Here are my track / song suggestions for each battle scene. 1. Pwnage battle (Throat Full of Glass, from DmC: Devil May Cry) 2. Checkmate battle (Prelude Ablaze from Fire Emblem Awakening).

The Phoenix Cries

When Dante had come around to consciousness at the end of the Rating Game two days ago, he had stood up, shot down all signs of concern from Rias and her Pieces, snatched the Twilight Healing rings from Kalawarner, and given them to Issei.

"Do what you know is right," he had said, before storming out of the Occult Research Club room, and leaving to find some place to brood in silence.

Issei's gaze became rooted to the silver rings resting on his palms. They looked so small, so fragile, and so defenseless. How had something so tiny caused so much mayhem? The ordeal was over at last. Asia was back with them. And yet, the whole affair reeked of defeat. At least, the girl had already made a friend.

For all her aloofness and icy personality, Koneko had not wasted a second to approach Asia to try to make her smile, to lend her a shoulder for the former priestess to cry and lean on.

Except she didn't cry. Not a single tear did she ever shed. Her vacant expression bore down on Issei harder than a face full of sorrow would have. If only he had been stronger, he might have been able to defeat Raynare. If only he had tried harder, he might have been able to hinder Diodora until Dante or Rias arrived to his aid.

He felt a hand being placed on his shoulder. It was Rias. She wore a weary, but otherwise hopeful smile. A single nod from her head prompted him to uproot himself from the spot and approach the two girls sitting at the black, leather couch.

He knelt before the blonde. The words threatened to choke him on their way out. "Asia… how are you feeling?" He grabbed her hand and tugged it gently toward him. He deposited the two rings on her palm, and covered her hand protectively with both of his own. "These are yours, remember?"

Asia seemed to take notice of his presence. Koneko's reserved and cold personality was a natural part of her being. Asia's, on the other hand, had been tampered with, damaged and remolded by trauma. "Issei-san?" She frowned ever so slightly. "Are you okay?"

Issei stifled a sob. "Don't you worry about me, Asia. It's you whom I care about."

"But… but…" Puzzlement glinted out of her eyes. "But… I killed you… didn't I?"

Issei let out a small, grim chuckle. "No, you didn't. Whatever you did, it was never your fault. You're back with us, and that's all that matters. We are all your big family now." He looked around at his fellow Pieces for support. They all weighed in in earnest.

It surprised him to see Koneko smiling thinly at him. "You're a good person, Issei-senpai."

Rias knelt down at his side, and gazed at the former priestess with genuine compassion and empathy. "From now on I will be your big sister, Rias. And I will always protect you. My home is your home. You will always find shelter and warmth under our roof."

Akeno's hands slid over Asia's shoulders from behind, and they gently massaged her neck and collarbone. "We're all here for you, for anything you may need."

"Yes, you can always count on us," Kiba said. He turned to Issei and held out his balled fist toward him. "You fought bravely, and for a great cause. You have earned my respect."

Issei bumped his fist with his own. "Fighting for a friend's sake will always be a cause worth fighting for. Maybe even worth dying for. I couldn't have done this without you, guys. Thank you."

"Well, we all are family now," Rias said. "Don't ever hesitate to ask for help."

Issei nodded, and was about to reply with heartfelt gratitude when he spotted Kalawarner, inching her way toward the gathered group in a sheepish manner. The former Fallen Angel fought an inner struggle that could easily be construed as wanting to add her voice to Asia's recuperation, but at the same time, the uncertainty saturating her frame became obvious to his eyes. He could relate. Seeking acceptance from a group was only natural and very much engrained in people's brains. Despite prior hostilities, fighting alongside each other on the battlefield heralded the forging of a link, the making of a bond.

That, and boobs.

"I wouldn't have lasted anywhere near as much as I did without you, too," Issei said, offering the former Fallen Angel a friendly smile.

Kalawarner looked down. Shame was written all over her stern, but beautiful features.

"That's true," Rias said suddenly. Issei could tell his King was making a huge effort in saying the words. "You helped Dante-san when he was struck. I probably would've lost my peerage at that point if not for you… thank you."

The former Fallen Angel nodded slightly in acknowledgement, as though still too embarrassed to come any closer.

"Can I call you Kaley, too?" Issei asked.

Her lips twitched dangerously. "No… you may not," she ground out. That seemed to do the trick. Kalawarner stepped forward, and Rias made space for her to approach Asia. "This is not something I'm very good at," she said, letting out a grim, mirthless chuckle. She took hold of Asia's hand. "You came to us for help when you needed it most, and we betrayed your trust. If there were a way to keep that from happening, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Please, forgive us."

"It's not you who needs to be forgiven," Raynare suddenly spoke up. She stamped her way toward Asia, and somehow, she didn't look threatening. Rias stepped in her way, arms crossed over her chest.

"Out of my way," Raynare snarled.

"You're the one who caused this in the first place." The venom in Rias' voice did not disturb Raynare in the least this time around. "You refused to help out Dante-san for the majority of the Rating Game, and Yuuto and Akeno were eliminated when you could've come to their aid. You should be grateful to Dante-san, because if not for him, I would've ended you a long time ago."

"I helped him win-" Raynare began, but was interrupted.

"Minimally, and only at the very end of the Game."

"And I fought to the death, for her," Raynare threw a gesture toward Asia.

"It was a simulation. I'd love to see you do the same in a real situation of life and death," Rias said, scowling.

"Well, excuuuse me, princess. I'll be sure to give you a call when that happens. In the meantime, shut up and let me talk," Raynare bit out. She ignored Rias' stunned expression, and replaced Kalawarner on the spot where she was kneeling. "I know there exist no such words in any tongue to mend what I've done to you, or to deserve your forgiveness." Asia's eyes focused on hers. "Asia, you were like a little sister to me. I was a bad big sister to you. I know that." Her gaze darkened. "I will do anything to make it up to you." Her fists clenched tightly. She smacked the floor. "Curse him! Diodora, if I ever see that little bitch again, I will rip out his entrails. And this time, it'll be for real." She scrunched up her eyes. "Damn it… it was all my fault…"

Issei was surprised to see Asia move for the first time. The former priestess reached out to Raynare, and dabbed away at the tears beginning to roll down the Fallen's cheeks.

"You don't have to cry, Raynare-sama," Asia said softly. "I will be alright."

"If you truly want to make it up to her, then the first thing you can start by doing is telling Dante who ordered you to act against both Issei and Asia," Rias said, brow still creased with mistrust.

Raynare stood up. She bit her lip before responding. "Azazel-sama asked us to keep an eye on them… for safety measures."

"And yet…"

Her knuckles turned white as she tightened her fist. "It was Kokabiel, though, the one who commanded us to eliminate him," she nodded toward Issei. "And forcibly remove Twilight Healing from her."

Unfortunately, pizza didn't taste quite as good here.

Dante finished up his strawberry sundae, left the money on the counter, and walked out of the frozen yoghurt store. Neither pizza nor his favorite sundae helped alleviate the sense of foreboding that had settled in his mind. An inner battle between reason and emotions was being fought inside of him. The vision of Mundus had left rattled him to the bones, and added to that, was the sense of defeat that followed him everywhere he went. A day devoted to sorting out his thoughts by himself would clear out the cloud of doubt, and lift his spirits. It had worked, to some extent. A solitary walk under the stars toward the Academy should work wonders.

Except for the fact that he wasn't alone anymore. He stopped cold next to an alley's entrance, hands stuffed in his coat's pockets.

"This late, shouldn't you be in bed by now, kid?"

The slender, dark silver-haired boy let his presence be known by sliding out of the shadows. The chain over his burgundy jeans clinked ever so slightly with each graceful motion. He wore a V-necked shirt and a high-collared, black, leather jacket over it.

"So the rumors spoke the truth, after all. Yours is a hard aura to miss," the boy said. "It either scares off the game," his smile grew, "or it attracts the bigger predators."

"You've been tailing me for a while. You know, I'd give you my autograph, but I don't like my fans raving after me." Dante tilted his head to the side. "Yours is no small aura, either. Did I accidentally step in your territory, or something?"

"Names's Vali," the boy said. "We come in friendly terms, for now."

Dante remained unfazed as the second figure revealed herself from under the shadows. Unlike with Vali, he hadn't actually detected her aura. A Nekomata. He had read about them, but never actually seen one in the flesh. Unlike her companion, she moved almost soundlessly, much like a cat treading on a carpet. The woman, voluptuous in shape, dressed in a black kimono, and true to her nature, she stalked along the boy in cat-like gait. Onyx hair framed her sly, yellow slit-pupil eyes, and jet-black cat ears flicked toward the source of the slightest noise.

"Setting new standards for recruits, are you?" she purred, sending Dante what could be interpreted as an immodest glance.

"I don't think he'd be interested in joining us," Vali replied, his gaze surveying Dante. "I mean, what are we to him?"

"I watched you collaborate with Shirone during the Rating Game," the Nekomata said, turning her attention to Dante, whose eyebrows were raised in confusion. "That castling move left me impressed, nya." Much to Dante's chagrin, that sounded a lot like a cat's meow. "I'm glad my little sister is well and growing stronger."

"You mean Koneko?" Dante asked.

The Nekomata wrinkled her nose. "Of course, that's what they call her nowadays. But anyhow, look at you. A Nephalem." The woman batted her eyes at Dante. Suddenly he had a better view of her cleavage. "So dashing, so strong, and so powerful. It's right what my dying species needs-"

"That's enough, Kuroka," Vali cut in. "It's not what we came here to do."

"Sorry, miss, but I'm more of a dog person myself," Dante replied. He frowned. "Wait, that sounded wrong."

Vali raised his hands. "Anyway, back on topic." He grunted. "This was supposed to be a short meeting. Look, you made some threats against the members of the Grigori."

Dante scratched his chin. "The Grigori? Oh… right." In hindsight it seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Let's just say I'm close to them-"

"Were you involved in the recent Fallen Angel attacks on humans?" Dante asked, his eyes squinting dangerously.

Vali returned him the glare. "No, I wasn't. And whatever you might believe, Azazel is innocent as well. When you threatened the Grigori, and threatened to make them… roasted chicken, I believe, do you know what they did?" Vali took Dante's silence as cue to proceed. "They laughed, and wondered what a power-crazy Nephalem was doing here. After watching the replays of your Rating Game, however, do you know how they reacted? Many of the members were genuinely worried about the threat you made, and many voiced their concern on the bases for why you did it. But Azazel and I know better. There's someone in the Grigori planning something big, and if I had to start pointing fingers, Kokabiel comes off as a huge candidate. And that's just the icing on the cake. Something much bigger and dangerous approaches."

Dante had a funny feeling that he knew the answer. He was about to say Mundus, when Vali said something completely different.

"The Old Satan Faction." He sighed, and regarded his companion with a gesture. "Kuroka and others have been gathering intelligence on their moves, but we don't know much at the moment. There's not much we can tell you, either. We could compromise our position, delicate as is. Strong as you are, we need more people like you to join us and make a stand against the descendants of the four original Satans." His cold smile was back on his lips. He turned his back to Dante, facing the dark alley. "If we ever have to meet again, I'm afraid it will not bode well for the world."

"Send my little sis my regards, nya," Kuroka threw him a quick, playful wave of her hand, and swaggered off after the silver-haired boy, disappearing into the darkness.

Dante wasn't sure whether he was being interrogated or interviewed.

"I suppose there's, indeed, always a first for everything," Sirzechs said. Despite the warm smile playing over his lips, Dante could tell the uneasiness that had crept into the Great Satan's tone ever since he eviscerated Diodora during the Rating Game. Same thing applied to the other two Devil Kings. Ajuka Beelzebub, who studied him clinically, and Serafall Leviathan, who, apparently, had a hard time trying not to look overly interested in his figure. "But what you summoned back there in the Game, that is something that hasn't been seen since the goriest times of the Great War, when the Great-King Bael and Archdemon Belial themselves led their cohorts to battle against Heaven." He sighed resignedly. "Not two days since the Game ended, and you have already drawn lots of attention from the Underworld media. It's safe to assume that this Game might just transcend the annals of our history."

"You are full of surprises, Dante-san," Serafall said from across the round table, eyes twinkling with admiration. "You gave us quite the shock. That much power would make most Devils envious of you." She leaned forward, palms pressed on her cheeks. "How would you like to be my Knight?"

Ajuka pinched the bridge of his nose. "Will you stop that?" He turned his icy gaze to Dante. "She does have a point, though. When you faced off against my brother, no one would've ever predicted such a transformation, such a colossal influx of power in just a matter of seconds. It's popular knowledge that Nephalem beings tend to be very powerful. However, what you demonstrated was on a completely different level. The fight turned from being a clash of Kings into a game of cat and mouse in less than a second. My brother and I were never very close, but, if I'm sincere, the sight and everything that transpired still made me shudder."

Dante sat stretched out on the tall, cushioned chair, his legs on the table, and his arms crossed over his chest. He considered all three viewpoints thoroughly. He nodded once and delivered an equally eloquent response.

"Well, he did piss me off."

"That's reasonable." Sirzechs inclined his head. "I don't claim to fully understand your motives, but I think a more… tame approach would've been more appropriate."

Dante found the irony amusing. "Never thought I'd see the day when a Devil would lecture me on violence," he said.

"The boy will be alright," Sirzechs said. Dante caught a faint glint of satisfaction in the Devil King's eyes. "Physically, at least."

"I want to apologize on my brother's behalf. We had no notion of how he mistreated his peerage members," Ajuka said. "I hope he'll take it as a life lesson from now on." He steepled his fingers. "Still, it is not the why we're interested in, but the what."

"As humans tend to say, what the hell was that?" Sirzechs pressed on. "Such a primordial being has not been sighted for centuries."

"That was me," Dante replied curtly.

"Don't be like that, Dante-san, we won't judge you," Serafall quipped, her long, jet-black twin tails dangling to the side as she tilted her head.

He pondered for a second. In his opinion, there were much more pressing matters to discuss. His recent vision of the Prince of Darkness threatening to come back to life had effectively killed his nonchalant attitude and flamboyant style for the time being. Raynare and Kalawarner had commented on it, and Rias had offered her concern, but Dante had waved them off. It was uncertainty what kept him from voicing his thoughts, not wanting to relay false information in case it wasn't true. And it was also uncertainty what kept him from brushing it off. The weight of it burdened his very soul. He decided to simply answer their questions, and let them in on the whole Mundus affair when he received a clearer sign other than a questionable dream.

"That was my Devil Trigger." He met their blank faces, and heaved a sigh. "I can temporarily take on my true demon form. What you saw, though, was a much stronger version of what I'm used to. I had only used that form once before. This was my second time." He grinned. "It's actually a nice stress reliever."

"For a Nephalem, you don't use your Angel form a lot, do you?" Sirzechs asked.

He shrugged. "It's almost as though I didn't have one."

"And what about your weapons?" Serafall asked, nodding toward his red coat. "You showed off quite a few. Are they your Sacred Gears?"

"Devil Arms." He smirked. "It's a nice twist on your Evil Piece system. Whereas you bind Devils for servitude as metaphorical chess pieces, I subdue them and take ownership of their soul manifestations, typically in the form of a weapon. Don't ask me why they always turn into weapons."

Ajuka's eyes brightened with interest. He leaned in closer. "For research purposes only, would you mind giving me a detailed step-by-step guide into making our own Devil Arms?"

"Ajuka-chan, you don't mean to trap your fellow Devils in such crammed, tiny spaces, do you?" Serafall chided him.

The young man ignored her and pressed on. "Have you tried making Angel Arms? We could start capturing strays, and adding them to our shelves, maybe even use them against their fellow Angels in skirmishes and let them know it was friendly fire."

"That's sick and repulsive," Serafall scowled, crossing her arms.

Without generalizing too much, Dante could tell mental instability ran deep in the Astaroth family.

"And just like Sacred Gears, all of these, Devil Trigger and Devil Arms, are perfectly acceptable for use in Rating Games," Sirzechs said as though he were voicing his thoughts aloud. "That should bode well for Rias."

Dante frowned. Whatever that was supposed to mean…

It meant he was hired again, this time to be Rias' temporary Knight in her upcoming Rating Game against a certain Riser Phenex.

"Funny how things change," Dante was saying in faked disapproval, sprawled on the couch, feet over the coffee table. "Because if I remember correctly, a certain someone didn't want me to come help a certain boy because I had caused enough trouble. Certain someone had wanted him to get rid of my business card." He made a gesture with his fingers, as though connecting dots. "And then after that-"

"Yes, I get it, I'm an opportunist," Rias threw her hands up in the air. "Newsflash, I'm a Devil!" The pleading tone was there, creeping back into her voice. "So could you, please, help me? It's very important to me, and them." She made a sweeping motion toward the gathered Pieces around them.

"I don't hear the magic words," Dante said, cupping his ear.

Rias' response was to hold up her palm. The crimson sigil of Gremory flashed briefly in her hand before a black, leather-bound suitcase materialized on her palm. The Devil placed it on the table in front of Dante, unlocked the clasps in a muffled click, and revealed its interiors.

Jaw dropped to the floor, the Devil Hunter sat up, and stared in stupor at the gleaming contents: rows upon rows of green paper neatly stacked on one another, fitted in slots of plush, scarlet velvet.

Dante managed to regain his voice. "You know that phrase not to make a pact with the Devil? I think I'll be throwing that out of my rulebook." He raised a finger. "Right! Which reminds me…" He swiveled toward Issei at his side, and thrust his open palm at him. "Pay up."

Issei had been staring at the enormous amount of money in the briefcase with something akin to yearning when Dante snapped him back to reality. The boy scratched the back of his head ruefully. "Oh, right… forgot about that." He looked abashed as he jammed his hands in his pockets, and retrieved a wad of cash, a few coins, a pencil sharpener, and gum wrappings.

"Nevermind. You know what? I'll give you the two-for-one treatment for now," Dante said with a small stab of guilt. He looked up at Rias thoughtfully. "I take it you really want me to get this guy off your back."

"My, my, that would be such an understatement," Akeno said with a smile that suggested gentle teasing directed at her friend.

"Yeah, I shit you not," Issei blurted out. "The grilled chicken was all over Buchou when he showed up yesterday. I still can't believe they're forcing her to marry that asshole!"

"Issei, why do you have to be so indiscreet?" Rias scolded her Pawn, flushing a shade of red.

"Grilled chicken? Are we still talking about the same guy, this Riser Phenex?" Dante asked. His debts back at Devil May Cry had been piling up left and right, and now Rias was about to pay him the largest sum of money he had been offered in probably his entire life as a Devil Hunter. On one hand, he welcomed the money as something he needed to continue the ongoing standing of his business. On the other hand, he wanted to avoid anyone else undergoing Asia's fate ever again, regardless of whether they were human, Devil or Angel, and as such, he would've taken the job for free. Of course, nobody had to know that.

Rias took a deep breath before proceeding. "Yes, he's the heir to the Phenex Clan. I'm the heiress to the Gremory Clan. Sadly, my father and Lord Phenex saw it fit to arrange a marriage, and conjoin the two Clans. There's only one small problem in their wonderful plan." Rias blurted out the following heated sentences in anger. "I don't like him. He's an obnoxious pig, and one that would only view me as an object." She had to calm down by taking another deep breath. "Mine would be a sad existence if I ended up with someone like him." She smiled warmly at Dante. "I challenged him to a Rating Game. If we win, then I'm free to break the engagement. And that's where you come in."

Dante nodded grimly. "I'll gladly take the job."

Rias looked mortified for a second. "Don't look so serious, he's not a monster like Diodora. He's just arrogant."

"And conceited," Kiba supplied.

"And smug," Akeno added.

"And a total dick!" Issei exclaimed.

"Sure, sure, I'll try not to hurt him too badly," Dante said with a placating gesture.

Rias now addressed her Pieces as well. "It swells me with pride that you now get to take part in your second Rating Game. I have yet to prove myself as your leader in a battlefield. Alone, we are all strong by our own merits. Together, Riser won't stand a chance."

"I'm calling it a barbecue day!" Issei said. He and Kiba bumped fists.

Raynare broke her sulking silence. "And what are we supposed to do then?" she asked, gesturing at herself and Kalawarner.

"Why, you'll be watching and cheering for your beloved King, of course," Dante replied. The former Fallen returned to fuming in silence.

Rias turned to Dante. "Unlike your Rating Game, this one will be a small, familiar event between the two Clans, so we can all take it easy, plan ahead, and not have to deal with the pressure of a big audience."

Dante noticed the silent, bespectacled figure sitting in front of him shrinking back on the spot. The typically clinical gaze Sona Sitri used to study him with suddenly seemed mortified, and her cheeks had turned a slight shade of red.

Sona raised a hand gingerly in the air. "That might not be the case anymore…" she began slowly, her voice unusually small. "Somehow, my sister, Serafall, learned that I was going to perform as arbiter. You can only imagine her excitement. For some reason, though, she seemed even more thrilled than usual when she learned you were going to have Dante-san participate in it."

"Wait, so that means…" Rias said, letting it sink in.

"You know my sister. She'll spread the word around like wildfire. It doesn't help that she's a Satan. It just might be as packed as before." At Rias' shocked expression, she added. "Hopefully, not as much."

"That won't do well to my nerves…"

Dante's wandering gaze had fallen on Asia, who had steadily, and outwardly, come to terms with her unique situation. She had been watching their exchange curiously up to that point, one of her arms entwined around Issei's. He didn't know the girl, admittedly, but he supposed it wasn't like her to be that quiet. It only bolstered his resolve to trash Riser for sure. It also brought him to his next point.

"What about her? Are you going to have her participate?"

Rias gave Asia a heartfelt glance. "It's completely up to her. We've been all over the basics. She's adjusting, and she seems to have taken being a Devil pretty well. Hopefully, in the coming weeks, she'll finish coming out of her shell." She gave a small shrug. "The only thing we haven't had time for is training. So it's fine if she doesn't feel up to it. All she'd do is stay behind everyone, including me, and heal those who retreat to the back."

Asia spoke up in a small voice. "I think I can manage that, Rias-san." There was something incredibly fragile about the way her gaze roamed to meet everyone's eyes. Dante could admire the girl's will to move on after such a traumatic incident.

"You know," Dante said, switching topic, looking toward a certain white-haired girl. Under the mask of ice that she usually wore, Koneko looked surprised at being addressed, raising an eyebrow in response. "I met your sister yesterday. She says hi." Dante whistled to himself. "She's one odd character."

It took him three full seconds to process that both Koneko and Rias were staring at him with pure, undiluted astonishment. The rest merely shared confused glances among them.

Issei was the first to break the awkward silence. "We didn't know you had a sister," he said, trying to give her an encouraging smile that evidently didn't help.

Dante hesitated. "Am I missing something?"

Rias suddenly bolted to her feet next to Dante, and tugged at his coat's sleeve. She sequestered him to the furthest corners of the clubroom. Once out of earshot, Rias dropped the bomb in a rather exasperated fashion.

"Just what kind of people have you been meeting with?!"

Dante shrugged. "Well, I didn't meet with them so much as they sought me out."

"And what did they want?" Rias inquired, arms crossed.

"Well, one of them basically asked me to repopulate her species-"

Rias held out her hand to stop him. "Don't mention Koneko's sister anymore, for her sake. You completely ignore the fact that her sister is a Stray Devil, and one of the Underworld's most wanted criminals at that."

Dante's response was to shrug innocently. "Oops…"

The morning of her Rating Game against Riser was the total antithesis of the morning of Dante's Game against Diodora.

Whereas the atmosphere had been tense, the suspense among her Pieces palpable, and the worry of losing them had burdened her spirit, that day they were greeted by a clear, sunny day. Issei, Kiba and Akeno were distinctly excited to begin, and therefore well prepared ahead of time to partake in their second Rating Game yet. Thanks to them, and some of Dante's playful ribbing, what little tension that was bothering her was gone, and her spirits were lifted. The confidence they gave her completely outweighed the pressure of thousands of spectators watching, judging their every move and her every decision as a leader. Not only that, but she was completely positive that, by the end of the day, Riser would, as Issei had put it, be barbecued and ready for dinner.

The odd ones out were the two Fallen Angels that now belonged in Dante's peerage, who, of course, weren't part of the occasion. Asia had evidently recovered somewhat, and her peerage's infectious confidence had affected the girl as well. If Dante did well in this Game, Asia had nothing to worry about on the field other than healing the others. On the other side of the coin, Rias noticed it was Koneko's confidence the one that had plummeted, and from the way the white-haired girl lost concentration and seemed to zone out, she had come to the conclusion that the mention of her sister had left her in a fragile state. Whereas she normally acted distant and reserved, she now looked dejected and easily distracted. Rias knew it was going to take more than a heart-to-heart talk to have her Rook overcome this new, unprecedented hurdle.

At present, the white Lucifuge crest shimmering into existence announced the arrival of Grayfia, yet again to escort them to the battlefield.

"Rias-sama, are you ready to begin?" Sirzechs' wife asked.

Issei was the first to respond in one cheerful outburst, jumping to his feet. "Hell, yeah, let's do this!"

Her Pawn's enthusiasm made her smile. She regretted not having had time to train him properly, and she doubted very much he would be crucial to winning the Game. The appearance of his true Sacred Gear, the Longinus-class Boosted Gear, had clearly had a positive effect on the boy's strength and stamina. Sadly, though, it wasn't enough to guarantee their victory without Dante.

"We are all ready," Rias said, rising from her desk.

The rest of her Pieces followed suit. Kiba summoned his sword, gripping it by the hilt at his side. Koneko finished making adjustments to her combat gloves. Issei hooted excitedly when Akeno transformed her clothes into her miko attire for battle. "I saw them again!" he exclaimed, pointing a shaking finger at her simpering Queen.

Rias picked up her Knight Piece from the coffee table. Dante bowed in mock deference as she inserted the Piece in place, her fingers dancing across his chest. "I swear fealty to you, O King."

"Remember," she held up a finger as though lecturing him. "Don't be reckless, and keep the Piece from coming out."

"Yes, mooom."

"Again," Grayfia said, waiting patiently in front of the oak doors. "I think it's prudent to remind you who will be watching. Somehow, people got wind of this Game, and there was a sudden, sizeable influx of people who wanted to attend. It will be televised live, and this time, all Great Satans will be watching yet again." She handed them out the communicators like last time, and they slipped them on in their ears.

"Seems you left rather a big impression, Dante-san," Kiba said, smiling.

"One of the hazards of the job," Dante said, shrugging.

"I say, let's do it again! Let's teach that grilled chicken a lesson," Issei said, thrusting a fist in the air. "For Buchou!"

It was clear they all shared the same sentiment, and that made her happy.

As a group, united by fate, money and tight bonds of family and friendship that were strengthened further and further by experience, they all gathered together within the large, crimson Gremory circle that would transport them to the battle arena. Rias placed a hand on Koneko's shoulder, and gave her a small, encouraging squeeze. Her Rook managed a small smile. Asia's arm was wrapped around Issei's as he led her into the sigil, and awaited teleportation. Dante's Bishops each stood at Grayfia's side outside of it. The Devil Hunter gave them a wink as the peerage began to vanish behind an invisible, receding curtain.

"Good luck, Rias-sama," Grayfia said.

One second, she and the two Fallen Angels were there. A flash of light later, and they were not. It took Rias a full second to process the fact that the moderators had chosen Kuoh Academy itself to be the battle arena, and that they had reappeared right inside their Occult Research Club chambers.

"Huh? Did it not work?" Issei asked behind her.

Rebellion's cutting edge leaned over Dante's shoulder. He pointed casually at the window. "Pretty sure it did."

The sky outside had taken a bright, jade color, and undulating waves of light glimmered with demonic, emerald brilliance across the firmament.

"It is my great honor to welcome your presence, Great Satans," Sona's voice reverberated across the arena. "Sirzechs Lucifer, Ajuka Beelzebub, Falbium Asmodeus, and…" A hint of hesitation flickered over the voice. "Serafall Leviathan. Welcome, Pillar Heads and everyone. My name's Sona, of the Sitri Clan, and I will perform arbiter duties in the Rating Game between the Gremory Clan and the Phenex Clan." Sona cleared her throat. "It's fair to let both Clans involved know that both peerages are being aided by an outside Piece not their own."

"Both?" Issei asked, alarmed.

"My, my, Riser's being naughty," Akeno said. "It seems he's got something up his sleeve."

"Who could it be?" Kiba asked.

"It could be anyone for all we know, really," Rias answered. "No doubt it must be someone strong to be worth the trouble."

"Now, onto the battle arena," Sona went on. "It's an exact replica of the school Rias and I attend in the human world. Rias-san's base is in the old school building, where the Occult Research Club meets. Riser-san's base is located in the new school building, right across the school grounds. A Pawn entering the opposing building can instantly be promoted. Phoenix Tears will not be provided this time. You have fifteen minutes to gather and strategize-" there was an intake of breath on the other side. "Wait, it seems Rias has already begun to move. Let the Game commence!"

"Wait, what?" Rias exclaimed. "No, I haven't done anything yet!" Her gaze flickered frenziedly around her Pieces. They all stared back at her, startled. "Who moved?" Understanding dawned on her. "Where's Dante-san?!"

"This must be the new school building," Dante said to himself. He slipped past into the door, under shadows, and up the stairwell to the second floor. "Voilà!"

The Knight Piece worked wonders on him. Without it, he was innately, superhumanly fast. Infused with its traits, he was a speeding bullet, a hissing blade. It had taken him a few meager seconds to cross the Academy, and reach the opposite building. It had even taken the arbiter quite a while to notice, and therefore announce it. Thus when he entered, the halls were completely silent and empty. Predictably, Riser didn't have any time to set up traps and lay ambushes.

When Dante stepped onto the second floor, he could hear the panicked, muffled voices of several girls scrambling around the room and stumbling after one another behind the great oak doors that led into the principal's office. They were unprepared, taken off guard, and unaware that the Boogeyman had come.

Rebellion gleaming with hunger, Dante approached the doors, and blasted them off their hinges with one powerful kick, sending them skidding across the floor in an explosion of screeching noise and splintered wood.

Some of the girls inside gasped, and others shrieked. Riser let out a girlish yelp in surprise.

"Someone ordered barbecue?" Dante said, stepping into the spacious room. The furniture had been moved to the corners.

Riser pointed an accusing, trembling finger at Dante. "That's… that's cheating!"

"Sixteen against one? Sounds fair to me," Dante replied, flashing a smile even Riser would be envious of. He twirled Rebellion about his wrist. "Well, who wants first on the cake?"

The transmitter in his ear went off. It was Rias. "Dante-san, what do you think you're doing? Where are you?"

He pressed a finger to his ear. "Killing sixteen birds with one stone. Pun intended. Be right back."

Riser sneered. He adjusted the burgundy blazer over his white dress shirt. "You must be off your rocker!" He threw an arm out toward him. "Well, what are you waiting for? Kill him!"

His full peerage, fourteen girls in all, stared at Dante awestruck, paralyzed on their spots from the sheer power radiating from his frame. Like Diodora, Riser possessed a full female peerage, each member as different from the last. They varied in age, from developing teenagers to fully grown women. Some were twins. They ranged from brunettes and blondes, to auburn and blue-colored hair. Some wore Lolita dresses, others haori outfits, Chinese qipao attires, and others simple gym uniforms. From their hurriedly formed combat stances, the weapons they produced, their natural height and weight, their attires, and their overall anatomical figures, Dante could tell the Piece traits they were under. Fourteen girls total. One Queen, eight Pawns, two Rooks, two Bishops, and one Knight. The other Knight was missing. Just where was she?

Predictably, the eight Pawns took the vanguard. Fists balled, chainsaws revving, and staff gyrating in her hands, they charged headlong toward the lone Devil Hunter. Right behind them, the second wave consisted of support. Both Rooks and the only Knight rushed in after their Pawn counterparts, fists bared and Zweihänder leveled to skewer. Riser's Queen took to the air, and promptly began bombarding Dante with spells that detonated upon impact, kicking dust into the air and dislodging slabs from the floor. The Bishop added her own firepower to the Queen's.

All eight Pawns, the two Rooks and the Knight darted into the cloud of dust, hoping to find an injured Nephalem, dazed by the explosions at the very least. By that time, Riser's Queen and Bishop had ceased fire to avoid hitting their own. What they found instead was the cutting edge of a two-handed greatsword with a screaming skull. Rebellion cut through the chainsaws like butter, dismantling their engines, their sawchains going haywire. A split second later, and the girls brandishing them were felled in one arching swing. It was only a matter of rolling into every one of them, and bringing down Rebellion's punishing edge, slicing through wood, cloth, flesh and bone effortlessly. Each body vanished in a flash of flickering light as the Rating Game registered their defeat. The only clue spectators had of what was happening were the telltale shrieks of pain, followed by the speckling light briefly illuminating the insides of the clouds of dust that clogged the midst of the fight.

By the time it cleared, only Riser's Knight remained standing, her Zweihänder clashing in a power struggle with Rebellion.

"He's right there! Take him out, Yubelluna!" Riser yelled.

His Queen hesitated, certainly not wanting to hit her fellow Piece.

"Just do it, woman!"

A ray of light erupted from her jagged staff. Dante leapt into the air, and Riser's Knight became engulfed in the ensuing explosion. When it cleared, the girl lay sprawling on the cracked floor, smoke trailing from her skin, her greatsword lying by her side. And then she was gone, too, in a flash of light.

"Woo, that's cruel, even by my standards," Dante said. His hand whipped down to his coat, and out came Ebony, firing repeatedly at the Queen. Yubelluna screamed as the storm of lead assaulted her, and punched her out of the air and onto to the floor. She was down, but not out.

"Riser-san's eight Pawns, his two Rooks, and one of his Knights have retired," Sona announced in the lull of stillness that had settled momentarily.

Riser wasn't even watching the resultant chaos anymore. His back was turned as he yelled into his transmitter. "Where the hell are you? We're being decimated over here. I paid you for a fucking reason!"

"You needn't yell," the figure said, entering through the door Dante came from. "I tried to go after Gremory, but she's well guarded. I came back as soon as I heard." From his outline and voice, Dante could tell it was male, and Riser's other Knight. "Ah, Sparda. You should make my day."

"Well, Chun-Li here was pretty powerless to do anything," Dante said, sticking a thumb out toward the spot where he annihilated Riser's Pieces. "What are you hoping to do, kid?"

The young man walked into the room. His spiky, white hair swept backward seemed to gleam with the little light that entered the place. His katana slid quietly out of his black, lacquered scabbard. He wore an aristocratic, dark blue doublet, and a long, blue twin-tailed coat like Dante's that rippled down his back.

"I aim to show the Underworld that you're not the sensation they're painting you to be," the white-haired man replied. His katana sliced the air with inhuman grace, its tip aimed at Dante in defiance. "The legend of the Nephalem dies tonight."

Dante's eyes had widened with disbelief at the man's physical appearance. He made sure to voice said disbelief. "Are you…? Are you cosplaying Vergil?"

"…"

It was a reoccurring dream.

Icy pellets of rain pelted on the two swordsmen. The only witness to their deadly dance of steel was the bright, luminescent moon looming over the jagged, unholy tower, ever watchful and indifferent to the outcome of their fight.

His sword, a mastercrafted katana whose edge glowed with inner, concealed power, clashed relentlessly in successive strikes against his opponent's weapon: a two-handed greatsword with a black, screaming skull for a crossguard.

While his crimson, flourishing opponent used brute force and inhuman speed to his advantage, he measured each swing with finesse and worked to breach his opponent's defenses with the swift, methodical strokes of a master swordsman.

Locked in frenetic combat, in a swirling, thundering storm of blurred lines, his eyes met his foe's. Anger was written all over his features, in his scowl framed by long, white bangs of hair, in his nose crinkled up in unbroken concentration, in his whole body, staunch and adamant to crack his guard and go for the kill. His eyes, though, were another story. In them, he saw disappointment, confusion, ignorance and longing.

The catch was, though, he always won the fight.

With a finishing, reverberating clang of metal, the two-handed greatsword went soaring into the air, gleaming momentarily, flipping end over end and impaling itself on the stone of the tower.

Without hesitation, without a hint of remorse, he twirled the katana about his wrist and slid it soundlessly into his foe's body and out his back, coating the blade bright crimson. The young man's eyes widened with disbelief, gasping out a glob of blood and choking in his wordless scream. The katana slid free, and he keeled backward to lie spread-eagled on the shimmering ground with a splash, his blood pooling around him and diluting in the puddles of rain.

Questions always came later. Who was this man he had just slain? Why were they so intent on killing each other? Before such questions could be answered, though, He would always appear before him.

The bloated moon, the tower, the rain, and all signs of fighting vanished without a trace. The man's gasping body dematerialized in receding particles carried away by the darkness, and he stood alone upon the howling void once more, as he was often wont to do.

From the gloom He came, adrift upon His titanic white, eagle wings.

He spoke, and this time in particular, his voice exuded triumph. The rumbling, godlike speech emitting from the gargantuan effigy still made him shudder to the marrow.

"Fate has favored us again. The two have come together once more. His blood courses within them. All flows according to plan. Come Lucifer, Beelzebub, Leviathan, Asmodeus. IT'S HIGH TIME THE TRUE SATANS RETURNED TO POWER!"

It was the gentle rap on the door what woke him up this time around. The drawling voice that came after it announced his butler had come with another request. It was not unusual.

"Master Vitalis, you have visitors down in the hallway" His voice came muffled from behind dark grain door. "Shall I tell them to kindly bugger off?"

Vitalis sat up on the edge of his king-sized bed. He had ordered the lousy bed sheets and fat, overflowing mattress away, preferring instead to slumber on a modest, average mattress and plain blankets.

"Who is this about now?" he called out. Within seconds, he had dressed into his favorite blue silk doublet and pants.

"Some kid from the Phenex Clan and his company. Claims he has some good offer for you," the butler replied. "Were I you, master, I'd sweep the mat off their feet and tell them to kindly bugger off."

"Phenex is a respectable Clan, or have you forgotten?" Vitalis bit back. He stared at himself in the mirror. He hated his natural hairstyle, the way the white bangs fell limply next to his eyes, and how his hair fell in lazy streams of silver at every side of his head. He brushed a hand over it and the hair rearranged itself, sweeping backward. There, much better.

"Indeed it is, Master Vitalis, but the Belial household far surpasses it in rank, wealth and status. I don't see why you should bother yourself with these… with these plebs, if you will."

"There's a reason why my father and I stand as undisputed champions of the Rating Game. Experience begets skill. The more I partake in Games, the stronger I become. Also, I don't think I have to remind you that my father wouldn't like hearing that from you," Vitalis said, reaching for Yami, his katana, displayed regally over the mantelpiece. With what little light that filtered into the extensive chamber, the lacquered, black scabbard of the sword burnished with immaculate splendor.

"Master Diehauser is ever the benevolent spirit, sir," the butler said as Vitalis came out of his bedchamber. His tone had become slier than usual. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him." If Vitalis hadn't known him his entire life, the unusual glint in his eye would've left him unsettled.

"Leave us," Vitalis said rather harshly.

"Of course, sir," the butler bowed his graying head slightly and wandered off in the labyrinthine corridors of the mansion, probably to stare at some random wall and watch the paint peel off. If Vitalis knew something well about his butler, it is that he was off his rocker.

Riser Phenex broke his laidback position on the leather couch and scrambled to his feet the moment he saw Vitalis entering the living room. He went from owning the place to tucking his tail between his legs in less than a second. His companion perked up at his appearance. The man doubled over in an awkward reverence, and the girl followed suit in a prim fashion.

"Vitalis Belial, it's an honor to be in your presence!"

"I couldn't care less about manners. Cut straight to the chase," Vitalis retorted, gracefully sliding into his usual tall back chair, sinking into the cushion. "You want to hire me as your temporary Piece, I presume?"

"Yes-" Riser nodded quickly and was interrupted by his host.

"Who's your opponent?"

"The heiress of the Gremory Clan, Rias-" Once again, harshly interrupted.

"Don't waste my time, then," Vitalis said, rising from his opulent chair. "Surely, you can manage Gremory on your own."

"That's what I told him," said the blond-haired girl. The two large, drill-like twin tails bobbed as she nodded. She turned to Riser. "You are very strong. I believe in you, brother. With the Phoenix blood beating in our hearts, there's no way we can lose."

"Keep quiet, Ravel, you weren't at the Game between Sparda and Astaroth..." When Riser mentioned the name Sparda, a series of blinding images flickered in the back of Vitalis' mind. Names he had forgotten bounced back from oblivion, only to ebb away from his hands like water the moment he reached out to them. "… he made his presence known. He unleashed it all for everyone to see. You could feel it like a living, pulsating thing, the waves of power washing over you, a sense of utter dread taking hold of your heart and crushing it beneath a ruthless hand of stone…"

Vitalis shook his head to return to reality. He raised a hand. "Let's get back on topic, shall we? Who are we talking about, and why is it relevant to your Game against Gremory?"

Riser's eyes were wide in a mix of fear and wonder. "The Nephalem, of course! Did you not watch the Game just a few days ago?" When Vitalis shook his head, Riser seemed genuinely surprised.

"My father watches them; he studies his potential opponents and uses that knowledge to obliterate them once on the field. Me? I don't watch Games. I don't sit idly by and allow my muscles to atrophy, let my power go to waste on trivial entertainment. After all, he's the strategist, the King. I'm just his Knight, ever growing, always learning and improving upon my missteps. To reiterate, I don't watch Games. I take part in them, and only when it's to face an opponent worthy of my time."

"Happy to hear that, because Gremory is not the opponent I had in mind for you," Riser's sneer spread wide with triumph. "I want you to take on the Nephalem before he becomes a bothersome thorn on my side."

"Agreed," Vitalis craned his neck to call his butler. "Janus, bring the paperwork!" He turned back to Riser. "If he's part Angel, how do Evil Pieces work on him?"

"The hell if I know," Riser exclaimed. Too late he realized whom he was addressing. Eyes wide, he covered his mouth. "My bad, my bad. I… think he forces them in or something."

"I heard he can remove his Evil Piece at will," his sister, Ravel, chimed in, her hands demurely clasped in front of her.

Vitalis creased his brow in thought. "In that case, he might be able to switch Piece traits between matches. Be a King in one, and become a Rook in the next. That is something I cannot do."

Riser scoffed. "Rias wouldn't replace one of her peerage, not even the pathetic ones. And since she still has openings, she could offer Sparda to become her temporary Rook, Knight or Pawn. Were I to bet on it, my money would be on him becoming her other Knight."

"That simplifies things," Vitalis said. He regarded Riser critically. "I understand you have a full peerage. Which of your Knights are you willing to replace for me?"

"Who do you think, Ravel?" Riser asked, throwing a side-glance at his little sister.

"Don't ask me that," she said, looking guilty. "I don't want a part in their exclusion."

"I got it!" Riser snapped a finger. "I think we'll have to do without Karlamine. She's just too sweet and honorable, it would get in my way."

"If you think me dishonorable we can just call this off," Vitalis retorted coldly. "True might lies in facing your opponent head-on and becoming the victor, not in backstabbing and subterfuge." His grip around Yami's scabbard tightened. "I will face this Nephalem, and defeat him in battle."

There was a brief moment in which his opponent seemed to zone out. Then he asked: "Who's Vergil?"

"Nevermind," Dante replied, shrugging. "And what's with kids and white hair these days?"

"My name's Vitalis Belial, son of Diehauser Belial, the Emperor, number one champion of the Rating Game. I am his Knight," the young man said, drawing out his katana in a heartbeat. Like Vergil, he had adopted the same Iaijutsu fighting style, Dante noted. "Before we begin, tell me. Have we met before?"

"What kind of question is that? I simply thought you were somebody I knew," Dante said, becoming irritated.

Vitalis cocked his head to the side. "It is not the first time I see that sword of yours either."

Dante eyed his katana with interest. "What do you call that? Yamato?"

Vitalis frowned. "No, but close. Yami, to be precise."

Thudding noises outside in the hallway announced the arrival of Rias and her peerage as they burst into the room.

"Dante-san, just what do you think you're doing?" Rias chided. She seemed to be having a hard time not swearing. "I'm the King. You can't go off on your own like that without permission!"

Vitalis arched his eyebrows in surprise. "Dante? Sparda?" He turned back to his foe. "Just who are you? I'm sure we've met before. I remember all these names from somewhere."

"She's right there! Take her out!" Riser yelled, pointing at Rias.

"Shut up, I'm busy," Vitalis retorted.

"I'm paying you for a reason, you brat!" Riser seemed to regret calling him that a second after it was too late.

"You paid me to defeat Sparda. You can take Gremory on your own."

"Dammit!" Riser said, clenching a fist. He pointed at his three remaining Pieces, and commanded them toward Rias'. "Yubelluna, Ravel, Mihae, after them!"

Ravel, the small blonde in the Lolita dress, held up her hands in protest. "Brother, you forget I don't fight. I'm just here to cheer you on."

"Well, go cheer them on, for crap's sake!"

"Akeno, take the Queen. Yuuto, Issei and Koneko, go after the Bishops, and protect Asia," Rias said with the dignified air of a commander.

Each member of her peerage took off after their designated targets. Her miko attire billowing, Akeno took flight, and leveled herself with Yubelluna. Dante's firearm had left marks on her skin, and gashes on her clothes. Sword drawn, Boosted Gear gleaming green, and gloved fists balled, Kiba, Issei and Koneko stopped before Ravel and Mihae. If Dante didn't know better, he would've thought of it as a bad case of bullying.

"Go, Mihae, you can do it," Ravel was saying uncertainly, hiding behind her fellow Bishop.

"Dante-san, you take care of the Knight," Rias said as she aligned herself in front of Riser.

"You gotta ask?" Dante said.

He saw the swift flick of Vitalis' arm as he drew the katana from the scabbard, and slid it back in. Dante had less than a split second to react before the cutting gale of wind reached his spot. He felt the air tearing at him, the invisible knife barely missing from gashing at his coat as he leapt out of the way.

"Too bad for you, little brother, I know all your moves like the back of my hand," Dante said, a smile spreading across his face. Finally, an interesting foe. His hand flew down to his belt, fingers wrapping around Ebony's grip, and brought it back up in a series of blinding quick-fires.

In an instant, in a flash that no human eye could've discerned, Vitalis' katana came back out of the scabbard, blade spinning like a propeller in time as he dashed aside to evade the bullets that slipped past his deadly, whirling shield.

Dante used stinger to close the distance, and their blades struck together, sparks shooting off as both demon swords skated off each other in a dance of metal. Eerily enough, this encounter reminded him of the time when he and Vergil clashed atop the Temen-ni-gru tower. The physical similarities were present, but his memories were absent. His usual fighting style was displayed in nearly its entire former splendor, except for the fact that Vitalis didn't offer the same challenge Vergil once did, but close. They retracted, only to bite at each other again, two-handed greatsword against elegant katana.

Soon after shit hit the fan, Akeno and Yubelluna had traded bouts of power, detonating spell bombs against tendrils of lightning. It had been clear from the beginning who the victor would be. Akeno's lips curled with sadistic satisfaction when her javelin of light transfixed the opposing Queen through the chest and proceeded to fade out in ebbing motes of light.

Leading the charge, Kiba rushed into the Bishop's guard, and halved the girl before she could cast the first spell. Issei followed second, Boosted Gear's claws clenched into a fist directed at Ravel, who squealed and raised her hands in vain self-defense.

The boy stopped the punch at the last possible moment, mere inches away from the girl's flinching face.

"Please, no! Don't hurt me!" Ravel said, peeking behind her hands.

"I can't hit her. It just doesn't feel right," Issei said, rubbing his elbow with Boosted Gear.

"I can do it for you," Koneko said, shoving him aside.

"But you can't, she's not even fighting back!" Issei protested, putting himself back between the two girls.

The white-haired girl scowled. "You're fraternizing with the enemy, Issei-senpai."

"You know what?" Kiba said sheepishly. "I'll just keep out of it."

The three of them were taken aback when Asia suddenly walked into their midst. The former priestess looked curiously at Ravel's cheek, a tiny bruise that had nothing to do with their fight. "Does it hurt?" she asked, proceeding to use her Twilight Healing on the opposing Bishop. Ravel recoiled at first, distrustful of her intent, but then she accepted it gracefully with a thin smile.

"Asia-senpai, you traitor," Koneko fumed.

"She means it as a joke," Issei quickly amended when the blonde turned quizzically.

The only two exchanges they had left to watch were the one between Kings, and the one between Knights.

Rias hurled massive orbs of black, demonic energy at her fiancé, who returned the pleasure with crackling fireballs. Much to Rias' credit, she had gone long enough without getting hit too badly, unlike Riser. Her fiancé, on the other hand, had already suffered grievous wounds that would've been lethal against anyone else, were it not for his innate Phoenix self-regenerating powers.

However, the moment Riser did manage to get a hard hit on Rias, the crimson-haired girl tag-teamed with Akeno in their spell casting bouts while Asia healed her smoking wounds in the back.

"Give up, darling!" Riser yelled when Akeno took her place in the fight, trading coils of lightning and massive fireballs. "You can't beat the Phoenix! Once the son of Diehauser Belial defeats the Nephalem, your chances of victory will be gone!"

Rias smiled when she saw how wrong he was. "You should probably resign before we beat you up too badly."

Dante and Vitalis' fight had been a close match ever since the beginning. That changed irrevocably when the massive wave of power surged all over the Devil Hunter's frame as their blades competed in a power struggle.

"Tell me, Vitalis, how much in touch are you with your demon side?" Dante asked, a dangerous smile playing on his lips.

Skin became demon hide, rock-like and bedecked throughout its frame with horns sprouting from his head and spikes protruding out of his arms and legs. His toes and hands underwent a burgeoning transformation, growing fiendish claws and talons in their stead. Scarlet, slit eyes shone out behind a deadpan, demonic mask. His voice had changed altogether, dropping its treble, leaving a rumbling, grating speech that hammered at his eardrums.

"See you on the other side," Dante said.

Vitalis' face contorted into a rictus of agonizing pain and disbelief as Rebellion shattered Yami, and sliced clean through his body, calling forth a shower of glittering light as the Game scored his defeat.

"Riser-san's Knight has retired," Sona announced, her voice displaying as little emotion as she could.

Still in his Devil Trigger form, Rebellion leisurely resting on his shoulder, Dante strolled toward Riser. The Devil fell on his butt, and scrambled backward on his fours in time as Dante took a step forward. Riser came to a standstill against the wall, desperately searching for a way out that did not exist.

"Ravel, help!" he exclaimed, throwing an arm out toward her.

His sister shrugged, helpless to do anything. "Sorry."

Dante's imposing form crouched down in front of Riser. The discordant, grating parody of his usual voice only made it sound worse. "And for you, how much barbecue would you like?"

"I resign! PLEASE, I RESIGN!" Riser yelled at the top of his lungs. No doubt he had watched his Rating Game against Diodora, Dante thought.

"Checkmate, Riser-san resigns from the Game. Rias Gremory wins," Sona announced as coldly as ever. This time, though, there was a tiny, barely detectable hint of satisfaction in her voice.

"Well, that's no fun," Dante said, crossing his arms the moment Devil Trigger depleted, and he was returned to his red coat.

Issei hooted excitedly. "You did it again, Dante-san!"

It seemed a great burden had been lifted off Rias' back. The crimson-haired girl looked visibly relieved as she walked hand in hand with Asia toward the gathering group.

"I feel like I can finally breathe again," she said. The radiant, unblemished smile she played toward Dante and her Pieces was proof of that. "Great job, everyone, I'm proud of you. Dante-san… that was reckless. But hey, I'm not your master."

"Since we didn't get to have any barbecue, who's up for some pizza?" Dante asked.

The smiles he received in response proved his life motto to be true. Pizza is love. Pizza is life.

When Vitalis emerged back into his living room, sprawled on the carpet, defeated, he gasped for air. It had been a simulation, but the pain had been real for a brief moment. Yami lay untarnished at his side. For a moment, he was afraid his beloved katana had been lost.

As he lay there, humiliated, his ego broken asunder for the time being, an unfamiliar voice drifted down the hallway, accompanied by his father's, Diehauser, finishing up their conversation. He rose and stalked silently to listen, pressed against a bookshelf to keep out of view.

"… we'll be ready for it, Lucifer-sama," Diehauser was saying.

"Don't lose sight of the boy. The time has finally come. We cannot afford to fuck this up," the unfamiliar voice said.

"It won't happen, milord," Diehauser replied.

He didn't catch their final exchange. By the time he noticed the muffled footsteps, it was too late to do anything. Eyes glinting dangerously, his butler, Janus, wrapped his arms around from behind him and pressed a damp cloth into his nose. Despite appearances, his butler was much stronger than he could've ever imagined. A split second later, drowsiness began to settle in, weakening his limbs, his eyes drooping, mind shutting down as it drifted into deep slumber.

Janus made a tutting noise. "Not good, Master Vitalis. That is not how we raised you. This is not a conversation for your ears."

He lost consciousness.

As always, share your thoughts, suggestions and ideas. Review and let me know what you think.

It might be some time before chapter seven comes along. There are other things I should really be working on while I have the time, such as my novel. I know I'll regret it if I don't.

Hope you enjoyed it.

The Angel Screams. Intermission.