Arc 1 - Chapter 21: Request for Help

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Cross-over from various games, books, anime, manga, and movies.

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"Speech"

Time*

Arc 1 - Chapter 21: Request for Help

"Is there any way, for you to help us?" Akeno asks Chikao since out of everyone here. He is the one who could help Rias' problem due to being a Magician alone while the other three girls wouldn't be the right person to help. In fact, Akeno knew before coming here that if this Magician won't help out, then Rias will have to prepare for the worse, making Akeno bit her lower lip, nearly drawing blood for how hopeless she feeling right now. That she can't help Rias, the one who saved her from death and been her first closest friend for years.

"Why me? Can't you ask Momoyo or even Nyx over there? I'm just some random no named Magician." Chikao wasn't quite in the mood to help Rias with her arranged marriage problem. Bad enough he was already seeing many death routes increasing at an alarming rate due to Rias informing the higher up about him and Momoyo being part of Nyx's faction had caused many people to aim to kill him and Asia; well, more like him than anyone else. Since the girls are more useful while everyone else thinks a lowly Magician like him wasn't worth the trouble having around alive and better off dead.

Honestly, among the worse routes were the Devils wanting to put him in their peerage just for the sheer ability to dispel other people's [Magic], including the infamous [Power of Destruction]. So yeah, Chikao wasn't that thrilled about helping Rias at the moment and just have to wait for the best time when the route with the highest rate of survival appears. That is when Chikao takes action. Furthermore, knew that all these bad routes are due to his [Mid Sequence 6: Calamity Priest] passively draws in calamities while still including the lucky events thanks to [Fortune] ability ranked up. So with the bad and good together, that Chikao can say for sure he will be more lucky and unlucky compared to other people.

"I'm pretty sure any random Magician like you around would make lots of people wanting to work with Magicians. So yeah, trying to tell others that you're some random no named Magician isn't going to cut it." Rias frown at Chikao, since she didn't think what Momoyo said was true about how Chikao wouldn't be that moved into forming a pact with either her or Akeno. "Anyway, is there anything you want in exchange for your help?"

"You still didn't answer my question." Chikao points out before snapping with his right fingers, creating a tiny [Arcane Science Magic Circle] at the tip of his right index finger, which he extended out and a sphere of flames of the size of a bowling ball appears a few inches above Chikao's right index finger. As he just speeds up molecules to the extent that they catch fire while using [Mana] to give it form. "Plus, I'm pretty sure I got no way in helping you, two Devils." Chikao ignores the looks he is getting as he looks at the fireball he created with [Arcane Science], which barely taking any [Mana] at all. Also, can still be modified to become more than just a simple [Fireball Spell].

"Are you being serious right?" Rias look at Chikao with shock, trying to react to the sniggers coming from Momoyo and Nyx. "I've spent the entire day trying to find you and when I have, I came straight here, to meet you and requesting for your help on something important to me."

"How is that related to me?" Chikao raises an eyebrow at Rias, then dispel the fireball with a snap of his left fingers this time. While thinking about what he should work on now. Where [Vector Control] might be something worth working on again, now that he has the equations for the [Light Element] and [Darkness Element].

Rias grit her teeth and wonder why this Magician being so difficult, when here she is, the Gremory heiress, would give almost anything to help her and this Magician wasn't even being serious right now and doing whatever he fancy when his attention should be on her right now. Furthermore, what made it worse is that the Goddess of Battle and the Goddess of the Night is nearby, not she could even do anything to this Magician, for he shows proof of how powerful he is to stop her from using her [Power of Destruction]. Which made Rias realized how defenseless she is without it. Putting fear into her more than anything else.

"You know, Chikao. There might be something they have that could be useful for you. Unless there is really nothing you want from them?" Momoyo decides to throw a bone to Rias and Akeno, because she can see the fear in their eyes, desperately wanting to run away and not wanting to stay here any longer than they should. However, the fear in Rias' eyes is beginning to fade due to being treated as nothing from Chikao, making it laughable in Momoyo's opinion since she can exactly tell what type of person Rias with the way she acting right now.

"Honestly, I can't think of anything really I want from them. You girls want anything from them?" Chikao looks at Momoyo, Nyx, and Asia, with the former Holy Maiden trying not to be too close to Rias and Akeno, not that he could blame Asia. "Because I got all the things I need and they can't really help me with [Magic]." Chikao keeps following one of the few available routes to take on safely with the minimum risk factor.

"I got nothing." Momoyo shrugs her shoulders.

"I rather not accept anything from any Devils." Nyx rolls her eyes, not really that eager to help Rias at all, and wonder why Momoyo allows these two Devils back here, where it's no longer a secret of where they live in this town.

"Isn't it good faith to help others in their time of needs, even if they're Devils?" Asia still didn't like Devils, but she has been raised to help others, even if it did cause her to be banished, but that still doesn't change the fact that she can see both Rias and Akeno look like they are closer to getting a death sentence in her eyes.

"Alright." Chikao replied, causing everyone to look at him in shock. Especially for Nyx as she didn't think just because of the former little nun, that he would agree to help these Devils. "Now, explain to me about your problem and we come into an agreement with payment. Because I am not doing this for free."

So, Rias explains how she has been forced into an arranged marriage by her family and another, where she is supposed to marry an older Devil after she finished college; however, that was moot and toss out the window when a few days ago. The deadline was pushed ahead of schedule and now she barely got less than 2 weeks to prepare herself for a Rating Game to either win, getting out of the arranged marriage, or lose and be married off within a month. As this is the only option in the contract is allowed for Rias to escape this marriage, including Riser himself if he didn't want to marry Rias, but that wasn't going to happen.

"Do you hate this guy or something? The person you're supposed to marry, I mean." Momoyo asks Rias as she and the other finished listening to Rias' problem.

"He is a bastard and only look at me for my family's name and look. If that wasn't enough, he is a well-known playboy who would have an affair with many other females, which would have helped me get out of this contract, but it's been ironclad with it mainly leaning on his favor than on both sides. I am to stay a virgin and not be touched or else I will be punished by having my heir status strip from me and handed over to that bastard Riser!" Rias begin spilling out all the hatred been built up over the years, even wanted to be someone she wanted to be with, not by someone's demands, and by the end. Rias took a deep breath before looking at everyone's reaction.

Asia looks at her with pity and surprisingly in front of her, holding her hands while saying how sad it is to not have the choice of picking out her own life partner. This made Rias think better of Asia and wonder if she interested in joining her peerage.

Momoyo looks at her with sympathy but wasn't overall that thrilled into helping her. Making Rias mentally sigh in the disappointment of not getting any help from the Goddess of Battle.

Rias really did not want to look in Nyx's direction. But, she can easily guess that Nyx didn't even look at her with pity and more on the line of finding something a bit interesting to watch to ease the boredom. Rias knew that it is 100% of Nyx will never help her.

Now, Rias look at the only person that would most likely save her from this whole ordeal.

"I'll give you my answer after I ask you a few questions first if that's alright with you?" Chikao looks at Rias with a dull look, something at this point, Rias and Akeno curious if he is the Koneko in this small group just by the black facial expression alone.

"Sure, go ahead." Rias is happy enough, that this Magician is now paying attention to her.

"First: Did you even bother to train yourself ever since you found out about this arranged marriage and that your only way out of this contract is to beat Riser in a Rating Game?" Chikao got up from his seat and walk up to Rias, not allowing her or Akeno to come any further into the house.

"I do train." Rias replied, but anyone, excluding Asia, could see Rias didn't speak in a strong tone, but more of a guilty one.

"Going by the tone of voice. You barely put any work into yourself." Chikao said without caring if he hurt Rias' feeling or not. "Second: Do you even train your peerage every single day to their very limit, pushing it and breaking it to reach a higher level of strength?"

Rias didn't reply and that was an answer itself.

Chikao letting out a disappointing sigh, "Lastly: Have you even think about how to deal with this Riser and his peerage in the Rating Game before it the deadline was pushed forward?" Chikao's [Numeromancy] continues giving him a numerous amount of routes to take and with the help of [Thought Acceleration] and [Memory Partiton]. Chikao can say, that there are many that involve a big calamity he will have to face while some of the routes will help him survive it.

The big calamity is dealing with the outcome of Rias' Rating Game against Riser. To make it difficult for Chikao is that each route has a different timeframe, where the calamity might occur literally after the Rating Game or a few days, to even weeks before people coming after Chikao. Depending on how well Rias and her peerage do in the Rating Game.

"Going by their silence. I'll have to take that as a no. Seriously, what have you girls even been doing up to now?" Momoyo looks at Rias and Akeno in disbelief, for neither of them put any effort into getting out of their problems. "Were you planning to rely on the Red Dragon Emperor or something?" Rias flinch, making Momoyo frown and starting to dislike these Devils now. This just made Momoyo regret a little in bringing these two here.

"Leave it to Devils, to rely on others' help than solving it on their own." Nyx giggles in amusement, to find how funny this is getting.

Chikao blankly stares at Nyx, for saying such a thing when she technically left all her works to her brother, making her rely on another to do her job instead of doing it herself.

"I'm sure they have something important at the time, that stops them from working hard in order to improve themselves." Asia spoke up for Rias and Akeno, seeing the good in these Devils, not seeing the big picture that the others are seeing, though.

"Uh, huh." Momoyo is going to have her work cut out for her in order to get Asia up to a level of social awareness and not being completely naive. "Anyway, Chikao. Are you planning to help the Devils or not?"

Chikao ponders a few seconds before answering, "I'll help by training you only, Rias. The rest of your peerage will need to find someone else to train them." Chikao gives Rias a look, that she can only accept this or leave. There is no third option.

"Rias, you should accept this. The others will understand. You'll need all the help you can get. The rest of us can find someone to help us out before it's time for the Rating Game to start." Akeno said to her master/friend, knowing that the main goal was to get this abnormal, powerful Magician to help them out somehow. Being trained by him is the biggest gain of outcome they could possibly get right now. "Thinking about it any longer would be a waste of time and we've already wasted a few days of not training by looking for Chikao here."

Rias knew what Akeno said is right. So she looks at Chikao, "I agree to be trained by you only." Rias pause for a moment to think about what else to say. "Now, that you've agreed to help by training me, but what is the cost I've to pay for it?" Rias hope it isn't something too hard to do.

"I want you to show me your [Power of Destruction] a couple of times until I'm satisfied." Chikao needs to have a personal look into Rias' [Power of Destruction] and if his theory about how the [Power of Destruction] contains the [Destruction Element] and he can get the equations out of it. Then, Chikao will even have a bigger power to help him face against others. Seeing how he saw many routes, where Chikao can see him using something similar to [Power of Destruction] and those routes are the ones with the highest rate for surviving nearly everything this world can throw at him.

This is the main reason why Chikao hasn't kicked Rias and Akeno out straight away without bothering talking to them. Rias is the key to helping him learn the perfect equation for the [Destruction Element]. Something that would help him on the same level of possessing the [Light Element]. So yeah, Chikao nearly pulls Asia into a big hug, for being the one that gave him a reason to accept Rias' request for help.

"That... That's it?" Rias look at Chikao dumbfounded and she wasn't alone, where only Asia is looking at her with joy for her.

"Yeah, Chikao. Are you sure that's it?!" Momoyo looks at Chikao as if she just met him for the first time.

Nyx narrows her eyes at Chikao, trying to think up many reasons why Chikao would only want to see this Devil's [Power of Destruction], which she finds very weak compared to that one redhead like this Devil, who is on the list of the top ten strongest existences. But, the guy is the Satan Lucifer, yet Nyx starting to wonder if that Satan Lucifer has any connection with this Rias, for the two have too many similar features. Nyx is going to have to do some background checks after these two Devils leave.

"Well, yeah. There isn't much I could get from her." Chikao said to Momoyo with an eyebrow raise. "What did you expect me to as for payment?"

"I would say sex." Momoyo smirk that Rias is blushing. "But, I know you're among the very rare few men who don't think with their lower brain. If that wasn't enough, I know for a fact you would rather do some other activity than having sex. Something I didn't expect when we had sex. I was even preparing for you to have your way with me every day instead it's in reverse." Momoyo snort and look a bit put off by Chikao's lack of being forward into their relationship, not that Momoyo can blame Chikao for this. "I have to go for you to have sex or else I won't be getting any for a long time. Not to mention, I rather not let Nyx here try to be with you alone. I wouldn't put it past her trying to kidnap you and run off." Momoyo glare at Nyx, who glared back, not caring the looks she and Nyx getting from the Devils.

"Wait, you guys are in a relationship?" Rias beginning to think that the Magician might be more than meet the eyes to have sex with both the Goddess of Battle AND the Primordial Goddess of the Night!

"I'm his girlfriend." Momoyo point at herself. Then point at Asia, "She just an addition to our team." Momoyo points at Nyx with a sneer. "She just a freeloader and trying to claim Chikao just because she met him first. Yet, I was the one that claims his first as I gave him my firsts as well. While Nyx here didn't and got second only."

"Are we being pranked right now?" Rias look at Akeno, who looks like she wanted to say otherwise. But, even Akeno doesn't know if what's going on is true or not.