DxD: Getting Into Shape 07

I knock on the heavy wooden door that [Void Detect] led me to. "Come in!" I hear Rias say from the other side, so I enter the room to find Rias and the rest of her peerage waiting there.

"It's about time!" Rias says in relief. "I thought you weren't going to make it."

"Sorry," I apologize. "I ended up going a bit overboard and it took some extra time, but I got it done."

It really is last minute though. The Rating Game is scheduled to start in just ten minutes. I had to hitch a teleport from Serafall to the Underworld where the Rating Game arena is, and then make my way down here to the waiting room. Technically, I should have come here using the train that connects Earth and the Underworld, like Rias and her Peerage did, since you have to do that when you enter the Underworld for the first time. But there wasn't time, and Serafall just brought me with her directly.

"It's fine," she says. "I'm sorry. It's just, our plans kind of rely on your help."

"The best plans do," I say. "You'd manage without me, but thankfully you won't have to. Come on, I'll give everyone their new gear."

"Sure," she replies. But then she pauses. "Wait, are you taller?"

I blink at her, surprised. "Uhh. Am I?" I ask as I compare our height. "Oh yeah, look at that, I am a little taller." Before I was the same height as her, but now I'm a couple inches taller than her.

"Are you wearing platform boots or something?" Aika asks me, the rest of them starting to gather around and looking at me.

"No, these are my normal shoes," I reply, lifting a foot up to show my sneakers. "This is probably because of the potion I drank earlier."

Asia frowns. "Is it safe to be experimenting with your own potions like that?" she asks.

I shrug. "Anything I do I can undo. I didn't expect or notice the height change, but that falls in line with what the potion should do," I explain. Changing my race came with some physical changes after all. Even if I have the obvious ones hidden right now. Right now isn't the time to explain how I have Nekoshou features right now.

It also helps that I do have a potion that can change your height as well as other physical features.

"Enough about me though, come on, I've got new toys to hand out." A couple of them look a little concerned still, but willing to put it aside for now. I start pulling things out of my inventory. First, I turn to Atsuko.

"For you, I have a new set of armor, and a new ax," I tell her, pulling them out.

Her eyes widen. "Holy shit," she breathes. "Where did you get that ax? It matches the Boosted Gear!"

"I'm pretty good at finding what I need," I reply vaguely. "And I colored it to match you. This one should be able to handle any punishment you put it through, and you can even carry it with you at all times. Pick it up and think about storing it in a pocket or something."

She grabs the ax with both hands and lifts it, the heavy weight of it only catching her slightly off guard. Even without the Boosted Gear active, she's strong enough to lift it, barely. Her brow furrows in concentration, but it only takes a moment for the ax to disappear.

"I did it!" she cheers. She holds her hand out and concentrates again for a second, and the ax reappears. "This is so cool."

"Being able to always have your weapon is important," I say. "And don't forget the armor. It'll reduce how much damage you take, especially fire damage, and it will help you restore your stamina faster, similar to the ring I let you use before, but better."

"Oooh," she says. "But I thought you said I didn't need armor?"

"You don't," I confirm. "Or at least, you won't once you get trained up more." And once she unlocks her Balance Breaker. "But for now, it'll help keep you safe." She nods in understanding, so I turn to Rias and pull out a leather dress and an amulet.

<King's Amulet>

"The armor protects you and restores your reserves of magic faster," I explain. "And the amulet does all sorts of stuff. It will let you see through illusions and most forms of invisibility, give you information about any object you focus on, restores your magic reserves whenever you take damage, and you can store your magic in it to be used later. I've stored some of my own in it for now, but there wasn't time to put more than a little in."

"The amulet is pretty and all of that sounds amazing," Rias says. "But I can't help but recognize this armor." She holds it up and then looks at me, eyebrow raised. "Is this Yami's outfit from To Love-Ru?"

"Yes, it is," I say. "I admit, I wasn't sure what would look good on you and still be decent armor, so I had to find inspiration from somewhere."

"But why Yami though?" she asks. "Or did you just search for sexy leather armor online?"

"Because I was trying to think of light leather armor that actually provided some protection and wasn't just fetish wear, and she was the first to come to mind," I reply.

"Oh?" Rias says, eyes sparkling. "That's interesting." She smiles as she examines the battle dress, and she definitely looks pleased. She hugs it to her chest as she steps back so I can give the next person their stuff.

Mission 'Let Rias subtly know I'm also into anime' is a success. Though 'subtle' probably isn't the most accurate word to use here. Oh well, doesn't matter. I turn to Akeno. "Here you are. One shrine maiden outfit that does the same thing as Rias's battle dress, and I've upgraded the staff I gave you the other day to be stored like Atsuko's ax and hold magic power like Rias's amulet."

<Azal's Staff>

Unfortunately, the MP Battery enchantment's maximum value was based on the material it's used on. The tier of the enchantment just determines how efficient storing the mana is. At the Ultimate tier, each point of MP put into it equals 1MP stored, but the tier below that requires you to use 2 MP to store 1 MP.

I also found that while I could enchant the already magic staff, the effect of it doubling the cost and power of spells used up an enchantment 'slot', so I could only put three more on. But I can't break down the staff and learn the enchantment. Annoying, but not that big of a deal.

Akeno grabs the staff and immediately tries storing it. "Thank you, Axton, this will be helpful," she replies. "I'm curious though, why a shrine maiden outfit?"

"It just seems to suit you," I say. "Like that doll I gave you before."

She smiles at my words. "I'll gladly wear it then. Even if it's not as sexy as the outfit you made for Rias. I look pretty good in leather too, you know." She winks at me. "Leather and I pair very well."

"I don't doubt that for a second," I reply with a smile. "I'll make something special for you later. Something a bit more suited for places that aren't the battlefield."

"What sort of places?" She asks, teasing.

"The kinds of places you use a whip or a riding crop," I reply. "That's your thing, no?"

She laughs softly. "You know me too well," she replies, stepping back.

I wink at her and then turn to Koneko. "For you, a simple Gi that has the same enchantments as the others, except it restores your stamina instead of your magic. And to go with it, a pair of special bracers that make you stronger and drain stamina from your opponents."

<Brawler's Bracers>

Using my low level [Shape Metal] skill to turn the adamantium ingots into what I needed was one of the slowest parts of the crafting process. But it was worth it. Adamantium plates ran up her forearms, and they'd do a lot to help reduce damage.

Koneko takes them from me without a word, but she's smiling and her tail is swishing. I can feel with [Empathy] that she's excited. I put a hand on her head, patting her in the area between her ears. Her eyes close in contentment for a second before I regretfully remove my hand. She pouts slightly, but steps back, holding on to her new gear tightly. I turn to Aika next.

"I upgraded your staff the same way I did Akeno's, and I prepared this cloak for you that has the same enchantments on it as the others, though it makes your spells cheaper rather than make you regenerate magic faster."

I repaired the cloak the Lich dungeon boss dropped and enchanted it to match the rest. I couldn't fit the MP regeneration on there, but a reduced spell cost is almost as good. She takes the equipment from me, an excited glint in her eyes.

"It's a little darker than I usually go with, but the two of them together work pretty well," she comments. "I'd have preferred some sexy leather myself though."

"I'll make you a sexy leather outfit later then," I say with a laugh. "Hell, I'll make you a few."

"I'll hold you to that," she says with a wink. Finally, I turn to Kiba and hand him a bundle of clothing.

"You make your own weapons, so I stuck with some simple light armor for you," I explain. "The torso armor is enchanted just like Atsuko's is, and the leg armor increases your strength and speed, as well as protecting your most important asset; your speed and maneuverability." It was nice that a thin layer of adamantium is actually pretty light while still being extremely strong.

"Thank you, Axton," he says. "I've never considered wearing armor before, but magically enchanted armor that doesn't slow me down shouldn't be an issue."

I nod at him and then turn to the rest. "I have two more things to give each of you. First, your potions." I pull out six Ultimate HP Potions, six Ultimate Fire Resistance Potions, three Ultimate Mana Potions, and three Ultimate Stamina Potions. I divvy them up to all six of them, the mages getting the mana potions, the fighters getting the stamina potions, and everyone getting one of the other two.

"Each of your armor sets has a place to hold up to five potions built into it," I tell them. "Either a pocket or a holster. Don't worry, the potion vials themselves are sturdy. A direct attack might break them, but not easily. And more importantly than that, I prepared another special item." With a wave of my hand, I deposit six golden rings with the symbol of the Occult Research Club stamped onto them.

"These are-!" Rias starts.

"I thought you'd want a little representation," I say. "I know you originally wanted to fight in your school uniforms to represent the ORC, and while this isn't as visible as that, it's still something. These will let you talk to each other telepathically, which is much more secure than using technology. It also helps you heal faster, detects enemies around you that aren't hidden by magic, and reduces the damage you'd take from Holy and Light magic."

Akeno frowns. "Why that last one?"

"Because I had room for another enchantment, and as Devils, it's your biggest weakness," I explain. "You're not gonna need it here, but in the future, you might."

<+10 Affection with Rias Gremory>

"Thank you, Axton," Rias says again. "Not only for the new gear but for everything else. For preparing us for more than just this rating game. Hopefully, we won't ever need to do anything more than fight in Rating Games. But if we do, I think we're prepared, and that's thanks to you."

I shrug. "Just part of what I said I would do," I say. I glance at the time. "There's only a few minutes left. You guys get changed quickly, okay? And don't worry too much. Even without that new equipment, you guys are way stronger than Riser was last time we saw him. And with it?" I grin. "You guys are going to dominate. And after you do? Well, I've got a fancy new mansion, and Wilhelm is putting the finishing touches on a big party for us to celebrate."

"Woo!" Atsuko cheers and the other girls are smiling in excitement as well.

"Axton, you don't need to do that," Rias protests.

"Too late, it's happening," I say. "So go ahead and kick Riser's ass super quick so we can spend the rest of the night celebrating, got it?"

Everyone grins back at me, and I can feel their excitement with [Empathy]. As they all turn to go to the changing rooms to quickly change into their new armor, I turn to Asia. I give her a hug and a kiss, and I can feel her relax in my arms.

"Sorry about leaving you alone for so long," I say. "It's been a pretty busy couple of days for me."

She shakes her head. "It's fine, I had fun with Atsuko and Aika."

"I'm glad," I reply. "And also don't worry, I'll make some nice stuff for you as well, I just ran out of materials."

"You don't need to do that," she says.

"But I will anyway," I reply. "Now come on, let's go to the viewing area." I hold out my hand and she takes it. [Void Travel] brings us to the hallway outside of the viewing area. I opted out of teleporting straight in due to not wanting to risk spooking the people in there.

I open the door and make my way in. The viewing area is a cross between an expensive lounge and a personal movie theater. One side of the room is just a massive screen, right now showing a logo for the Rating Games. Inside are a number of comfortable and ornate seats arranged in groups, all facing the screen.

I see Sona and her entire peerage in one of those groups, with Yua on Momo's lap, and I wave at them. But on the other side of the room is Serafall, waving me over and demanding my attention.

"Asia, why don't you go and sit by them, alright?" I ask, indicating Sona's group. "Tell Yua I'll talk to them when I get a chance since it looks like Serafall wants me to go sit over by her. Momo and Ruroka have been dying to meet you too."

She feels a little nervous, but she nods. "Okay, Axton."

I give her a quick kiss, send her off, and go over to sit by Serafall, who is sitting by three other people.

"Axton!" Serafall says. "Cutting things a bit close aren't ya?" I open my mouth to defend myself, but she keeps going. "Nevermind that, introductions first! Axton, this is Sirzechs Lucifer, Rias's big brother and Satan in charge of domestic affairs. Next to him is Grayfia, who you met briefly, and then on the other side is Lord Phenex."

I'm always surprised by how pretty Sirzechs is. He looks like an older and genderbent Rias, and not at all the more masculine image of him I have in my head. Grayfia is still in her maid outfit, and seeing her reminds me of something. I'll bring it up later. On the far side is someone with a striking resemblance to Riser, though older, and more regal.

"I've already told you all about him Sirzechs," she says, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Like Sirzechs wasn't watching me as closely as Serafall is, if not closer. "But Lord Phenex, I'd like to introduce you to Axton. He's been helping us with a certain project lately and he's been coaching Rias and her Peerage this past week to prepare for this game."

<+25 Affection with Sirzechs Lucifer>

<+10 Affection with Lord Phenex>

Lord Phenex narrows his eyes at me. Ah right, he's probably noticing the lack of magic. "Nice to meet you," I say neutrally.

"Hmm," is his only reply. "You're a human, correct?"

Not anymore, but I don't feel like explaining that right now. "I am, though I'm a little unique."

"I see," he replies. "Well, I'll hold on to my judgment until I see how the Gremory heiress performs. The fact that she trained at all is commendable. We'll see if it bore fruit."

"I don't think you'll be disappointed," I say to him. He turns his head away to look at the screen, clearly ending the conversation, so I turn to Sirzechs. "And it's good to finally meet you. Rias and Serafall have both mentioned you several times."

He smiles. "And I've been hearing a lot about you as well, especially from Serafall. I'd like to personally thank you for everything you've done, not just in helping Serafall and the Devils as a whole, but in helping Rias as well."

"Happy to do it," I reply. "And it's not like I'm not getting anything out of it, at least the stuff I'm working on with Serafall. I helped Rias because she's my friend and because some of my lovers are part of her peerage."

He laughs. "Either way I'm grateful." He turns to Grayfia. "You two have met already, right?"

"Technically, but we didn't have time to talk," Grayfia replies.

And there's the opening. "Which is a shame, because I actually have something I want to ask you."

"Oh?" she asks, eyebrow raised. "If it's within my ability to answer, I will."

"Do you have a sister or a daughter or something?" I ask. She, Sirzechs, and Serafall all tense slightly. Oh right, she came from some Old Satan faction family didn't she? I pretend not to notice their reaction and continue. "Because I know someone that is the spitting image of you, just shorter. She's even a maid as well."

I am, of course, referring to Sakuya Izayoi, the time-stopping mage I have a Companion Gem for. She and Grayfia look extremely similar, and I'd like to set that up now before I summon her.

The three of them relax when I explain why I ask. "No," she replies. "I don't have any family that would match that description."

"Just checking," I say. "I'm pretty sure she's human anyways. In fact, she's on her way to Kuoh soon, she should be here within a few days. You'll be able to see the resemblance for yourself, it's uncanny."

"Maybe she's a fan?" Serafall says. "Grayfia is super popular after all."

I try not to laugh at the implication that Sakuya is copying Grayfia when it's essentially the other way around. Or not really, since this is a real place and not just an anime. So I guess it's just a coincidence? Ugh, I don't want to get into that mess of trying to figure out what's real and what isn't.

"It's possible," I admit. "I'll ask her when she arrives."

Serafall looks closer at me. "Wait, did you get taller?"

"A couple inches yeah," I reply, wondering how often I'm going to have to answer that question. I could revert my height with my new [Minor Shapeshifting] skill, or a potion, but at this point, I might as well just stick with it. "I was experimenting with a new potion earlier," I explain.

"Ooh, you'll have to tell me about that one," she replies. Our conversation is interrupted by the screen changing its display.

"Later," I tell her, and she nods as we turn our attention to the screen. It's displaying two images. On the left is Rias and her Peerage, standing in the Occult Research Club room. On the right are Riser and his Peerage in what looks like the Student Council room.

"The arena is the school?" I ask out loud, feigning surprise.

"That was Riser's idea," Serafall supplies. "His way of making things fair, considering the difference in experience and peerage numbers."

"What's that they're wearing?" Sirzechs asks, looking at Rias. "I don't recognize any of those outfits."

"That's because I just made them today," I reply, causing him to look at me. His expression and emotions are hard to read. "Potions aren't the only thing I'm good at making, though gear like that takes considerably more time."

"I see," he replies, returning his attention. I see Lord Phenex's lips twitch downwards at the mention of potions. I don't think the details of them have spread yet, but they will soon.

Scrolling text on the bottom of the screen announced that the match has started and they're in the preparation and planning phase. I pull a tub of popcorn out of my inventory and sit back and prepare to enjoy the show.

-x-

Koneko and Aika ran towards the gym, following Rias's strategy. Koneko felt like she could be going faster, but she didn't want to leave Aika behind. A Rook and a Bishop was a good combination, but it depended on Koneko being Aika's shield.

Still, Aika had been training alongside them this entire week, and even if she was still new to being a Devil, she wasn't slow by any means, so they made good time. As they arrived at the gym, they could feel the presence of four others through their rings. Koneko also sensed their life force, confirming not only their presence but their strength.

Koneko found herself surprised. Over this past week, she had only been around Axton, Asia, and her fellow Peerage members, so it was hard for her to estimate how much they'd improved. But feeling their life force now...was Riser's Peerage really that weak? Even if these were their weakest members, it's still below what she expected. What she remembered after seeing them.

She remembered Axton telling them multiple times that they had grown a lot stronger and could take on Riser easily. And for the first time, Koneko thought that maybe that was true and not just words of encouragement.

Confident, she nodded silently to Aika, who nodded back. Their plan was already created, they knew what to do without having to discuss it. Koneko took the lead and burst in through the door, quickly assessing the situation.

Four girls stood in the center of the gym, already facing the doors as if expecting them. Xuelan, Mira, Ile, and Nel. A Rook and three pawns. That means Koneko's role was to take on the Rook, and one of the Pawns as well if possible, while Aika dealt with the other two Pawns.

She rushed Xuelan, the Rook, and threw a handful of energy at the closest Pawn, Mira. It didn't matter which. All four girls had roughly the same fighting style of martial arts or weapons assisted by fire magic. Mira dodged the fire as Koneko slammed into Xuelan's guard, but it did its job in drawing her attention, or aggro as Axton called it.

She was vaguely aware of the rest of the room being practically filled with bolts of darkness as Aika went on the offensive as well, targeting the chainsaw-wielding twins Ile and Nel. But she focused her attention on her own opponents, trusting Aika to do the same.

She was surprised again though when she discovered that careful focus wasn't required for them. She did it anyway but...they were just so slow, and their movements were sloppy. Even at this level of strength, they shouldn't be this sloppy.

Koneko dodged under a roundhouse kick from Xuelan, pushing the girl's leg even further up and pushing her off-balance. Before Xuelan could recover, Koneko twirled around to block the bo staff of Mira, ignoring the flames that came with it. They singed slightly, but that amount of damage barely registered to her.

Koneko used the chance to bury a fist in the girl's stomach, and Mira's eyes bulged at the impact. That wasn't enough to knock her out though, so she followed it up with a chain of punches. Mira, having dropped her staff, desperately tried to block and dodge Koneko's blows, but Koneko had the momentum, and she used it to her advantage.

Xuelan recovered and started for Koneko to help her Peerage member, but her desperate kick towards Koneko was too sloppy. Koneko caught it without looking and then heaved, throwing Xuelan into Mira, sending both of them flying. Koneko didn't just watch them fly though, and she was on top of them as soon as they hit the ground. She gathered Ki into her fist and then slammed it down into both girls.

Mira was knocked out instantly as the ground cratered underneath them, but Xuelan was durable enough to withstand that. Koneko gathered energy again in her fist and slammed it into the other Rook's face. Xuelan tried to block it, but she was too slow, and the ground cratered again at the impact of Koneko's face.

Mira disappeared in a flash of light, but Xuelan remained. She was barely hanging on, but she was still conscious. She was a Rook after all, but one more should do it. For the third time, Koneko gathered energy in her fist and brought it down on Xuelan, this time aiming for her diaphragm. Xuelan's eyes bulged and all of the air was forced out of her lungs before finally slumping over, unconscious.

As Xuelan disappeared, Koneko turned her attention to Aika, who was watching Koneko, her opponents already taken care of. The two girls smiled at each other, confidence soaring. Rias's original plan was to just tie them up and have Akeno bombard the building with lightning, but both of them had insisted on being given the responsibility themselves.

"Gym taken," Koneko reported to Rias using the telepathic link given to them by their rings. It was strange using it at first, but it was fast and useful.

"Good job girls," came Rias's reply. "Kiba is about to engage with some enemies. Head in his direction and meet up with him."

"Got it, boss!" Aika answered cheerfully, moving towards the door. "We'll be there soon."

Koneko moved to join Aika, a small smile on her face. Compared to sparring with Axton, those fights were nothing. As she kept a lookout for more enemies with her Senjutsu, she wondered how Kiba was doing.

-x-

Kiba dashed forward, his blade glinting as it slashed out at the two maids. Too slow to respond, they were taken out instantly, disappearing in a flash of light as they retire.

Kiba turned his attention to the remaining Pawn, Shuriya. He lifted his blade made of compressed water, Undine's Cutlass, and readies himself for another dash. Usually, he preferred to speak more, to introduce himself, and insist on a duel.

But Wilhelm had taught him better. That time could mean the difference between life and death, not just for yourself, but for your comrades as well. Honor had its place, but it wasn't the battlefield, not in that shape. Wilhelm taught Kiba to honor his opponents by fighting them seriously, with everything he had, rather than try to fight fairly.

So he didn't say a word as he dashed towards the scantily clad Pawn. Panic clear in her eyes, she raised a hand to shoot a massive wall of fire at him. Kiba judged that he could ignore it...but it was needlessly risky and he would still take some damage. Which was unacceptable when he didn't need to and they were outnumbered.

He swung his sword in front of him and released the magical force that was keeping the water compressed. It exploded out in front of him and collided with the wall of fire. Steam hissed outwards as the two opposing elements collided with each other, rendering them both blind. But Kiba still wore the ring Axton had given him, and knowing the general position of Shuriya was enough.

He quickly created another sword, going with the simple Dark Edge, a black blade filled with demonic power. He slashed out twice with his sword, feeling it come into contact with the enemy as he heard her cry out in pain. By the time the steam cleared, she had disappeared, retired from the match, and Kiba was left alone in the clearing.

"Three pawns down," Kiba reported to Rias.

"Good job Yuuto," Rias replied. Kiba smiled at her use of his first name. That meant she was especially pleased. Or worried, but in this context, he was sure it was the former. "Koneko and Aika should be arriving at your position any second."

Kiba looked in the direction of the gym and spotted a flash of movement. "I see them now," he told Rias. He raised his hand and waved at them, and the two figures he spotted moved in his direction, coming to stop in front of him.

"Have any problems on your end?" Kiba asked Aika and Koneko.

Koneko shook her head. "No. You?"

"None at all," he answered out loud. He then switched to telepathy. "What's our next move Rias?"

"I have Akeno scouting right now," Rias replied. "For now, start heading- wait. Watch out above!"

All three of their heads snapped upwards, and above them, they saw Yubullena, Riser's Queen, famously known as the Bomb Queen. Her hand is already raised, and the three of them dash in opposite directions. But it's not fast enough.

There's an explosion centered on Koneko, kicking up ash and dirt.

""Koneko!"" Aika and Kiba both cried out in concern. But as the dust cleared, it revealed Koneko still standing there. She was singed and breathing hard, but she was still standing.

"What?!" Yubullena shouted in surprise from above. "That should have been enough to even take a Rook out!" She raised another hand to repeat the attack, but she's interrupted by a lightning bolt striking her directly on the chest, stunning her.

"I don't think so," says another voice. Akeno flies in above the clearing, staff raised and lightning crackling around her. "I can't have you attacking my junior like that." Akeno looks calm, but there's anger in her voice.

Kiba spied Koneko pulling out one of the potions Axton gave her, the cherry red one. She chugged it down and stored the vial back, standing up straighter as she did so. Good, the damage done to her had been fixed. And as far as he was aware, that was the only potion used so far. Which put them in a good position.

"More coming," Koneko says, voice calm despite what just happened. A moment later, Kiba felt them himself. A lot of them.

As Akeno and Yubullena started their fight in the sky above them, Ravel, Karlamine, Isabella, Siris, Ni, and Li stepped into the clearing. Nearly everyone was here, only Rias, Riser, and Atsuko were missing, with Mihae having been taken out by Akeno earlier.

Kiba created two more swords and held them at the ready. "I'll take Karlamine and Siris," Kiba silently communicated to Aika and Koneko.

"The sword wielders, of course," Aika commented.

"Isabella and Ravel," Koneko claimed.

"Are you sure?" Kiba asked as they continued to approach. "Ravel might be difficult to handle, and you just took that hit."

"Fine now," Koneko replied. "I'll distract Ravel until you two finish. Axton said she might not fight."

Kiba sighed. "Fine, but let us know if you need backup, got it?"

"Un," she nodded and agreed. "Aika, be careful of twins, they use Senjutsu."

"Got it," Aika replied, raising her staff. "I won't let them get close enough to use it."

A plan created, the three of them rushed forward to meet the enemies.

-x-

I smile as I watch the big group fight break out. Things had started out so similar to the Rating Game in canon that I was worried for a second, but Rias's Peerage has dominated every fight they've been in. Koneko being ambushed by Yubullena was the only damage any of them had taken at all, and unlike in canon where it KO'd her, she tanked and practically shook it off. And she used the potion, something that didn't escape anyone's notice.

"That is not a Phenex Tear," Lord Phenex comments, confusion clear in his tone.

"It is not," I confirm, causing him to look at me and narrow his eyes slightly. I can see him processing things in his head.

"I see," he replies cooly, returning his attention to the screen. [Empathy] reads a mess of emotions from him, mostly confusion and worry, but they're relatively low level.

"You certainly did a good job training them up," Sirzechs comments. "I'm especially surprised to see Koneko like that."

"I helped talk her through her issues with her Nekoshou heritage," I reply. "She just needed a little push."

Sirzechs makes a vague noise of agreement but changes the subject. "That potion she used…" he starts.

"I thought this would be a good chance to do some advertising while helping them out," I answer his unspoken question. "It's a little hard to show off in a sales pitch."

Sirzechs chuckles. "That is true." He perks up. "Oh? It looks like Akeno just won her fight, though she looks a little tired now."

Sure enough, on the screen is Akeno, staff raised and breathing hard. Yubullena is falling from the sky, but she disappears in white light, retiring. Things are wrapping up on the ground as well. Koneko finished up her fight quickly due to the fact that Ravel ignored her attempt at provoking her and was standing by, watching the fight. So Koneko went to assist the other two to finish their fights. Aika looked like a character straight out of a bullet hell game with how many Dark Missiles she sent all over the place, and Kiba's strikes were fast and decisive.

All during the match, I've felt surprise and pride coming from Sona's group on the other side of the room. [Sound Domain] has let me pick up their murmurings as well, and overall they're extremely surprised by how well Rias is doing. They've asked Yua and Asia a few questions, which they've answered to the best of their abilities. Asia's been far more helpful than Yua in that regard though.

As I watch, Koneko throws one of the twins into Aika's barrage, and Kiba's sword, segmented and coiling like a whip, reaches out and strikes Karlamine. As those two retire, the only members of Riser's Peerage left are Ravel, who is still standing and watching from the sideline, and Riser himself, who still hasn't appeared.

"I admit," Lord Phenex speaks up. "It seems like you did a commendable job training Gremory and her peerage. They've all come a long way to so easily match Riser's Peerage, who have experience in professional Rating Games."

"They worked hard," I reply. "They deserve most of the credit."

"True," he agrees with me. "You cannot grow stronger without working for it. Something Riser has yet to learn."

I blink in surprise, not expecting to hear Lord Phenex talk badly about his own son. But it's Sirzechs who speaks up.

"It's a problem common in the past few generations," he says. "With us at peace, the Rating Game is the only source of motivation for many Devils. And Riser has been performing well so far by relying on the Phenex Clan regeneration, so he's content."

Lord Phenex nods in agreement. "That is precisely the issue." He looks at me. "Did you come up with a counter for that, I wonder?"

I grin. "Keep watching and find out," I reply. "They should be moving on to the final phase of their plan now."

We both turn to the monitor as three more people arrive at the clearing. From one side comes Rias and Atsuko. Atsuko already has her Boosted Gear out. If she's followed the plan, she should be at five boosts right now.

Riser flies in from the other side, wings of fire on his back. He looks livid.

"Finally deciding to show yourself, Riser?" Rias asks, yelling across the clearing.

"You have no room to talk, you've only just arrived yourself," Riser shoots back.

"But I'm not the one losing Peerage members like flies," Rias replies, causing Riser to grow visibly angrier.

"It doesn't matter," he says. "Even if you've improved a little, you can't defeat me."

Rias narrows her eyes. "I wouldn't be too sure of that," she warns him. "Everyone!" she shouts, getting the attention of her Peerage. "You know the plan, it's time!"

As one, everyone nods and pulls out their potions. First they all down the orange one, the Ultimate Fire Resistance potion, and then they use their MP or SP restoring potions depending on what they have. Riser's eyes widen as he sees this.

"What- what is this?" he demands, confused.

"Potions," Rias says as she finishes downing her own Fire Resistance potion. "From our dear friend and teacher, Axton."

<-12 Affection with Riser Phenex>

I grin. Excellent. That puts me at negative forty-seven Affection total.

"That lowly human?" Riser asks, fury. "The one who disrespected me?"

"Lowly? He's a thousand times better than a guy like you," Atsuko says, speaking for the first time." The others have finished drinking their potions and are fully topped up again, ready to go.

"We'll see about that," Riser says. "But for now, burn." He raises his hand and unleashes a gout of flame at Atsuko and Rias. I feel Sirzech tense slightly as the flames wash over her, but when the screen clears, she's untouched, the potion doing its job in protecting her completely.

With that opening move, things kick off. Rias, Akeno, and Atsuko start fighting Riser in the air. Aika, Koneko, and Kiba all go for Ravel. Their goal is just to keep her busy. As I 'predicted', Ravel's heart really isn't in the match, and so she's not doing much more than dodging.

But Riser is. Huge bursts of flames continue to shoot out, but they do nothing to the Devils attacking him, something that is visibly frustrating him.

"You didn't mention those potions," Serafall says, pouting slightly.

"I mentioned that I had some that I wasn't ready to sell in large numbers yet," I counter. "That's one of those. I still had more than enough ingredients to give each of them one though."

"How long do they last?" Sirzechs asks, and I can feel Lord Phenex's attention on us.

"About twenty-two minutes," I say. "But I'm improving their duration all the time."

He rubs his chin in thought. "That's not bad at all. More than enough to cover most fights that aren't huge battles."

We turn our attention back to the fight. Akeno and Rias's spells are hitting him, with shards of ice, jets of water, and the Power of Destruction laying into him. But he just healed those easily. Too bad I can't use [Observe] through the screen and check his MP and SP levels.

The main issue is that Atsuko isn't hitting him with her ax. Her stats eclipse his, but...she's still really bad at flying. She's only been a Devil for a little over a week after all, and while Aika has picked up flying decently quickly, Atsuko has not. An aerial battle is a disadvantage for her, she's practically flailing about. I can see Rias and Akeno notice this, and they attempt to ground him, but he just ignores their attempts, focusing on dodging Atsuko's ax.

Why he's dodging, I'm not sure. Can he feel that it's dangerous to him? It does radiate a pretty nasty feeling.

"Rias!" Atsuko shouts. "Let me boost one more time!"

"No!" Rias shouts. "Promote to Knight instead!"

Atsuko grimaces, but she does so. I agree with Rias's decision though. There's a reason I limited her to just five boosts, and that's so she doesn't put her teammates at risk.

The necrotic enchantment is pretty nasty, and she's still not experienced at fighting above five boosts. We've done a bit of practice, but past that she starts losing control. All she needs is more experience, but that wasn't something we could cram into a week.

With her lack of experience, fighting in close proximity to her teammates is dangerous with an ax like that. But the promotion to Knight seems to be helping, refining both her speed and her control, and she's quickly getting the hang of it.

Riser has to know something is up with the ax because as Atsuko gets closer to landing a blow on him, I can see him get more nervous.

Finally, she lands a glancing blow on his stomach and I can feel a charge in the air here in the viewing room as it doesn't immediately heal. Riser's eyes widen as he touches the wound and then brings his blood-spotted hand closer to his face.

"What is this?" Riser asks, voice shaking slightly.

"That 'lowly human' gifted me this ax to defeat you," Atsuko said.

<-15 Affection with Riser Phenex>

Riser's expression of fear turns to one of pure rage. "How much is he going to interfere," Riser seethes. "I won't stand for it!"

He dashes straight for Atsuko, fist raised ready to strike her. I grin. That's checkmate. Atsuko tenses and tanks his punch with her Iron Body technique, only to immediately retaliate with a slash of her ax. And then another. And another. Riser is caught in a chain where Atsuko cuts him to ribbons with the enchanted Scindo.

Each wound is shallow, but blood is flowing freely down his limbs and body. And each attack keeps Riser too off-balance to dodge the next one. This only worsens when one of her blows knocks him out of the sky, and the fight moves to the ground.

After that, it's only a few short moments until Riser is laying on the ground, too weak to get up. Moments before he passes out, I crush the item in my pocket I had ready for this moment.

<-25 Affection with Riser Phenex>

With that, the stage is set, and I can only hope my gamble pays off. As Riser passes out from blood loss, the announcer declares the match over, and Rias the winner.

--<Quest Completed!>--

Fall of the Phoenix

Objective: Train Rias and her Peerage and have her win her Rating Game

Bonus Objective: Get her entire peerage above Level 100

Bonus Objective: Ger her entire peerage above Level 150

Reward: +10 Affection with Sirzechs Lucifer

Bonus Reward: +10 Affection with Sirzechs Lucifer, 1 Phenex Tear

Bonus Reward: +10 Affection with Sirzechs Lucifer, +10 Affection with Grayfia Lucifuge, 2 Phenex Tears, [Devil Magic]

--<>--

<[Authority's Affection] - Increases Affection gain with leaders by 20%>

<+8 Affection with Rias Gremory>

<[Power of Destruction] - Level 1(0%)>

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