I stared at the mountain in front of me, covered in what had to be over thousand slash marks at this point.
Ten days.
Ten whole days since Grayfia announced the Rating Game.
Ten days of pretending I gave a shit about "proper training" when I could've ended Riser on day one with Hellblaze alone.
But hey, gotta keep up appearances and all that.
Lostvayne felt natural in my grip. The weight was perfect, the balance even better. Meliodas's sacred treasure had integrated so smoothly into my abilities that I sometimes forgot I'd only had it for ten days.
The mountain looked like someone had taken a cheese grater to it. Every surface was carved up with precise cuts—some deep, some shallow, all of them exactly where I'd intended them to be. Kami Chigiri practice. A thousand cuts in an instant. Still felt weird that I could just... do that now.
"The day has finally come" I muttered, more to myself than anything.
Tonight. The Rating Game. Everything I'd been working toward since making that stupid wager with Riser. Well, stupid for him anyway. For me it was basically a guaranteed win wrapped up in a convenient excuse to beat his ass publicly.
I looked down at Lostvayne, then at the mountain.
Hurting a Phoenix is an overstatement. I can probably kill Riser in ways he never dreamed of
Full Counter would bounce his flames back hot enough to turn him into KFC. Hellblaze would burn through that precious regeneration like it was used tissue paper. Assault Mode would crush him under raw demonic power before he even understood what was happening.
The gap between "hard to kill" and "actually immortal" was about to become very, very clear to Riser Phenex.
I raised my hand and Lostvayne dissolved into particles of light, flowing back into my system inventory. Gone. Ready whenever I needed it.
Now for the real test.
I closed my eyes and reached for the power sitting in my core. The demonic energy that belonged to the son of the Demon King himself. Dark, strong enough to level mountains.
I pulled on it.
The transformation hit immediately.
Black marks spread across my forehead in tribal patterns. My demonic aura exploded outward in a shockwave that painted everything crimson and black. Dark armor formed—a ragged coat with a high collar, wristbands on my forearms. The air itself seemed to thicken around me.
Assault Mode.
Everything sharpened. Visuals got clearer. Sounds clearer. I could feel every particle of power running through my body, every breath of wind, every crack in the ground beneath my feet.
And my emotions? Still intact. Completely under control.
The System had fixed that personality bleed issue. No more absorbing character traits from the cards I assimilated. Just pure power without the mental baggage.
Perfect.
I stared at the mountain—that massive slab of rock that had probably been standing there since before the civil war.
Then I pulled my fist back.
Demonic energy condensed around my arm until it looked almost solid. Black and red power so dense it distorted the air. The ground cracked under my feet. Small rocks started floating around me.
I grinned.
Then I punched.
The mountain exploded.
Not crumbled. Not fell apart. Exploded. Stone shattered into dust and fragments that blasted outward like a bomb had gone off. The shockwave flattened trees at the clearing's edge. Birds miles away probably shit themselves.
When the dust settled, the mountain was just... gone. Scattered across the training ground in rubble and powder.
Not just the mountain, the whole forest was gone!!!
I perfectly estimated the level of strength of Assault Mode.
I stood there in front of the devastation I'd made, fist still extended, Darkness of Assault Mode enveloped around me.
"Yeah" I said "This is going to be overkill"
I let the transformation drop. The marks faded, the armor dissolved, my aura retracted until I looked normal again.
"But it's for the best"
Riser had no fucking clue what was coming.
---
The Occult Research Club building looked the same as always when I walked up in the evening. Old brick, arched windows, that slightly out-of-place aesthetic that made it stand out from the rest of campus.
Inside, the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, but not me.
Everyone was already there. Rias sat at her desk trying to look composed. Akeno was seated on the couch sipping on her tea. Koneko was on the couch, while Asia was sitting next to her, as all of them perked upon seeing me.
The Rating Game was about to happen any moment. Everyone knew what was at stake.
"Yuuto-kun" Rias said when I walked in "I was starting to wonder where you'd gone, all this time"
"Last minute training" I said. Not technically a lie "Wanted to make sure everything was ready."
"Senpai you are disappearing a lot lately," Koneko deadpanned, adjusting her gloves.
"Can't reveal all my secrets before the big show, Koneko chan" I said with a grin.
Before anyone could respond, I felt two familiar auras approaching. Strong. Controlled. Purposeful.
I turned toward the door just as a blue magic circle lit up on the floor.
Sona Sitri stepped out first, followed by her Queen, Tsubaki. Sona's eyes swept over all of us, lingering briefly on Asia and me before settling on Rias.
"Pardon my intrusion" Sona said "Before the game starts, I thought I should give you my regards, to my rival, for her first Rating Game"
"Also, I volunteered to manage the viewing of this game. You do remember that, right?"
Right. From what Rias had told me, this fight was being broadcast to both the Gremory and Phenex families, with Sona handling the camera work and censoring.
Rias smiled, resting her chin on her hand. "I see. Were you so worried that you wanted a front-row seat to watch it yourself, Sona?"
Sona said simply "I don't know where your confidence comes from, but be vigilant. Riser is an enemy you can't afford to underestimate."
"Thank you for your concern, Sona" Rias said, with a proud smirk "But, I don't intend to lose this early, my dear rival. Besides, I have one of the most wonderful Knights by my side."
I saw Sona's eyes flick to me for just a second. Yeah, she was probably still salty about me beating most of her peerage in that sparring match. Can't say I blamed her.
"I see, Rias. Still, good luck" She then turned to me and said pushing her glasses "You must not lose this. You still have a rematch with my peerage"
"Sure" I replied firmly, as if it's going to change that outcome.
With that, Sona and her Queen left through another magic circle.
The room went quiet again.
Then the carpet lit up with the Gremory family crest, and Grayfia stepped out.
We locked eyes for a moment before she looked away. After what happened over the past ten days with the essence transfer and that one particularly intense session, we were now more than comfortable in each other's presence.
Grayfia's voice was completely professional. No hint of anything personal. Full work mode.
"Everyone, are you ready?"
Rias stood up "Yes, we are."
We all grouped around Grayfia as she created a teleportation circle. A flash of light, and suddenly we were... back in the ORC.
"W-We didn't teleport?" Asia asked in confusion as I pointed at the window. She looked out the window showing weird green fog twisting in the sky above us.
"We're in a pocket dimension," Akeno explained to Asia, who finally understood everything "An exact replica of Kuoh Academy made specifically for this Rating Game"
Grayfia's voice came next, but not from speakers. It was like she was speaking directly into my head. Great, I hear voices in my head.
"Everyone, I am Grayfia, Servant of the Gremory family. Appointed referee for this Rating Game between the Riser Phenex and Rias Gremory"
"As per the affirmations from both participants, we have prepared a replica of the human high school that Rias-sama attends, as the battlefield"
"Rias-sama's chosen base is the Occult Research Room in the Old Schoolhouse."
"Riser-sama's chosen base is the Principal's Office in the New Schoolhouse."
"The Rating Game starts now."
Rias stood from her seat and walked to the center of the room. "Alright everyone, you know the plan. Akeno, Koneko—you two will set up the traps and illusion as we discussed. Cover the forest paths and the routes leading to our base"
"Ara ara, with pleasure," Akeno said, electricity already crackling at her fingertips.
"Hm" Koneko nodded, cracking her knuckles.
Rias turned to me specifically. "Yuuto, after Koneko and Akeno finish with the traps, I need you to intercept any of Riser's pieces trying to reach our base through the forest. Other than his queen would be of no trouble to you"
I nodded "Understood"
"Asia," Rias continued, "you'll stay here with me. Your healing will be crucial if anyone needs to retreat and regroup."
"I'll do my best!!!"
We waited for the initial strategy period to end. Standard Rating Game rules—both sides got a few minutes to organize before combat could begin. While it was still going on, Rias handed us circular orbs, which got into our ears, for communication during the Rating Game.
Rias approached me, her usual confident mask firmly in place, but I could see the slight tightness around her eyes. She placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'm counting on you, Yuuto. You're one of my strongest pieces."
"I won't let you down" I said, with a hand over my heart.
Akeno simply smiled more genuine than usual.
Koneko appeared at my side without warning. She held up her fist without a word. I bumped it with mine—our pre-battle ritual.
"Kick their asses, Senpai" she said simply.
Asia hurried over, wringing her hands slightly. "Please be careful out there, Yuuto-san"
The sincerity in all their voices was... honestly kind of nice.
"We're gonna win" I said.
Grayfia's voice echoed through the dimension again.
[[ The preparation period has ended. Combat may now commence ]]
I felt it the moment the restriction lifted. The air itself seemed to shift, becoming heavier with anticipation.
"Alright everyone" Rias said "Move out"
Akeno, Koneko, and I headed for the door. The three of us split up once we were outside, Akeno flying away in the air to set traps with her familiar, Koneko headed to the other side of of forest to establish her traps, and me heading into the forest, to do what I do best.
I moved lazily through the forest, as I sensed from far away, Three auras approaching here after leaving the base of Riser.
Moving fast but not cautiously. Confident.
I grinned.
It's about time to go all out.
. . .
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