The disembodied, professional voice of the announcer echoed across the battlefield, a declaration of a stunning victory. *"Lord Riser's Queen, Yubelluna, has retired. Lord Riser's Bishop, Ravel Phenex, has retired."*
The immediate threat was gone. Akeno landed gracefully, her breathing slightly heavy but her smile triumphant. Jin looked between her and Koneko, his expression all business.
"Let's get to Rias," he commanded. "Riser must have been informed by now. He knows he's all that's left of his team."
Akeno and Koneko nodded, following his instruction without a word. The plan was entering its final phase. As they reached an open area, Akeno unfurled her dark, demonic wings.
"Okay, I'll go ahead " she said, before launching herself into the sky.
Koneko looked at Jin, then unfurled her own small, white wings. "I will go, too."
"Go on," Jin replied, already breaking into a hard sprint. "I'll be right behind you."
The two devils took to the air, their flight paths direct and unobstructed as they soared toward the Student Council building. Jin, however, was bound to the earth. He vaulted over fallen debris, dodged around craters, and crashed through the treeline, the obstacles of the ravaged battlefield slowing his pace. He could see their silhouettes shrinking against the artificial sky.
*"Shit,"* he thought, his lungs starting to burn. *"I should have factored in a flight-capable piece for me. Always focusing on the brute-force approach. A power like Kizaru's would be perfect right now."*
As he kept running, a new announcement crackled through his earpiece, cold and impersonal. *"Gremory Knight, Kiba Yuuto, has retired."*
Jin's jaw tightened. *"Better pick up the pace."*
He burst through the final line of trees, the school building now in full view. It was a hellscape. The roof was engulfed in a maelstrom of swirling crimson demonic energy and roaring orange hellfire. He could see Akeno and Koneko closing in, two dark specks against the fiery backdrop. He felt a sliver of relief; at least the full team was finally gathering to take down the final boss. Now things would be okay.
He reached the building's entrance and threw himself inside, taking the stairs two, three at a time. The sounds of battle grew louder, echoing down the empty concrete stairwell. Then, two more announcements came, one right after the other, each one a hammer blow to his gut.
*"Gremory Rook, Koneko Toujou, has retired."*
*"Gremory Bishop, Asia Argento, has retired."*
Hearing Koneko's name, Jin's blood ran cold. He pushed himself harder, his muscles screaming in protest as he launched himself up the final flight of stairs. *What the hell went wrong?*
He kicked open the door to the roof and was met with a scene of utter devastation. The rooftop was a cratered wasteland. Akeno stood protectively in front of Rias, her clothes in tatters, a flickering shield of lightning the only thing between them and the monster standing before them. And on the ground, Rias was on her knees, cradling the broken, unconscious form of Issei Hyoudou.
***
Riser Phenex had always taken his life for granted. He was beautiful, he was powerful, he was immortal. He was enjoying this. He was toying with Rias Gremory simply because he could. She was flinging her pathetic Power of Destruction at him, actually thinking she could wear him down. It was adorable. He let her waste her energy. No matter what happened in this little game, he couldn't truly lose.
Then, two of her exhausted pawns stumbled onto the roof, looking haggard from their earlier fights. The Knight and the one with the gauntlet. As if their joining would make any difference. Riser was a Phenex, a being of pure, regenerating fire. He was above them.
The red one with the gauntlet seemed to be blabbering something before charging him like a complete idiot. Seeing the first fool move, the Knight idiot followed. Riser prepared to teach them some manners.
And then the announcement came, a cold shock that cut through his leisurely arrogance. *"Lord Riser's Queen, Yubelluna, has retired. Lord Riser's Bishop, Ravel Phenex, has retired."*
*Unacceptable.*
A switch flipped inside him. The playful, arrogant smile vanished, replaced by a fury. Riser was no longer playing.
The Knight came at him, a blade of ice held at the ready. Riser's fist ignited with hellfire. He easily sidestepped the sword thrust and drove his flaming punch straight through Kiba's guard. The fire engulfed the Knight, and in an instant, he was gone.
*"Gremory Knight, Kiba Yuuto, has retired."*
Riser turned his incandescent rage on the other one, the vermin with the gauntlet. He would pay. Riser decided to make this painful. He appeared before Issei and drove a simple, brutal punch into his gut, not even bothering with a spell. The boy, already exhausted, crumpled, barely resisting.
"Riser is angry," the phoenix snarled, his voice a low growl as he began speaking . "This vermin has angered Riser. Riser must teach this vermin a lesson."
He grabbed Issei by the hair and began slapping him across the face, the sound echoing across the rooftop. Seeing her pawn being brutalized, Rias intensified her attacks, but Riser simply regenerated from the blasts, his fury unabated.
Then, the other two arrived—a slutty-looking one with wings and a little stone-faced cutie, Riser thought. They landed on the roof, shouting something about how it was over for him.
An idea, cruel and brilliant, formed in Riser's mind. He would use the vermin as a shield.
He hoisted the barely conscious Issei into his arms and charged the newcomers. Akeno and Koneko launched their attacks, but hesitated, unwilling to hit their comrade. Riser used that hesitation, using Issei's body to block a blast of lightning meant for him, and fired a quick, opportunistic fireball that caught Koneko off guard, eliminating her.
The Gremory team was in disarray, unable to properly attack the man who was now using their friend as a meat shield. While they were paralyzed with indecision, Riser saw his next opening. He tossed Issei's limp body toward Rias tank her ball of destruction , forcing her to catch him. As her attention was diverted, and Asia's healer who was rattle seeing issei Issei situation get caught off guard , Riser fired a concentrated blast of fire. Akeno moved to intercept it, but it was too late. The blast caught Asia, eliminating her instantly. Riser fire another fireball at rias but akeno stood in path .
Issei, cradled in Rias's arms, watched it all. He saw his friends eliminated because of him. He saw the pain and despair on Rias's face. His anger, his shame, and his powerlessness boiled over into a single, roaring inferno in his soul. He was ready to give it all up, to activate Balance Breaker even if it cost him his life.
It was in that moment of absolute despair, as Riser stood laughing over the ruins of her team, that the heavy metal door to the rooftop was kicked clean off its hinges and sent flying across the battlefield.
Jin Kazama stepped through the opening.