Draconis's plan was simple: take out Riser's eight Pawns, and everything else fell into place.
Once the Pawns were gone, Rias could focus on tying down Riser's Queen. That left Akeno—her powerhouse Queen—and Koneko to handle the enemy Bishop, Rook, and Knight.
As for Riser himself, the King? That job fell to Draconis—the so-called "inferior horse."
But here's the thing: sometimes the dark horse outruns the favorite.
Rias weighed the odds and nodded. If Draconis could clear out the Pawns, she'd take on Riser's Queen herself, leaving Riser to Draconis.
With two bodies to work with, Draconis could do more than ever. For clarity, he kept his original body as the "main," and the split-off as his "double."
First order of business: Promotion. Free power was too good to waste.
Since both bodies shared the same strength, either could Promote. He'd have one lie in wait, ready to seize the moment, while the other could jump in to support Akeno and Koneko, easing their load.
Rias wasted no time, sending Draconis, Akeno, and Koneko out into the field.
Draconis's double went to ground, lying in ambush. His main body teamed up with Koneko, heading straight for the heart of the campus.
The gymnasium sat in the center—no cover, wide open, visible from both bases.
It was the battlefield's choke point, a must-win for both sides.
Draconis and Koneko arrived, determined not to let Riser snag the advantage.
High overhead, Akeno soared, weaving powerful illusions around their base at Rias's command. No sneaky Pawns would get close unnoticed.
Inside the gym, Koneko's nose twitched.
"Enemies. I smell them."
Draconis nodded, striding in with practiced calm.
Four girls waited inside: an older sister type in a qipao, twin girls with matching faces, and a petite loli—Mira, the same girl Draconis had floored with a single blow last time.
Mira glared daggers, still nursing her grudge.
The enemy lineup: one Rook, three Pawns. The qipao-clad devil girl was their Rook, just like Koneko.
Koneko slipped on her gloves, eyes sharp.
"I'll take the Rook. You handle the Pawns."
That was the usual Rating Game style—matching classes, proving your worth head-on.
Of course, some teams ran on strict orders, but most devils preferred to test themselves against their equals.
The Rook squared up, fists raised. Koneko charged, fists flying.
Draconis, meanwhile, was immediately boxed in by the three Pawns.
The twins whipped out chainsaws from nowhere.
The engines screamed to life, teeth spinning.
Draconis raised an eyebrow. Cute faces, deadly toys.
"We're gonna slice you up!"
The twins chimed in together, disturbingly enthusiastic.
Draconis summoned his Regalia Blade, sweeping upward to intercept the first chainsaw. Steel clashed, sparks flying.
"Yah!"
The girl yelped, pain shooting through her hands as the force of Draconis's block nearly ripped the chainsaw from her grip.
Draconis spun, launching a lightning-fast kick that sent her flying before she could react.
"Sis!"
The other twin puffed up, furious.
"I'll tear you into eight pieces!"
Draconis snorted, trading blows before catching her with a sharp kick square in the rear.
You want to chop me into eight pieces? I'll kick your butt into eight. Fair's fair.
Both twins went down hard, Draconis's attacks leaving them unable to continue.
He couldn't help but wonder—did they ever learn?
They'd underestimated him, thinking he was just another Knight.
In truth, those two hits had already knocked out both mid-class devil Pawns.
A rush of wind—Mira, face set in stubborn defiance.
"Cheater! You're no low-class devil!"
Draconis laughed. "Is your job just to look pretty? Still judging by devil rankings?"
He was only technically "low-class" because he hadn't bothered with the exam. His actual power was solidly mid-class.
He sidestepped Mira's wild staff strikes, waited for his chance, then let his magic surge—one punch, straight to the gut.
"Gwah!"
Mira doubled over, vomiting blood as she flew like a cannonball, vanishing in a burst of white light midair.
Too injured to continue—auto-teleport, out of the game.
Draconis turned, unleashing a sweeping sword strike that caught both twins, sending them out in twin flashes of white light.
Across the gym, Koneko was still locked in combat with the qipao girl. Draconis jumped in—two-on-one—quickly sending the girl skyward.
Koneko dashed forward, fist slamming into her chest. Waves rippled, the qipao shredded. Draconis barely caught a glimpse before she disappeared in a flash.
…Koneko, you did that on purpose, didn't you?
Sure, she was well-endowed, but a punch through all that? That had to hurt.
Grayfia's voice echoed through the broadcast system, crisp and official:
"Three Pawns and one Rook of Lord Riser Phoenix are unable to continue fighting. Retired."
—
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