He hadn't. He did not use honorifics much. Not to people who did not deserve them.
Minato: "Promise me that no matter what I do next, you will continue treating me as you have done before."
She took a step back. The way her eyes widened in realization made the moment all the more poignant.
Rias: "I promise."
He smiled at her.
And then the surge of power was there. Surrounding him, engulfing him with its demonic taint. From his mind it poured forth, blasting out from his conscience in an almighty rush.
Minato: "Persona."
The ground shook.
???: PAIN.
A gigantic hand rose from the earth. Its skin was a charred mess of blackened hide and crimson flesh. Streams of molten magma ran down its surface like veins.
???: AGONY.
The tips of its fingers were claws of obsidian. They smote into the ground, thick digits digging for purchase. The pavement around them warped and buckled as they were assailed by waves of unbearable heat.
???: MY WRATH COURSES THROUGH THE CAVERNOUS DEEPS.
The head emerged. A bestial, demented thing. Eyes that were smoldering orbs of fire stared out from sunken, cadaverous sockets. Curved, spiral horns reached out from the sides of its cruel visage, each horned obtrusion dangling with bronze rings. The mouth opened, like the stony rim of a volcano, with teeth of jagged stalactites and a tongue of roiling lava.
???: MY RAGE CRACKS THE CRUST OF THE EARTH.
The rest of the body came next. A mountain of scorched flesh and warped muscle, ragged and discolored. It exploded up from the ground, using the hand embedded into the pavement as an anchor. Long, scar-like fissures across its torso leaked hissing rivulets of molten fire, dribbling to the ground like rain. Where they landed the earth bubbled and sizzled as raw heat ate into their surface and carved porous holes into their bones.
???: THE WORLD QUAKES AT THE FALL OF MY STEPS.
The other arm wrenched itself loose, surging forth in a fiery arc of falling rock and flaming debris. It smashed into the pavement, alongside the first, and using both, it heaved itself up, dragging its full form free to stand on backward-jointed legs.
???: ITS WRETCHED DENIZENS COWER IN THE WAKE OF MY TREAD.
It took a step forward. The earth groaned in agony. The very surface split and fractured where the monstrous, clawed foot crushed. From those cracks, plumes of lava erupted, streams of liquid fire spitting from the sundered ground, leaving volcanic ash thick and choking in the air.
???: AT LONG LAST I HAVE BEEN SET LOOSE UPON THIS PLANE.
Nidhogg had been gargantuan in size. Its reptilian form when materialized had taken up a considerable portion of the clearing. This one towered above even that. Its demonic shape loomed over them all, a massive, titanic thing of brooding anger and unholy hatred.
???: AND ALL SHALL BURN BEFORE THE FIRE OF MY WINGS.
Pinions of shadow burst from its back, wings of midnight black that seemed to drink in all light. Throbbing, orange veins grew from the darkest places and extended until they covered the span of each like a fiery web.
Belial: I AM BELIAL, LORD OF SHADOW AND FLAME.
The Archdemon let loose a deafening roar, a sonic boom of discordant noise that threatened to burst their eardrums from sheer intensity. The air around its open mouth cackled and warped, twisting and distorting in visible patterns. The ball of living flame that was a gathered Maragidyne pulsated in its jaws.
Belial: AND I HAVE COME FORTH TO UNRAVEL YOUR PITIFUL, MORTAL, EXISTENCE.
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