The air in the Gremory villa's main hall crackled with nervous energy. Rias stood in the center of her peerage, her gaze sweeping over each of their determined faces.
"We have done everything we could for the past ten days," she said, her voice clear and strong. "We have all made progress by giving our absolute all. I have seen your dedication and your determination, and no matter what happens today, whether we win or lose, I am proud of all of you. Now, let's go and fight!"
Grayfia stepped up from the sideline, a crimson Gremory magic circle flaring to life at her feet. It expanded, engulfing them in warm light before the world dissolved and reformed around them. They were standing on the familiar grounds of Kuoh Academy, yet the silence was eerie. There were no students, no ambient city noise—only the rustle of leaves in a sterile, perfect replica.
Grayfia's disembodied voice echoed through air.
*"The arena has been selected as a replica of Kuoh Academy, as per Lord Riser's suggestion. Both parties have agreed. The match will commence in fifteen minutes."*
"Alright, everyone," Rias said, her eyes flashing with resolve. "We all know our roles and the strategy. Let's do this."
"YES!" the peerage roared in unison.
Like a well-oiled machine, they scattered. Akeno took to the skies, her silhouette a dark shadow against the purple sky as she began laying magical traps around their base at the Occult Research Club building. Rias and Asia remained at the command post. The two assault teams, Kiba and Issei, and Jin and Koneko, moved out after 15 minute .
Their destination: the gymnasium.
"There will be people waiting for us, that's a guarantee," Jin said quietly to Koneko as they sprinted across the campus. "Are you ready?"
Koneko met his gaze, her small frame radiating immense power. She gave a single, firm nod.
They burst through the gym doors to find four of Riser's peerage members waiting for them. Three pawns—the twins Ille and Nel, and Mira—and the rook, a woman named Xuelan.
"Well, look what we have here," Mira sneered. "They really thought they could capture the gym. And that must be the human we were warned about."
"I will defeat them with my kung-fu," Xuelan declared, her eyes locking onto Jin. " I hope you are ready to fight me , i want a good fight and bring honour to my master ."
Jin and Koneko exchanged a look. In the next instant, they charged. Koneko shot toward the three pawns while Jin made a beeline for the rook, a ripple of density flowing over his body as he activated his unbreakable form.
Xuelan met his charge with fluid grace, her style a dance of evasive circles and open-palm strikes. She lashed out with a high kick, which Jin caught on his forearm with a solid **THUD**. He pressed forward, closing the distance and throwing a powerful, straight right cross. Xuelan twisted away, but his sheer aggression forced her back.
"I will break your pathetic armor and defeat you!" she grunted, striking his hardened chest with a flurry of palm-heel strikes that felt like hitting a stone wall.
"No, you won't," Jin stated flatly. "It's beyond you."
he channeled some Touki into his legs, exploding forward with a burst of speed that caught her by surprise. He was inside her guard, too close for her to effectively counter. A brutal jab snapped her head back, followed by a vicious hook. He had her trapped, his fists a relentless barrage against her face and head until, with a final, devastating uppercut, she dissolved into particles of golden light.
*"Lord Riser's Rook, Xuelan, has retired."*
Jin looked up to see Koneko finishing her own battle. The third pawn, screaming in rage over her twin's elimination, charged Koneko with a magic chainsaw. Koneko met the charge, her tiny fist swinging with all her might. The punch landed with a sickening crunch, and the girl was blown backward into the wall before she, too, disappeared.
*"Lord Riser's four Pawns and one Rook have been eliminated."*
"Looks like you're done too, Koneko," Jin said, letting his hardening fade. "Let's move out."
She nodded and followed. They were sprinting toward their next objective when a massive sphere of explosive magic descended from the sky, detonating directly on top of Jin.
"AAGH!" Jin screamed as he was engulfed in the blast.
"Jin-san!" Koneko cried, rushing to his side.
High above, Riser's Queen, Yubelluna, hovered with a contemptuous smirk. "So that was the human rias had gone for help. Nothing special at all." Before she could fire on Koneko, a bolt of purple lightning streaked past her head. Akeno.
"I'll deal with you another time," Yubelluna said coolly, vanishing in a burst of speed.
Akeno landed gracefully. "You can stop acting now," she said with a sly smile.
Jin sat up, brushing dust from his jacket without a scratch on him , already healed . "Is she really gone?"
"Ara, ara. You really predicted she would come for you here. What a scary man you are," Akeno purred.
Jin pressed a finger to his earpiece. "Plan A is on."
Miles away, Kiba and Issei stood over the fading light of three of Riser's pawns. *"Plan A is on,"* Jin's voice came through their comms.
*"Lord Riser's another three Pawns have retired."*
Back at the Occult Research Club, Rias shot to her feet, a fierce, triumphant grin on her face. "That's all but two of his pawns gone." She turned to her Bishop. "Asia. Let's go."
***
### Part 2: The Commentary Booth
Deep within a pocket dimension, Sona Sitri sat in a high-tech control room, her eyes scanning a dozen monitors that displayed every angle of the battlefield. As the announcer for this match, she leaned into her microphone, her voice cool and analytical.
"In a stunning opening salvo, Rias Gremory's team has completely dismantled Lord Riser's numbers advantage," she broadcasted. "And in a fascinating turn of events, the human participant, Jin Kazama, successfully baited and deceived Lord Riser's powerful Queen, Yubelluna."
She paused for effect. "For those new to the strategic nuances of Rating Games, you might ask what advantage this deception provides, since the announcer confirms a player's status. The brilliance lies in perception. Lord Riser's team will now view Jin Kazama as a weakling who was nearly eliminated by a single blow, forcing Rias's team to expend precious healing resources on him. He has branded himself as a non-threat, a perception he will surely exploit later."
Sona's eyes followed another monitor. "And there it is. With most of Riser's pawns eliminated, Rias Gremory has chosen to abandon her fortified position. A wise move; holding a defensive base is now a waste of resources. The board has been leveled. The question going forward is simple: will Lord Riser's superior firepower prevail, or will the Gremory team's brilliant strategy keep carrying the day?"
Sona switched off the microphone, her professional mask giving way to a more thoughtful expression.
Tsubaki, standing beside her, spoke in a low voice. "With this, they have brought themselves to equal ground and completely blindsided Riser's team. Rias-sama has planned this brilliantly."
Sona shook her head slightly, her gaze still fixed on the screens. "The overall strategy, yes. Rias is a Good commander. But this specific gambit… fooling a veteran Queen like Yubelluna with such a convincing performance… that level of cunning is not Rias's signature."
Tsubaki's eyes widened in understanding. "So, it must have been him. Jin Kazama."
"Most likely," Sona confirmed, her fingers tapping on the console as she zoomed in on the monitor showing Jin running through the forest. "He is crafty. From our observations, he appeared to be a simple frontline brawler. We never anticipated he was a strategist."
Her eyes narrowed, a look of intense concentration on her face. "We need to completely re-evaluate him. Now, how is he going to use the persona he just created?"