Holy crap, its been (just over) a year since I started this story. Never thought I'd be nearly harlfway to a thousand people having favorited or followed it by now. I seriously cant thank you glorious motherfuckers enough for your continued support! I tried to have this update ready for exactly one year from when I first uploaded, but, well, life happens.

Guest reviewer: since I cant PM you a reply, buddy, that review made me grin like an idiot all day after you left it, thanks a million for that. It means a hell of a lot to me to get support/feedback like that.

As usual, I dont own RWBY or Highschool DxD and dont make a single gorram penny off this, please dont sue my already broke ass.

Team JNPR are all leaning at the edges of their seats, fixated on the events playing out on the screen. Isseis initial attack on Riser had been stunningly abrupt. A tongue of flame turning his right arm and torso to a blackened, singed ruin. A powerful side-kick visibly shifting the younger teens hips to the right as they are broken badly. A brutal open palmed strike to his back forcing ribs through the flesh of his now bared torso and launching the brunette away from the king. Who offers a parting gift in the form of a second gout of fire, this one ruining his left leg worse than his torso had been burnt. When they had noticed scraps of charred flesh tearing off as he rolled across the ridged roof tiles, all of them had expected him to fade away covered in the same plenary white glow that had borne the other defeated devils to safety and healing.

Then, that same pink metal-glinting-in-the-sun shine that Jaune had thought he had spotted just before Issei had taken out Risers last two pawns flowed across Isseis body again. Slower, this time, not blink and you miss it fast. A sheet of steel being slowly flipped end over end under a blazing noon sun on a cloudless summer day as opposed to a sword catching the sun as it clears its scabbard. And as that pink sheen traces across his body, it had healed. Skin burnt black and flaking off returning to Isseis natural, slightly pale complexion. The gouges and divots in his body where tender, unprotected flesh had been ripped out by the shingles filling back in. broken bones shifting back to their proper places and, presumably, fusing back together.

He wasn't just physically healed either, he had enough energy to banter, even naming his semblance a few moments after having unlocked it. Ren looks like he wants to say something, but when the screen zooms in to Risers face, drawn in a sneering mask of rictus rage, as he starts screaming about how he is going to kill Issei, and accusing him of heresy, of all things, the raven haired huntsman in training opts to remain silent.

Issei rushes Riser again, heedless of the fact that his initial attack had left his pants shredded so high up his left leg that singed, torn scraps of his boxers are all that goes past his left legs belt-line and his torso covered in his shirts collar and his jackets left arm bunched at the edge of Boosted Gear. His initial attempt to lay the Phenex king low had been aided by surprise, and, probably, the blonde devil assuming Issei is worse than he is.

This time, the beat-down is methodical. A leading right cross ending with the younger devils hand spun three hundred and sixty degrees as Riser sidesteps Issei's body. Riser releases the now mangled wrist, and, gesturing with his left hand lashes a tongue of fire across Isseis back. Moments after the tongue of flame makes contact, the telltale fragmented corona of, in Issei's case, pink light indicative of a shattering aura plays across his body. Then, much like it had in the first exchange, the fire burns the pawn horrifically. Issei stays upright, grimacing as he skids to a halt and turns to face his foe. Behind him, a lance of fire tears a ragged, slowly burning hole behind Rias, where Asia had been moments ago.

Issei charges Riser again, a wordless howl on his lips. One fighter years more experienced, and in perfect health. The other wounded and fighting on emotion and instinct rather than with reason and how he was trained. Brutal cant begin to cover it.

Rias howls her surrender to the sky somewhere between Riser dislocating Issei's left arm, kicking one of his thighs with enough force that the younger devils shattered femur breaks through the skin opposite where the foot had connected, and decorating the younger mans body with a handful of horrific burns as he maneuvers himself behind Issei.

Jaune had explained how eliminated pieces are automatically teleported to safety to receive medical treatment, how rating games are perfectly safe. Rias had surrendered, unable to take watching her entire peerage so brutally and painfully dispatched in such short order. Grayfia had teleported into the alternate space to enforce the surrender.

The match is over, yet Riser still holds Isseis limp, savaged form up by his head, hands poised to snap the younger devils neck. "Lord Phenex, release Mr. Hyoudou immediately, and allow him to be moved for treatment." Grayfia orders, voice perfectly calm, a quartet of stark white magic circles spinning behind her. An irreverent voice in the back of Jaunes mind noticing that, if she had a riding crop, she would be the Underworlds answer to Professor Goodwitch.

"Riser sees no reason to leave this filth alive. Between his perverse nature, and the temerity to imitate that which is the sole purview of the Phenex Clan, he is a disgrace to all that we stand for." The suit-clad Phenex declares, raising Issei just a bit higher, eliciting a groan from the insensate devil as the segment of his left femur that had broken through his skin bumps into Riser.

Rias, clearly holding onto her composure by a thread, half sobs "You won, Riser. Please, don't do this." From the set of her legs and clenched fists, any attempts to move by her would likely just lead to her collapsing.

Riser shakes his head, a resigned look on his face "You are a gentle soul, my love. Riser is certain that you will find more, suitable, footsoldiers once this one has been dealt with as it should be." His tone is condescending, and gaze is judgmental in stark contrast with his soothing words and sad seeming face.

"If you make good on that threat, it will be murder, plain and simple, Riser." Grayfia growls, slowly drifting forwards with a flap of her wings. Ravel, still wearing her 'dress' of fire, a quartet of flaming wings slowly beating to hold her airborne drifts to a halt behind Riser, looking down on the other devils, pride and satisfaction writ large on her face.

Riser shrugs, eliciting another groan from Issei, his dislocated, scorched to black right arm shifting with the breeze more than the rest of his body. "It would be a fair reprisal. Several of my pieces may have died before they could be treated, with how brutally Rias' underlings eliminated them."

Ravels face shifts rapidly to shock as she begins slowly drifting away from the tableau before her. "We, we have enough phoenix tears for everyone, Riser." Clearly, she had thought her brother had been bluffing, pressing for further concessions from the rating game.

He shrugs again "As Riser said before, some of them were eliminated rather brutally. It is tragic, and Riser is certain that he will mourn, but it would be a manner of honor between the Pillars. Perhaps my Bride to Be will console me by trading some of her pieces to Riser. She could then find more suitable servants for one such as herself." Again, he speaks of sadness, but vindictive derision drips from his voice.

"This is still being recorded, Riser. If you carry through that threat, you very well may receive the death penalty." Grayfia warns him, voice deadly level, her own wings now flared even more widely behind her, magic circles shifted from behind to in front of her.

He sneers at her "You forget yourself, Lucifuge. It is only your husbands rank and grace that your own execution has been delayed so long. The law is clear on the fate of any who have once or still fight for the Old Satanists. Riser thinks it will be quite enjoyable to watch as Lord Lucifer is made to hand down his judgment on you as he has the other Old Satanists."

Ravel mouths 'sorry' at Rias, before teleporting away from the alternate space. If the Gremory heiress had noticed, she did not acknowledge it. "You would be put out of your house for this, Riser. There will be no protection from the law for you. And you know as well as I that there are forces capable of circumventing Phenex regeneration." She casts a quick glance back to Rias, clearly wishing she could say something to her sister in law, but her hands are currently tied. "You also seem to forget your history, Riser. I was exonerated for bringing with me the means to slay the Morning Star for my husband to be as a dowry, to end our Civil War so that the Three Way War could be properly seen to. You grossly overstep your own rank as well as propriety and honor. Stand. Down."

With a final sneer, and a flare of magic from the hand over Isseis face, he tosses the pawn to the roof tiles, his mouth now as seered a wreck as his arm and torso, then bites out "Fine! There are other ways to remove that offal filth from our gene pool. Riser will see to it that those means can be carried out, and his bride will obey when he orders it done." At that, he teleports out, and the feed dies.

Saji barks out a furious "Fuck!" as he lets the now blank screen dissipate.

Jaune takes a deep, calming breath. "Rias has contingencies set up. We'll have to trust that they'll work."

Nora looks over to Jaune "Riser cant just get away with that, can he?"

The Sitri pawn shakes his head sadly and makes his way towards the center of the room, back in control of his emotions, or at least appearing like he is. "For a normal devil? Of course not. You don't get to just threaten to murder someone because of the magical abilities they develop or their sacred gear grants them. Laws exist for a reason and all that."

"The problem is, the Phenex clan is not only ridiculously rich from selling Phoenix Tears at an exorbitant price, but with their familial magic being what it is, they made it through the Three Way War nearly unscathed." Jaune continues, knowing he sounds both tired and resigned, but not really able to help it. Challenging the status quo of the Underworld is going to be an uphill battle at the best of times, and this is far from them. "They have friends and distant relatives in just about every other remaining Pillar. Lord Phenex probably already has a team of lawyers making sure Riser and the Phenex Clan makes it through what should be the PR apocalypse the end of this match just turned into unscathed in every meaningful way."

Pyrrha glances back and forth between Saji and Jaune, clearly struggling to hide her confusion and disgust under her usual mask of politeness "But, if they have family ties to just about every other clan, doesn't that mean..."

Saji waves her off "Oh, inbreeding has never been much of a problem for the Underworld. Whenever the nobility starts leaning that way, one of the Four Great Satans set up an example of how that turns out in the human world. The last example was the Hapsburgs, if I'm remembering my history right." He sighs as a violet summoning circle forms under his feet. "It's been a pleasure, but I'm guessing I have some ridiculous party I need to get ready for now, and an angry King to placate or avoid on top of that. See you guys around."

An hour later, an envelope flutters to the ground in the center of the dorm room. Thanks to his friendships with Rias and Ravel, Jaune, and any members of his peerage he wishes to bring, had been invited to the Lord Riser and Lady Rias' Engagement Party on Sunday.

_-*R-DxD*-_

The next morning, both Jaune and Ren head out fairly early, the former being friendly with a good tailor in the Underworld who does pretty good work, and is fine with rush orders. The suit may make the man, but having one tux made fresh, and a second adjusted isn't too onerous or time consuming of a task compared to the process of selecting a dress for a formal event. Hence, the team splitting up for their last minute preparations.

At least, that's what Pyrrha thinks had happened as her bed is violently shaken far too early in the morning after the late night watching a rating game play out how they hadn't wanted it too. "Paaaaaaancakes Pyrrha! We're gonna miss breakfast and I wont be able to forgive you for that if you don't wake up soon!" Nora's too chipper for it being so early voice drawls. "Its almost eleven. Their gonna close the cafeteria and start getting ready for serving lunch soon." She crows, her shaking of the bed intensifying to the point that it starts banging against the wall. "WAKE UP!" she shouts loud enough to force a groan from Pyrrha. She throws her pillow in the general direction of the irritant, but knows she has to get out of bed now that she is clearly awake.

Then Nora, clad in loose fitting olive shorts and a simple, short sleeved brown blouse, is looming nearly nose to nose in front of Pyrrha, a hand braced to either side of the formerly comfortably sleeping tournament fighter. The hyper girls cinnamon shampoo and morning breath accosting the freshly roused girl, wide light blue eyes glinting above her usual Cheshire grin. "I'm up, Nora, let me get a shower and we'll see about breakfast."

Pyrrha trudges to the showers, Nora hounding her every step of the way. She even waits outside the open stall Pyrrha had chosen, explaining to three different people that she is "Waiting on sleepyhead." when the already clothed and clean girl is asked why she is leaning against a wall in the showers. After slipping into a pale yellow sundress, which she will probably need to pack away for winter soon, the pair make their way to the cafeteria for breakfast. The girls eat more or less in companionable silence, and, once they are full, head back towards the dorms.

The pair find their way to the common room, grab a pair of recliners, and, well, look at each other at a loss for what to do next. Team RSLT is sitting at one of the tables, playing poker it looks like. Going by the grin on Ryse's face, the teams bleach-blonde leader is winning, and Duns scowl, shaded by the awkward purple lock of hair that's normally up in a mohawk, indicates that he'll be the first out. Or they're both bluffing. Both of the teams girls just look hung over. "So, Jaune said we need to stay away from bright orange, try to find something this shade of red" she holds out her scroll, a deep crimson square dominating her screen as she holds it out for Pyrrha to look at "to add to whatever we pick out, and make sure we can have our weapons on us. Any ideas?"

Pyrrha wants to sigh, or drop her head into her hands, or look away or something. But she doesn't. It's perfectly fair for Nora, orphan for as long as she can remember, to turn to the tournament fighter, who has actually been to the sort of high society social function they will be attending tomorrow for direction on what counts as appropriate attire, or where to shop for dresses. The problem is, as a tournament fighter, she had only been invited to anything even approaching a nobles Engagement Party, just the occasional post-tournament celebration her sponsors had wanted her to make an appearance at. Which meant her combat outfit, a polite smile, and finding a wall or chair to wait out the bulk of the event out from, as her presence was all that counted.

She glances around the room, doing her best to look like she is thinking. She eventually spots Weiss sprawled out on one of the leather couches, a bottle of blue Potentiade on the end table, for all intents and purposes looking to be enjoying a lazy morning. Weiss, who had helped Rias get in touch with a lawyer to get her 'last resort' escape from an arranged marriage to Riser written up by a good lawyer. Weiss Schnee, heiress to the largest, most successful company on Remnant. The girl had probably been to events like the one they'll be at tomorrow while her mother was still carrying her. The heiress had certainly grown up going to such gatherings regularly. "We talk to Weiss." Pyrrha answers, pushing herself up out of the chair that had just barely started warming up from having her sit in it.

Nora tilts her head and looks at Pyrrha like she had just flared her wings in public for no reason. "We what? Why?"

Pyrrha, smiling slightly, shakes her head and looks over her shoulder to make eye contact with her bombastic friend "Nora, I'm just a tournament fighter, and you're... you. Neither of us knows the first thing about dealing with nobles and high society beyond gossip and movies or books. Weiss has probably been attending things like this for as long as she can remember." Noras only reply is a silent 'o' of understanding, and to follow Pyrrha over to where the heiress is reclining.

Noticing she is not alone almost immediately, Weiss looks up from her book, not upset, but clearly not looking for company either. Clad in a pleated, mid-thigh length navy blue skirt, white stockings and a slate gray short sleeved blouse with a plunging v-neck that Pyrrha or Yang would probably be falling out of were they to wear the same top. On the more modestly endowed Weiss, it accentuates her femininity without crossing the line over to 'trashy'. Her usual side-ponytail bobs as she shifts her gaze between Pyrrha, and the almost sheepish looking Nora. "Good..." she glances at the clock on the wall behind them "afternoon Pyrrha, Nora. Do I need to be worried?"

Pyrrha nearly steps back in affronted confusion, until she hears Nora let out a nervous chuckle. Pyrrha looks over her shoulder to look at Nora who, in Weiss' defense, is wearing an expression very close to the pensive, nervous one she is normally sporting, when, escorted by a teammate, starts a conversation with 'I'm sorry' and ends it with 'I won't do it again'. Hand covering her smile, Pyrrha looks back to Weiss "Oh, no. No need for worry. Norra and I need your help Weiss."

The heiress slips her bookmark, which Pyrrha thinks is from the Contest of Crowns series, a gray bear on a white field is one of the main characters Houses heraldry if she remembers correctly, into the novel she had been reading and shifts to a sitting position on the couch. "If I am able, I will be happy to lend the two of you my help. What is it you need assistance with?" A small smile gracing the pale, petite girls face as she replies.

"Dresses." Nora deadpans. Weiss scowls at the bombastic ginger, and Pyrrha keeps her smile as genuine as she can while internally bashing her head against the nearest wall.

"One of Jaunes friends invited him, and his team, to an engagement party. Nora and I aren't exactly confident in our capacity to pick out, appropriate, attire." Pyrrha explains. Weiss' annoyed expression doesn't change, but Pyrrha can't help but feel like the other girls ire is no longer directed at them.

She stands up, and strides forward, closing the gap between the three of them to a close triangle that will be very difficult to eavesdrop on. "One of Jaunes friends, is having an engagement party?" She asks, though her tone is more prodding than the shock Pyrrha would have expected had she not sat in a lawyers office for three hours with the heiress trying to prevent exactly this.

Nora scratches at the back of her head, doing her best to look less, manic, than she normally does. "Well, two of them, actually." At least she is able to keep her voice low.

Pyrrha nods, shooting a smile Norras way. "The younger sister of the groom, and the unwilling bride herself. From the way the invitation was worded, that is the only reason Jaune was allowed to bring his entire team with, not just a plus one."

Weiss pinches the bridge of her nose "Why hasn't Rias already used the paperwork she enlisted us to help her get drawn up already?"

Frowning, Pyrrha replies "There was, a duel, fought over the issue last night. It was close, but..."

"Riser probably had the planning for tomorrows party already done by someone else. I don't think he's much of a planner, and his, umm, entourage?" Nora pauses her continuation of Pyrrhas explanation, clearly fishing for the right words to use. As much as Pyrrha wants to just tell their friends and be done with the secrecy, both she and Nora understand the need to err on the side of caution while Suriel is still at large. Nora nods, having decided that she did, in fact, pick the right word. "Entourage was roughed up pretty badly in the duels, last night, so they probably needed time to get patched up before the party."

Weiss starts walking down the hallway, and Pyrrha and Nora fall in behind her. "It was a close thing, but with Riser and Ravels filial, semblance, close was as good as Rias could hope for, I think." Pyrrha finishes as the trio slow to a stop at the doors to their dorm rooms.

"So, the four of you are going to a party, hosted by the Phenex to gloat about how much more powerful and influential the arranged marriage will make them, where the unwilling bride to be will most likely be informing her family that she plans to remove herself from that family to avoid what they are forcing on her?" Weiss prompts, receiving an affirmative nod of both Pyrrha and Norras heads for a response. "And this will be a formal event, so the only armed individuals will be the Phenex families security staff." Another, more halting, pair of nods. "So, Jaune, the one tacitly responsible for what is about to become a very public and incredibly embarrassing blunder on house Phenex' part, has decided that the best course of action is to be at ground zero for this debacle? Unarmed and surrounded by soon to be furious security staff?"

Pyrrha idly tugs at one of the thin straps for her dress "He did say to make sure we picked something we could wear our weapons with." not entirely sure how the rest of Weiss' team so frequently ignores the heiress' blunt realism. Or how things have gone so well for them in spite of that.

"At a high-class social event?" Weiss shoots back, looking more affronted than surprised.

Nora looks away from the heiress, a light dusting of pink on her cheeks. The conversation is forced to pause when Yatsuhashi and Coco walk down the hallway, the former looking grumpy, the latter rapidly snapping at someone on the other side of her scroll. Pyrrha catches 'noise complaint' and that's about it. "He did mention that it's pretty normal for people who just got important enough to be invited to stuff like this with their own entourages, not as part of one to do a little posturing. Or something like that."

Weiss holds up her finger to pause the conversation and darts inside her dorm room to grab her purse. Most huntresses rarely, if ever, use them, and the few they own tend to be modular so that they can be used in as many situations as is possible. She grabs the larger of the two she owns, affixes a long, polished metal shoulder-strap crafted into interlocking Schnee snowflakes, drapes the strap over her right shoulder so that the bag can rest on her left hip, and returns to the hallway. Nora, now equipped with a lurid pink, black and green striped clutch, and Pyrrha, a crimson handbag with her emblem picked out in glinting copper thread hanging off her right shoulder on a braided cord of the same thread as her emblem, are already waiting for her. "Do you have a budget?" She prompts, mentally going through which Valean boutiques cater to which price points.

Pyrrha shoots her hand into her purse, pulling out a small black plastic rectangle, unadorned save for 'Jaune Arc' picked out in silver in the bottom left corner. Weiss knows she is just standing there, blinking at her, friends, but cant really help herself. "Jaune left us with this last night. He's off with Ren taking care of their suits today." Another point in favor of Jaune being low end underworld nobility, then.

Also an excuse to visit some of her favorite local stores. "I think I know of a few shops that can set the two of you up nicely." Weiss replies, a small, honest smile on her face. Maybe she can get solid proof that Jaune, like Ravel is-

No. She is going to wait until he decides to broach the subject himself. She isn't going to risk any more friendships jumping to conclusions like she had with Blake. "So, where's the rest of your team, Weiss?" Nora prompts as they step onto the elevator, which is, thankfully, empty.

Weiss rolls her eyes "Blake and Yang are down by the training grounds showing off."

"You mean sparring." Pyrrha corrects her, a slight frown on her face, her bangles glinting in the overly bright light of the elevator as she pokes Weiss' arm in admonishment.

The heiress shakes her head "I distinctly remember Yang saying something about 'finding some arm candy for the dance' before dragging Blake off towards the training grounds after breakfast. Blakes been more, reclusive, than usual lately, and I think Yang is trying to pull her out of her funk."

"What about Ruby?" Nora presses, well, not presses, but nothing the girl does is subtle. Which is probably why her and Ruby get along as well as they do.

Weiss shrugs "Cramming for finals and finishing some of the make-up work she has from being moved ahead two years in the library. I cant really help when it comes to writing essays, so, I figured I'd have a lazy day and read some."

The elevator dings lightly as they reach the ground floor, and the trio of girls walk in companionable silence towards the bullhead docks. After boarding the next Bullhead due to leave for Vale proper, Pyrrha breaks the silence. "I'm surprised you are taking not being invited to a high class social event so well, Weiss."

She waves the tournament fighter off, the sun glinting off the redheads bangles and circlet as the transports doors slide shut. Weiss had made a quiet inquiry to the jeweler Jaune said he had bought the newer pieces of jewelry at. The proprietor, while polite and solicitous, had said he hadn't done any commission work all year. And didn't have any bangles on display or in his back-stock. Weiss shrugs "Oh, the SDC doesn't have much presence in Vacuo." Fact, the chronically poor and chaotic nation mostly saw to its own commerce, and the SDC only dealt with the import brokers. Additionally the dust reserves found in that region typically aren't rich enough for it to be worth the bad press of buying out the local dust mining companies. "As to the labyrinthine oligarchy the noble houses that country call a system of governance, I actually agree with my fathers decision to stay clear of that. He would likely need to arrange a marriage for both of my siblings and myself just for a seat at the table."

Nora nods "Makes sense I suppose. Anything else you need us to tell you to make sure we don't end up looking like dummys at the party?"

Weiss offers a shrug "Fashion is fashion. As long as you steer clear of any color or style considerations Jaune warned you on, you should be fine, with my help, that is." What she doesn't mention is that Vacuan nobility tend to value individualism and personal accomplishment. There would be no talk of entourages, or invitations stipulating plus ones. Vacuan Nobles either are of a high enough standing or strong enough to bring their significant others to any gatherings they are invited to, or find one who is also on the guest list. And any friends not on the list simply aren't brought. One thing Vacous upper class has right, in Weiss opinion, is that they have neither the time nor patience for blundering bobble-heads or simpering sycophants.

Small holes in Jaunes story she hadn't noticed at first, if she were to be honest with herself. Most people simply acknowledge that Vacuo exists, and that's that. She hadn't even thought to question his initial explanation of Rias situation until she had summoned Ravel. But if she were to exchange 'entourage' or 'team' for 'peerage', and Vacuo for the Underworld, things made a lot more sense. Much like how Pyrrhas most recent addition to her usual accessories had no apparent source aside from Jaune giving them to her. Which, if they are a Sacred Gear she has access too now that she has been reincarnated as a devil, he would have, technically, given them to her.

The bullhead lands, and they catch a taxi to Satin Avenue. The conversation stays mostly to classwork and gossip, after Weiss gets the color restrictions and demands Jaune had informed his teammates of. Another point against Jaunes Vacuo story, they don't cling to heraldic colors there. The magic circle Ravel had been summoned from, however, had been a very bright shade of orange.

At the first store, both Nora and Pyrrha spot dresses they like almost immediately, quickly dashing towards the changing rooms before Weiss can so much as offer an opinion. Nora is the first to emerge, clad in a lurid pink, yellow trimmed abomination of a dress that nearly brushes against the floor on her. It flares widely at her hips and is all but coated in sequins, the high collared, long sleeved horror has a veritable waterfall of lace falling from the cuffs, hem and collar. "I'm gonna out-pink Miss Pink Bird!" she proudly declares, fists planted, well, probably planted on her hips. The dress is so voluminous that it is hard to discern her form beneath it. Weiss doesn't know how to put that the atrocity against fashion makes the muscular, short, curvy girl look... fat.

Pyrrha glides out of the changing room, eyes sparkling, hand demurely held in front of her mouth in an attempt to hide the smile her body language is screaming. She, at least, had chosen a flattering dress. A vibrant crimson cheongsam with a high collar, sleeveless and backless. It has a slit along the left side ending at her upper thigh, and a serpentine Mistrali dragon climbing the right side picked out in golden thread, the beasts head roaring skyward from the collar.

Weiss quirks an eyebrow at Nora, and points back towards the changing room. The girl deflates, and slowly trudges in the indicated direction. "Pyrrha, Jaune said that you should find an accessory in crimson, to show solidarity with Rias, right?" The champion nods, a small smirk openly on her face. Clearly, she thinks she had found her dress for the event on the first stop. "Would it be safe to assume that wearing that much of house Gremories heraldic color could indicate a desire to join their house, then?" Pyrrha goes rigid, then nods and deflates, actually slumping over to trudge back towards the changing rooms. It really is a shame, Weiss decides, she looks beautiful in the dress. With the right accessories, she probably would have been able to get Jaunes attention. Probably. Or at least get him ogling someone not her.

The first store hadn't had any other dresses the girls in need of them had thought to try. And the few remaining that they had been interested in were in the wrong colors, either for her friends complexion, or the social concerns they had to mind for the coming party. As they walk to their next stop, Weiss asks "Did Jaune ever tell the two of you what he did to earn himself an invitation to a Vacuan nobles engagement party? Or, how he was even able to meet with them in the first place?"

Nora and Pyrrha glance at each other, and while Weiss can tell they are having a sort of conversation without actually talking she has no clue what is passing between the two. Most of the teams that had made it through the first semester as they had been at initiation are all slowly developing similar, highly insular, bonds. So she holds her silence, interrupting them right now would be both rude, and slow the conversation as they have to start their own, silent, exchange over. "No, at least, not specifically." Pyrrha eventually replies.

A strange bird flutters down to land on Norras shoulder, either a small raven or a big crow, black plumage glinting a strange blue in the early afternoon light as it settles itself. Nora doesn't react much besides scathing under the odd birds vulture-like beak before it sets to preening from its new perch. Distracted from the subject at hand, she looks around, spotting a face that had, up until a few weeks ago, been a regular fixture in the Freshman courses at beacon. He waves awkwardly at the trio, and they wave back, and the motion is enough to set the strange, overly familiar bird fluttering away from Noras shoulder.

"He said his teacher was Vacuan nobility though, and he met Rias and Ravel through him, so, probably something to do with Tartarus academy?" Nora finishes, sounding even less certain of her answer than Pyrrha had. Something else to ask Ravel about.

At the next store, Nora, once again, makes a bee-line for the frilly, bedazled garments meant more for children than young adults. Pyrrha, once more, goes from vibrant red dress to vibrant red dress. They'll certainly look good on her, but will send entirely the wrong message. Weiss suppresses a sigh. It's going to be a long day.

_-*R-DxD*-_

Team JNPR arrive at the Phenex manor roughly an hour after the invitation had said the party was set to start. A summoning circle keyed to the invitations had been set up in one of the gardens, and, after presenting theirs, one of the household staff had scampered off ahead of them. Presumably to the hall the event is being held in. Jaune and Ren are both clad in fairly straightforward black suits with white button down shirts under their jackets, both of them also sporting thin crimson ties, with silver cufflinks crafted into their respective emblems. Jaune has Crocea Mors hanging off his left hip in its true form, held to his belt by a plain, albeit polished black leather strap. Rens Stormflowers are riding his hips as well, the twinned, bladed automatic pistols grips now darkly stained herringbone patterned wood, deadfall he had removed from his familiar before the Kodama tree had been moved to Jaunes small holding on the edge of Bael land, instead of bare metal.

Pyrrhas form hugging dress is so dark a blue it seems nearly black. The dress only has one strap, over Pyrrhas left shoulder, which Miló is riding in a black leather sheath, polished as brightly as the strap holding Jaunes blade, with her own emblem affixed to it in brightly polished bronze. Her dresses hem ends just above her knee on the left side, and mid-shin on the right. Purple, flamelike patterns flow from the garments hem to just under her bustline. The dark garment makes her crimson hair, hanging unbound down her back, and emerald eyes seem even more striking than they usually do. Her outfit is rounded out with deep crimson elbow length gloves, the bangles that are her sacred gear, her ringlet and black heels that give her just enough of a boost in height to match Jaune.

Standing next to Ren, rather than Jaune as the quartet advance through the lightly popluated garden towards the Phenex manor, Nora's strapless dress is either a dark tan or light brown at the top, transitioning to a deep bronze at its bottom, flaring at her knees and ending at her ankles. She has a crimson ribbon tied under her bustline holding Magnhilds haft to her back with a bow worked to incorporate a loop to do so centered along her spine. A rust colored, braided rope does the same for her weapons head at her hips. If the dress wasn't already form-hugging, the twin stips of fabric would make it so, and the plain white flats she is wearing don't just seem like an afterthought, they are. Grinning, the ginger hammer-maiden lets out a low whistle, before observing "We look good."

Ren, chuckling, retorts "You said that before we teleported here, Nora."

"And before we went out to celebrate passing initiation." Pyrrha adds, a small grin on her face as she reaches behind Jaunes back to nudge Ren into Nora. Earning herself a half-hearted glare from Ren as he stumbles, and a startled, blushing squeak from Nora.

"She isn't wrong though." Sairoarg comments as he walks up to the Remnantian devils, dressed in a suit cut much the same as Ren and Jaunes. Kuisha, wearing a backless, thin strapped dress with a deep v-neck that flares widely from her knees, is arm in arm with her king, heels boosting her height, but not enough to match Sairoargs. Coriana and Liban are trailing behind the couple, standing near each other but not quite closely enough to imply that they are anything more than comrades and friends, clad in a blue dress and suit much like Sairoargs respectively. "Though, correct me if I'm wrong, isn't it normal for vassal houses to look to their lieges before making statements like the one you are, Jaune?"

Jaune scoffs at his former kings mild admonishment. "Don't even try to tell me that you're okay with what Lords Phenex and Gremory are doing to your cousin."

Sairoarg huffs frustratedly, though it seems fairly fake, and replies "Time to start making waves then, I guess. Kuisha?" His queen waves her free arm, and a magic circle plays over the Bael devils, shifting the mens ties to the same shade of crimson as Jaun and Rens, Corianas choker to match, and replaces her own saphire earrings with glittering rubies.

"If we don't start making them, we'll never get the changes that we want made." Jaune replies, moving his team to enter the manor first. A new king is expected to make their first social appearance as one with their benefactor, if they have one, and societal convention demands that any groups of kings arriving together be announced in ascending order of rank.

"Kid, you aren't making waves, you just strong-armed us into dropping a bombshell. If the music doesn't stop when the four of you walk in strapped for war, I'll be disappointed." Kuisha titters from her place at Sairoargs side as they enter the well lit, richly appointed manor.

The butlers, maids and wait-staff ignore them as they dart to and from the hall where the party is being held. Pyrrha looks over to Jaune, inching a bit closer to him as she does so. "How is us showing up to a party two of your friends will be integral parts of going to be a bombshell, Jaune?"

He shrugs "Aside from the fact that I was made a king a decade before any of the traditionalist nobles like, and this being how they find out? The younger generations of devils aren't exactly fond of arranged marriages, but the ones still running things are fine with them. So us, showing up armed, after Rias just fought a rating game to try to get out of this, wearing her clans colors as a show of solidarity with her is a bit..."

"Aggressive." Liban finishes, compelling team JNPR to look over their shoulders, to see that the Bael knight is now wearing his sword as well. And that Sairoarg looks more than a little exasperated. The household staff thin out as they come closer to the main entrance to the hall that the party is being held in, and by the time they can see the door, it is only the eight of them in the hallway, save for a single butler standing to the side of the door at the hallways end.

The conversation with the butler on their side of the door is quick, and professional. As soon as Jaune finishes telling him who is arriving, he pokes his head through the door, but doesn't close it after returning to his place next to it. "Jaune Arc, and his peerage, Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren, and Nora Valkyrie." A stately, care-worn voice announces loudly and clearly, before the door swings all the way open. Jaune is the first through, of course followed by Pyrrha on his left, then Ren and finally Nora, both to his right. The crowd pauses, and a wave of murmurs replaces the low rumble of idle conversation.

Jaune and his team stride into the throng of nobles, some seemingly angry, others disapproving, but most are simply shocked. Jaune plucks a pair of champagne flutes from the tray held up by a frozen waitress as he passes her, and hands one to Pyrrha, Ren does the same and hands his second to Nora once he resumes his spot to Jaunes right. Team JNPR is halfway through the crowd between them and the members of Rias' peerage he had spotted when Sairoarg and the fraction of his peerage that had been allowed to attend are announced. That gets the lull of silence Kuisha had wanted. The hall is cavernous, two, maybe even three stories tall, light wood floors, and bright white walls making it seem even larger than it is. Every few feet a gleaming marble column runs from the floor to the ceiling, dark red crown and base molding breaking up the almost monotonous whiteness of the walls nicely.

He is halfway to Akeno, Kiba and Koneko when the conversations begin again. Not long after that, a very grumpy looking Sona cuts him and his team off, a smirking Tsubaki trailing in her wake "It was you, wasn't it?" Hands resting on her hips, glaring down her nose at Jaune, despite having to crane her neck to do so. The early light of sunset filtering into the room from the bank of full wall windows running the entire western side of the hall casts the petite devils pale features in an eerie pall, making her pale blue dress seem darker than it is, and setting the ruby necklace she has sparkling vibrantly.

"I, have no idea what you are talking about?" Jaune tries to defend himself. Sona quirks an eyebrow at him. Crap. "Umm, if you hadn't been so busy competing with Rias I wouldn't have had the time to get in touch with the Familiar Master to make an appointment for that Sunday?" Now her stern gaze is a flat out glare, and she is tapping her left foot, no mean feat in high heels, in irritation. "Look, I had three newly reincarnated Evil Pieces and you had what, one? I needed the guide more than you did."

That, at least, earns a put out huff from the second youngest member of the Rookies Four. "You owe me, Arc. For that, and for not telling me you had been promoted to king." She bites out, despite her more relaxed posture. Before Jaune can reply, Saji shouting, something, has Sona groaning in frustration before stomping off to see to her wayward pawn.

Jaune makes it all of three steps towards the members of Rias' peerage he can see, before he is, once again, cut off. This time by a tall, musclebound blonde man in a neatly pressed white suit with bright orange pinstripes and a deep crimson shirt under the jacket. Deep cobalt eyes carefully going over each member of Jaunes peerage under heavy brows, and above a beak-like nose, and a narrow chin partly concealed by a neatly trimmed goatee oiled to a point. His short, sandy blonde hair is gelled into a spiky, upward tilted fringe at the front, and a wide flaring crest at the back. "An awfully bold statement, coming here armed and dressed as you are. Especially for one so recently raised to King and High Class Devil, many would say even the implication is beyond your station, young Arc. Doubly so for an issue already resolved."

Jaunes eyes bug out for a moment, before he sketches out a fast, nearly panicked bow. Ren follows suit, and the girls offer curtsies, though all of them are looking at Jaune curiously. "I hardly think so, Lord Phenex. Matters aren't final until the actual ceremony is over and done. And, considering how vehemently Rias has resisted any union to Riser, I doubt this will be her last attempt to reclaim her freedom."

The noble glowers at Jaune, before countering "Fighting a single rating game is not that shocking of a step for one in her position to take, Jaune."

Jaune crosses his arms, and, now that they know whom they are speaking with, the rest of his team take on equally confrontational stances. Rens hands resting on Stormflowers hilts, Nora wrapping her right hand around Magnhilds haft just under its head at the small of her back, and Pyrrha has a light heat haze surrounding her, though she is otherwise relaxed, taking a sip from her champagne. "We both know this is far from Rias first attempt to end her forced engagement violently. I never paid much attention to what the other Pillars were doing outside the Bael and my friends, so I cant remember how many attempts there were that first year of the engagement. Aside from that it was closer to forty than thirty. But Riser is your son, you must remember better than I do."

Frowning deeply, Lord Phenex grumbles out "Thirty nine. There were thirty nine assassination attempts aimed at Riser during the first year of the arranged engagement between him and Rias."

Jaune nods "And as the saying goes now, there are only honest assassins in the Underworld. Well, now, at least, and the half dozen left that still claim they can kill a Phenex are either prohibitively expensive for someone in Rias' situation, only take contracts they think are 'interesting', or on permanent retainer for House Phenex. Though, rumor has it that those two only have open contracts to be called on should the unthinkable happen and one of your noble lineage goes stray, not proper vassalage." before taking a sip from his own champagne flute.

Phenex looks ready to grunt or growl in frustration, but he, mostly, keeps his calm facade up. "Irregardless of the fact that many believe, and, I feel inclined to point out that no one can prove, that Rias was responsible for the string of assassins sent to die to my youngest sons flames does not give you the right or rank to wear that blade bared in my home." He gestures at the fate-altering gladius on Jaunes left hip as he sternly counters Jaunes observation, though his hand stays well clear of one of the few weapons known that can nullify the rapid regeneration that the Phenex call immortality. Nora, apparently fed up watching her team leader posture with the head of Clan Phenex, sketches another curtsy and saunters off towards Akeno and the rest of Rias present peerage.

Jaune quirks an eyebrow, knowing his own, calm, respectful facade is probably starting to slip. Having grown up with seven sisters, and, seeing Rias as a surrogate sister with all the help she gave him acclimating to life in the Underworld after he was reincarnated, has feelings about what is in the crimson haired devils future should the Phenex have their way. "Of course not. And, under normal circumstances, you are right that it is not my place, and far above my station to wear the threat I wield to any Phenex devils as openly as I am in your own Manor. But, considering that a very dear friend of mine will be regularly raped by her husband, starting on her wedding night, I think my stance is justified."

Crimson faced, and suddenly visibly furious, Lord Phenex leans in "How DARE you insinuate-"

"You know Riser better than I do, and have for longer, being his father. Do you really think he will follow custom and wait until Rias accepts that he is her husband and allow an heir to be made from their union?" Jaune cuts the older, far more powerful devil off, holding on to the urge to draw Crocea Mors and swing with both hands and most of his focus and willpower as well. "Or that he will be content to not consummate the union on his wedding night, to wait until she accepts her fate and duty? To let her leave his bed for one of a man she actually cares for after their heir has been born, the way that spouses of arranged marriages typically do, instead of adding her to his harem?"

Jaune forces himself to remove his hand from Crocea Mors hilt, and takes a deep breath, suddenly unsure as to whether he had merely spoken or shouted at the Clan Head standing in front of him. Motes of flame now flickering away from Phenex, and a heat haze that make Pyrrhas look like a candle next to a bonfire surrounding him. "I wonder if Mikazu Barbatos might reconsider his vassal status under the Phenex, and return to his family if someone made it clear to him exactly what your scheming will force on an innocent woman in a few months time. He might be naive for an assassin, but he's as mercurial as he is brutal, from what I've heard."

Akeno shrieking in shock prevents Lord Phenex from replying immediately, as he, Jaune, and nearly half the devils in attendance, more than a few of which had been openly eavesdropping, apparently, turn to face the commotion. Akeno is doing her best to hop back and forth, shimmying to get her elegant kimono to shift, the occasional shard of ice dropping to her feet, as Nora holds her, mostly, captive, with her arm slung across the raven haired devils shoulder as she mutters lowly into Akenos ear.

"Lord Phenex, Mister Arc, both of you need to calm down before you further embarrass yourselves." A smooth, husky voice interjects, causing the two mentioned to spin on their heels again. Standing before them is a man, about as tall as Lord Phenex, his flowing crimson hair tied into a loose, low ponytail that hangs to his shoulder blades. Wearing a suit just as white and neatly pressed as Phenex's, though his is trimmed in gold, and he has his jacket buttoned all the way up instead of hanging open. Bright blue eyes sparkling the way Pyrrhas only do when she is hiding a smile, he continues "Mister Arc may be, speaking above his station, and too bluntly, but he isn't wrong that young Riser could do with a lesson in humility. And as much as it pains me to admit, after the display your youngest son put on during his rating game against my Rias, I am sadly inclined to believe the accusations Jaune has, rather vocally, leveled at Riser. Especially in light of what the broadcast showed Riser doing just before, and after, the rating game took place."

Lord Phenex' crimson faced fury rapidly shifts to pale placidity as he recognizes Lord Lucifers father approaching them. "I, cannot honestly say you are wrong, Lord Gremory. My son seems to have forgotten that it is Clan Phenex tradition to bring any with self-restorative abilities into our house, rather than slay them, among other things. Though, after that Issei brat humiliated my daughter the way he did, I suspect I will need to impose on Ruval to see to bringing Hyoudou into the fold. His youngest daughters are of age with the child, and quite striking on top of being twins. As worried as I am for ever being able to find a suitable match for my baby girl, it is still good that the next addition to Phenex Immortality will be tied to the families main line."

Jaune, is now calmer as well, though, that may be a reflexive reaction to one of the Great Satans parents having inserted himself to the conversation more than anything else. A quick glance at his peerage shows that both Ren and Pyrrha have the pale-faced, wide-eyed look of people who know they are out of their depth and have no idea what to do. He takes a second, steadying breath as his teammates relax from the aggressive stances they had frozen in back to relaxed postures more appropriate for a party. "Lord Phenex, if you don't mind my asking, where is Ravel? I'm surprised that she isn't in attendance, considering..."

The Phenex patriarch lets out a low sigh, actually meeting Jaunes gaze with one that isn't angry or antagonistic for the first time since the conversation had started. "Yes, her hero worship of Riser wasn't exactly subtle. Probably a result of them having been born only years apart instead of decades, and my efforts to shield them from, this." he nebulously waves at the small circle the quintet are standing in. "They were very close in their youth, and having Riser fall so greatly short of the pedestal she held him on and what she believed all nobles should be, so viscerally and unexpectedly... She let the healers know that she desired your invitation to this auspicious gathering be a generous one, and entered seclusion. I suspect she is somewhere within Clan Phenex' holdings working through her thoughts and emotions. I'm certain she will let you know when she has decided she is ready to rejoin society, and do not think it will be too onerously long before she does."

Zeoticious nods, still smiling "Quite understandable. Now, Lord Phenex, if you don't mind, I think the two of us should have a, more private, conversation about my Rias and your Riser." The blond devil nods an affirmative "And, Jaune, manners." Zeoticious adds, prompting Jaune to, rather quickly, seal his blade away, reverting it to its unassuming, far less dangerous arming sword form. Then, after Jaune, Ren and Pyrrha offer their respects and bid the duo farewell, the pair ambles towards one of the great halls side doors.

Jaune leads his teammates through the crowd, still not thick, but pressing closer now that Jaune no longer has certain death in battle or to treachery hanging off his hip. His swords looser fit in the leather strap he had had affixed to his belt to hold it is, annoying, but the cross-guard is wide enough that he isn't worried the weapon will fall out or be lost. "Nora, I don't mean to sound rude, but why did you wander off to dump chunks of ice down Akeno's back while Jaune was, talking, with Lord Phenex?" Pyrrha opens as they join the Gremory peerage and their wayward rook.

The ginger devil shrugs, grinning, and still holding her arm across the Gremory queens shoulders "Oh, I figured I should let her know that with her magic, and my semblance, we'll make a hell of a team. Maybe even good enough to pull all of our butts out of the fire if things are ever looking really grim." Her easy smile turns predatory as she takes a long drink from her champagne flute "And that she messed up and revenge is a dish that is always served cold."

"Nora, why do you think you need to get revenge on Akeno, shes only ever helped us." Ren queries, snatching his partners empty glass from her hand to put it on a passing waitress' tray and grab her a fresh one.

"Oh, what she did to me during our magic lesson." The bombastic girl chirps, still holding Akeno, who looks more than a little uneasy, tight to her side.

Ren shakes his head "Nora, you interrupted her lesson to showboat and try to one up our teacher. You cant hold you getting more scared than is reasonable against her."

The ginger huntress-in-training looks over at Akeno, who deflates a bit, before replying "I, left out a few facts about what I was making Nora see. It wasn't just more illusions of me, each new one told her that the current one was an evil doppelganger, or a clone or and impostor. Then, I had the new illusion brutally murder the last one." Nora pulls Akeno tighter into her side, turns the hand that had been resting on the Priestess of Thunders shoulder upwards and snaps, bringing a slowly spinning magic circle int existence in the gingers palm. "And, the corpses kept on giving my lecture. They were trading off words, only one or two per corpse before I changed which one was talking." Noras hand fills with more chunks of ice. "Also, I made her think everything outside was on fire and that it was raining blood."

Koneko looks up at the more statuesque devil "Wow, overkill much, Akeno?"

"I said I was sorry." Akeno offers, pouting a bit.

Nora, still smiling warmly, interjects "And I said I accepted your apology as long as you let me get even." Akeno offers her new friend, maybe, a halfhearted smile at that.

"So, is there any particular reason that Lord Sirzechs looks like he just got force-fed a rotten lemon, and isn't sure if he's mad or wants to cry about it?" Jaune cuts in, hoping to avoid another awkward, overly formal verbal sparring match.

"Oh, I gave him one of the copies of those legal documents you helped Rias get written up, and told him that by now every clerk in the capitol building probably has a copy as well. He isn't quit happy about knowing that if tomorrows morning news doesn't make it very clear that Rias' and Risers arranged marriage is called off with no hope of being re-arranged, she'll be emancipated and divorced from the family within an hour of the capitol building opening for the day. Turns out Risers reputation goes well past the Pillars."

Before anyone can reply to that, a puff of smoke to Ren's right, accompanied by a muted pop, reveals what looks like the black haired huntsman in training's younger brother, a pink streak in his hair behind either ear, and dressed in a kimono even more formal and traditional than Akenos. The child-like familiar rapidly whispering up into Rens ear.

However, before any of them can inquire as to what the taciturn teens familiar is tolling him, Riser arrives in a burst of flame and heralded by a bestial shriek. "Greetings renowned devils of the Underworld." The blond noble announces into the startled silence, clad in a white robe that would be hanging wide open were it not for the narrow blue and gold sash at his waist restricting the exposed flesh to a wide wedge of his torso. "On behalf of the House of Phenex, Riser would like top thank each and every one of you for coming today." He continues, voice forming a self important, condescending diatribe as he holds his hands out in a wooden gesture of welcome for a party already two hours old. "This is a historic moment for the world of devils.."

Jaune tunes the overly self-important ponce out "Once we have a full peerage, we're putting that ass in his place." He half-whispers to his peerage and team. All three of them nod in ascent, as do the Gremory devils watching with them.

Just as Riser gestures to his right, and Rias teleports into the room, wearing a wedding dress of all things, the main doors burst open, a pair of guards having been used as battering rams, apparently. After a few shocked exclamations, the intruder, having forced his way through a few more guards and deeper into the room declares "I'm Issei Hyoudou, and I'm here to bring Rias back where she belongs. Nobodys gonna take anything from her that she doesn't wanna give!" The perverted white knight, well, pawn, exclaims, thrusting his sacred gear to the sky, his face a mask of stubborn determination.

More posturing gives Jaune just enough time to gesture to his team what he wants them to do. While Rias' peerage leaps forward to incapacitate the influx of guards the supposed interloper had drawn, several other peerages burst into action. Sairoarg, Kuisha, Liban and Coriana each flaring their wings and magic and darting to blaock the four side entrances to the suddenly too small seeming hall. Sona, Tsubaki and Saji have formed an inverse triangle at the door linking the dance hall to the kitchens and staff quarters at the front of the buffet table, king and queen facing the interior of the room, pawn ready to hold back any Phenex staff trying to gain entry.

The, to JNPR at least, now familiar shriek of over-heated steel dunked into ice-water and nails being dragged along a chalkboard heralds a deep crimson to acidic purple wall of flame cutting off the main entrance and last way in or out of the dance hall. Maginhild cracks once after Noras flourishing drawing of her weapon from her back. The floor, thankfully, is only scorched. The second crack as the ginger hammer-maiden lands is followed by a crackling, clattering groan as a ring of ice encircles the gaggle of Risers pawns and their hangers-on.

A trail of mist can be tracked from where Ren had been standing to where he skids to a halt. One of Stormflowers blades held to the neck of both Mihae and Karlamine. Jaune, having sprinted in a third direction in relation to Ren and Nora, forming a rough triangle, once again draws and reveals Crocea Mors true form. He slows to a halt in front of Yubelluna, resting the tip of his blade on her clavicle. "If you could do us the favor of having the rest of your peerage stand down, I promise no one will be injured."

"And while I am certain that Rias is flattered so many of her friends are willing to support her, this is a party, not a battlefield." Sirzechs voice booms across the cavernous room. "For any of you who had been paying more attention to taking control of the room than the tidbit of drama we just had, Riser and Issei will be fighting a duel. Should Issei win, the engagement will be called off, should Riser, the arrangement will stand."

Smiling a bit sheepishly, Jaune lowers his blade, and once again re-seals it. "Sorry, gotta look out for your friends and all that."

Yubelluna waves him off as the rest of his team make their way back over to him "Oh, no hard feelings. I rather enjoy forward men. If I didn't already have Riser, I might have considered giving you a shot with me after that." At that, she saunters off to join the rest of her peerage.

As Pyrrha, Nora and Ren re-join him, he notices, well, two things. First, that the room now is echoing with a strange clicking noise in addition to the dull roar of Underworld nobility murmuring among themselves. He looks over to where Risers pawns had been, and are still surrounded by a rough circle of ice capped with a frozen cage. He shoots Nora a dirty look, who does her best to shrug innocently "I can make ice, not melt it."

The second, is that they are not alone. A still sour-faced Sirzechs had joined them, a sheaf of papers clutched in his left hand. "I take it you are the one responsible for this?" He breaks into the teams banter, a fierce scowl on his face, though his ire doesn't seem aimed at anyone in particular. Though, the fact that he is addressing Jaune directly gives a good clue as to who the king of the Underworlds ire may soon be aimed at.

Jaune, and the rest of his team offer deep bows and curtsies to the King of the Underworld. "I have no skill whatsoever in crafting legalese, Lord Satan."

He shoots Jaune a dry, unamused glare for that. "Be that as it may, I can't think of a single lawyer in the underworld foolish enough to craft something that goes this far against the will of two of the Pillars. Especially for the younger sister of the King."

Jaune offers a shrug "The possibility of her finding a lawyer from outside the Underworld was always there. I just happened to be convenient for finding her one."

"And I dont want to have to use it, I'm proud of my Gremory heritage. But I refuse to accept that filth as a husband, and will do what I must to see that he wont be mine." Rias interjects as she walks up to stand next to her brother, standing as close as she can with how wide the pauldrons of his armored robe are.

"And wehre will you stay if you cast yourself out like this Rias? How will you make a living?" Sirzechs presses, his voice carying more worry than anger or hurt as he looks over at his sister.

She simply offers a shrug, and looks past her brother to Jaune. Jaune is able to keep his reaction to awkwardly rubbing at the back of his head, at least until Sirzechs shoots another glare his way. Before he can elaborate on the, loose, plan he has in his head should Rias' peerage need to relocate to Remnant, shouting that isn't trash-talk between the two duelists draws the small gathering of devils attention back to the magical projection of what is happening in the alternate space the pair is fighting in floating above the gathered devils in the room. "Overboost! Balance Break, Boosted Gear ScaleMail!" Issei all but howls as segmented, vibrant crimson armor materializes over his body. Vibrant emerald green gems adorn the armor, and vents emitting a glow of the same shade open up at strategic points on it.

FIFTEEN! Issei streaks skyward, punching the air as soon as he stops, an orb of magical energy the size of a small car bursting into existence and hurtling towards Riser as he punches at the air. The Phenex king dodges the attack, barely. A lance of hellfire bursts forth from the massive, dark cloud of smoke, debris and ash Isseis miss had kicked up. The resultant twin to the cloud Isseis attack makes it impossible to tell if Risers attack had connected. The Phenex king, now clad in form hugging armor from his shoulders to his fingertips, tattered strips of what was once his robes top streaks from 'his' dust cloud looking around for any sign of his foe. Moments later, he gets it in the form of the armored pawn streaking at him from the upper reaches of the newer, larger cloud of dust. "You tried to kill me!" Issei shouts as his lunging punch crashes into Risers sternum.

Before the older devil can react, the thrusters on the back of Isseis armor flare, shifting the reincarnated devils horizontal momentum to rotational, allowing for a brutal side kick into the small of Risers back, just to the left of his spine, sending the blonde crashing into the paved courtyard below. "You threatened to hack my balls off!"

FOURTEEN! "And worst of all, you tried to TAKE Rias like she's a trophy to be earned!" Another pair of over-sized Dragon Shots are launched at the most recent explosive cloud of debris at Isseis final, and most forceful accusation.

A massive wave of fire powers through both of them and knocks Issei from the sky. Riser rises from the crater that had formed from his hard landing, a sneer on his unblemished face. "You think your speed, your power is impressive Hyodou? I am a Phenex Nobleman, the flame of the Immortal bird burns within me! The hellfire of the Phenex clan will scorch you to DUST!" Riser darts further skyward, turning into a dive as a tremendous wave of hellfire forming around him as he dives towards where Issei had landed.

Undaunted, Issei once again launches himself skyward, left fist cocked back for a haymaker. The two devils collide midair, each planting a fist in the others face as they meet. A blinding explosion blooms between the two combatants, hurling them away from each other. When his vision clears, Issei checks himself over, armor showing cracks and qura feeling notably shallower than it had at the duels start. ELEVEN! "Its a damn good thing I have armor and aura to take the edge off these hits." Issei muses to himself. "Phenex hellfire attacks are nothing to mess around with."

He pushes himself up just in time to leap clear of another lance of hellfire, and counters with a blast of draconic wrath. He leaps as high as he can to dodge the blazing punch Riser had followed the elemental attack with. He counters with a crimson-rimmed axe-kick, which Riser dodges just as neatly. "If it weren't for that armor, you'd already be dust, pawn!" Riser screams at Issei as he connects with a flame wreathed left cross. Issei grunts, but doesn't shift.

Smirking behind his helmet, a light rainbow hued aurora already coating his left arm from shoulder to fist, Issei counters with just as much force, launching Riser into the ground and breaking his nose in the process. Dropping like a meteor, Issei shatters Riswers jaw with a right hook that shatters his jaw as well as he mounts the older devils chest. The jaw heals in a burst of flame even as Issei starts working Risers face over with his fists. NINE! His first trump card must have fallen from his fist, as Riser gasps out "C-Cross!"

Issei pauses, and unclenches his fist, letting the holy artefact dangle free. "Yup, Rias bishop is a former nun. She let me borrow one. Wanna know what else she gave me?"

Eyes wide, either in agony or shock, the pinned Phenex grunts out a wet, phlegmatic "How?"

Issei rears Ddraigs left arm back and thrusts the cross into Risers sternum with all the strength he can muster. SEVEN! "I gave my left arm to the Welsh Dragon. Shoulder to fingertip, asshole."

"You, you're a madman!" Riser screams as Issei reveals the vial of holy water Asia had given him for just this purpose. TRANSFER "You can't do this! I'm too important!" He howls, pupils now tiny specks in eyes that are otherwise nearly bulging out of his skull."

"You're only third in line if all of your nieces and nephews die too. And Rias is worth whatever happens to me for this." Issei snarls back, before open-palm slamming his left arm into Risers face, shattering the vial and grinding the shards of glass into a face that will no longer regenerate. He doesn't let up, smashing one fist and then the other into Risers face. He doesn't stop when he can hear glass shattering and sees a flare of pink that isn't actually there. Doesn't stop when he hears someones countdown hit zero. Keeps going as his own fists blister, burn, bleed, and tear with every strike now that they land bare.

Someone slaps him, and he realizes he is standing up back in a courtyard outside the Phenex manor. He idly realizes that his hands are bandaged as he busys hiimself with blinking, and taking in his surroundings. "What?"

"Riser yielded, well, tapped out." Jaune replies, and Issei realizes he is surrounded by the rest of Rias peerage, and the ones that had leapt to help him after he fought his way to the chamber Rias and Risers engagement party had been being held in.

Akeno shakes her head "You nearly ruined your arms at the end of that fight, Issei."

Sirzechs, a hand resting on Rias shoulder, face maybe a little too placid, adds "Lord Phenex and my father returned to the party just in time for the last nine seconds of the duel. By the time it was over, Lord Phenex forcibly ended the party and expelled everyone not a member of house Phenex from the manor."

"And Riser?" Issei asks, an odd numb terror climbing up into his chest from his gut.

A burly blue haired brute of a devil waves dismissively in his direction "Phoenix tears. He'll make a perfect recovery. No scars, no lasting damage."

Sona scoffs at that "Oh, from the look on Lord Phenex's face, he'll probably wish some of the damage you inflicted would be lasting."

Sirzechs nods his head towards a hulking green griffon preening itself a ways away from the gathering of devils. "I procured that for an emergency escape option for You and Rias, Issei. When you started outmatching Riser, I had thought it may make for a chance for you to romance my sister after winning her freedom from a marriage she didn't want to be forced into. Now, I think we all just-"

Rias stalks across the small garden, grabs Isseis face with both hands and leans in for a deep, searing kiss. When they part, panting, she quips "That was my first kiss, Issei. It's a bit of a monumental moment for a young woman, isn't it?"

Wide eyed, freaking out and happy as hell, Issei barely registers the girl whose eyes he is still staring into's older brother clear his throat and grump "We all just want to go home, put tonight behind us, and sleep." A summoning circle flares to life around the entire group, but Issei isnt too worried about that. Home, wherever Rias is.

Whoof. And here we are, volume one and season one done now. Some lessons were a bit harsher than they had been in canon, and some, implications a bit more starkly adressed, but trust me when I say it's all building towards something better. Some character threads are gonna go quiet coming up, and others are gonna shift more into the spotlight, but the changes are really starting to build up now. Strap in folks, this ride is just getting started.

Love it? Hate it? Worried about what next months addition to the apocolypse is gonna be? Drop me a review, that feedback is what keeps me powering through this story!