Beta read by Shigiya
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-Underworld-
I remember the first time I lost Vritra.
It had felt like being sucker punched by life with brass knuckles coated in acid. Like some wannabe-horror surgeon had reached inside and cut out a vital organ I never knew I had, then had the audacity to leave the cut open. It wasn't just about losing a voice in my head that insisted on making everything sound more dramatic than necessary, it was losing one I started to lean on for support. The worst part? I didn't know if that part would ever come back.
Bleak days, if I was honest. I used to sit around wondering how I'd manage if it ever happened again.
Well, here we were.
"Ironic," I muttered, voice flat as a deadpan comedian. Funny how when life kicks you in the teeth a second time, it somehow hurts less. I didn't panic. No screaming, no dramatic breakdowns in the rain while screaming my loves name. Just calm, quiet analysis. Rizevim had used something. Some kind of technique, spell, curse, or whatever other convenient bullshit that people like him pull out of their asses. It cut the connection. It shouldn't have been possible. Everyone always said that Vritra and I shared a soul. One could not just sever that with scissors without some severe side effects on both sides.
Too bad I wasn't a soul specialist.
I'd tried summoning Delete Field more times than I'd like to admit. No result. But still, I could feel it. Somewhere buried under layers of static and interference, Vritra was still there. That was my big revelation. A gut feeling. Wonderful. Truly the height of rational deduction. But unfortunately, it was all I had.
Naturally, this had to happen right before a Rating Game. And this one? Against someone who had probably written a three-hundred-page thesis on how to make me fail before I'd even shown up.
[Contestants, please enter. Any further delays will automatically lead to disqualification.]
Grayfia's voice, crisp and professional, snapped through the speakers like a riding crop. I sighed and walked through the gate like a man marching to his own execution.
Instead of an arena, I got a mall.
I blinked. Took a second. I let out a defeated sigh. Yep. Escalators, tacky seasonal decorations, overpriced vending machines, and the same bookstore I frequented regularly. A mall. Specifically, one I knew. Akeno and I used to come here. Groceries, cheap furniture, a couple of quiet, low-stakes dates — how very nostalgic.
"You're late."
I turned and realized I'd been dropped off in the supermarket section. Of course. Meanwhile, my team lounged around like we were at a sleepover. Raynare popped open a beer can, Kuroka munching on some dried mackerel slices, Kalawarner and Xenovia were halfway through the snack inventory, browsing the entire thing.
"Magic really is something else," I mumbled, snatching the can from Raynare, who immediately shot me a glare. Taking a sip to temporarily forget what happened earlier and ease my brain. "We're not here on vacation."
No argument. They stood, reluctantly, and followed as I led them deeper into the building. Eventually, we reached the manager's office. Or at least, what used to be one. Someone had taken creative liberties. Leather furniture, polished wood, the whole place screamed corporate villain lair. Probably where the budget went.
I paused.
I was pondering whether to reveal what happened early on or not. That was the question. Saying nothing meant no panic. They'd focus, fight, maybe win. Saying something meant the opposite. But what if an ambush happened in the middle of the Rating Game and they weren't prepared?
Not something that could be ignored, and they would definitely question why I was not using my Sacred Gear anymore.
I inhaled, exhaled, and decided.
"Guys, I've got some bad news."
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(A few minutes later)
"You were kidnapped!?"
It had been a long while since I'd heard Kalawarner shout that loudly, her voice practically making my eardrums ache. If Banshees were real, this woman was at least part of the bloodline.
"I already told you the details," I muttered, rubbing my ear. "I wouldn't call it a kidnapping. They tried. They failed. And here I am. It's more accurate to say someone attempted to kidnap me."
"This is not the time to be acting all cheeky, Hachi-kun!"
Now Kuroka was the one getting involved, practically slithering into my personal space like a cat that had mistaken me for a warm pillow. She sniffed at my face, then my neck, and started to lean in lower with a look of exaggerated concern. That was all the warning I needed.
I immediately placed my hand on her face and pushed her away.
"Don't stop me! I need to make sure you weren't hurt or poisoned!" she protested, tail twitching as if offended that got her out of my personal space.
"I'm fine! If I had been poisoned, I wouldn't have even bothered showing up here in the first place."
"But Vritra…"
That name brought the room down a notch. Her words mirrored the second-biggest concern hanging over us all like a sword dangling by a thread. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose, the tension finally crawling up behind my eyes.
"I don't know what he did or what he used," I said. "All I know is that, temporarily, I've lost my ability to talk to him. I can't access my Sacred Gear. This is worse than the last time. Back then, I still had Delete Field. Now? Nothing… temporarily, at least, it might come back in the middle of the Rating Game for all I know."
"That's not very reassuring, We should get you checked out as soon as possible!" Xenovia chimed in, ever the practical one.
Before I could respond, Kuroka raised her hands and began hovering them around my head and torso. A soft violet glow emitted from her palms as she concentrated, her brow furrowed with careful focus.
"Feeling any better?"
"Aside from being slightly more energetic than I was ten minutes ago, not much has changed," I admitted. "Look, whatever that bastard did, I doubt it's permanent. If it were, I'd probably be dead. Vritra's fused with me. You can't just erase him without wiping me out as well. My guess is the connection's been disrupted. Sealed maybe. But he's still here, still inside me. After this Rating Game, I'll go talk to Ajuka. He might be able to help find a fix."
"Then doesn't this mean we're literally fucked?" That voice, sharp and casual in the worst combination, came from Raynare. She hadn't said much until now, but the look on her face said she'd been processing every word. Shock sat behind her expression, masked just enough for sarcasm to slip through. "You were supposed to carry us to victory, but now that you're impotent, what the hell can you even do?"
My eyes twitched at her crass words. Of course, she wouldn't pass up the opportunity to throw a jab at me in the middle of a crisis. Once a bitch, always a bitch. I clenched my jaw and exhaled slowly. No time to deal with that right now. Teaching her a lesson with a good old-fashioned spanking could wait until we weren't standing at the edge of a strategic disaster.
"We literally have a high-level Nekoshou on our side who can take on an Ultimate Class Devil. Also, to tell you the truth," I said at last, "even if I had Vritra, I wasn't planning to do much during the Rating Game anyway."
"What?"
That single word echoed from multiple corners of the room, a chorus of disbelief. Couldn't blame them. They were probably convinced I was going to take the lead role, the hero of the episode, the one who steals the spotlight. But that wasn't my style… or at least I tried not to do that. Memories of the past resurfaced, and I had to admit that I was responsible for doing that, even if they were unintentionally. That was the kind of stunt I'd leave to some cookie-cutter shounen protagonist.
"Think about it. We're talking about Sona here."
My voice came out steady, level, without any hint of dramatic flair. Frankly, it didn't need any.
The facts did the talking. "That girl wouldn't even glance at this tournament without having prepared a dozen contingency plans aimed at me specifically. She's not the type to take blind swings and hope something lands. Like Rias, she wants to win this whole thing. And yeah, the odds of that happening are slim to none. But when has that ever stopped her?"
"Wow. Someone's confident," came the dry reply. Couldn't tell if it was sarcasm.
"I didn't say we were going to win the whole thing," I replied with a half-smile. "Even if Sona or Rias manage to beat us, they're still going to hit a wall. One they've never encountered before. The one standing between them and the number one spot is a monster of a devil, plain and simple. If I went all out with Vritra's power, completely unleashed, no more holding back, I still wouldn't bet my life on winning that fight. Not unless I surrendered control entirely to Vritra, and even then… no guarantees."
Honestly, it wasn't about false humility. It was just realism, which people often confuse with pessimism.
Believing Sairaorg only had his strength and Touki alone to rely on was idiotic; the chances of him possessing another secret to boost his already ridiculous strength further were high. Both of us just never got into a situation where he was forced to push himself that much.
"In any case," I added, reaching into my pocket and flicking my wrist casually, "let's treat this whole tournament like a chessboard."
With a whisper of mana and a little trick Azazel had taught me out of sheer boredom, a soft light shimmered over the table. A miniature chessboard emerged, glowing faintly blue. It's not quite a hologram, but it's close enough. A projection constructed from magic, each piece slightly hazy without much detail.
White's side looked almost complete, save for a knight and a rook missing. My side had the king, queen, a knight, a bishop, and oddly, another queen.
"Did the kidnapping scramble your brain?" came a dry remark from the bitch. She folded her arms, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "Pretty sure you're not supposed to have two queens in chess."
I wagged a finger at her with mock disappointment. "Tch tch tch. That's a narrow view, my dear Raynare."
"Ew. Don't call me 'dear.' That's weird."
"Fair enough." I cleared my throat and went on, ignoring her glare. "Look, I knew someone would point that out, so here's the explanation. From the beginning, the Rating Games have been modeled after chess. You already know this. The evil pieces mimic the structure of a chessboard, one-to-one. The only difference is the ability to shoot lasers, summon hellfire, and occasionally summon lightning here and there. But we're not talking about that. For now, just think of this place, the mall, as our board. And us? We're the pieces."
"Ah!" Kuroka purred, and with the grace of a cat claiming her favorite perch, she plopped herself onto my lap. "Then I must be the queen," she declared proudly, nuzzling against my neck. "So thoughtful, my king. Does your queen have any… duties to fulfill? Do I need to take care of your… needs~."
Her voice turned into a sultry purr, and I felt an involuntary shiver crawl up my spine. Yeah, no, this was not the time. Thankfully, Kuroka seemed to pick up on the cue and settled down, curling against me like a smug housecat content with her prize. I pretended not to notice the amused glances being thrown my way.
"Then I must be the knight," Xenovia said confidently, her gaze serious. She looked at me like she was waiting for approval, and when I gave a short nod, she smiled, pleased, almost smug.
That left Kalawarner and Raynare. Both stared at the board, then back at me, a mix of confusion and irritation playing across their faces.
"Why the hell am I the bishop?" Raynare finally asked, eyes narrowing.
I blinked at her slowly, then looked back down at the glowing board.
"Good question," I said, with the tone of someone who wasn't going to answer it right away. Raynare scoffed, visibly offended by my words, though she couldn't have been more mistaken. "You are not the Bishop. You're also the second Queen. Kalawarner over here is the Bishop."
That caught the Fallen Angel by surprise as she then proceeded to look back and forth between me and Kalawarner. Probably thinking I would make the blue-haired woman the second Queen because she was technically my secretary and second in command of sorts.
"I'm not sucking your dick just because I'm your Queen."
"Give it a rest!" I snapped, clutching the bridge of my nose. The woman had a talent for evoking migraines, I'd give her that. For a moment, I considered the delicious prospect of demoting her to a mere pawn just to get under her skin. Meanwhile, Kalawarner remained unbothered, eyes trained on the board with a deepening frown.
"Even with two Queens, we're at a slight disadvantage, and we are down one person. The other side has practically a full peerage, missing only two positions. We don't even have evil pieces of our own to work with, nor can we take advantage of promotions like the Pawns. Not to mention, they have the literal Red Dragon Emperor on their side. I don't doubt Kuroka's power, but will you really have her handle everything?"
At the mention of Issei's title, Raynare flinched behind her before letting out a loud, irritated huff.
"You make it sound like it's a big deal," she muttered. Clearly, some wounds from the past hadn't quite scabbed over yet.
Kalawarner continued, undeterred. "Even though in chess the King can barely move, we can't apply that logic here. The Sitri heiress is known for powerful water manipulation spells and offensive techniques. She's not quite at the level of someone wielding the Power of Destruction, but she's still a serious threat, both offensively and defensively."
I blinked. Her assessment was precise. She had analysed the field and our disadvantages almost too quickly.
"Sometimes in chess, it doesn't matter how many pieces you have. It's about who can checkmate the King, or in the case of Rating Games, who can wipe out the enemy side completely."
"Then shouldn't we go with the latter option?" she asked, uncertainty flickering across her face as her gaze drifted to the nekomata perched comfortably in my lap. "Since you're stuck in your current state, that leaves our strongest member as Kuroka."
"Hey! I'm strong too! Can't you see how many wings I have!?" Raynare shouted from behind, unfurling six black wings in a dramatic display, the feathers fluttering with flair. It would've been impressive if anyone had paid her any attention. No one did. That just pissed her off and made me stop a smile from forming on my face.
"No, we won't have Kuroka be burdened with the outcome of this Rating Game with her strength alone," I replied, my hands involuntarily stroking Kuroka's hair as she literally started to purr, making it that much harder not to treat her as a cat. "Don't underestimate the other side just because you believe they don't have someone on her level, This is the exact kind of scenario where the protagonist rises above and defeats opponents stronger than him."
"... What?"
I got a few strange looks from all of them.
"Hah… you'll understand."
{Break}
-South wing of the mall, Foodcourt—
[...Destroying the mall will count as an automatic disqualification. You are not allowed to leave the predetermined premises. There is a time limit of one hour for the fight and thirty minutes to prepare. The game will continue until either one side forfeits or the King is eliminated. Also, each side will be given a single Phoenix Tear.]
The moment Grayfia's crisp voice rang out from the overhead intercom, Sona stood motionless beside her team as they were ushered into the food court. The words settled over her like a final curtain before a long-awaited performance.
Her expression was calm, but inwardly, anticipation and pressure surged beneath the surface. It was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. How many times had she envisioned this exact moment?
This wasn't a simple test of intellect like their previous chess matches. It certainly wasn't like the last match either, the one where he'd dismantled her strategy so ruthlessly she had chosen to retreat from the field rather than endure further humiliation. No, this time was something else entirely. This time, she had no reason to fear. No reason to hold back. If anything, pulling punches now would be worse; it would be disrespectful to herself and everything she stood for.
"Hell yeah! Finally, I get a shot to punch that smug bastard in the face for all the times he acted cool middle school!" Issei bellowed, his fists trembling with poorly restrained excitement, and his eyes lit up with completely misplaced fervor.
"Same here," Saji added, his own expression blazing with mirrored determination. "That guy stole my original Sacred Gear. If I'd known it had the potential to evolve into that insane armor, I would've trained until I dropped dead every day!"
Their motivations might have been wildly off target, driven by bruised egos and personal vendettas, but in this context, raw emotion could fuel a more aggressive and effective performance. Still, Sona was not one to let such attitudes go unchecked. She fixed both of her pawns with a sharp glare that halted their giddy enthusiasm in an instant.
"Do not diminish the value of your current Sacred Gear," she said, her tone clipped and authoritative. "Even if it is no longer the Absorption Line, it remains a powerful artifact in its own right. You should be thankful that Azazel invested so much into forging it. Its origins are rooted in Norse mythology. In fact, it was once used to bind the legendary wolf Fenrir."
Her words struck the boy almost physically, with him flinching hard, before Saji let out an awkward chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck, deflating almost visibly.
"Sorry, Kaichou. I got carried away."
"Aren't we all?" Tsubasa said, stepping in with a wry smile, her voice dancing with anticipation that matched the fire in her eyes.
There was no mistaking it now. Everyone here was fired up and ready. This wasn't merely another Rating Game for Sona, it was a challenge she had longed for. A true test, one where excuses held no weight and mercy would not be a factor.
"We proceed exactly as planned," she announced, turning to address her team fully. "Do not stray from your assigned partner. Stay within the boundaries of your section and maintain contact through the comms at all times. If you find yourself overwhelmed or believe your opponent is beyond your ability, retreat immediately. Pride has no place in our defeat."
Tsubaki stepped forward, her usual composed demeanor sharpening as she unfurled a large sheet of paper across the nearest table. The sketch was rough, clearly drawn in haste, but it mapped out the mall's layout with enough detail to formulate a viable strategy. Since advance knowledge of the battlefield was strictly prohibited to prevent cheating, quick thinking and adaptability were crucial.
"The mall is mostly open in structure," Tsubaki explained, her fingertip gliding along the paths inked in pencil. "Unlike the school grounds, there's very little in the way of natural cover. It spans two floors and includes a multi-level parking structure. If they plan to lay low, that would be the place to do it. It also presents the most opportunities for traps and ambushes."
The others leaned in as they studied the map, absorbing every detail. Expressions are a bit uneasy, but overall determined. The match had not yet begun, but the tension in the air had shifted. The clock had started ticking the moment Grayfia's voice rang out. Now, it was only a matter of how the pieces would fall.
"Will he even try to ambush us? Most of the people in his group are not exactly the type to prefer such methods. Other than the former criminal."
Kuroka… honestly, that was the person Sona worried about the most. A recent addition to his group, and one who possessed an enormous well of power in the form of senjutsu. A person recently feared as an SSS-class stray devil, her eyes then went to Issei, and then to Saji. 'I can't get scared so easily, I need to trust my own Peerage. If we can't even deal with someone like her, then how can I even covet winning against the strongest of our generation?'
With that thought, she gathered up her plans and pushed away any fears from her heart.
"We will proceed as planned. We already went through every possibility beforehand, including the chances of him getting a new member. It does not matter if it's someone powerful or not. We have already accounted for that. Does anyone have any complaints or suggestions to add?" She said, looking around and finding Momo had raised her hand.
"Yes?"
"Can't he just use that move he used against Kokabiel?"
"He can't," Sona replied dryly. "That spell's area of effect is quite large and consumes an enormous chunk of his energy — Hachiman already complained plenty of times about how little reserves he has before. If he does use it, it would put him in a vulnerable state, which is not a risk he will take unless he manages to get close to me. Even if he does use it, like I said, the area of effect is quite large, and we are not allowed to destroy the entire building, as mentioned by Grayfia."
It was a strange rule she had to say, a sort of handicap that actually favored them. She was not sure if it was deliberately put there in order to suppress Hachiman; she did not truly know how to feel about it, as it meant he would not be able to perform at his strongest, but it also gave her a bigger chance at victory.
Sometimes, in order to attain victory and make a difference, one needs to sacrifice. She remembered him saying that at one point. Her past self did not comment on it, but in such a scenario, it came back, and she couldn't help but fall in favor of it. "Do not blame me, you told me to take every advantage, then I shall do so."
With her plan established, the young girl set herself in motion and allowed her members to go forth. The first one to leave was Saji, accompanied by Ruruko. Both pawns headed straight for the center of the building, not just to have an advantage by advancing on the enemy's territory first, but also to scout the area. Issei and Tsubasa also left together to the upper floors with Momo, Reya, and Meguri headed towards the parking lot.
Tsubaki, of course, stayed with her. Leaving a King all of itself on a board was just asking to be cornered.
Soon, she started getting feedback from the others.
"The area around the bookstore is empty. I don't see any sign of them," she got news from Saji first, making her pick up the pencil on the table and cross the area on the map.
"Good, continue advancing. From the looks of it, we should have been teleported on the opposite end, so he should either be in the supermarket or—"
Krrrsh!
Static noise filled the area, cutting her off as she looked up with surprise at the loudspeaker on the wall. In the next second, a familiar voice came through the other end.
"Is this thing on? Test, test. Can anyone hear me? Well, seeing all of you stopping, I will assume that you can hear me. Yo, Sona. I hope you will forgive me, but I'll be using this method of communicating between us."
"The security room!" The spectacled woman slammed her fist down on the table with sudden realization. She had completely overlooked that specific area in their planning! "Damn it, he must have access to all the security cameras scattered throughout this place. There's really no point in trying to set a trap anymore when he can see everything that happens."
"You're probably wondering why it makes no sense to try laying a trap or being sneaky now that I'm inside the security room, right?" The voice came lazily over the comms. "Call it a stroke of luck, but the idea occurred to me the moment I was teleported into this area. Convenient, isn't it? They have gone so far as to recreate every detail here, from the shelves in the shops to the exact equipment used in this very security room. You have to admit, they really paid attention to the finer points, down to the smallest screw."
Although she couldn't see him, she could easily imagine the sly, sliding smirk that was no doubt playing across his face. "Oh, I see you're opening the game by moving your pawns first. Good choice. It's a standard opening in any game, but a reliable one. I respect that."
Instead of dwelling on his words, she quickly switched her focus and opened communication with the other members in the field. "Stop advancing, Saji. Hold your position and wait for backup to arrive. If help isn't close, retreat as soon as you can! I saw this from the beginning, this is a trap!"
Her hands moved swiftly and with purpose, firing multiple water bullets into the air, each one aimed to destroy the security cameras scattered around. Her efforts seemed to amuse Hachiman, who chuckled softly at her action. It was clear to them all that the best course of action was to pull back and come up with a different plan rather than stick to their initial approach.
But, to her frustration with, her Pawn responded back a second later.
"I'm afraid retreating isn't an option, Kaichou. We've got company."
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(Near the Bookshop)
Damn it.
The bastard's voice echoed through the comms again, and she imagined the smug grin on his face, full of satisfaction. But instead of letting himself get distracted by that, Saji's attention was fixed on the single figure standing before them.
The woman held herself with a quiet pride, standing tall in the middle of the room with a giant sword planted firmly before her. Her palms rested casually on the pommel, giving off an air of calm authority. It reminded him of one of those knight bosses from his favorite video game, the kind you had to defeat to gain entry into the kingdom. The first boss was often just a test, a gimmick in the game's grand design, but many players had fallen to it because of the stat differences. The only way to get past was to sneak through a hidden door behind some clay pots and then strike with a well-timed plunge attack from above.
'I should have been moving on the second floor instead,' the blonde boy thought to himself as he studied their opponent. She was a young woman he had never really fought against seriously before, a former Exorcist, and the weapon she wielded was dangerous enough to send chills down his spine. The presence it gave off was overwhelming, far stronger than any other holy sword fragment they had ever encountered.
"If you want to move forward, you will have to go through me first," Xenovia was the first to speak, breaking the tense silence between them. She looked completely calm, her eyes steady and focused first on him, then on Ruruko. "I warn you now; I will not hold back during this fight. Consider this your final chance to either retreat or surrender."
Forfeit? What a laughable notion. The uncertainty that had once clouded Saji's mind slowly dissolved. In its place, a fierce fire ignited deep within him, burning stronger than before.
The hesitant smile and unsure expression slipped away, replaced by one of pure concentration and focus. He shifted into a defensive stance, his sacred gear materializing around his arm like living chains, wrapping tightly and glinting with a faint, metallic sheen. One end swung back and forth with a steady rhythm, as if alive, responding to his will.
"There is no point in asking," he said calmly, eyes drifting to Ruruko, who stood ready beside him. "You already know the answer to that, Quarta-san."
The twin-tailed girl gave a small nod in agreement, also taking a defensive stance that mirrored his action.
"I see. You are right. It was my mistake," the blue-haired woman admitted with a faint scowl. She raised her sword, pointing the sharp tip directly at Saji.
"Now!" he commanded, his voice sharp and clear.
That was their signal. With haste, Ruruko lifted her arm, summoning a bright sphere of light that pulsed fiercely before detonating in the middle of the space between them. The explosion unleashed a blinding flash, momentarily obscuring Xenovia's vision and throwing her guard off balance.
"Ha!" Saji took advantage of the sudden gap. Closing the distance rapidly, he charged forward. Xenovia, recovering quickly, swung her massive sword in a wide arc aimed at his head. Normally, such a direct strike from a blade that size would have spelled instant death, especially against a devil like him. But his Sacred Gear was specially designed, equipped with a few convenient abilities he had trained tirelessly to master for moments exactly like this.
The chains around his arm emitted a sharp clinking sound as they lengthened and twisted, moving with a serpentine grace until they fully encased his hand in a gauntlet of living metal. Durandal's edge crashed against his fist with a shower of sparks, the force threatening to knock him back. His teeth clenched tightly as he barely held his ground.
"Holy shit, how heavy is this thing?" he muttered under his breath, shaken by the sheer weight of the blow. If Xenovia had swung that sword at full force, he doubted his chains would have done much to protect him aside from possibly breaking his arm. Without the power of promotion yet, he lacked the defensive resilience of a rook, making each block a gamble.
With a grunt of effort, he shoved the sword aside and closed the gap. His right arm whipped forward, delivering a powerful hook that struck the blue-haired woman's face with a heavy thud.
Xenovia staggered back, blinking in surprise, but recovered almost instantly and lunged forward, aiming a vicious punch at Saji's midsection. He twisted away just in time, narrowly avoiding the blow, and countered with a swift elbow jab aimed at her ribs.
Before the battle could escalate further, Ruruko moved with a sudden burst of speed. She darted to Xenovia's side, striking with quick kicks aimed at her shoulders and arms. "Urgh!"
'Ruruko may be the weakest when it comes to strength, but her speed is no different from a Knight Piece. Even Tsubaki needs to put effort to keep up with her during our spars.'
While he was the strength that aggressively attacked Xenovia, forcing the latter to focus on him, Ruruko was the one dealing the damage in key areas. Their coordinated attack left little room for Xenovia to catch her breath.
The two fought like a perfectly synchronized duo, Saji and Ruruko weaving in and out of the fight with coordination, pressing Xenovia with a barrage of hand-to-hand strikes. Whenever she attempted to push back or recover control, one of them stepped in, diverting her attacks or forcing her onto the defensive. Their rhythm was fluid, born of practice and repetition, slipping past her guard and kept overwhelming her..
'She is still human, after all. Even with the extensive training granted to her as a former exorcist, training that pushed her body far beyond the average, she remained within human limits. This even gives us Pawns and an advantage.' Strengthened, yes, nearly superhuman perhaps, but not beyond the realm of what a Devil could contend with.
Yet despite all of this, he reminded himself not to underestimate her.
Xenovia was no mere brawler. She gave them no easy opening, no pause between clashes. She was still angling for a chance to draw and wield that massive sword of hers. Her swordplay might have been momentarily stalled, but she clearly had enough hand-to-hand experience to block, deflect, and survive. However, her offense was lacking, her footwork too direct, her strikes too easily anticipated. Her left side in particular had started to drift open as fatigue set in, her movements growing more sluggish with each exchange.
Seeing the moment, he ended his thoughts and dropped into a low spin, sweeping her legs from beneath her and then driving his chain-wrapped fist into the flat of Durandal. The impact rattled through his bones, a wave of dull pain thudding through his arm, but it forced her back.
'I can't give her even the slightest chance to swing that sword,' he thought. 'It's already charged with enough energy. One strike, even a grazing one, and we're both done for.'
And yet, what sort of monstrous training had she endured? Despite the punishment she had taken, despite the blood trailing from her nose and mouth, her grip on Durandal never faltered. Her knuckles were white, her fingers locked in a vice. It didn't make sense.
[Sona Sitri's Bishop and Knight have been eliminated.]
"—!"
Grayfia's calm announcement echoed over the system, making his breath catch. His brow furrowed. If he remembered right, that teammate was heading toward the supermarket via the upper passage. For them to suddenly be eliminated here and now could only mean—
His heart jumped.
That brief flash of confusion stole a split-second from him. His next strike stalled in the air, a fraction too long. The warning bells in his instincts screamed out, too late. A chill shot through him.
Especially when he found Xenovia already lifting her sword up.
"Shit, pull back!"
He sprang backward with all his strength, his chain latching onto a ceiling beam as he rocketed upward. In that instant, he reached out to Ruruko, trying to grab her wrist, but the attempt failed. A split second later, a wave of destructive energy tore across the ground floor. It smashed into the area they'd just occupied, blasting him back even further and catching his partner in the full brunt of the explosion.
His eyes widened in helplessness as Grayfia's voice returned.
[Sona Sitri's Pawn has been eliminated.]
From the comms, Hachiman's voice crackled through with unsettling calm. "Oh, I see. You did quite well holding off Xenovia. Given that she's human, without the reinforcement of a devil's body or the enhancements granted by evil pieces, she was already at a disadvantage against you all. But that doesn't make her weak. The girl is still very much inhuman in her own right. Give her even the smallest opening, and it's over."
Saji's face twitched at that voice appearing again.
"You know, I always felt bad about what happened that day. I really did not mean to take Absorption Line. Had things gone differently, well… honestly, I would have taken it regardless at another point. So you were bound to lose it sooner or later."
This bastard was purposely trying to distract him!
"Shut the hell up, will you!?" He shouted, uncaring if Hachiman could hear him or not. "We're in the middle o—argh!"
Before he could even finish his words, he saw Xenovia, bruised and bleeding, moving like a force of nature. She had somehow vaulted to the second floor, her eyes locking onto him with sharp, focused intensity. Without hesitation, she raised her blade and let it fall.
A clean arc of searing energy cut through the air, headed straight for him.
"Shit!"
He pulled on the chains, straining as he dragged himself upwards, barely managing to flip back onto solid footing just in time to avoid the blur of steel that lunged toward him. The girl sprang forward without hesitation, her massive blade cleaving through the air with brutal speed.
'She's fast. Way too fast for someone lugging around that giant slab of iron.'
There was no use staying suspended any longer. He'd just have to stall for time.
With his choice made, more chains burst from his Sacred Gear, twisting and snapping through the air like angry serpents, wrapping around his limbs, his torso, his shoulders. A shitty version of what one would call an armor, he heard that countless times from the others.
But it fucking worked!
Clang!
As her sword came within inches of his flesh, the chains tightened into a shell of protection.
The clash sent a spray of sparks into the air like fireworks, the sheer force of the impact flinging him downwards. He crashed into the earth with a sickening thud, dust and shards of rock scattering outward from the crater his body carved into the ground.
'Good thing I didn't call this move Balance Breaker yet. It would've been pathetic, getting slammed like that after just activating it. It can only defend me against surface-level attacks like slashes; had she done for a pierce, things would have been much worse.'
He pushed himself up slowly, spitting blood and dirt from his mouth.
'Time for round two, bitch.'
He flicked his fingers in a taunting gesture toward Xenovia. She raised an eyebrow, impressed, and chose to say nothing. Instead, she sprinted at him once more, her sword raised high.
'Keep dodging. Keep dodging like your life depends on it!'
Because it literally fucking does!
He kept repeating the mantra in his mind with each strike she hurled at him. Duck, roll, sidestep, he used everything he had. Every inch of his body was moving on instinct, honed from brutal trial and necessity. When cornered, he let his body absorb the blows, the chains taking most of the impact, though he could still feel the bones inside him rattle, his insides twisting from the sheer pressure.
"That's an interesting Sacred Gear you've got there," Xenovia finally remarked, panting slightly. Her latest attack had forced him down to his knees, her blade shattering the protective chains around his legs. For the first time, her strikes had broken through.
"You still haven't seen all of it," he growled, rising to his feet despite the pain. "I've already bought enough time to beat you."
She frowned in confusion, eyes narrowing, but then she turned, alerted by some instinct, raising her sword defensively toward the shadow looming above her.
But he wasn't going to give her the chance.
"First chain: Lædingr!" he roared.
For the first time, he unleashed the core ability of his Sacred Gear. Chains erupted fast enough to practically be bullets, snapping around her sword, her wrists, her arms, and yanking them down with bone-jarring force.
Xenovia's eyes widened as she struggled, but it was too late. The chains tore her guard open, "My turn!" He rushed ahead, even with no blade on him, he intended to take her out in one single punch.
"Ugh!"
Unfortunately, his actions were met with an obstacle he failed to predict, one in the form of Momo, who came crashing through the wall and crashed against him. Both were sent flying backwards until they crashed through shelves of books, Saji nearly losing consciousness right then and there. "M-Momo?"
Ignoring the pain come he crawled to his teammate and was worried as soon as he saw her condition. His hands rummaging through his pocket only for the white haired girl to stop him. "D-Don't, it'll be wasted on me… just… follow the plan."
Though she said that, part of him had a hard time accepting those words, her form disappearing right in front of him, which made another announcement reach his ears.
[Sona Sitri's Bishop has been eliminated.]
The comms around them rang once again, "I have known Momo for quite a while. To any outsiders, she may not look like that big of a threat, but I know for a fact that her magical prowess is one of the best in your group. Letting her roam free is a mistake that I cannot afford. If you hear this, Momo, sorry if we went too hard on you. Next time I visit the student council, I'll be sure to bring some treats."
… Was he even taking this Rating Game seriously? No, no… No! Saji slapped himself, realising he was letting that man get under his nerves.
"Saji!"
A feminine voice brought him back to reality, raising his head just in time to spot a purple orb flying straight at him. Thankfully, someone else came to his rescue, a blue-haired woman who appeared in front of him raising her hand and summoning a giant golden shield made of light.
Bang!
The orb struck it, even though it was just a single attack, it was more than enough to push Tsubasa back a couple of feet.
"Woah! You actually managed to block that? I'm impressed!" A mischievous voice echoed from the hole in the wall where Kuroka walked out with her rather revealing kimono. The green beads attached to the ribbon on her waist were practically floating in the air. "Though I wonder how much it can endure~."
The woman did not waste a second firing on another barrage of those projectile energy spheres, it did not even feel like demonic energy, which led him to believe it could have been Senjutsu?
He could see that each one of them hit the shield one after the other, pushing Tsubasa closer to her limit. The sacred gear even showed signs of cracking, about to break at any moment. 'Damn it, if I use Laedingr again then it will free Xenovia… but this woman is clearly the bigger danger here!'
Just as he was about to reach a conclusion, another shadow emerged from the hole in the wall. Jumping right over Kuroka with a bright emerald light filling the area.
[Boost!]
Issei wasted no time bringing his fist hurtling towards the Nekomata, an action that was perceived by the black haired woman, who calmly dodged it with a simple sway of her body.
"Shit! You can't keep dodging me forever!" The brown-haired boy shouted, covered in bruises and having clearly been in a fight with her prior.
Kuroka giggled, "Now now, naughty dragon, I wouldn't be much of a Senjutsu master if I let you touch me so easily. Or perhaps, are you more interested in groping these?" Her hands went below her chest, pushing them upwards and further emphasising her cleavage, which was already showing quite a bit. Both boys were dazed by the sight of the jiggling orbs in front of them — Saji swore that if he concentrated enough, he would even see the edges pink areola of her nipples.
"Fufufu~! You can try to touch them, I don't mind, that is if you can be fast enough." She said with a sly smirk, intentionally making Issei grit his teeth as a second Boost sounded from his arm.
"D-Don't think I will fall for your trick again! Even though you have amazing tits, I won't be swayed by them, and they are nothing compared to Kaichou's! She may not be the biggest, but they are filled with warmth for all of us, always seeking to make us better than who we were before! And they are even great below Tsubaki-senpai's who possesses more allure when combined with her shy demeanor! Momo-senpai is by far the most erotic whenever she wears a bikini swimsuit, despite not being as big! Then there is Tsuba—"
"—SHUT THE HELL UP!" A strong punch soon made its way to Issei's face, it being delivered by none other than Tsubasa, who had a rarely seen crimson flush on her face. "Don't talk about such things in front of the enemy! Also, everyone in the underworld can hear you, idiot!"
As much as Saji wanted to shout at his teammate as well, he couldn't as he also agreed deep within his heart!
Kuroka, on the other hand did not seem offended or even disappointed at his words, rather she examined her own chest. "Hm… then I should try wearing a bikini as well, given he's sleeping with that little Fallen Angel, this won't give him much of a reaction."
"..."
Understanding her words, Saji could not help but feel a pang of jealousy strike his heart. This emotion was also being felt by his fellow Pawn, who rushed forward with his fist raised. The Boosted Gear shone brightly with a third Boost echoing, but Kuroka did not seem worried, for she just slapped his attack away before her palm went digging into Issei's chest.
"Kah!"
"Issei!"
Tsubasa soon went ahead to help him, showing more skill in hand-to-hand combat. In their entire Peerage, most of the members had learnt close-quarter combat due to their king's insistence. While he was pouring all of his efforts to reach his current level, Tsubasa was a natural-born genius who could achieve an equal amount of progress with much less effort. And it showed with how fluidly she moved, her strikes were much faster, her dodges were more precise, even when Issei attacked, she knew when to move back and went to rush back in to protect him.
'But it's not enough…'
Despite all of their efforts, Kuroka was able to keep up with both of them simultaneously. Using her flexibility and sheer raw power against them, her hands were coated in a thin layer of Ki. Even the smallest impact left a ton of damage on both of them.
Even attacks from the back were easily dodged; it was like she could see everything around her and move accordingly. Her attacks were growing in strength to the point that even Tsubasa's Sacred Gear could not keep up. whenever she would deploy the shield, there would be a burst of Ki followed by the sound of glass shattering.
He was in awe, honestly, 'Is this Senjutsu? But… she is so calm, does not look like she's about to lose control and go crazy.'
It was like seeing an adult play around with children.
'At this rate, they will tire out and we're done for.'
Alright, so defeating her was not an option… it never was, honestly. "Hyoudou! How much longer!?"
He shouted, getting impatient and worried, given that there were still two Fallen Angels who had not appeared yet. Though not as strong as Kuroka, taking them on when the Nekomata was not yet defeated would be pure idiocy.
[Boost!]
"I'm done!"
Immediately, Tsubasa changed her approach and went full-on with her assault on Kuroka. Sacrificing defence for pure offence, using her attribute as a Rook to its absolute limit while giving Issei the window of opportunity to break free and rush towards him. His actions were immediately noticed by their opponent, who, for the first time, had a change in their expression which suggested she suspected something bad was about to happen.
"Where do you think you're going, little dragon? Come play with sister Kuroka a bit longer!"
The woman stopped holding back, and it showed, with a single move, her arm practically turned invisible with how fast it moved. A thunderous boom spread across the mall, this coming from the impact of her first onto Tsubasa's stomach whose body ended up getting airborne and sent straight through the ceiling.
Despite that, she was still in the game, and Grayfia did not announce her getting eliminated.
As expected of Tsubasa!
Kuroka tried to catch up with Issei, but it was already too late, for the boy was already within arm's reach. His hand extended towards Saji's shoulders with the gauntlet glowing bright emerald. The jewel was lighting up the area, followed by Ddraig's voice shouting, "Transfer!"
A gasp tore from his lips. Pain flickered across Saji's face along with a mad grin the moment he felt the torrent of never-ending energy coursing across his body. 'With this… I can do it.'
"Second chain... Drómi!"
With the newfound well of his energy, he bellowed the command. The chains on his arms shimmered, turning blinding white. Runes flared across their surface, casting eerie ripples through the air.
Before Kuroka could react, several glowing links burst into being all around her, twisting, snaring, binding. Chains wrapped around her legs, her arms, her throat, even her fingers. She was pulled down violently, slammed onto her knees, and completely immobilised.
A sight that was nearly similar to that of Xenovia's, though these chains practically oozed with a mixture of his own demonic energy and runes he had not yet fully learned to read.
"What the hell!?" she hissed, struggling as the chains held fast, the light pulsing with each heartbeat as if draining her of any strength. But it was not absorbing it like Absorption Line would have, something which the blonde started to miss.
A vast surge of energy pulsed around the nekomata in front of him, her heels digging into the cracked concrete like a wildcat trying to claw her way free. Her power swelled, fierce and furious, but the bindings held.
"Hyoudou…"
"I'll leave this to you!" his friend patted his back before running towards the other side of the mall, where their target waited for them.
Meanwhile, he approached Kuroka, who continued to try breaking free.
"Don't try to break them. It's impossible. Unless you think you're as strong as Fenrir," he muttered through heavy breaths, eyes swimming with dizziness, limbs trembling as if the ground itself had begun to sway beneath him. His knees buckled, and he collapsed, struggling just to stay conscious, his Sacred Gear still barely active by sheer force of will.
'Come on. I should move fast before the timer runs out,' he thought, blinking back the blur. The drawback of calling on such a potent form in his current state was brutal: only seconds of usability, but those few moments were enough to lock down anything—or anyone—caught inside.
He staggered forward, hand closing around a large shard of glass. With a shaky arm, he pressed the point part against Kuroka's chest.
"Nya~! Trying to strip me naked in front of everyone? Unfortunately for you, I might get angry if you do so, as there is only one person is allowed to see me naked~!" she teased with a wicked smirk. But he was too drained to even raise an eyebrow, the weight of exhaustion smothering every part of him. Her provocation barely registered.
"You all really underestimated us," he said, and there was no mistaking the bitter edge in his voice now. The frustration, long buried, slipped out between the cracks of his restraint. "I don't hate the guy, but seriously, thinking he could win this with just the two of you? That was stupid. We're way stronger than before. That's why Kaichou's going to win this Rating Game."
"But you still have Hachiman to deal with," Kuroka replied, grinning as if the blade wasn't there at all.
He laughed quietly, but genuinely. She blinked, puzzled, until he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small vial. When he held it up for her to see, her pupils dilated in surprise.
"She gave the Phoenix Tear to you?" she whispered, clearly stunned that a mere pawn held something so precious. It should've gone to Tsubaki, or even Tsubasa, if not Sona herself.
"Like I said," he answered, voice low and grim, "you underestimated my Kaichou. Even if that guy uses Balance Breaker, it won't change a thing."
"Kind of scary how he managed to predict everything this far. Not that it matters anymore. You've already lost."
"What?" he breathed.
Then, his earpiece crackled, and Issei's panicked voice burst through.
"T-This is bad! It was a phone all along!"
The phrase hit him like a punch. Kuroka's cryptic warning, now coupled with Issei's shout, sent a chill racing down his spine.
"What do you mean by that, Hyoudou?" he snapped, uncorking the vial and downing its contents. Strength surged back into him like fire in his veins. He took off at a run toward his fellow pawn, ready to intercept the king.
"Hachiman… he's not in the security room! That wasn't live footage—it was just his secretary playing a pre-recorded video on her ph—"
"[Sona Sitri's Queen has been eliminated.]"
Grayfia's cold and merciless words echoed through the mall, halting him in place. His heart dropped as he turned to glance behind him, dread twisting in his gut.
"How… Kaichou, is everything—"
"Hachiman is in front of me," came Sona's voice, calm but razor-sharp. "And Raynare is with him. This was a trap."
Those final words didn't just chill him. It felt as if an ice block was dropped in his stomach.
For the first time since the Rating Game began, he felt it.
Despair.
.
.
.
A miscalculation, no, not merely one, but a string of critical misjudgments, that was what had led her here. It stung, knowing she'd made such blunders, and now she was paying for them in full. After the revelation that he had been watching the mall the entire time, it became clear she could no longer remain in that sector. Her position was thoroughly compromised, even with the cameras destroyed.
So she'd retreated, Tsubaki silently following close behind as they shifted to a new zone entirely, one devoid of surveillance. They flew this time, bypassing the lower levels and rooftops, finally settling atop the parking structure to observe the battlefield from above. It should have been safe, should have.
But her assumptions were shattered in the span of a heartbeat.
Someone was already waiting.
Her eyes barely registered the figure before it was too late. Tsubaki didn't even have time to summon her Sacred Gear. A spear of radiant light lanced through her chest, cutting off her presence in an instant. Eliminated. Just like that.
She was alone now.
And there he was, Hachiman, sitting comfortably on the concrete like he'd been waiting all morning, a bottle of juice in one hand and a half-eaten sandwich in the other. Reina stood behind him, lazily chewing on a rice cracker, watching the whole affair with the disinterested calm of someone spectating a school play.
Her eyes twitched.
"You planned this from the beginning, didn't you?"
Had he really anticipated her every move? It was hard to fathom. No, impossible, unless he had some way of seeing into the future. Nothing else could explain how he was always one step ahead.
"It's not that hard to predict you," Hachiman replied with a casual shrug, voice muffled slightly as he took another bite of his sandwich. "We've played more than a few dozen games of chess together, remember?"
He didn't even sound smug, just tired, like this entire exchange was part of a long, drawn-out routine.
"Back then," he continued, "you always played aggressively against me. Charging forward, picking off my key pieces early, trying to force an advantage before I could fight back. There were moments when you experimented with defense, sure, but you always went back to offense. That's where you thought your strength was. You preferred to push rather than react. It made sense, it brought you closer to victory, and more often than not, it worked. But during a Rating Game where there is far more at stake, you felt pressured and it showed during your previous matches, every time you played exactly the same way as you would during a chess match, and most of it was a defensive approach."
He finished his sandwich and wiped the crumbs from his fingers, "Honestly, I was gambling. But it wasn't much of a risk. I figured you'd send your strongest players after me right away, not waste time with feints."
She frowned.
"And the comms…?"
He smirked faintly, glancing over his shoulder at Raynare, who raised a flip phone in her hand with a casual flick of the wrist.
"Just a few dozen pre-recorded voice messages," he said. "I left them with Kala. One for each possible scenario. If you sent your knight, your queen, your rooks — it didn't matter. She had a clip ready for each opening move. My main goal was just to make sure all of you believed I was inside at a specific location and get you all to misjudge your surroundings. I used that opportunity to slip away."
Her lips parted, but he cut her off before she could speak.
"You did quite well, but next time, try not to treat a Rating Game as if it were a chessboard. Real battles are much more complex, unfortunately. This only makes you easier to counter, especially if you're fighting against someone who has already beaten you at chess — though the only thing I did not expect to see was how effective Saji's Sacred Gear is."
"Then how would you have handled the fight in my stead?" She asked, genuinely curious.
Hachiman open a can of coffee and took a sip while gazing at the sky in contemplation. "Let me think… perhaps tried my best to either avoid Kuroka or push her as far away as possible by sacrificing one or two members. Or led her around by the nose along with the others to cause as much destruction as possible, using the rule to my advantage to disqualify the enemy group. While she may appear calm, Kuroka can get pretty destructive quickly, along with Xenovia, Raynare is a loose cannon. Kala would have probably noticed, but she can also get caught up in the mood. Tsubaki's Mirror Alice would have helped enormously since the rebounded power would still count as an attack from the enemy."
She gave him a strange look. "What a dirty tactic." There was clear distaste in her tone at that strategy.
"Does that matter?"
"It does to me, I don't want my achievements to be seen under such light."
Again, he shrugged. "That's what makes us different, then. I don't really care what people think of me; that in itself is a boon. Pride at the end of the day is as much of a curse as anything else."
She stood there in silence, shoulders stiff with tension, mind spinning to catch up. He hadn't just predicted her moves, he had accounted for her patterns, her personality, and the very rhythm of her decision-making. And worst of all?
He had used her own tendencies against her.
So, she took several steps forward, her heels tapping against the stone as she clapped slowly, deliberately, each sound echoing like the prelude to a performance's finale.
"Well done," she said, voice calm and composed, but her eyes gleamed with satisfaction and something else as she looked at him. "I… I had already lost since the beginning, didn't I?"
Hachiman offered a dry smile in return, the faintest quirk of amusement touching his lips. Beside him, the fallen angel scoffed, clearly unimpressed. A light spear flickered into being within her grasp, humming with lethal promise as she shifted her gaze between him and the heiress before her.
"So," Raynare said, "are you going to surrender, or would you rather make me drive this straight through your heart? Personally, I'd prefer the second. Always wanted to stab an heiress before."
Sona's expression didn't falter. Of course, the woman still bore a grudge, she had anticipated that. Rather than give her the satisfaction, she tilted her head slightly, let her eyes fall to the ground, and then lifted them again with a radiant smile blossoming across her face.
"It was great," she said warmly, her voice laced with fondness rather than regret. "I had a lot of fun, Hachiman."
He smirked, folding his arms. "Next time, let's just play a game of chess instead of a Rating Game. This is far too troublesome. And hopefully your sister won't try to hunt me down again if I win and she assumes I'm going to marry you."
"She won't," Sona said quickly, cheeks blazing red as the memory returned. Embarrassment danced across her features, but beneath it, a light sense of relief. She had missed this — missed the rush, the tension, even the playful barbs they traded.
Maybe, just maybe, losing to him didn't sting as much as she had feared. In fact, as she closed her eyes for a moment and let the last remnants of magic dissipate from her limbs, Sona realized it felt rather liberating.
"Don't give up so soon, Kaichou! I'm still in the enemy's territory, right?"
Issei's voice sounded from their communication spell.
"Huh? Y-Yes?" She answered with some hesitation.
All three of their heads snapped up.
A sudden eruption of demonic energy surged from the mall below, shaking the very foundations of the arena. It didn't just rise, it exploded into the heavens in the form of a brilliant emerald pillar, like a beacon for the underworld itself. The force of it sent gusts rolling across the arena, and within the roar came the unmistakable cry of a dragon.
[Boost!]
[Boost!]
[Boost!]
[Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker!]
Even from this height, the voice reverberated through every bone in their bodies. In the corner of her eye, Sona caught sight of Hachiman burying his face in his hand with a long, exaggerated sigh.
"Main protagonist power boost nonsense…," he muttered under his breath, though his voice was half-lost to the wind and magical resonance.
She, however, was too stunned to reply. Her mind reeled in disbelief as she gazed down toward the glowing figure at the heart of the pillar.
Her Pawn, who had not yet fully mastered his Sacred Gear last she checked, was now unleashing a level of strength that could shake even the most elite of devils.
And all she could do was stare, mouth slightly open, at the impossibility of it all.
---------
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.