บท 69: Chapter 69: The Game Begins? Time for a Mid Lane Push!
"A fight you can't win becomes an obsession."
— Askeladd, Vinland Saga
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"Clap, clap, clap!" Roy applauded Saya's strategy.
"Amazing, Saya! You're incredible!"
He hadn't expected Saya to devise such a well-organized plan, using a simple and easy-to-understand approach inspired by games.
He was curious if Saya had played League of Legends before.
The strength was balanced across the three lanes. By pushing simultaneously, they wouldn't have to worry about enemy Pawns reaching their base.
And with Nezuko and Mitsuri ready to provide support, it was a foolproof plan.
Even if they encountered Yubelluna, Riser's Queen, they could handle her.
Saya proudly raised her chin, basking in Roy's praise.
The other girls also looked at Saya with admiration.
"Everyone, take one of these," Roy said, handing out tiny orbs the size of his pinky nail.
"What's this?" Mitsuri asked, curiously examining the orb.
"It's a communication device. Just put it in your ear, and you can talk to each other over long distances," Saya explained, inserting one into her ear.
It seemed Saya understood the purpose of the orbs.
"That's right," Roy confirmed with a smile.
The girls put on the communication devices.
"Then let's not waste any time. We'll proceed with Saya's strategy," Roy declared.
"Yes!" the girls replied in unison.
Roy and the girls set off.
Roy wasn't planning to wait at their base.
The enemy Pawns wouldn't be able to break through their defenses and reach their base anyway.
A swift and decisive push was his preferred approach.
Sona, observing the match, frowned as she saw Roy's aggressive strategy.
Such recklessness wasn't advisable, in her opinion.
Rias, however, had no objections to their plan. She knew the extent of Roy's and the girls' strength.
They split into three groups as they exited the old school building.
Roy decided to join Saya's group.
On paper, they were the weakest of the three teams.
However, underestimating them would be a grave mistake.
After all, Saya had Gyarados, a High-Class level Pokémon, with Ultimate-Class Potential!
The three teams advanced quickly. The first encounter occurred in the bottom lane.
"Incoming! Three enemies spotted in the bottom lane!" Aoi Kanzaki reported through the communication device. Her Jumpluff had detected the enemies.
Kanae, Makomo, and Saeko, who were in the bottom lane, became alert.
"Hahahaha! They have the guts show themselves openly? They clearly underestimate us!"
"Fools! You've fallen into our trap!"
Three figures jumped out from their hiding spots.
They were Riser's Pawns: Shuriya, Mira, and Ile and Nel, the twin girls.
As soon as they finished speaking, red magic circles appeared around Kanae, Makomo, and Saeko, radiating destructive energy.
"Hahahaha, this is the Queen's explosion magic! You can all surrender now!" the three girls taunted, watching Kanae, Makomo, and Saeko trapped within the magic circles.
The magic circles flared, and explosions erupted.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Smoke and dust filled the area, obscuring everything from view.
...
Outside the subspace, the spectators watched the match unfold on a large screen.
"Oh no, they've fallen into Yubelluna's trap!" Sona exclaimed, her brow furrowed. She knew how powerful Yubelluna was.
"I doubt they'll be defeated by such an attack," Tsubaki Shinra commented, adjusting her glasses.
Since Grayfia hadn't announced anyone's defeat, Tsubaki assumed they were still fine.
Of course, Kanae, Makomo, and Saeko wouldn't be defeated so easily. This was just a simple trap set by Yubelluna.
It might have severely injured Low-Class Devils, but Kanae, Makomo, and Saeko were all Middle-Class Devils.
Although powerful, the explosion magic couldn't harm them.
As the smoke cleared, the three girls stood unharmed.
"What?!"
"They're not even injured!"
"How is that possible?"
Shuriya, Mira, and the twins stared in disbelief.
"Too weak," Saeko commented, disappointed by their lack of strength.
She yearned for a challenging battle, not a fight against Low-Class Devil weaklings.
Saeko moved with lightning speed.
In the blink of an eye, she appeared before the three girls.
A flash of her blade, and she sheathed her sword.
"So... fast..."
"How..."
"Damn it..."
Before they could finish their surprised exclamations, the three girls collapsed, dissolving into particles of light.
Having suffered severe injuries, they were ejected from the subspace.
"Three of Riser Phenex's Pawns have been defeated!" Grayfia's majestic voice announced.
"Yes! The plan worked!" Saya cheered, clapping her hands.
"Saeko-nee-san is amazing!" Asia exclaimed happily.
"It was just three Low-Class Devil Pawns," Saeko replied, feeling a bit disappointed.
"Four enemies approaching in the top lane! They're about a hundred meters ahead of you," Aoi reported, her Jumpluff having detected more enemies.
"Finally, something interesting!" Rika declared, drawing her Light Gun and Sword, her eyes gleaming with battle lust.
The three girls in the top lane, Rika, Kanae, and Shinobu, rushed towards the enemy without any attempt at concealment.
...
Inside the school's spacious gymnasium, a voice echoed.
"Don't bother hiding. I know you're here, servants of the Lucifuge!"
Rika and the others had just entered the gymnasium when they encountered the enemy.
The one who had spoken was a girl dressed like Chun-Li, named Xuelan, a Rook.
Behind her stood a blue-haired girl in red clothes, wielding a wooden staff. This was Mira, a Pawn who had instantly defeated Issei Hyoudou in their first encounter in the original story.
The remaining two were twin lolis, Ile and Nel, also Pawns.
Rika instantly recognized them, thanks to the information Akeno had provided.
Of course, in the Underworld, the members of Riser Phenex's peerage weren't exactly a secret.
"Hmph! We don't need to hide from the likes of you!" Rika scoffed.
"So it's three Pawns," Xuelan said, placing her hands on her hips and introducing herself with a haughty air. "I am Xuelan, a Rook."
"I'm Mira, a Pawn."
"I'm Ile, a Pawn."
"And I'm Nel, also a Pawn."
"Oh? Introductions?" Rika raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. "Well then, I'm Rika, a Pawn."
"Shinobu Kocho, a Pawn."
"Kanae Kocho, a Pawn."
The Kocho sisters also introduced themselves.
"Alright, enough with the formalities," Rika declared, then turned to the Kocho sisters with a confident grin. "I'll take on the Rook."
"Then I'll choose that Pawn," Kanae said, smiling at Mira.
"Eh? You want me to bully two little girls?" Shinobu sighed, looking at Ile and Nel.
"Well then, let's begin!"
Rika charged forward.
The Kocho sisters exchanged glances and followed suit.
Each girl faced their designated opponent.
Ile and Nel, with their Low-Class Devil strength, were no match for Shinobu, who was at the peak of Middle-Class Devil.
Shinobu, feeling playful, toyed with the twin lolis, her movements like a phantom.
Kanae faced Mira, who was at the early stage of Middle-Class Devil.
But she was still no match for Kanae.
However, Kanae didn't intend to end the fight quickly. She suppressed her power and fought Mira at her level.
Finally, there was Rika versus Xuelan. Their strength was roughly equal.
Xuelan, as a Rook, possessed great strength and defense.
Although Rika couldn't match her in those areas, her Light Gun and Sword were incredibly sharp, making Xuelan wary of direct confrontation.
As a result, Xuelan found herself on the defensive against Rika's relentless attacks.
After a few rounds, Rika decided to end the fight.
"It's time to finish this!" she declared, looking at the slightly disheveled Xuelan.
"Hmph! I won't lose!" Xuelan retorted.
Rika smirked.
She twirled her Light Gun and holstered it, then gripped her Light Sword with both hands, focusing her attention on Xuelan.
"Wind Breathing, Second Form: Claws-Purifying Wind!" she shouted.
Rika unleashed four claw-shaped wind blades, each capable of slicing through an opponent's weapon.
"What?!" Xuelan was caught off guard.
She had no choice but to raise her arms defensively.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
"AAAAAGH!" Xuelan screamed as blood splattered.
After blocking the wind blades, her arms were mangled and useless. She was no longer combat-capable.
Xuelan was then ejected from the subspace.
Seeing that Rika had defeated the Rook, the Kocho sisters swiftly finished off their opponents as well.
"Three Pawns and one Rook of Riser Phenex have been defeated!" Grayfia's voice boomed through the subspace.
Roy's team erupted in cheers.
Riser Phenex, however, was not pleased.
His servants were being defeated one after another, while his opponent remained unscathed.
"Don't think you've won yet," Riser sneered. "I am Riser Phenex!"
He turned to Yubelluna. "All of you, go! Show them the power of the Phenex clan!"
"Yes!" Yubelluna and the remaining servants charged into battle.
...
Roy's team communicated through their communication devices, their voices filled with excitement.
"Saya's plan is amazing!" Asia gushed, looking at Saya with admiration.
"Taking down seven of their servants with ease. Well done, Saya," Roy praised.
The other girls also showered Saya with compliments.
"Ahaha, it's nothing. They were just weak," Saya replied modestly, waving her hand dismissively.
They continued their advance.
Squeak! Squeak!
Aoi Kanzaki's Jumpluff suddenly turned around and chirped at her.
Through their Familiar contract, Aoi understood its message.
"Roy-sama, Jumpluff has detected eight enemies approaching," she reported.
"Oh, eight? It seems Riser has sent all his remaining servants," Roy commented.
Riser had fifteen servants in total. Seven were already defeated, and now the rest were coming for them.
It seemed Riser intended to eliminate Roy's group first.
After all, they had two support members and Roy, the supposed "failure."
The only one worth noting was Saya's Familiar.
But Riser had sent Yubelluna, indicating they had a way to deal with the Gyarados.
Just as they were discussing this, Riser's servants appeared before them.
"I am Karlamine, Knight of Riser Phenex! Let's have an honorable duel!" A woman wielding a longsword stepped forward. She was Riser's Knight.
Aoi Kanzaki met her challenge.
"I am Aoi Kanzaki, Pawn of Roy-sama! I accept your challenge!"
Aoi was a Demon Slayer who had passed the Final Selection.
However, due to her timid nature, she had remained at the Butterfly Mansion as a medic.
But after becoming a Devil, she had gained the strength of a Middle-Class Devil, and her timidity had lessened.
She didn't back down from Karlamine, who was also a Middle-Class Devil.
"Well said, Pawn of the Lucifuge!" Karlamine exclaimed, impressed by Aoi's courage. She charged forward with a battle cry.
Aoi met her charge.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The two swordswomen clashed, their blades ringing against each other.
"Karlamine, honestly, all she thinks about is swords, swords, swords..."
"She was so reluctant to be a sacrificial pawn. How foolish."
A girl with a Lolita dress and springy blonde pigtails stepped forward, muttering complaints.
It was Ravel Phenex, Riser's younger sister.
She glanced at Roy and scoffed. "He's quite handsome, but unfortunately, he's a failure. Rias-sama has terrible taste in men."
Saya and Asia glared at Ravel.
"Pretty face, but a venomous tongue," Saya retorted.
"So, you're saying those seven we defeated were just bait?"
"Hahaha, you're not as stupid as you look. Yes, those seven were bait to divide your forces. Now that we've lured you out, we'll finish you off, and victory will be ours," Ravel declared smugly.
It seemed she was the one who had devised this plan. Roy and his group hadn't bothered concealing their movements.
So, the seven servants they had defeated were indeed bait.
However, Roy wasn't fooled. In fact, he found it amusing.
When Aoi had informed them that all eight remaining enemies were heading their way, Rika and the others in the top lane, Saeko and the others in the bottom lane, and Nezuko and Mitsuri, the junglers, had already started converging on their location.
Kuoh Academy wasn't that large. They could reach them within a minute.
Nezuko and Mitsuri would be even faster.
Once they formed an encirclement, Riser's servants wouldn't be able to escape.
"Saya, I'll leave this to you," Roy said, pulling Asia aside.
"No problem!" Saya replied eagerly. This was exactly what she wanted to do.
She looked at Ravel and the others. "If you want to finish us off, come and get us!"
"Koi, it's time to work!" Saya grinned, throwing her Poké Ball. A golden light erupted from the ball.
"Roar!"
The massive Gyarados appeared.
Its intimidating aura filled the area, causing several of Riser's servants to tremble in fear.
Even Ravel, who hadn't seen Gyarados before, turned pale.
"Wait... wait..."
"I'm not participating in the fight."
Ravel waved her hands frantically.
She didn't want to fight this scary Familiar.
"I don't care. Koi, attack! Use Hydro Pump!" Saya ignored her pleas and commanded Gyarados.
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