Shin High School DxD-Volume 2 Chapter 3

Life.3 The Preparation for Battle!

The night before the scheduled training camp at the mountain—.

"…Hubby!!"

Akeno-san suddenly got on top of me on the bed and hugged me! After relaxing myself, I took a bath and went to my room to prepare for tomorrow, but as I entered the room — it turned into a mysteriously erotic space! The room with a large bed was the door-knob-erotic-room (I named it that)! Basically, if you open a door with a specific doorknob, you get lured into a lustful space instead of the original room.! At first, it was Heaven which made it solely for Irina. Because Angels would fall if they engaged in lewd activities with another race, they pitied her and hence made the room so she wouldn't fall even if she did lewd things. Affected by that, the Fallen Angel Organisation Grigori also gave Akeno-san (the daughter of the vice governor Barakiel) a special door-knob-erotic-room! And this was Akeno-san's lust room!

Because of this, I would always remain cautious whenever I opened a door as I might be entering a lust room for a period of time. This time too, I entered Akeno-san's lust room after I finished taking a bath and opened my room's door. I wondered what the doors in my house had become. As I entered the room, Akeno-san took off her clothes and hugged me with her naked body! I was already pushed down on the bed and being kissed passionately! I was able to feel the euphoric sensation throughout my whole body as Akeno-san's soft skin pressed against me. …Akeno-san's tongue moved intensely within my mouth… I wanted to resist, but Akeno-san's tongue was too extreme…! It was as if my tongue was sucked in. Every time Akeno-san kissed me, her technique became even better… She also quickly removed my clothes whilst kissing me so that I couldn't do anything. Once she finished with the long kiss, she moved her lips away and a strand of saliva formed between our lips. My head was already boiling and I couldn't think of anything. Akeno-san sat on top of me as she said,

"I was thinking of supplying a part of Ise-kun as we'll be separated during the training camp by having the two of us use this room."

Supplying a part of me! …The two of us? Not only Akeno-san? As I thought about that, there was someone small who showed up from the shadows of the bed. —It was Koneko-chan! While wearing only a piece of underwear, Koneko-chan kissed me. It was quite cute as our lips just touched each other's… But I was surprised by Koneko-chan's initiative. Koneko-chan said,

"….Akeno-san and I have decided to spoil Ise-senpai as much as possible because we'll be separated and will be going to our respective training camps."

So I was lured into this lust room so they could spoil me before the training camp and the match! Koneko-chan turned to my back and thrust her body against me as she said.

"Especially me, because I'll go on a school trip after the match… and won't have any time with Ise-senpai!"

Yes, Kuoh Academy's school trip was coming soon. Every year around this time, the second-year students would always focus on the school trip. I was like that too. It looked like Kuoh Academy would also be going to Kyoto for this year as well… Not long after I had such thoughts, Akeno-san got closer to me from the front, while Koneko-chan approached me from behind! Akeno-san kept kissing me on my lips, shoulders, arms and stomach, while Koneko-chan lightly bit my ears, neck and back. I-I was being kissed by Akeno-san and Koneko-channn!

While embracing me on the bed, Akeno-san suddenly spoke.

"I am unsure if I'm happy or sad fighting my husband… The S&M sides of me are in conflict with each other… It's getting complicated."

! Her face indicated that she could go either way! Was she so immersed in the role play!? I said to Akeno-san and Koneko-chan,

"I might have to fight, or even defeat Akeno-san and Koneko-chan… But when the time comes, I will—"

I was about to continue on, but Akeno-san kissed me, covering my mouth which made me stop. As she moved her lips away, Akeno-san said,

"I don't need your apology. We are Ise-kun's comrades. In fact, we'll go at Ise-kun with all of our strength, you know?"

Koneko-chan also responded bravely to this.

"That's right. Be ready, senpai."

…I was embarrassed by their words. Geez, my future brides sure are brave and reassuring. That's why I fell in love with them. The two of them then pushed me down again! Both of them, as if peeking at me, spoke as Akeno-san grinned and said something bold.

"Well then, I'll spoil you as much as I want."

"Y-Yeah. So, I guess I'll just surrender myself to you then."

"Yeah. As expected, I really want to feel my husband closer and deeper."

But, this time, I announced something!

"I-I already said that I want to have my first time with everyone!"

That's what I said to my future brides when I was about to fight Nyx, that my first time would be with everyone! Akeno-san smiled as she went "Ara ara, ufufu". At the same time, she took my hand and placed it on her chest. My fingers melted into her boobs as I felt the ultimate soft sensations!

"No one will know as long as we keep it a secret. This is going to be a secret between me, husband and Koneko-chan only."

T-That's possible!? N-No, the other girls would feel bad, and if they found out… I'll not only be scolded and I don't even know what would happen to me! Akeno-san and Koneko-chan's faces got closer to me! They had the determination as they had a lewd look in their eyes, which made resisting impossible… At that time, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Akeno, Koneko, what are you two doing?"

As I turned around, all the girls living here — Rias, Asia, Xenovia, Irina, Rossweisse-san, Ravel and Ingvild, entered the room! (Kuroka and Le Fay had something to do so they weren't here). That voice just now was Rias's. She raised one of her eyebrows, looking annoyed! Xenovia and Irina said upon seeing this,

"So it's okay to have a head start!"

"Eh!? B-But darling said that he'd do it with everyone."

"Irina, I think the game plan for men and women is complicated. Ise sleeping with us secretly is also one of the possibilities."

"Sleeping secretly! …It's a word that might make me fall, but I am somehow excited!"

What are these two saying!? Rossweisse-san and Ravel then spoke in hushed tones,

"…This room, where can I get it?"

"I've ordered it from Grigori. Ah, don't get me wrong. I did it so that these things don't happen to Ise-sama. Also, I could use it when I want to talk about things secretly with Ise-sama."

"You want to make a child without anyone knowing, huh. As expected of a strategist."

Being confronted by Xenovia, Ravel turned red as she stammered "N-No!".

…I had a hunch that all my future brides would be getting their own lust room! Ingvild tilted her head as she said,

"Do I have to hug Ise naked as well? It's a bit embarrassing though…"

The girls' behavior was affecting the rookie as well! As it turned into such an awkward situation, Asia said to Rias,

"Onee-sama, what should we do?"

Rias being the leader of the girls inhaled deeply and said to everyone,

"Let's sleep together with everyone."

And with that, everyone including me went into my room as we slept together.

No matter how big my bed was, it still felt small when there were so many people… But, this was also the compromise that everyone could accept. When the girls started to say "I will…" "Me too…", I slept with everyone fairly. It was a peaceful solution, but now that it had come to this, I'd most likely get kicked by Xenovia's bad sleeping posture and wakeup on the floor. As expected, I was on the floor when I woke up this time as well. But, the one that kicked me off the bed was — Kuroka who had come home and got into bed without me noticing.

Part 2

The next morning, we, the members of the [Sekiryuutei of the Blazing Truth] team, teleported to the foot of the training camp mountain using a transportation magic circle and walked along the trail. The area was overgrown with trees, the sky was clear and the birds were chirping — wait, it felt like the training camp that I went to prior to the match against Phoenix …n such an amazing location, we walked along the mountain's slope. I was carrying a giant rucksack on my back which had necessary items for the training camp. As we walked along the dirt-covered slope, I thought of myself back at that time when I carried a similar heavy rucksack while struggling to walk along the mountain trail as I kept running out of breath. But now, I could walk and carry a rucksack that's several times heavier with this degree of slope. Although I had to admit that I still sweated, this was hardly a challenge. That's just how much effort I had to put in the mountain life that I had with Tannin-ossan. Also, there was a time when I climbed the mountain with Sairaorg-san… As I turned back, I saw everyone following me without losing their pace. The beautiful girl with wavy pink hair, Roygun Belphegor-san, as well as a silver-haired girl with a Dragon mask who held our team's Queen role, Bina Lessthan-shi. These two also participated in the training camp. I asked Ravel,

"So, where's the mountain villa?"

She looked at the map and said,

"Just a little bit further."

I see, just a bit more, huh. Even though I bought this mountain, I didn't know anything about it or the villa on it at all. It couldn't be helped as I didn't have the time…but I really bought a mountain, huh. …I wasn't very sure how I should feel about the amount of royalty money that I was receiving from the Oppai Dragon show in my bank account, and being a high-schooler, I was also not sure on how to spend it wisely…No, this is also an investment for my future brides, an investment! I'll start using this mountain from now on! I continued on while having such a conversation in my head. By the way, ordinary humans wouldn't be able to step inside here as it seemed like there was already a barrier in place surrounding the whole area of the mountain. Of course, supernatural beings too.

—Finally, we were able to see our destination, the mountain villa which was just finished. It looked like a mansion—.

[Ooh!]

Xenovia, Irina and I exclaimed in amazement upon seeing the mansion. It's big! Though not as big as the current Hyoudou Residence… Still, it had three floors. It was also quite vast, and there was even a garage next to the mansion. Ravel went to the door and extended her hands. A magic circle appeared and an unlocking sound [click] was heard. Ravel said.

"Currently, this mansion can only be unlocked by Ise-sama and his peerage. By sticking out your hands like this, you can unlock and lock the door."

As we finished listening, everyone entered the mansion. After putting our luggage down in the living room, we put our food in the freezer. Speaking of which, TVs, tables, chairs, and all types of furniture were already in place, huh… People of the House of Gremory, thank you for the construction and furniture! After deciding on the rooms and getting a tour of the mansion, we took a break while talking about our training camp plans. After everyone had confirmed their mountain training program—.

"Well, now that the training camp has begun, everyone will train by themselves until nightfall!"

[Yeah!]

And with that, the mountain training camp officially started with my order.

I thought that since I bought this mountain myself, I'd try to get to the top. I started climbing as soon as the preparations were ready.

"I'll go as well."

"I'll accompany you."

Nakiri and Bova accompanied me to the top. As the mountain wasn't that high, we climbed it quickly. Well, even if I slipped, I could just expand my wings to perform an emergency maneuver. Bova climbed the mountain after he made his body smaller. I asked Nakiri,

"I heard that people climb mountains in the way of Shugendo, but did you actually do it without using any trail?"

"Yeah, we climb on a cliff-like rock surface and we depend on chains." answered Nakiri.

Ah~, I might have seen it on TV, a cliff that had chains stuck on it. And while having that conversation, we quickly climbed and reached the top in no time. Nakiri had gotten used to this thanks to his training. Bova was also used to this as well, as it looked like there were times when he would get left behind on a mountain by his father. Upon reaching our destination, we were astonished by the beautiful scenery as we observed the surrounding environment from there. A holy aura could be seen at a place quite far from us. That must be Xenovia and Irina's combination. They said that they'd make some final adjustments before the match as they swung their swords at each other. And on a certain place farther off — I could sense a strong Devil aura. That must be Bina-shi and Roygun-san. Both of them seemed to have a common thing in their mind as Bina-shi agreed to Roygun-san's invitation.

…Roygun Belphegor belonged to one of the [Extra Demon] clans as she came from the Belphegor house. She was also a former pro player of the Rating Games as she was ranked second. Roygun-san had a nice reputation in terms of skills as she was next to the Champion Diehauser Belial. However, Roygun-san violated the game rules, and due to an act that was not made public, her rank was stripped off and she couldn't participate in the Rating Games anymore. The act that wasn't made public — was actually the existence of the King piece in the Evil PieceSystem. Its specialty was that it strengthened anyone wielding it. It was unbelievable because the level of strengthening was so overwhelming it could at least go up by ten or even a hundred times. There were fears that if it were to be made public, people harboring a grudge towards the current government might show up. So, Ajuka Beelzebub-sama, the creator of Evil Pieces, also stopped the production of the King piece after the first batch. By the way, the Devils' higher-ups that held the Rating Game retrieved that first batch and used it on pure-blooded High-class Devils. As such, Roygun-san, who was uncertain of her talents and abilities, got hold of the King piece and obtained power rivaling that of a Maou. She kept winning in the Rating Game and reached the second rank. However, the existence of the King piece was publicised to the Netherworld and other mythologies during the incident that Rizevim caused, the [Evil Dragon War], which resulted in many people becoming aware of its existence. After that, Roygun-san returned the King piece, and as a result, her status was downgraded from an Ultimate-class Devil to a High-class Devil, she was kicked out from the House of Belphegor, and finally, became unable to participate in the normal Rating Games. Even so, because of Roygun-san's love for the Rating Games, she didn't give up and felt determined to participate in the World Tournament.Because anyone could participate in the Rating Game World Tournament, you could show your fighting style to the public and possibly return to being a pro player. The reason Roygun-san came to me was because I was an active member of [DxD], and had also gained popularity in the Underworld thanks to the Oppai Dragon. She must have felt that her chances of getting back to being a pro player would be higher if she were to fight under me.

…She also said that she was simply interested in me. I heard that she had a liking for younger boys. W-Well, I guess it was an honour for us, having the former second-rank and a woman so beautiful to join us. Plus, Roygun-sun was a well-informed person. She knew things that only we knew and could also get her hands on the things that we didn't know. Being the former second rank, she was knowledgeable in terms of the Rating Games as well. Ravel and I valued those key points. Even though Roygun-san's power was downgraded from a Maou-class to her original after giving up the King piece, the skills she had developed in the Rating Game were the real deal, and Crack, the special ability of the Belphegor house, was extremely powerful as well. Even when she was against The King of Monsters, Typhon, one of the most powerful beings even amongst all mythologies during the preliminaries, she didn't retire although she was defeated due to exhaustion. And, in order to polish her abilities further, she began training with Bina-shi, one of the most powerful members of our team. Both of them were driven to utilise this opportunity in the best way possible.

—Those were the training scenes I could see from the top of the mountain. Asia, Ravel, Rossweisse-san and Elmenhilde must be doing magic training together. Ah, the rookie of my peerage Ingvild also participated. …Yep, I was worried about Ingvild. I had to measure her power levels to see if she could be of use in the match. And with that, I told Nakiri and Bova "Let's head down" and we started to go down.

As we went down, Nakiri, Bova and I walked towards Asia, Ravel, and the others' place near the villa. If I wasn't mistaken, I heard that they'd be training near the small river. When we passed the forest and got close to the river, my eyes caught a glimpse of — a giant Dragon made out of water (an oriental Dragon with a long body) emerging from the river as it floated around the sky. It looked like Ingvild, whose body was enveloped in a light purple aura, was controlling the water Dragon from around the river. As I sneakily stood next to Ravel, she whispered,

"…Just by teaching her a bit on how to use her magic, she managed to do this."

Rossweisse-san who was also there added.,

"…A genius, huh? She managed to show her knowledge in all elements starting from the water element. Right now, she's putting them into use by making a form out of the magic."

Wait, wait, she started to put them into use while I was climbing the mountain…? Unbelievable! Asia and Elmenhilde held their breath as they gazed at Ingvild's practice. Ingvild was making a hell of an impression in this training camp. But, I was also a bit worried. So, I asked Ravel,

"Ingvild…won't make it to the next match, huh?"

"Yeah, having just awakened her Devil power, her Sacred Gear's special power is still unstable. And above all, if you look at her current power, the cost of her Evil Pieces is too high."

Ingvild turned into a servant Devil as she held my Queen piece. In the Rating Game, the concept of the [cost] of each piece was highly regarded. As there were also 'values' for pieces in the humans' chess that became the inspiration for the Rating Games, the Evil Pieces copied that. The Pawn's value was one, the Bishop and Knight's values were three, the Rook's value was five, while the Queen's value was nine. Upon becoming a servant, the being's value was the same as the number of the required pieces to be consumed. When I was resurrected into Rias's servant, I required 8 Pawn pieces, so my value was also eight. As this was also important in the Rating Game World Tournament, a special value system was created (in the tournament, most of the participants only have one piece except for the Pawn. However, God-class beings could easily require two pieces) and the team composition had to be based on this. The decision of the Pawn piece usage was especially difficult. The value system in this tournament used a special smartphone app that was prepared by the developer to allow the participants to measure the required pieces of the target by taking a picture of them.

Yesterday, when we were checking out Ingvild's Pawn value — the number seven appeared. Seven was a big number. It meant her cost was too big. Although in the tournament you didn't have to follow the role of one's original piece as you could place them in whatever role you wanted (a Knight servant can be placed as a Rook in the tournament for instance)… If I were to make her a Pawn, it'd take around seven of them. Damn, because of the tournament' system, my Queen Evil Piece is now necessary, huh… I said,

"The number on the app, I wonder if it includes talent."

To which Ravel replied,

"That's what I thought. The new Longinus, and also the fact that Ingvild-sama has the blood of Leviathan, must've contributed to that number."

Yeah, that must be the reason why Ravel said "if you look at her current power, the cost of her Evil Pieces is too high". Even if she had the talent, the time to make her stronger was very limited. I continued,

"As someone whose piece value is eight, I also challenged the Phoenix house — Ravel and the others without any preparation as well, but…I guess it's a different situation."

The Gremory peerage at that time consisted entirely of me, Rias, Akeno-san, Koneko-chan, Asia and Kiba. That's why, even though I was inexperienced, my battle power was still highly regarded. Ravel said,

"Yeah, Rias-sama's peerage at the time was incomplete, which is why Ise-sama also had no choice but to participate."

Gasper was sealed at the time as he was unable to fully utilise his Sacred Gear. Thinking about it now, it was just unbelievable that we lacked that much fighting power. Ravel continued,

"Ise-sama, you know that there are many concerns regarding Ingvild-sama's Sacred Gear, right?"

"Yeah. Considering her current state where she cannot control the target of her power, she might not be of much use in the game. Because even if she stopped Crom Cruach, Bova, Nakiri and I would be stopped as well."

Yes, Ingvild still hadn't completely mastered her Sacred Gear's speciality. She couldn't control the target of her songs and would just make all Dragons powerless. It just wouldn't work if I also had to be stopped just to stop Crom Cruach. However, her song that was recorded showed no effect in the present. Rossweisse-san added,

"However…regarding Ingvild, I measured only the amount of her aura and…the calculation showed that she was already Maou-class, or even above that… Taking her talent with controlling magic into account, I couldn't even imagine just how powerful she'll be once she masters the specialty of Maou Leviathan. I mean, even this Water Dragon looked like it was formed unconsciously."

—! The amount of her aura was Maou-class or above!? In her current condition!? …I-I really made a hell of a girl my servant, huh. …I wonder if this was what Rias felt when she picked me, the Red Dragon Emperor? But no, I didn't have the power of a Maou-class. As I looked at Ingvild who controlled the Water Dragon, I said,

"So her talent's like the girl version of Vali, huh… As expected, the True Maou's lineage is no joke."

The specialty of True Maou Leviathan was called — [Sea Serpent of The End]. At the extremes, it could control the sea and draw a large amount of water, drowning a whole city or something. I also heard that it could create a snake-shaped Dragon… The water Dragon that Ingvild unconsciously made with her magic was a part of that. Having a great Longinus that dwelled within her body, Ingvild seemed to be developing her ability especially on water and Dragons. I said to Ravel,

"Although this training camp is supposed to decide whether she'll participate in the next game or not, it seems like the result is out."

"Well?"

"Yeah, I won't have her participate in the match against Rias and others. We'll just have to observe Ingvild's ability in this training camp. Well, if her Sacred Gear didn't function properly and went on a rampage, Nakiri, Bova and I wouldn't be able to fight."

Upon hearing that, Nakiri and Bova also agreed as both of them went "It'd be troublesome if we were rendered immobile after hearing her song" and "Indeed" respectively. Ravel responded with "Understood" and added,

"Actually, Ise-sama, this was delivered from the Gremory side…"

Ravel created a small magic circle on her hand and a document emerged. As I saw the document, I was — left speechless. I asked cautiously,

"…D-Do I have to do this?"

Ravel replied,

"They want you to do it. They'll prepare everything."

Seriously! Geez, is the Gremory trying to make me rich or what!? Ravel said,

"We'd have to consult with Asia-sama as well."

As I placed my hand on my forehead, I looked at Asia. Noticing that, Asia tilted her head sideways looking puzzled… —While I was thinking, the water Dragon that Ingvild was controlling suddenly lost its shape and turned to water as it flowed back into the river. While everyone was worried about what had happened to her, Ingvild went "Hmm" as she yawned. Ingvild then wiped her eyes and said,

"I'm sleepy."

Ingvild was a girl who slept quite a lot. There were a lot of times where she'd be sleeping when we didn't pay attention. She also tended to sleep during her Devil's job, or even in the middle of class. This was the effect of the Devil-only Sleeping Disease, but…I was afraid that she might fall into a long slumber once more. However, I heard that she didn't show any signs of the long sleep as of now. After returning the document to Ravel, I said to Ingvild and the others.

"Let's have a quick rest and we'll train again at night."

[Yes!]

For now, we'd have a snack time with the people here. The training camp also continued after that.

Part 3

[Let's ea~t!]

The morning of the third day of our training camp. Everyone gathered to have breakfast. Everyone was eating energetically as a result of the workout done during this training camp. The menu varied from Japanese and Western to Underworld food. The food was primarily prepared by Asia, Ravel, Rossweisse-san, Bina-shi and Roygun-san. The Underworld cuisine was nicely done by Bina-shi, who was…good at cooking thanks to her true identity, and Roygun-san, who had a hobby of culinary research despite being a noble. The foods were centered on protein-rich ingredients like meat and fish along with fruits and desserts. Although the amount of rice and bread wasn't that intimidating, everyone ate energetically as it was part of the training. Like Xenovia, who ate five rice bowls in the morning. Nakiri was amazing as well, having eaten god knows how many kilos of chicken tenders during the training camp. Still, the one who ate the most was the Dragon who had a giant body, Bova. Bova's food had been prepared separately beforehand and was brought here.

"Please eat the sufficient amount of calories you need."

Everyone answered with [Yes] in response to Ravel's words. The training would start before noon once everyone had breakfast and rested for a little while. I also took a rest after eating while preparing the things to climb the mountain. Now, regarding everyone's training menu in this training camp—.

The offense group consisting of Xenovia, Irina, Nakiri and Bova would mainly be training by sparring in the woods or mountains. Xenovia paired with Irina and Nakiri with Bova, but there were also some mock fights done outside of these pairs. Those who mainly used Demonic Energy, magic and spells, like Asia, Ravel, Rossweisse-san, Elmenhilde and Ingvild, helped each other to strengthen their demonic power and magical power, as well as improve their techniques. Bina-shi and Roygun remained unchanged since the first day as they trained together. As for my training, I wore my armor and tried to see how long I could keep myself in this form alone in the mountain. You could say that I was, in a way, adjusting and boosting my stamina.

The Pseudo Dragon Deification was so strong that it could even stand against God-class beings. But my homework was still the preservation of my strength and stamina to counter the extreme consumption. In order to elevate that just for a little bit, I chose to train by holding myself in the armor silently. I was also thinking of prolonging the duration of Ddraig's manifestation. As I meditated, I discussed things with Ddraig who dwelled inside my Sacred Gear. Anyway, our fighting power would be increased if I could prolong the duration of my Dragon Deification and Ddraig's manifestation. Especially the latter one. Ddraig's manifestation was really important for the next match or the tournament itself…o, he's also important for normal fights. Even making him able to remain just a second longer would be nice. Although it might not look that significant, Azazel-sensei and Tannin-ossan said that this kind of training was important as well. Starting as a super weak high school student, I had trained repeatedly. A year and a half ago, I was also told by Rias that the basics of my power were important. The situation would have turned out differently just by the mere change of [1] to [2]. If the starting number becomes higher, the increase in power would also be big. The things you said that time are still engraved deeply in my heart, Rias. And as I continued this training, I planned to spar as we also trained together on our last day. Well, to be honest, I don't think that there's any change from my usual training, but training, sleeping, and eating with everyone was also important compared to training in the vast white training space. As I finished my training in the mountain on that day, I climbed down and headed to the villa. Today was an important day–The day when the second match began!

—It's Sairaorg-san's match! Knowing this, everyone stopped their training and gathered in the living room. As everyone gathered in front of the TV that could also broadcast the Underworld's programs, everyone waited for the start of the match.

"Now, it's Sairaorg-san's match, huh…"

The announcer had already started the commentary. The stage was [Baal Stadium] in the Baal territory. As we waited for the match to start, Xenovia voiced her concerns.

"I am worried about the field condition for the main draw's matches. I think it's absurd for the fight between Gods to take place in this game field."

Ravel replied,

"I was told that as it has countless barriers surrounding it, they would still be able to continue the fight in a blank space even if the field was destroyed."

As there were such conversations, the match started. The commentator and announcer started off, holding the mic.

<<Now, the fight between the team whose King is the next head of the Great King clan, Sairaorg Bael-senshu, [Imperial Purpure], and the team whose King is Shooting Star-senshu, [Shooting Star], is about the begin!>>

<<The fight between one of the Rookies Four and the mysterious upcomer! This will be exciting!>>

The game field was inspired by the sea in the human world. Although most of the surface was water, there were also many islands. Now that the field was like this, the fight would mainly happen on the surface of the sea or on one of the islands. However, moving from one island to another would attract attention, and therefore make it more risky.

<<Game Start!>>

As the arbiter announced the start, the Game begun. As the teams moved to their own respective HQ, both teams started to create their own strategies. As everyone watched the match closely, Ravel said,

"If you think about it, the Bael team is superior."

Sairaorg-san's team consisted of his peerage and the servants of his step-brother that changed depending on the circumstances. As this was the main draw, the next head of the Duke Agares house, Seekvaira Agares, also cooperated by contributing her servants, making Sairaorg-san's team very flexible in terms of its members. As things went on, Rossweisse-san muttered quietly,

"But unexpected things might also happen in this tournament…"

Yes, the team of Sairaorg-san's enemy also kept winning from the second half of the prelims and became one of the teams that remained into the main draw.

—Suddenly! There was a huge flash of light from a certain island! A giant aura bullet was fired to the field! The aura bullet that was equal to a Maou…no, to a God-class being's size and trait that was shot straight suddenly changed its trajectory as if it was being mowed down! I've seen this attack before! Bina-shi said,

"It looks a bit like the attack that we did in the fight against Sitri team right after the match begun."

Yeah! I also thought the same! When we were matched against Sona Sitri-senpai in the prelims, I followed Ravel's plan and fired Pseudo Dragon Deification's Infinity Blaster to where the enemies were, erasing anything in its way. The attack that could have erased the sea field was…probably fired by the [Shooting Star] team's King, Shooting Star-senshu. Shooting Star-senshu held the new Longinus [Star Buster Star Blaster], a Longinus that came with a set of a longsword and a rifle. And the thing that he fired was a very powerful blast that could send even a God-class being (non-battle type) flying even though it's not in Balance Breaker! That one just now must be something that was fired using the Rifle. I saw it in the recordings of the prelim match. As the screen showed the field—, several islands that were scattered in the sea surface were blown away! What power! Even though it's not a Balance Breaker, this power is just…! What is wrong with these new Longinus!? As there was a sudden attack, the announcer said,

<<Team [Imperial Purpure]'s one Bishop and Pawn retire!>>

—!

…Two members of Sairaorg-san's team were defeated at the start, huh! Some of them must not have been able to escape as it was a surprise attack. Sairaorg-san and his other members were shown flying on the screen as they quickly flew down on an unharmed island. The islands that were present at the start had been blown off after all.

"Although we don't know how many times that attack can be done in a single match, being on an island for a long period of time would be suicide for Sairaorg-san's team."

That's right. There was no one in Sairaorg-san's team who could fire a projectile as powerful as Shooting Star-senshu's. That meant firing at each other would be impossible. Plus, team [Shooting Star] must've already noticed that they had moved to another island. If they stayed for a long time, they might get shot by that again. Knowing this, both teams started moving. Sairaorg-san's team members started to spread their wings and flew away as they spread out. Having lost two members, they flew away in a group of three while Sairaorg-san simply showed himself in his lion armor!

In the main draw, there were no complicated rules as you just needed to take down the King in order to win, and Sairaorg-san's gesture was a challenge that said "Fight me!". Although it's equivalent to suicide, you could say that it's exactly what Sairaorg-san would do. Not long after that, the giant bullet was once again fired towards Sairaorg-san! Even if it's Sairaorg-san, taking a direct hit from that powerful attack would guarantee a fatal wound! Even though the aura bullet was fired towards Sairaorg-san and it cut through the sea surface, there wasn't a single retirement report. As the projectile stopped, Sairaorg-san arrived at the next island and closed his distance with the enemy. At the same time, the dispersed members of Sairaorg-san's team had also arrived at another island. It was a strategy in which Sairaorg-san acted as the bait and got closer to the enemy with the whole team! Although it's too bold, forced and dangerous…I don't have any complaints as it's Sairaorg-san! I mean, I could only say that it's him we're talking about! The situation repeated several times, and finally, Sairaorg-san and his team members arrived at the island where the [Shooting Star] team was. The real fight started then! We witnessed the bizarre strength of the members of the newcomer team, [Shooting Star]! [Shooting Star]'s Rook, who had a giant body with their height around three metres (originated from a Low-class Devil), lifted a part of a mountain on the island with his barbaric…no, monstrous strength and threw it at Sairaorg-san's Rook! The members of my team were all surprised upon seeing the astoundingly monstrous strength of team [Shooting Star]'s Rook. Seeing this, both Irina and Xenovia exclaimed,

"Wow! What power!"

"He just lifted a small mountain. Just how strong are his muscles?"

Rossweisse-san on the other hand was paying attention to [Shooting Star]'s Bishop, who came from an anonymous Magician organisation and fired simple, yet tremendously powerful fireballs and spears of ice. The fireball was at the size that could engulf half of the island while the number of the ice spears easily surpassed a thousand. Even Sairaorg-san's team members were struggling to hold up against such immense power output. Half of the people here opened their mouths in surprise looking at the series of powerful attacks. Rossweisse-san excitedly said,

"While their magical spells might be simple, the destructive force of the attacks are extraordinary thanks to the different quality of their magical power!"

"The spells used are normal ones, right?"

When I asked, Rossweisse-san answered,

"Yes, the fireballs and ice spears are both basic forms of elemental magic. It's possible that the Magician's massive amount of magical power and aura type contributed to the irregularity of those basic magic spells."

Ravel said,

"…According to the rumours, this Magician can only do basic magic spells. It looks like she doesn't have any talent when it comes to technical skill… But—"

The magical power and aura within her were a cut above the rest, huh. There was also another member of the [Shooting Star] team that made a splash — a thin man, who was the Knight. His movements were faster than that of a God's, and there was no one in Sairaorg-san's team who could keep up with that Knight's speed. That being said, even the screen couldn't keep up as he could be seen vanishing from a place and suddenly showing up in another, which happened several times. He hadn't been hit even once by Sairaorg-san's team as he managed to evade all of them.

—The footwork of the Knight was too fast!

Although we could only see from the screen, even I couldn't follow him with my eyes! Team [Shooting Star] was full of those kinds of people. Monstrous strength, tremendously powerful basic magic spells, and someone whose movements were even faster compared to a God’s. The members were all talented people. Irina mumbled,

"…It's really weird how they stayed unnoticed until this time."

Acting as our informant, Roygun-san explained,

"It is true that they are talented, but it looks like they all lived in obscurity back in their respective mythologies. Beings who didn't have any position, and those whose families were peasants… Even the guy that lifted a small mountain, I heard that because he was a Low-class Devil, he couldn't go to school and had a job taking care of boulders in wastelands. The other participants also had similar circumstances. And the [King], someone named Shooting Star, participated in the tournament and scouted them."

—You have great ability! Let's participate in the tournament! You can become famous and eat delicious food as much as you want! That's how Shooting Star-senshu captivated their hearts and took them into the team. The members of the [Shooting Star] team, having never been praised ever since they were born, were lured by his words and dreams, and participated in the tournament. And the talents that were completely unknown before were now on fire in the Rating Game World Tournament. Currently, the person who gathered them and became their leader, Shooting Star, was standing before Sairaorg-san. Both Kings glared at each other in a separate island from the ones that the fights between their comrades took place on. A man who appeared to be in his late twenties looked like a cowboy, complete with a cowboy hat. He held a longsword in his right hand and a rifle in his left. That was the man called 'Shooting Star'. According to the rumors, he came from a family of Magicians whose ancestor was a Devil. As it looked like the Devil's blood had become significantly weaker, the one that appeared in his body was…the new [Embodiment of God's Destruction]. Shooting Star said to Sairaorg-san as he swung his sword.

[I've been thinking of facing you one on one directly.]

Sairaorg-san evaded and punched with his fist.

[Haha, you say that, but you also fired a bullet with your Sacred Gear and tried to stop me, didn't you?]

[Hahaha! Well, I also have to win! It won't mean anything if I don't win!]

Sairaorg-san got struck by Shooting Star's sword and his lion armor was easily destroyed! The moment it landed, the surrounding air vibrated and it affected the island as well! What power! Who would have thought that the Touki-covered armour would be broken so easily! Fixing his armor, Sairaorg-san kicked repeatedly.

[Amazing! Even I wouldn't be able to stay standing if I took a direct hit!]

As soon as Shooting Star found an opening, he fired a tremendous aura bullet from his rifle! Sairaorg-san twisted his body and dodged it. The bullet that missed erased the mountain in front of it in an instant! One small shot of that rifle could erase a mountain! The destructive power of the sword and bullet were enormous. His offensive power was not a joke! Plus, it's not a Balance Breaker, right!? Shooting Star continued to swing his sword and said,

[I don't have any talent in me! What I have are only this sword and rifle! If we lose, I, and everyone else will just be — trash! That's why I won't have any regrets! As someone who doesn't have anyone or anything, I have to use the only thing I have and rise to the top!]

—.

I had heard the same words before. It's as if… he was speaking the same words Sairaorg-san did.

'I only have this body. I will lose everything if I lose. Everything I built until now will crumble. For someone like me who didn't inherit the Power of Destruction, this was the only path for me.'

I reflected upon Sairaorg-san's words. As their situations were seemingly similar, Sairaorg-san looked impressed. Sairaorg-san's face looked like he was already prepared.

[You continued to win in this fierce tournament with that alone. Shooting Star, I respect you! Regulus! We'll release it!]

[Yeah!]

With that shout…a golden and purple aura seeped out from all over Sairaorg-san's body! Sairaorg-san, and also the lion mark on his chest plate, began to chant.

[This body, this soul, even if it falls into an endless ravine!]

[My Lord and I, we will exhaust this body and this soul to rise up the endless royal road!]

The Lion King armour morphed into a magnificent and aggressive form!

[Raze, triumph, play, and shine!]

[This is the body of a Demonic Beast!]

[Lodged on top of my fist, is the glorious imperial authority!]

The surroundings were destroyed from all of the aura and pressure, while the ground Sairaorg-san stood on also turned into a huge crater! The earth shattered, air vibrated and even the image from the monitor shook. The impact wave was so huge it could even shake the entire field! Sairaorg-san and Regulus shouted the last verse together!

[[[Breakdown The Beast, Climb Over!]]]

A huge explosion of aura followed, followed by Sairaorg-san appearing in his purple and golden armour, surrounded by an overwhelming aura. This was a phenomenon called Breakdown The Beast. It was similar to my rampaging state Juggernaut Drive, but Sairaorg-san was able to master it for a period of time as a result of his training. Of course, it came with a high risk as well. The longer he used that form, his life would be endangered as well. Sairaorg-san, who was in the Breakdown The Beast form, provoked Shooting Star.

[Try to attack me with your sword or rifle. Just try to attack me!]

Shooting Star swung his sword as he received Sairaorg-san's challenge. However, although the sword did connect to Sairaorg-san's shoulder and the shockwave did appear, Sairaorg-san was unharmed. No, the attack did pierce his armour! As expected, the destructive power of Shooting Star's Longinus was crazy!

[Shit!]

Shooting Star backed away for a bit, and this time, he fired the aura bullet using his rifle! Sairaorg-san enveloped his right fist with a vast amount of touki — and deflected the incoming aura bullet upwards! The deflected aura bullet flew high and made the whole field tremble as it collided with the field's ceiling. If it's Sairaorg-san in this form, facing Shooting Star's destructive power would be possible. Then, the fight between Sairaorg-san and Shooting Star was overturned with Sairaorg-san's punch. After seeing an opening, Sairaorg-san punched Shooting Star's stomach, inflicting severe damage and making him fall to his knees. Shooting Star was in anguish. I knew that taking Sairaorg-san's punch was so strong that one hit by it could cause you to lose consciousness. You'd suffer significant damage if you took the punch that permeated to your soul. Although Shooting Star looked in anguish, he also smiled.

[…T-This is Sairaorg Bael's punch, huh… …I've been looking up to you since your fight against Oppai Dragon… I… No, we want to have a match like that… That's what we promised every day… And finally, here we are.]

Shooting Star wiped the sweat from his face and stood up. Sairaorg-san replied,

[… I'm delighted to hear that. However, you guys are not in your best condition, are you? You showed up in this match despite the damage that you've been taking in the prelims.]

[You knew very well, huh! As long as we keep going! No, as long as this body lasts and enables us to keep going even for just a bit, that's a nice look for us! That's how we've lived until now!]

That's what Shooting Star screamed as he remained on the offense. Ravel said as she saw that,

"That's right. There's no one backing up team [Shooting Star]. Although there is some support from the people who hold the tournament…they're probably the only team that doesn't have proper post-match care among the teams that are in the main draw. It's natural that their limits are reduced."

Just like what Ravel said, the screen showed that the members of team [Shooting Star] were either out of stamina or out of breath in the fights occurring elsewhere. The Devil Rook that possessed monstrous strength, the magician Bishop that had vast magical power and the Knight who was even faster than a God received Sairaoarg-san's team members' attacks as their stamina depleted. The damage that they received during the preliminary matches wasn't properly alleviated as they didn't have anyone backing them up—. And then—.

[Team [Shooting Star]'s one Bishop, Knight and two Pawns retired!]

Team [Shooting Star] was slowly but surely going down. The fight between the Kings was also about to be settled. Shooting Star, who had such powerful attacks, also finally began to lose the aura in his longsword and was unable to fire any more bullets from his rifle. His stamina had been completely depleted. It's the enemy's bad luck if it comes to a contest of stamina against Sairaorg-san.

[I'm not done yeeeeet!]

Although Shooting Star was out of breath, he still came at Sairaorg-san head on. However, he was already at his limit.

Pow!

A small sound could be heard from the screen. Sairaorg-san's fist punched Shooting Star's face. Blood started to gush out from Shooting Star's nose and mouth as he collapsed to the ground. As the fainting Shooting Star started to be enveloped in the light of retirement, he asked Sairaoarg-san,

[…Hey… Do you think we can be…like you…or Oppai Dragon? … Can we be appreciated… like you or Oppai Dragon?]

Sairaorg-san bent his knee, took Shooting Star's hands and smiled.

[The things that you showed in this tournament won't be a waste. —You put up a great fight.]

Shooting Star looked satisfied as he smiled upon hearing those words and vanished into the light of retirement. After that, the announcer said,

<<The King of team [Shooting Star] has retired. As such, the winner of this match is team [Imperial Purpure]!>>

The second match of the Rating Game World Tournament ended with Sairaorg-san's team win—.

Part 4

As Sairaorg-san's match ended, we ended the day by exchanging our opinions on the match. After having dinner and a meeting on our upcoming match, everyone was free to do whatever they wanted. I headed to the large bath in the villa and went to the hot spring after I washed my body down. …Ah, damn. That was one hell of a match. The match didn't involve any particular strategy or anything like that as it was simply both teams going straight at each other, but that might be why it reached my heart. I guess it's natural that I was hyped over that match. However, I have to keep my composure. Especially because this was a fight against my comrades — Rias and the Gremory Peerage. It's exactly because we understood each other that I had to keep my head cool and face them. Ah, but I already made a promise to Rias previously. Once I get back from this training camp, I had to prepare for it first—.

"I heard that you'll be going on a date with Rias soon."

Suddenly, someone threw those words at me! When I turned around, there was suddenly a silver-haired beauty entering the bath! The woman who had her long hair tied up was… Grayfia-san! I could see her glamorous naked body! This person was Maou Sirzechs Lucifer-sama's Queen, as well as his wife, and Rias's sister-in-law. As to why Grayfia-san was here…Grayfia-san instantly transformed from her twenties to her teenage look, shifting into a girl.

"Or do you prefer this?"

Grayfia-san, who had turned into a silver-haired girl, took out her Dragon Mask and tried to wear it. Yes, the true identity of the [Sekiryuutei of Blazing Truth] team's Bina Lessthan who was participating as our Queen was — Grayfia-san. The only people who knew about this were Ravel and I… But Rias also seemed to have noticed this. As soon as the Rating Game World Tournament was held and I declared that I'd be participating with a different team from Rias, Grayfia-san came to my place and asked to let her participate as my Queen. I said,

"…You know about the date."

"I am the Gremory house's maid after all. I know about that girl's schedule."

Grayfia-san added,

"…That being said, I am somewhat out of the house for the time being though…"

It seemed like Grayfia-san didn't get proper permission regarding her participation in the tournament, and it also looked like she participated secretly while doing her job as the maid of the Gremory house… However, there was a time when her mask was taken off, revealing her face in a certain preliminary match, so people who knew her might've found out. However, I believe that Rias's parents — the current head of the Gremory house already knew about this despite not talking about it much. And then, Grayfia-san also told me the reason behind her participation, her teenage looks, fake name and mask.

—I'll make you a Maou.

That's what Grayfia-san had said. Currently, among the four Great Maou; Lucifer-sama, Leviathan-sama and Asmodeus-sama were fighting the legendary being in the Bible — Trihexa in the special barrier field called the Isolation Barrier Field. Azazel-sensei, the leader of the Angels Michael-san, former Norse Chief God Odin-jiisan and other VIPs from all mythologies were there to fight against Trihexa for a long time. It was said that due to Trihexa's strength, the fight would continue for several thousand, or even ten thousand years. However, as a result of all the mythologies' higher-ups being away for a long time, the chief Gods were substituted to make up for that. In the Norse mythology, the Chief God position was inherited by Vidar-san, while the Greek mythology had Apolon-san to succeed after God Zeus. Because of that, I heard that the Underworld — the Devils' government also thought that they should have someone new to be at the top. It meant that they'd have someone be the successor of Sirzechs-sama and Leviathan-sama, which meant being the next Maou. Currently, the only person who was sitting in the Maou seat was Ajuka Belzeebub-sama. That meant the remaining one was Maou Beelzebub-sama. And because there was also the Evil Dragon War thing that Rizevim started, it looked like the Maou system would be renewed. From what I'd heard, there was a possibility that the four Maou system would be changed into a Seven Maou system. Newly created Belphegor, Mammon and Belial seats would be added to the existing Lucifer, Beelzebub, Leviathan and Asmodeus; thus creating the Seven Maou system. If that was true, it meant that there were currently six empty Maou positions. There was also a rumour going around among some groups who believed that Vali, the one who had the original Lucifer's blood in him, should fill in the Lucifer seat. I'd heard that the government officials who were a part of the Lucifer faction wanted to get in contact with him.

For Devils, Lucifer The Morning Star was an important being, and because of this, Vali, who had the blood of the original Lucifer, was truly a star-like being to the current political faction of Lucifer and the beings that still respected the previous Maou Lucifer. As of now, the Maou position wasn't passed down hereditarily as it used a succession system. Therefore, it was not always the case that the descendant would inherit the status. However, considering that he was the one who held the true Lucifer's blood and was the strongest White Dragon Emperor throughout history, coupled with the fact that he succeeded in the tournament, it was no wonder that people wanted to support him. Well, he was not the kind that cared about politics though. If that were the case, Ingvild also had the blood of the true Leviathan, so…if this fact were known by the people of that faction, it looked like something troublesome would occur. The fact that Ingvild was my servant meant that I'd fully look after her, but I couldn't imagine her being a Maou. Wait, it was completely off the topic, but, amidst all of that, Grayfia was trying to make me fill one of the empty Maou positions. Though at the time, this was how I answered her,

—Right now, I have no intention of becoming a Maou.

Grayfia-san replied with "Understood", yet still decided to participate in the tournament. It seemed like she hadn't given up on trying to make me a Maou yet… I…somehow knew why she wanted to make me a Maou. So I asked Grayfia-san,

"…Do you still intend to make me a Maou?"

"Yes. I'm looking at the long term. No matter how things are right now, I'll stay with you until you are interested."

Are you serious!? She's ready for a long-term battle!? So this wasn't just about the tournament… I asked her again,

"…Which part of me made you think that I'm fit to be a Maou?"

"The support coming from your audience…especially children, which also means that you'll receive a lot of support in the future. Plus, you've saved the Underworld from dangers numerous times. The crowd also accepts you as a hero. There's also a high probability that the higher-ups…the old Devils would accept you."

That was what Grayfia-san said… I felt like she's somehow different, or had changed from the usual Grayfia-san. If it were the former Grayfia-san, if I said I wanted to be a Maou, she'd react by saying:

'If you really want to be a Maou, act with your own will. As a young man who bears the future, you should show your power and have everyone accept you to be a Maou. It's only natural that my brother can at least do that much.'

That's how she'd encourage me. But the Grayfia-san right now was—. The young Grayfia-san came closer to me. As her face came closer, I could see her faint expression (as well as her ample bosom).

"—I'd do anything in order to make you a Maou."

The eyes of Grayfia-san who placed her hands on my cheeks…they looked really unstable. As she grew even closer, I asked Grayfia-san,

"Is that Grayfia-san's wish? Or is it — the response to Sirzechs-sama's words that he left?"

I asked something sensitive. As soon as Sirzechs-sama's name was mentioned, Grayfia-san's body trembled just a little bit. I fought alongside Sirzechs-sama against Trihexa's core before he went into the Isolated Barrier Field in order to fight Trihexa. Just before I lost consciousness due to the usage of Dragon Deification, I could hear Sirzechs-sama's voice.

—Ise-kun, try to be a Maou. If it's you, I am sure you can be a great Maou. Although you are still lacking here and there… In the future not far away, I am sure you will be — a hope for all mythologies.

That's what Sirzechs-sama said to me. At that time, Grayfia-san was in slumber due to Sirzechs-sama's magic, but…I think the magic didn't work in its full capacity and those words must have been heard by her. That's why I asked her that. Grayfia-san answered as she seemed to have remembered something.

"Both."

I then replied instantly.

"If that's the case, then it's absolutely no."

Grayfia-san asked me back suspiciously.

"Why?"

"Because you are Sirzechs-sama's Queen — and Millicas Gremory's mother."

"…"

Grayfia-san was speechless in response to my words. At that time, Sirzechs-sama had also said this,

—Please take care of Rias, MIllicas and — Grayfia for a while for me. Although she might look that way, she's someone who can get lonely easier than Rias. …As long as I am not present, I want you to be someone who she can talk to.

That was Sirzechs-sama's direct request to me. I would save Rias, Grayfia-san, and then the son of Sirzechs-sama and Grayfia-san, Millicas. That was Sirzechs-sama's wish—. Grayfia-san's expression completely changed into dismay as Millicas' name was brought up. I continued on,

"I… Even if I do aim to become a Maou, I would do it along with my peerage. Call me cheeky if you want. But, Grayfia-san, please, I want you to pay attention to Millicas more than me. After separating from Sirzechs-sama, Millicas is also…lonely. No, it's because Millicas is still small that a mother figure is important."

Grayfia-san's hands trembled and she covered her face upon hearing my words.

"I-I… I was… I was…."

Grayfia-san was unsure of what to say as she got up and left the bath. I-I might have stepped on a landmine! I'd better follow her! Damn, I am worried now! I tried to chase after Grayfia-san, but—.

"All right, I am going to have another hell of a bath today. —Or so I thought, but it looks like there's already someone here."

"Hey, the one who got out just now was…Bina-san?"

"…She was making a somewhat serious face…"

The ones who said that while entering the bath were — the Church Trio of Xenovia, Irina and Asia, completely nude! Xenovia and the others saw me. And then, I looked over at Bina-shi a.k.a Grayfia-san and gazed back at my surroundings. Xenovia and Irina came closer to me as their oppai swayed back and forth!

"D-Did you touch her!?"

"In the bath!?"

They misunderstood everything! I didn't touch Grayfia-san! We had a…serious conversation, but I still couldn't let the girls know…! I—.

"W-Wait, we were just having a serious conversation…"

That was the only choice I had! I looked away from Xenovia and Irina! Both of them looked at me suspiciously… This time, Asia-chan, who was behind those two, pouted and came closer to me! Asia-chan's boobs also swayed and it was the best!

"Ise-san! I-In this training camp, I thought we were supposed to refrain from doing these things! So what was that just now!?"

Aaaaaaaah, even Asia-chan misunderstood it! Though her pouting expression looks cute, and I'm grateful for that. As Xenovia and Irina jumped into the bath, they wrapped their arms around my back! Ununu, it was suffocating, but I could feel Xenovia and Irina's soft skin! It was the best…!

"Hey, Ise! Explain everything!"

"Darling! What happened here!?"

"N-No, like I said, I can't explain it to you.!"

As I was troubled on how to explain things, Ravel appeared. Of course, she was also naked.

"Don't play in the bath!"

Ravel drew their attention away. It took quite some time for me to finally be released in the bath. After I finished my bath, I called Ravel into my room and talked about everything that happened in the bath.

"—And that is the story."

Ravel placed one hand against her chin as she sank into deep thought.

"To think that Bina-sama — no, Grayfia-sama said such things…"

The image of Grayfia-san trembling in the bath popped back into my head. I sighed and said,

"There is a chance that Grayfia-san's condition might worsen in the next match."

"That's right. It's possible."

Ravel agreed with me. That was the first time I saw Grayfia-san that emotional. I knew that Sirzechs-sama was heroic enough that he had himself go into the Isolation Barrier Field, and the fact that Sirzechs-sama couldn't return must have affected the incident just now as well. …I somehow understood why Sirzechs-sama worried about Grayfia-san before going to the Isolation Barrier Field. I was sure that he must've realised that she might become unstable if he was not present. That's why he asked me to become someone she can talk to.

Even that beautiful, mentally and physically strong Grayfia-san…had a fragile side. …Shit, I should've approached her less directly… I accidentally said the words that Sirzechs-sama left behind to her… At the end, the worst thing was to have her participate in a match while being mentally unstable. I hung my head and said,

"… For the sake of the next match, I guess it's better to avoid the topic, huh?"

Ravel shook her head in response to my words.

"No, it's a question that will eventually get asked, and if you don't settle it completely, it'd just cause another problem. To be honest, it's just a matter of time for you to say everything."

"…Grayfia-san might be keeping all of this to herself. She couldn't have talked about this to Rias's parents, and I also believe that the Gremory house must still have not grasped everything. It might be better to talk through it with them."

Ravel nodded in response to my suggestion

"Understood. I'll let the current wife-and-husband of the Gremory house know about the issue."

"Yes, I am sure that Rias's parents will understand everything."

—As we ended our talk there, I took a deep breath and looked at the ceiling. Ravel laughed softly.

"Ufufu."

"W-What?"

As I asked, Ravel sat next to me and said this.

"I just feel like you are really doing your job as a King."

"…Well, I mean, I've got my own peerage, I am a senior, as well as the listener. That resulted in me not being able to finish things by just saying [For the sake of the President, I'll work hard until I die!]. I missed those days where I was able to say oppai easily… Well, I am still saying it nowadays though."

While leaning her head on my shoulder, she tried to hold my hand with interlocked fingers, and said,

"That's what it means to be a High-class Devil. Everyone depends on you. Your peerage, acquaintances, and friends."

I squuezedRavel's hand back and said,

"…The fact that I wasn't able to clear up a woman's trouble means that I am clearly unfit to be a Maou. But if you ask me, I find the role that Azazel-sensei had really cool."

"That's the role that everyone could depend on… And a worrying one as well."

"Eh? Really?"

"Well, I don't have any problems. I will be on Ise-sama's side at all times after all."

My manager had a really strong will. —Suddenly, Ravel remembered something.

"That's right, the date with your President a.k.a Rias-sama is next Sunday, right?"

"Yeah, I have to finish that matter as well."

That's right, I would have a date with Rias after the training camp was over. The important date — before the match.

Part 5

Just a little before noon on Sunday after our training camp—. I went out of the Hyoudou Residence along with Rias, and rode the train until we reached Tokyo. Rias wore a knitted shirt with a haori jacket and a skirt. She looked very cute yet mature. After accompanying Rias for her shopping in Shibuya, Harajuku and Ikebukuro, we walked towards the seaside park in Odaiba. As someone who had a connection to the supernatural world, this was a very realistic date. That being said, the things that we bought at the store would just be a hindrance so we teleported them from somewhere with no human presence. And it was somehow interesting. In a certain place in the seaside park area, we ate our ice cream while talking about silly things.

"Once I get my license, our date spots will be even further away. I guess I should have taken driving classes during the summer holiday."

As I said that, Rias laughed softly.

"It's not like me or the other girls are forcing you to get a license immediately, so calm down. But, because you are going to be a college student, going far away with a car is also a thing."

"Right?. Ah~, if this were the Underworld, I'd ride a Gryphon and go to my girlfriend's place."

"Gryphon! Ufufu, even the nobles of the Underworld don't do Gryphon dates nowadays, you know?"

"If there was a Gryphon here, we'd mount it and go to Shibuya and Harajuku."

Rias seemed fascinated by my jokes, causing her to burst into laughter following my words. After she calmed down, Rias stared at the sky and said,

"…A Gryphon, huh. We also rode on a Gryphon when you snatched me away from the engagement party that time."

After losing to the Phoenix Peerage in a Rating Game match, I borrowed Ddraig's power and had ten seconds to use my Balance Breaker. I managed to defeat Riser and snatched Rias away. Rias put her hands on top of my left hand.

"…You turned your left hand into a Dragon's for my sake."

"I thought that was the right thing to do. —Wait, even my whole body is a Dragon's now."

"… You almost died many times."

"Yeah, even I feel weird being healthy right now."

The Demonic Beast Riot that the Hero Faction incited destroyed my whole body because of the curse of the strongest Dragon Slayer, Samael the Dragon Eater. At that time, I was resurrected using Ophis's power and a part of Apocalypse Dragon Great Red's flesh that I received. Thanks to that, I was reincarnated as a Devil from a humanoid Dragon. Well, my soul remained the same though. There were also some who felt that I was someone who was born from Ophis and Great Red, Because of that, I was able to use the powerful transformation known as Dragon Deification. Rias looked up at the sky as she said,

"[If it was for our sake, I'd even defeat a God]. That's what you said to me at that time. And now, you've become so strong that you could really defeat a God."

My girlfriend looked straight at me.

"—Would you be able to defeat me too?"

It's about the match. Would I be able to defeat my master, girlfriend, and the person I'm engaged to? That's what Rias asked. I also looked straight at her. Yeah, our date today was to confirm that with each other. Although we didn't talk about this when we were deciding our date day, Rias and I were on the same wavelength. I replied to her,

"I am Rias Gremory's Pawn. I've sworn that I'll become the strongest Pawn. And I want you to watch over my progress. —That's why, I'll defeat you."

Rias smiled in response to my words.

"I'm glad. I'm really glad. The answer couldn't have been better, my beloved Ise. I'll also fight you with all my strength and try to defeat your team. So show me the power that you've accumulated as my Pawn."

At that time, Rias and I didn't kiss. Instead, we shook hands. As a couple, and as participants of the tournament, both of us wished for each other and declared our will to win. After confirming that, both of us sighed in relief. Rias said,

"With that, let's continue our date. Next, I'll accompany Ise shopping."

"Really? Ah, if that's the case, now that we've come to Odaiba, I guess I'll fulfill Seekvaira-san's request."

"Seekvaira? What did she ask?"

"She asked that if I ever go to [Dungampace], a specialty Dungam place in Odaiba, to buy her a limited-edition—"

As the conversation continued, our date continued—.

And so, the match between the [Sekiryuutei of the Blazing Truth] team and [Rias Gremory] team was about to unfold.