Bab 4: The Rating Game
The Rating Game
A prestigious competition where High-Class Devils lead their peerages in strategic battles.
Originally designed for practical training without losing lives, it had evolved into the Underworld's most popular sport, broadcast and celebrated across its entirety.
It wasn't just about brute strength. Games tested strategy, speed, skill, and even luck, qualities that reflected a King's true capabilities. A devil's standing and influence often rose or fell based on their game results.
Technically, Rias wasn't eligible to participate since she was underage, but non-official games between pureblood devils were permitted, especially to resolve disputes.
Seeing an opportunity to defy her engagement, Rias accepted the challenge.
However, Kazuki couldn't shake the feeling that Grayfia had orchestrated this.
Riser was already an adult with several victories under his belt. His peerage of fifteen members was complete and battle-tested.
In contrast, Rias was an amateur. Her peerage consisted of only six members, most of whom were inexperienced.
Predictably, Issei, ever brash, lashed out verbally at Riser, only to be swiftly and embarrassingly countered by one of Riser's female servants.
Top of Form
Thanks to Riser's so-called "generosity," the Rating Game was scheduled to take place in ten days.
That gave the Gremory household enough time to get their shit together and start some intense training. No one was going to take this lightly.
Using a teleportation magic circle, the group found themselves deep in the mountains, at a secluded Gremory-owned villa.
It was the perfect spot to focus on nothing but kicking ass. Everyone had their training lined up.
Swordsmanship training from Yumi. Akeno led the charge on mastering magic. Koneko handled hand-to-hand combat, and Rias herself oversaw strength and endurance improvements.
Issei and Kazuki were worked to the bone.
"Huff, Hufff" Issei was completely worn out, but Kazuki grew up with his grandfather in the mountains, which were even rougher than this place, so it didn't bother him.
This brutal training wasn't for nothing, though.
Kazuki managed to unlock the ability to enhance his body with magic. Strength, speed, hell—even sharpening his senses like sight and hearing. With enough practice, he could power up even his damn organs and nerves. It was ridiculously convenient and made him feel like a fucking badass.
But poor Issei? The guy got his pride absolutely wrecked. Despite having the legendary Sacred Gear, Red Dragon Emperor, all that power didn't mean jack if the user was still a run-of-the-mill human.
Issei was shocked that he had lost in the mock battle, not only to Yumi and Koneko-chan but even to Kazuki.
Sure, the Boosted Gear was insane, doubling power every ten seconds, but who the hell was going to sit around and wait for that?
In the mock fight, Kazuki used body enhancement to get in close and stopped a punch right in front of Issei's face. Issei froze like a deer in headlights. Those ten seconds might as well have been an eternity.
What really messed with Issei's head, though, was watching Yumi and Koneko—both of whom he could barely keep up with—fight evenly with Kazuki, whom he thought was weaker than him. Realizing he was the weakest link? 'Yeah, that sucked hard.' Kazuki thought.
By the time training was supposed to boost his confidence, Issei was on the verge of a breakdown. The next day, Rias decided to intervene. Before the day's training, she ordered a sparring match between Issei and Yumi, but with a twist—Issei got to use two whole minutes of boosted power.
The result was a draw. Issei showed his durability by enduring Yumi's attack and his magical powers that could blow away a mountain. The club president had made Issei take part in this mock battle to help him gain confidence.
Certainly, Issei needed to gain confidence and show that his current basic training was not in vain. But this was after increasing his strength for two minutes. Is there an enemy that can give Issei that much time? Highly doubtful.
Ten days later, the training wrapped up, and the group prepared for the Rating Game against Riser's team.
Stepping onto the magic circle, they arrived at what looked like the Occult Research Club's familiar meeting room. It wasn't the real thing, of course, but a flawless replica created in a virtual dimension specifically for the game.
The newcomers—Issei, Asia, and Kazuki—were blown away by how realistic it all felt.
The game's content was a battle set at Kuoh Academy. The Gremory group was based in the Club room in the old school building, while the Riser clan was based in the student council room in the new school building.
Victory went to whoever took out the opposing king first. It was a straightforward rule set, giving the Gremory team a slight edge since they were familiar with the terrain. Still, the match was stacked in their favor to make up for their inexperience.
Furthermore; the heads of both the Gremory and Phenex families, along with one of the Four Great Satans—Lucifer himself—will be watching the game.
Incidentally, the devil lord Lucifer is the club president's big brother. Hearing this, the club president seemed strangely excited. 'Look at me, Oni-sama!' she might be thinking.
DING!! DONG!!
The bell rang, signaling the start of the game, and Yumi pulled out a full map of the school grounds from god-knows-where.
A strategy meeting ensued, and the group decided to secure the gym as a foothold before tackling the enemy base. Yumi and Koneko headed into the forest to set traps, while the rest stayed behind to guard the base.
Issei, meanwhile, was bawling his eyes out in Rias's lap like a baby. The sight pissed Asia off—she puffed out her cheeks in frustration watching him. The lack of tension was enough to make anyone roll their eyes.
"Jealous?" Akeno's sultry whisper brushed against Kazuki's ear, making him flinch.
Before Kazuki could even answer, she leaned closer. "If you'd like, I could lend you my lap instead," she purred, her voice dripping with honey.
"Tempting offer, but I think I'll pass. Don't want to lose my focus," he replied, his voice steady despite the blood rushing to his ears.
Akeno gave him a seductive smile, her eyes brimming with amusement. "Oh my, how disappointing. I've been rejected," she teased, stepping away with a playful sway in her hips.
With that, Akeno stepped away, her teasing smirk leaving him rattled. She always knew how to get under Kazuki's skin, and goddamn, did she enjoy it.
Before long, Yumi and Koneko returned, and the group moved out to execute their plan.
The team split up. Issei and Koneko headed to secure the gymnasium. Yumi and Kazuki, serving as rovers, moved to the sports field, while Akeno had the freedom to join the fray at her discretion.
Rias and Asia stayed back at the base, managing their strategy and defenses. Without wasting time, everyone rushed to their assigned positions.
On the way to the sports field, Yumi and Kazuki parted ways with Issei and Koneko.
Just as they reached the edge of the field, an announcement echoed:
"Riser Phenex's three Pawns and one Rook have retired."
"Looks like the gym team had done their job." Yumi and Kazuki exchanged grins, but the next announcement froze their expressions.
"Rias Gremory's Rook has retired."
"Koneko had been taken out!! She must've been caught off guard right after scoring the win." The thought of her frustration stung, and they could already picture Issei losing his shit over it.
The loss of even one team member was a blow, especially with their already slim numbers. They had to stay sharp. With renewed focus, the two pressed on to the sports field.
There, they spotted three enemy figures patrolling the area. They hadn't noticed the approaching duo.
Yumi and Kazuki exchanged a silent nod before Yumi, with the blinding speed of a Knight, lunged at them.
In a flash, she took down two of them, leaving the third in stunned silence. Kazuki wasted no time, landing a brutal body blow that knocked the last member out cold.
"Riser Phenex's three Pawns have retired."
Just as the announcement rang out, Issei arrived at the sports field. He reported that Koneko had been defeated by Riser's Queen, who was now locked in a one-on-one duel with Akeno.
The news confirmed what they'd feared—losing Koneko wasn't just a setback, it was a damn wake-up call.
As Issei finished his update, an enemy Knight strode into the middle of the sports field, declaring, "Fight me with honor!" Yumi took the challenge head-on, her blade gleaming as she introduced herself before engaging in a fierce duel.
Issei and Kazuki hung back to watch, but their moment of respite didn't last long—an enemy Bishop and a Rook appeared, ready for trouble.
"I'll take the Rook! You handle the Bishop, senpai!" Issei yelled, summoning his Boosted Gear as he charged the incoming Rook.
Kazuki turned his attention to the Bishop—a petite, blonde girl dressed like a European princess, complete with ringlet curls. She didn't seem the least bit interested in fighting.
"So, what's it gonna be? You fight, or what?" he asked, his tone flat but cautious.
"Absolutely not," she replied with a huff, her tone dismissive. "Honestly, I've no intention of engaging in such brutal stuff."
Her disinterest was obvious, and Kazuki couldn't sense any malice from her. Deciding she wasn't a threat, he stood beside her, observing the ongoing battles.
"You're okay with this? Isn't this game a big deal for your master's marriage or whatever?" he asked, side-eyeing her.
"Shouldn't you be asking yourself the same thing?" she shot back. "I'm more of an observer, really. Fighting isn't my style."
"An observer, huh?" he echoed, raising a brow.
"My apologies. Allow me to introduce myself," she said, offering a graceful curtsey. "I am Ravel Phenex, Riser's younger sister and his Bishop."
'Ah, so she was that Ravel! I'd heard about her.'
"Nice to meet you, Ravel. I'm Kazuki Fuwa, Pawn of Rias Gremory," he replied casually. "So, you're just sitting this one out?"
"Precisely. However, I must say that you don't seem particularly enthusiastic either. Are you fine with Rias marrying my brother?"
Kazuki shrugged; "It's a political marriage to preserve the pure-blood devil lines, right? Honestly, it's probably a good move for devil society. Arranged marriages are part of a noble's duty, and Rias must've been raised knowing that. I can't really understand why she's so dead set against it."
Ravel stared at him, her expression one of mild shock. "You're quite… unusual," she said, her voice tinged with curiosity. "From what I've heard, Rias dreams of a love marriage."
"Wait, that's the reason for all this chaos?" Kazuki's disbelief was palpable.
"I believe so," Ravel answered with a calm smile.
"──Hah," a low chuckle escaped him.
"?"
"Haha... Ahahaha!" Kazuki burst into laughter, his voice ringing out across the battlefield.
The absurdity of it all—triggering such a large-scale conflict just for the sake of romantic ideals—was too much for him to contain.
"Does Rias even realize what she's doing? If she loses, she's marrying Riser on the spot. And even if she wins, she'll be branded as a reckless brat who risked everything for her selfish whims. Either way, her reputation as a 'King' is going to tank." Kazuki stated.
"I doubt she's thought that far ahead," Ravel replied, folding her arms. "Right now, she's simply acting out of desperation to avoid marrying my brother."
"Figures!! She's completely unfit to be a 'King'."
"You're awfully blunt, aren't you?" Ravel's eyebrow twitched at Kazuki's candid assessment.
"A King needs people who'll point out their flaws," Kazuki said, smirking. "Rias's peerage is full of yes-men. Someone's gotta keep her grounded."
"Hmph, interesting perspective. I must admit, you're rather amusing."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Fuwa replied, brushing off her remarks.
Their conversation was cut short as Issei's Dress Break suddenly went off with a flash of red light, obliterating the female Rook's clothing into a flurry of fabric shreds. A tense silence filled the air between Kazuki and Ravel.
"Uh... sorry about my idiot comrade," Kazuki said, scratching the back of his neck.
"...Utterly disgraceful," Ravel muttered, averting her gaze. Her disapproval was evident.
Using the distraction, Issei delivered the finishing blow to the enemy Rook.
He cheered for his victory, oblivious to how his antics were likely burning every bridge he hoped to build with women.
Kazuki sighed, feeling a headache creep in. If Issei wanted to be the "Harem King," inventing moves that women hated was not the way to go.
Then Ravel straightened, her voice laced with seriousness. "It seems they've arrived."
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Note:
There Will Be A Harem.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
AB_NANI
AB_NANI Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone