After school on that afternoon, the students of Kuoh Academy were either going home or proceeding with the various club activities the school had to offer. These latter would ring true for Rias Gremory and her peerage as they made their way towards their club house.
The club itself served as a front for Rias and her servants in order to get out of school activities in case of a supernatural emergency.
The building itself was a three story building with the third story serving as a clock tower. It had been painted white with a black roof along with vines creeping up to the second story.
As the group approached the building, they were surprised to be greeted by an unexpected sight in front of the club house entrance.
"Sona?" Rias asked in astonishment.
"Good afternoon, Rias." Sona greeted cordially with her entire peerage standing behind her.
To go over Sona's peerage, we would have to go over 5 devils, excluding Sona and Tsubaki.
First and foremost, would be Momo Hanakai, a young beautiful girl with white hair and blue-green eyes that wore the Kuoh Academy girls' uniform. She served as one of Sona's Bishops.
Next would be Reya Kusaka, a slim girl with long brown hair that ended in two short braids and matching eyes. She wore the Kuoh Academy girls' uniform along with a blue headband. She served as the other one of Sona's Bishops.
Another would be Tomoe Meguri, a beautiful girl with shoulder length reddish-brown hair and brown eyes. Her hair featured swept bangs and a single strand of hair sticking out from the top. She wore the Kuoh Academy girls' uniform and served as one of Sona's Knights.
Another one would be Tsubasa Yura, a tall girl with blue, shoulder-length hair and matching eyes. She wore the Kuoh Academy girls' uniform and served as one of Sona's Rooks.
And last as well as certainly being least was the newest addition to Sona's peerage, Genshirou Saji. A young man with short blonde hair and grey eyes. He wore the Kuoh Academy boys' uniform, albeit without the blazer and his sleeves were rolled up. He served as Sona's Pawn.
"What are you all doing here?" Rias asked.
"We were hoping you could tell us that." Sona said, confusing Rias, "You did call us here, did you not?"
"No, I didn't." Rias responded.
"Strange..." Sona muttered, confused as to why they were there as well.
Akeno giggled "Are you just acting confused because you're too nervous to outright say that you just want to challenge us in a Rating Game?"
Sona scoffed and smirked "If I was to challenge Rias and her peerage to a Rating Game then I would make it the first thing to be known between us."
"Then why are you and your whole peerage here?" Rias asked.
"I honestly don't know...every time I try to think of a reason, my mind just suddenly goes blank." Sona replied.
"Mine too, ma'am." Tsubaki said to her "I just know we have to be here, but I don't know as to why though."
"Now that is strange..." Rias muttered, contemplating the information.
"Uh...what's with him?" Koneko asked as she pointed at Saji.
They looked to see Saji staring at specifically Rias and Akeno with dazed eyes, a dumb smile and a small nosebleed.
"Seriously Saji?" Tsubasa asked with an irritated look, smacking the back of his head.
"Get a grip will ya?" Tomoe laughed.
"Alright, geez, sorry!" Saji apologized, rubbing the back of his head.
"You got a new piece?" Rias asked.
Sona sighed "Yes. His name is Saji, my newest Pawn."
"The best damn Pawn you have ever seen!" Saji stated with a smirk "And one day, you can start calling me Sona's husband-"
"He has quite an active imagination that leads to him having severe delusions, don't mind him too much." Sona stated, cutting him off.
Saji froze, feeling a chill blow past his heart "So cold..."
"In that case, how about we head inside and try to figure out what this is all about over some tea?" Kiba suggested.
"I don't know, maybe-" Reya was about to say, but she was cut off by the doors to the club house slowly opening and aura within beckoning them to enter.
"Did you feel that?" Rias asked and Sona nodded, everyone suddenly weary about what was exuding this dominating aura.
"Y-You guys didn't mention your club house was haunted." Saji stuttered, hiding behind Tsubaki.
"That's because it isn't." Koneko stated, walking ahead of everyone with a glare and her fists clenched.
They all followed her up the stairs and towards the main office, feeling the aura getting stronger as they approached said office. The doors to the office opened for them and they were surprised to see Grim standing by Rias' desk with his unnerving smile plastered on his face.
"Y-You?" Rias asked.
"Hiya. Glad you could all make it." Grim said with a wave.
"Just what type of game are you playing?" Sona asked with narrowed eyes.
"Hey now, this wasn't my idea." Grim said with a chuckle and he pointed to Rias' seat which was turned to face the opposite way "This was all the machinations of my master's brilliant mind. Isn't that right, ma'am?"
"Right you are-WAAH!!!" Shanoa was exclaiming when she spun around in the seat, but she had used to much power and she had spun the seat towards a nearby wall and hit her face, falling to the ground along with the chair.
"Master!!!" Grim exclaimed in shock and fear as he quickly ran over to check on her and frantically helped her up "Are you alright, master!?"
"I guess I was too overzealous, apologies." Shanoa said with a laugh as Grim sighed in relief.
The rest watched in disbelief, some wondering if these two were truly the ones exuding that threatening aura from before and some, Saji, slobbering over Shanoa's looks.
"What exactly is this all about?" Rias asked, growing irritated from being kept out of the loop.
"Right." Shanoa said, standing up straight and snapping her fingers "You may begin, Reaper."
Grim's smile widened with silver flames emanating from under him. The devils watched in shock as his scythe floated from the flames and into his hands.
"Be grateful to my master, for only the dead may enter this realm." Grim stated opening his glowing blue eyes "I temporarily welcome you to the Hollow World."
Grim slashed his scythe in an arc and a burst of silver flames enveloped the whole room. They soon died down, but everyone was gone and the room itself was undamaged.
~
Rias and Sona, along with their peerages, had covered their eyes or held their arms up to block the supposed attack of silver flames. Upon not feeling any burns or searing pain, they put their arms down and uncovered their eyes, shocked to see their now surrounding area.
They were now in a never-ending white desert, with multitudes of dunes and an unchanging night covering the sky above.
"Welcome to Hueco Mundo." Shanoa announced, standing atop a boulder with Grim by her side "Or as I'd like to call it, the Grim Reaper's personal playground."
"The Grim Reaper?" Kiba asked in surprise and confusion.
"Alright, you've established that the both of you are nowhere near normal. So who are you?" Rias demanded with a glare.
"Who we are is of no importance at the moment." Shanoa stated with a smirk "Your current situation is much more dire."
"W-What do you mean?" Tsubaki asked, but she grew flustered when Shanoa focused her gaze on her.
"You are all trapped within this realm. Reaper is god within Hueco Mundo and he will not let you escape until you have completed the challenge." Shanoa explained.
"What exactly is this challenge?" Sona asked.
"Quite simple, my dear." Shanoa stated as her piercing blue eyes glowed "To escape Hueco Mundo, you must defeat me in a trial by combat."
"Trial by combat?" Saji asked.
"You want us to fight you?" Rias asked and Shanoa nodded "Why? For what reason?"
"Why?" Shanoa asked as she smirked and released the same dark aura she had released upon her awakening, bringing all of the devils to their knees while her eyes were now glowing red "This is merely a show of dominance."
"W-what...!?" Momo exclaimed, feeling an intense amount of fear envelop her.
"H-How...!?" Kiba asked, his natural instincts telling him to not raise his head as he bowed.
'I can't move...no, I'm too scared to move. Whatever she is, we have to get away. I feel death imminent from just being around her. We have to escape, right now!' Sona expressed frantically in her mind.
'This aura I felt it before, no...we all felt this before! This intense feeling of fear, this unimaginable amount of power, this happened not too long ago! She's the one that is the cause? No! impossible! Not even my brother or father have given off this much aura of power! What is she!?' Rias asked herself with wide eyes as sweat dripped down the side of her head.
"Rias..." Sona muttered and Rias looked at her "You and I both know this is too much for either of us to handle, we have to escape."
"B-But how...?" Rias asked.
"Him." Sona stated, and Rias looked to see Grim holding his usual unsettling smile "If we can manage to get ahold of him, we can force him to let us escape this place."
"What about her?" Rias asked, looking at Shanoa "I doubt she'd let an of us get to him."
"We may be able to overwhelm her with the power of our peerages combined." Sona explained "If we can all swarm her, then at least one of us can get past her and reach Grim."
"Do you think it'll work?" Rias asked.
"It's our best possible option." Sona said.
"I'm the fastest one here." Kiba said "I can get to him if I get an opening."
Rias nodded as she looked at her Queen "Akeno."
"Yes, ma'am." Akeno stated as her wings erupted from her back and she flew high up in the air, forming a magic circle on both her hands.
'A hybrid?' Shanoa asked, noticing Akeno's wings and she smirked "It seems they are ready to dance."
"Go!" Rias and Sona commanded and all of their pieces attacked with their weapons drawn and magical prowess active.
Koneko jumped up and raised her fist, bringing it down towards Shanoa who reeled her fist back and the two matched blows. The impact released a powerful shockwave that pushed the others back and Koneko widened her eyes, seeing that her strength had not only been matched, but overpowered.
"Excellent!" Shanoa exclaimed, grabbing Koneko's arm and pulling her closer.
Shanoa reeled her head back and hit Koneko with a devastating head-butt that sent her flying through the dunes and skidding across the desert sands.
"Koneko!" Rias exclaimed worriedly.
Shanoa dashed towards Momo and hit her with powerful fist to the gut and she coughed up a significant amount of blood with her eyes whiting out and she fell to the ground unconscious.
"Momo!!!" Tsubasa shouted and she glared at Shanoa in anger "You bastard!"
"Tsubasa wait!" Sona shouted, but it was too late.
Tsubasa had ran towards Shanoa, aiming to land a blow from behind, that was until Shanoa spun around kicked Tsubasa in the face, sending her flying the same way she had done with Koneko.
Sona heard Saji let out an angered shout as he ran towards her.
"Saji no!" Sona shouted.
"You may be hot as hell, but that ain't enough to forgive you for what you have just done! I'll teach you to mess with my harem!" Saji shouted, forming a Sacred Gear in the shape of a deformed lizard with a deformed face on his left hand "Absorption Line!"
Saji shot a blue tether towards Shanoa who grabbed onto it and he smirked in victory.
"Gotcha!" Saji stated "Say your prayers, because your powers are all mine."
'Is this one of the Sacred Gears Reaper spoke of? How...underwhelming.' Shanoa thought, grabbing onto the tether line as Saji widened his eyes.
"H-Hey!? W-What are you doing-AHH!!!" Saji was suddenly pulled towards Shanoa who hit him with a devastating punch to the ground.
Saji groaned in pain as Shanoa smirked "What was that? Oh, what a gentleman you are. I give you my thanks for this."
The barely conscious Saji was confused until Shanoa raised his body above her just as a lightning strike was shot down towards her. Saji screamed in pain when the lightning strike electrocuted his whole body.
"Oops..." Akeno muttered as electricity sparked around her hands.
Shanoa put Saji down and she smirked up at Akeno "Someone so adept in the magical arts shouldn't be that reckless."
Akeno giggled "You're right, I shouldn't. But don't worry, I won't be missing this time around."
"Oh?" Shanoa asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Please scream as loud as you can for me. I want to feel your pain~" Akeno stated charging up lightning along her arms and discharging a large and powerful bolt of lightning.
It was a direct hit. The lightning exploded in a thunderous roar with the desert's dirt flying up to shape a crater in Shanoa's place.
"D-Did she get her?" Tsubaki asked, jaw dropped by the amount of immense power Akeno possessed.
"Hopefully." Rias muttered.
The dust cleared up and those left standing had their eyes wide upon seeing Shanoa completely unharmed, but she was holding the lightning bolt in her hand as if it was a solid object in its entirety.
"You want to hear my screams?" Shanoa asked in amusement "Please remember that I'm the only one that can make you scream in more ways than one~"
Shanoa threw the lightning bolt as if it was a javelin and it hit Akeno directly. She let out a scream of pain and pleasure as she got electrocuted and fell to the ground with smoke emanating off her bruised and battered body.
"Ah, there seems to be another Queen, how careless of me." Shanoa states, looking at Tsubaki who widened her eyes in fear.
Shanoa ran towards Tsubaki who formed a defensive barrier around herself and Shanoa just raised her fist, a red and orange flame forming around it. She hit the barrier with an open palm strike and it shattered, creating an opening for Shanoa.
"Have a taste of my power." Shanoa stated, releasing a powerful wave of red and orange fire that exploded into a flash of brilliant flames.
Tsubaki screamed in pain and just as the explosion died down and the dust cleared, she had fallen to the ground, covered in soot and bruises with the ground beneath her turned to ash.
"Forming your strongest barrier right before the blast, clever girl." Shanoa comments, looking at the downed Tsubaki and impressed by her quick thinking.
"Tomoe!" Reya shouted and Tomoe nodded, drawing her now summoned katana and dashing towards Shanoa.
Reya formed a magic circle and cast the effects on Tomoe, enhancing her speed and strength. Tomoe roared as she charged at Shanoa, aiming to slice her head off. Shanoa then did something that was not only shocking, but completely demeaning to Tomoe's pride as a swordswoman.
She had blocked the strike with her finger.
Tomoe widened her eyes as Shanoa flicked her finger downwards and Tomoe received a slash across her entire torso, blood gushing out in strides.
"Apologies, I'm currently holding back significantly, but it seems my finger didn't leave as shallow of a cut as I'd hoped." Shanoa said to Tomoe who fell to the ground, "Although, you may prove beneficial to me, so I thank you."
Shanoa dragged her hand across Tomoe's cut and the blood followed it. She raised hand from Tomoe's body and the blood rose as well, forming into a katana made entirely of blood.
Shanoa gripped the katana and aimed her sights towards Reya, dashing towards her and suddenly appearing behind her with the katana pointed forward.
"That should be shallow enough I suppose." Shanoa comments and blood spurted out from the cut Reya had received to her stomach.
Reya fell to the ground with a thud just as Shanoa looked towards Rias and Sona who looked afraid, but she could tell they were angered by the decimation their peerages had received and they looked ready to fight her.
Shanoa simply ran to them and she was so fast, they had to blink to recognize that she was already standing in front of them. They both looked up at the taller woman and one look into her eyes drained all the power and confidence they had. They fell to their knees, both shaking in fear of her presence.
Shanoa looked behind her and spotted Kiba racing towards Grim with his sword drawn. She drank away the blood katana and jumped up in the air, shooting towards Kiba and landing on top of him with an explosive boom to the desert sand.
She used him as a form of a surfboard, skidding his body all the way to the boulder Grim was standing on. She stepped off Kiba's limp body and dusted herself off while Grim clapped, impressed by the whole show.
"Marvelously done! As expected from my master." Grim stated.
Shanoa cracked her neck and sat down on the boulder "It was an enjoyable warm up to say the least."
"Why?" Rias asked.
"Hm?" Shanoa hummed in question as she and Grim looked at the two remaining heiresses.
"Why would you do this? What exactly do you want!?" Rias screamed in a desperate plea.
"What do I want? Well, that's quite simple..." Shanoa asked and she smirked, eye glowing red once more as both Rias and Sona felt the intense aura once again "I want to be God."