Spectator

The power of Devils is so versatile...' thought Vahn, sitting next to Asia in the Student Council Room, populated by a bunch of floating displays that reminded him of Throne. Sona and Tsubaki could control what was shown on each with a simple thought, and by making minute gestures with their right index fingers and thumbs, they could freely control the size, field of view, and color range of each display.

"I hope Rias-sama and the others come out of this okay..." muttered Asia, squeezing Vahn's left hand and resting her head against his shoulder as she softly appended, "If I had joined Rias-sama's Peerage as a Bishop, I could have protected and healed them..."

"They'll be fine," affirmed Vahn, his gaze focused on the central display, showing Rias strategizing with Akeno, Koneko, Kiba, and Issei. In place of their Kuoh Academy uniforms, Rias was wearing a black dress that made her look like a Demon Queen, Akeno was sporting a B-Rank version of her Shrine Maiden outfit, Koneko was modeling her Brawler's Secret set, Kiba was still in uniform but had a silvery-white breastplate and gauntlets, and Issei, since Tsubasa thought it made him look manly, was wearing a black and silver-studded leather jacket over his usual red t-shirt. He also had a red fingerless glove on his right hand to match his Boosted Gear, leather pants, and, to balance things out, a red belt and black, red-soled combat boots.

'I shouldn't have to rely on others to protect those I care about, but I'm counting on you, Issei-san...' thought Vahn, his expression gaining a hint of severity as Grayfia's voice echoed from each of the displays, explaining the rules and victory conditions to the viewers. During this, Riser ordered the members of his Peerage, five of which had been gathered around him, clinging to his body, to mobilize, clearly planning to take full advantage of the numbers he had at his disposal by capturing and occupying every key objective before the members of the ORC had a chance to depart the Old School Building...

Seeing Riser's Peerage move into position in groups of two to four, Vahn, though he knew it would be cheating, wished he could inform Rias what was happening. Fortunately, while Riser's Peerage had the advantage in numbers, the ORC was far more familiar with the terrain and layout of the Academy. To secure their base, the Old School Building, Rias had Koneko and Kiba leave to scout and set up traps in the surrounding forest, aided by their Familiars, while Akeno spent several minutes weaving an illusory barrier. In the meantime, Issei sent Munemaru to scout out the gym while he hung back with Rias, relaying what he saw while she sat calmly at her replicated desk.

'She's so calm...' thought Vahn, feeling a great sense of admiration as he observed Rias calmly administering orders through the tiny motes of light everyone had placed in their ears to stay in communication. She didn't appear even a little concerned by the fact they were outnumbered, and as more than half of Riser's Peerage was idling about, chatting away, the Old School Building became progressively more fortified.

Feeling increasingly confident, Vahn nodded and gently squeezed Asia's slightly cold hand, asserting, "They have a plan, and they've trained hard for this. We just need to trust in Rias—in all of them..."

"I know..." muttered Asia, turning and looking up at Vahn with her large, innocent eyes full of concern as she reiterated, "I just wish I could help more. I hate feeling so...helpless..."

"I understand completely..." sighed Vahn, his expression softening as he turned to stare at the largest display, adding, "Even with all my power and abilities, I'm stuck here, powerless to do anything but cheer them on. But, sometimes, just being here—believing in them—is enough. We may not be fighting alongside them, but they know we're watching, sharing the same tension, and praying for their victory. And no matter the outcome, we will be here to welcome them back and heal their wounds..."

As these words left Vahn's mouth, the voice of Grayfia came over the monitors, announcing that the preparatory/strategy phase of the Rating Game was over. With that, Riser's Peerage began making their move, six of his Pawns, a Rook, and a Knight making their way into the forest with the intention of infiltrating the Old School Building. Doing so would allow the Pawns to be promoted to higher Pieces, so Rias's Operation Phoenix Ashes was four parts:

Crush Riser's advance party.

Secure the center of the battlefield.

Distract Riser's Queen.

Sneak Issei into the New School Building so he could be promoted to Queen and back her up in the fight against Riser.

Fortunately for the members of the ORC, Riser was willfully sacrificing the members of his advance party, believing that with their superior numbers, they should be able to take out or at least fatigue Issei, Kiba, and Koneko before Rias or Akeno were forced to intervene. If that didn't work, well, he still had two Pawns, two Bishops, a Knight, a Rook, his Queen, and himself in reserve, outnumbering the ORC eight to five.

'I wonder why no one in Riser's Peerage is utilizing their Familiars...?' Vahn pondered, shifting his gaze to the display showing Kiba's sparrow's line of sight. It was able to provide him a bird's eye view of the battlefield, so as the enemy approached, he positioned himself relaxedly in the middle of a clearing while Koneko turned almost completely invisible and disappeared into the nearby treeline.

As the tension in the Student Council Room grew, Vahn was surprised to feel a distinctive cooling sensation permeate his mind, his racing thoughts settling into a state of calm focus as he anticipated the coming battles. It was honestly a little disconcerting, but since he had other things to focus on, he set it to the back of his mind.

'Kiba is in his element here...' thought Vahn, watching as Kiba unsheathed his sword, wearing a distinctly welcoming smile as Riser's advanced party encircled his position. Since this was the main point of interest, several of the displays, including the largest one, shifted their focus to the scene as Kiba challenged the enemy Knight, a young woman with bandaged brown hair, green eyes, and light armor, to a duel.

Unable to back down from a direct challenge, Riser's Knight told the rest of her team to go around while she stepped forward to face Kiba alone. A few of the Pawns asserted that they should face him together, but before they could make a decision, Koneko erupted from the forest as a hard-to-spot shimmer, landing a heavy blow against the enemy Rook, the girl who was dressed like a biker gang member and modeling a white mask on the right side of her face.

Though she may have been able to endure if her opponent were a normal Rook, Riser's was sent spinning through the air, her mask flying off her face as bluish-white light enveloped her body, transporting her away from the battlefield. Koneko's Touki-wrapped punch had functionally ignored the opposing Rook's enhanced defenses, and since she withdrew before the remaining members of the advance party could make out who or what had hit them, chaos abruptly ensued.

Taking advantage of that moment, Kiba charged at the opposing Knight, offering her an apology as his sword clashed with hers from above. Their strength and speed were about even from what Vahn could tell, but even though he was promptly surrounded, things quickly shifted in Kiba's favor as Koneko launched sneak attacks on anyone foolish enough to shift their focus from their surroundings.

With her focus split between Kiba and her rapidly diminishing teammates, Riser's Knight endeavored to disengage him and regroup but would never get the chance as he activated the option of silvery-white gauntlets. They weren't particularly powerful, primarily granting enhanced Magic Defense, but when their effect was activated, they released a blindingly white flash of light. And since Devils possessed enhanced vision, particularly at night, it was especially effective, surprising and blinding Riser's Knight.

Wasting no time, Kiba slipped past the opposing Knight in the blink of an eye, striking a pose with his body angled forward, a slight smile on his face, and his sword at the end of its swing. His opponent collapsed due to a deep cut in her side, but not before commenting that he was a deceitful coward for not facing her alone. Unfortunately for her, Koneko never once targeted her, and since Kiba similarly had to be aware of her allies, it was unmistakably a fair fight when viewed objectively.

Sheathing his sword, Kiba turned and offered a bow to the disappearing Knight before regrouping with Koneko. No amount of Pawns was a threat to her, so after defeating the pink and blue-haired nekomata twins, every member of Riser's advance party was wiped out.

'I am going to pamper that girl until she's giddy...' Vahn swore, a broad smile developing across his face as he squeezed Asia's now warm and slightly sweaty hand. Seeing their friends emerge victoriously in an eight versus two excited them tremendously, but since they had promised Sona they would remain quiet so she could provide analysis and commentary to the Gremory and Phenex Houses, spectating from their respective estates in the Underworld, they restrained their urges to cry out and celebrate.

"I told you they had a plan..." whispered Vahn, leaning slightly toward Asia as she turned to him and smiled softly, still clutching his left hand.

"Everyone is amazing..." affirmed Asia, her whispering voice pleasant to the ear, causing Vahn's expression to gradually soften as they held each others' gazes for several seconds. Then, as if she wanted him to give her permission to become a member of Rias's Peerage, she reiterated, "But I still wish I could be there to support them..."

Exhaling faintly from his nose, Vahn removed his left hand from Asia's, replacing it with his right before drawing her head toward him with his left and kissing the top of her head. Her green eyes glistened when he pulled away, then, in the most reassuring tone he could muster, Vahn reassured, "You do plenty, Asia...but if you want to do more, you have my support, no matter what."

Before Asia could respond, several of the displays flickered, shifting focus to Akeno, hovering in the air with narrowed eyes and a scary smile. Across from her was the voluptuous, purple-haired woman who functioned as the Queen of Riser's Peerage. Neither had attacked, but the influence of their overwhelming Demonic Power caused noticeable distortions in the air and space as the sky above them swirled with dark clouds.

'Beat her ass, Akeno-san...' thought Vahn, prompting Sis to gently chide him for his language as the match between Akeno and the purple-haired woman, Yubelluna, got underway at Rias's command. Akeno kicked things off by raining down lightning from the sky, but without moving, Yubelluna was able to deflect them away and shield herself with a spherical barrier adorned with spinning Magic Circles.

Demonstrating that she wasn't a Queen for nothing, Yubelluna raised the staff she was wielding in front of her body, causing a purple-hued Magic Circle to appear beneath Akeno. She was able to dodge out of the way in time, but Vahn tensed when he saw the massive explosion wrought by the near-instantaneous attack. Yubelluna's moniker within the Official Rating Games was the Bomb Queen, and it was very apparent why...

Feeling another cool sensation spread through his mind, Vahn's anxiety abruptly disappeared, allowing him to calmly observe as Akeno weaved between Yubelluna's explosive attacks while counterattacking with her equally swift lightning. The two appeared evenly matched, but as Akeno produced a broom identical to the type commonly associated with Shrine Maidens, slipping it under her butt and smiling, she abruptly accelerated at several times her usual flight speed, catching Yubelluna by surprise as the tip of the broom impacted her barrier, shattering it like glass...

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