Next Day.
We gathered in the clubroom, everyone ready for the game.
Apparently, Sona had been given charge of the broadcasting.
When I heard that, I asked her for one thing—to make sure as many people as possible could watch.
The details didn't matter to me, so I left them up to her.
That was enough.
With that, word of this Rating Game would spread far and wide, even if not everyone watched it live.
Everyone was gathered, except for Asia.
Since she wasn't part of Rias's peerage or directly tied to the matter, she stayed back with Sona.
Kiba was ready in his own way.
His hands and wrists were wrapped in padded guards, and armor-like coverings protected his shins.
His sword rested casually against the wall within reach, gleaming faintly.
Koneko sat quietly, flipping through a book with the same focus she might've given a battlefield.
Fingerless gloves—those favored by martial artists—covered her small hands.
On her childlike face, though, was an eerily serious expression.
Akeno and Rias sat side by side on the sofa, sipping tea with refined grace.
As expected of the Two Great Ladies, their composure never cracked.
And me?
I was in my chair, phone in hand, grinding Clash of Clans and pushing trophies like my life depended on it.
Ten minutes before the match, the magic circle at the center of the room flared to life, and Grayfia stepped out in her usual, immaculate manner.
"Have you completed your preparations? The match will begin in ten minutes."
She announced, her voice cool and unwavering.
We all rose as she continued her explanation.
"When the time comes, you will be transported to the arena through your magic circle. The battle will take place in a neutral alternate dimension created specifically for this match. You may unleash your full power without restraint. Once the game concludes, the field itself will be discarded, so do not concern yourselves with collateral damage."
I nodded slowly. So that's how it works…
An artificial battlefield.
Honestly, I didn't even know devils could do something like that.
I always thought that sort of trick—creating pocket dimensions—was more of a ghost or yokai specialty.
Grayfia's voice cut through my drifting thoughts.
"Representatives from both noble Houses will be following this Rating Game by way of live broadcast."
She paused, her eyes landing squarely on Rias.
"In addition, His Lordship the Demon King Lucifer will be observing. Do keep that in mind."
Woah! There's a real Demon King in this world?!
Then that must mean… somewhere out there, there's a Hero or a Heroine, too!
Rias, however, froze for an entirely different reason.
"My brother…? I see, so he'll be there, too…"
Oh, right. I'd almost forgotten—her brother was one of the Four Satans.
Lucifer's successor.
A big deal.
…And yet, he still hadn't stepped in to help her?
Grayfia's tone never wavered.
"It's almost time. Everyone, please step into the magic circle."
We gathered at the center of the room.
"Once you are transported to the arena, you will not return until the match is concluded," she explained.
So… no coming back until one side had completely crushed the other.
That was… a bit grim.
The sigil etched into the circle shifted, glowing brighter and reshaping itself into an unfamiliar crest.
Not Phenex.
Not Gremory.
Something else.
Maybe a custom design, just for this match…
That was my last thought before the light swallowed us whole and dragged us into the battlefield.
I opened my eyes.
…Huh?
I blinked, tilting my head in confusion.
We were still in the clubroom.
Had the magic circle… failed?
Anyone would've been confused, right? But strangely, nobody else looked even a little surprised.
Everyone was calm, collected—like this was exactly what they'd expected.
Grayfia, however, was nowhere to be seen.
Did she get teleported alone or something?
Before I could dwell on it, her voice echoed around us, loud and clear like a school announcement.
"Welcome, everyone. I, Grayfia, servant to the House of Gremory, will act as Arbiter for today's Rating Game between the House of Gremory and the House of Phenex."
The tone was flat and professional, but it carried easily across the entire space.
"In the name of His Lordship Sirzechs Lucifer, I will ensure the fairness and impartiality of today's proceedings. Based on Lady Rias and Lord Riser's mutual wishes, the battlefield will be a replica of the school that Lady Rias attends in the human world—Kuou Academy."
Ah, now it made sense.
This wasn't the real clubroom.It was a replica.
A separate pocket dimension, set up to look identical to Kuou Academy.
Honestly, for a guy like me who's watched way too much anime, putting the pieces together was child's play.
"Both teams have been transported to an area that will serve as their respective home bases. Lady Rias, your home base will be the clubroom of the Occult Research Club in the old school building. Lord Riser, yours will be located in the student council room in the new school building. All Pawns, please proceed to the immediate vicinity of the opposing team's home base when using a Promotion."
…And there it was.
The official tutorial speech.
Ahhhhhhh! So boring!
Wasn't there a skip button somewhere?!
Let me mash the "next" option already!
"Everyone, please put these communication devices in your ears," Akeno said, handing out earphone-like transceivers to each of us.
I popped mine in, and Rias's voice immediately came through, crisp and clear.
"This is how we'll coordinate on the battlefield."
Whoa, remote commands straight into my ear?
Now that's an OP item.
Basically, a built-in team chat.
Grayfia's voice followed, carrying the weight of finality.
"It's time. The match will continue until there is a victor, or until dawn in the human world. Let the game begin."
Ding-dong-dang-dong.
The school bell rang out across the campus, solemn and sharp.
Guess that was the official start signal.
Game on.
"First things first, we need to eliminate Riser's Pawns. We'll be in trouble if all eight of them can promote into Queens."
Rias said coolly from her seat on the sofa.
Her voice carried no hesitation—just calculated precision.
She sat there with perfect posture, crimson hair cascading like a queen awaiting the first move of the game.
Across from her, Akeno moved with practiced grace, quietly setting about preparing tea, as if this were nothing more than a casual afternoon.
The contrast between their calmness and the war that was about to unfold was… eerie.
It looked like they already had a solid plan.
"Anyway, Rias—let me go first. I've got something in mind, but for it to work, I need to move ahead."
Rias studied me for a moment, her crimson eyes narrowing ever so slightly before she gave a quiet nod.
"Fine. You'll take point. But be careful."
"Always am," I said with a small grin, returning the nod before stepping out of the clubroom.
The heavy door clicked shut behind me, and just like that, the first move was mine.
The moment I stepped out of the old building, I pressed the transceiver.
"By the way, Rias… you do realize there's no point in just winning this match, right?"
Her voice came through, confused but edged with suspicion.
"What? What do you mean, Zevion?"
I spoke slowly, carefully—like explaining something to a child.
"You see… defeating this one clown won't be enough. Even if we win, other noble families will come crawling out of their holes, demanding duels, making claims on your hand. Isn't that right?"
There was a pause.
Then, in a low, cold tone—almost as if she feared the answer—Rias said, "…Zevion. What are you planning?"
A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips.
My voice dropped, dark, deliberate.
"If we defeat him piece by piece, we'll be looked down on. But if I end this in one move…"
The ground rumbled beneath my feet as an oppressive black aura leaked out of me, coiling into the air like smoke from a dying world.
The entire old school building trembled as a dark barrier swallowed it whole, cutting it off from the rest of the battlefield.
"…then no one will ever dare mess with us again."
Before she could respond, I plucked the transceiver from my ear and tossed it into my inventory.
Silence.
Only the pulse of my own shadow remained, heavy and suffocating, waiting to be unleashed.
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