Have a couple projects in the works, might release soon, not that anyone's gonna read this lol.

Currently writing a 2hu x dxd thing. Might come back and expand on it here later.

So, here's something for those currently interested in the future of my current fic, Fantasy x Fantasy.

As some of you might know, near the end of the first set of Light Novels, there's a big tournament of Rating Games that spans every mythological species called the 'Azazel Cup'.

I got bored and decided to do a small write-up on hypothetical teams if I ever got to that point in DxD canon.

Features minimal spoilers, though a few hints at whats to come in the future are included.

Here ya go.

Introducing the Commentator and Analyst Desk!

Reimu Hakurei
Shrine Maiden of Paradise
Guardian of Gensokyo, Hero of the Underworld
"Yo. I'm here I guess. I guess I'm here because I'm pretty closely tied to all Factions at this point, and because we have a staggering amount of entrants from Gensokyo. I don't really have experience with doing this commentary stuff, but I've done judging for stuff before. I hope I can make this enjoyable for all of you at home, where ever that may be. Whether your from the Underworld, the 'Underworld', Hell, Old Hell, Heaven, Asgard or where ever, please have a good time."

Shiva
Apotheosis of the Heavenly Void
Chief Hindu God, Organizer of the Azazel Cup
"I'm not good at this commentary thing either, but similarly, I have some experience in vaguely related manners. As a chief god, I've advised and overseen many conflicts, so I think I'm rather knowledgeable on this matter. I'm also the main organizer of this event, so I'm kinda needed here anyways."

Azazel
The Man Below Heaven
Chief of Grigori, Founder of the Azazel Cup
"Yo, Azazel here! Hope all of you enjoy what I've concocted for all of you. It was a blast putting this together, talking to everyone from every corner of the world. We got a really large group of participants, so thanks to everyone who registered. We'll also be offering more than just a first place prize. We have stuff for hundreds and hundreds of ranks, hell maybe even thousands! Even the mid-ranking participants on this leaderboard will have a good bunch of stuff they get. Admittedly, its more spiritual enrichment then physical wealth, but hey, we're not made of money."

Sirzechs Lucifer
Consumer of the Morning Star
Head of Internal Affairs, Representative of the Underworld
"Sirzechs Lucifer. As many of you are devils already familiar with the Rating Games, I'm sure most of you know of me already. For those who don't, I'm here because I was heavily involved in the introduction and formation of the rules and systems in place that formed the Rating Games. I'm a 'regulatory officer', ensuring that no foul play is committed. So be warned. We want an honest competition here."

Ajuka Beelzebub
Devil Prince rotting the Natural Order
Chief Scientist of the Underworld
"Ajuka Beelzebub. Same goes for me. I made the Evil Piece system and Peerage system, so even if you're not a devil, you likely know of me. Anyways, aside from my role in the Rating Games, I've also been invited to this desk for my analyst skills. Azazel will mainly handle things like military strategy, while I go more in depth on the individual capabilities of each participant, covering the extent of their strengths and weaknesses. Please bear with me, I can go on tangents at times."

Michael
The One He Left Behind
Current Stand-in Ruler of Heaven
"Greetings, I am Michael. To be honest, I'm not here for any particular reason. I've been invited as the sort of token diversity slot, to flesh out the Three Factions. Nevertheless, I am considered to be a comfortable presence and voice, so I should not be completely useless when it comes to providing helpful commentary for this couch."

Reimu - "I've already looked through today's list of entrants, so I suppose I have a bit of an unfair advantage here. But let's get started already. I have hours I need to sleep, you know? First off in the list of Gensokyo Residents, we have the Buddhists, led by Byakuren Hijiri."

Team Dharma of the Liberation – Myouren Temple

King: Byakuren Hijiri
Specialty – Enhancements and Close Quarters Combat
Ability – Strongest Bodhisattva recorded
Category – Primary Power, Technique, Wizard and Support

Shiva – “This overview doesn’t do her any justice. This woman is god damn terrifying… She can do just about anything better than just about everyone. I’m not sure if I know anyone physically stronger than her at her max either.”

Reimu Hakurei – “You know, I think I’ll agree with that last part. I’m not sure who would win in a physical brawl between Suika and Byakuren.”

Queen: Shou Toramaru
Specialty – Firepower and Utility
Ability – Good fortune and gathering of treasures
Category – Support

Azazel – “Would it hurt the tiger to share? I’d personally love to get my hands on those treasures of hers… Man, I’m salivating at the thought of all the Sacred Gears I could base off of those.”

Ajuka Beelzebub – “Join the queue.”

Knight: Nazrin
Specialty – Targeted disruption and speed
Ability – Locating and stealing treasures
Category – Primary Support, secondary Technique

Reimu – “You think when this tournament’s done, she’ll be willing to help me out as a favor for getting her here?”

Azazel – "Me first. That ability of hers to remove Sacred Gears without damage will be a godsend for my research."

Knight: Joon Yorigami
Specialty – Causing despair
Ability – Draining and ruining wealth
Category – Secondary Power and Technique

Reimu – “What a cruel person.”

Sirzechs Lucifer – “You know, I’ve seen Devils more pleasant than this woman’s abilities… I can’t imagine anything more terrifying than Yorigami over here walking up to me, mugging me then spending that money on useless things that she’ll burn right in front of me.”

Bishop: Nue Houjou
Specialty – Stealth
Ability – Making things unknown
Category – Support

Bishop: Mamizou Futatsuiwa
Specialty – Crowd Control and Confusion
Ability – Transformation and Disguise
Category – Primary Wizard, secondary Support

Azazel – “I think that once you remove all the raw powerhouses and behemoths from the equation, Mamizou-san is the most terrifying participant in the competition. The sheer amount of support and utility her abilities can provide is insane.”

Rook: Ichirin Kumou
Specialty – Close Quarters Combat
Ability – Master of Unzan, a nyuudou
Category – Power

Serafall Leviathan – “UOOOO! SUGOI! AN IRL STANDO POWAH USER! SHOW ME ALL YOUR POSES! DO THE ORA ORA THING! PLEASE PLEASE PLEA-”

Shiva – “Oi. Get out. I don’t remember inviting you to this desk.”

Rook: Minamitsu Murasa
Specialty – Terrain Control
Ability – Creating ‘shipwrecks’
Category – Power

Pawn: Shion Yorigami
Specialty – Crowd Control and Disruption
Ability – Creating misfortune
Category – Support

Michael – “What a poor soul… A true tragedy…”

Shiva – “Hm? Where’s Hakurei?”

Reimu cries in the corner* - “Please. Go away, bad memories, go away…”

Commentator/Analyst Panel Comments

Shiva – “I might be biased, but this team is definitely my favourite to win. I’m definitely more personally invested with this because of Hijiri’s ties to my own pantheon, so I’ll refrain from saying much more.”

Reimu Hakurei – “Jeez. This team feels a little unbalanced. Way too top heavy in my opinion. Relies way too much on Byakuren being able to spread her enchantments and spells to everyone for them to have actual impact.”

Azazel – “Hmm, that is true, but you can’t deny the effectiveness of a strategy like that once its launched. A team like this is loaded with utility. You have Nazrin stripping away everyones tools, the ferocious combination of Nue and Mamizou giving you unparalleled surprise attacks… This team might not have pure muscle without the likes of Hijiri and Bishamonten’s avatar, but it might be able to work its way through with its unconventional abilities regardless. This is definitely the team to watch out for in the alternative rulesets and games.”

Ajuka – “I think this team would either be first or second seed if the Azazel Cup was made to perform in an unrestricted battlefield. Seriously, the amount of raw physical power that their King can bring to the battlefield… It’s genuine terrifying… It’ll be interesting to see how they can function without their leader able to completely run over everyone with her overwhelming physical abilities.”

Michael – “This team’s synergy feels very genuine. Its clear to me that this team will function very seamlessly and synchronously. They have amicable friendships and are all willing to fight under their King… It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a united group. I’d like to see if their faith and religion will be able to make its way to the end of their run in the same shape as it is now.”

Sirzechs – “So is this meant to be the thing that introduces the audience to our roles in the commentary? Shiva says nothing worthwhile, Hakurei gives us a blanket statement, Azazel comments on the military strategy, Ajuka breaks down the numbers and stats, while Michael talks about their relationships? I can get behind this.”

Reimu – “Oi, what about you then? What the hell are you doing?”

Shiva – “…I just said I’ll refrain from talking too much since I’m somewhat biased, didn’t I?”

Team Shining Voices of the Gathering Divine Spirits – Divine Spirit Mausoleum

King: Toyotsatomimi no Miko
Specialty – Magic, Charisma
Ability – Transcendent Taoist Hermit
Category – Wizard

Azazel – “Prince Shoutoku, eh? Gotta admit, not someone I expected to meet in the 21st Century.”

Michael – “Transcendent indeed… I almost mistook her for a resident of Heaven… How fearsome…”

Sirzechs – “I’m honestly a little envious… I don’t think I’ll ever be as charismatic of a leader as she is.”

Reimu – “Oi, Sirzechs. Snap out of it. That’s her trap, don’t fall for it.”

Queen: Seiga Kaku
Specialty – Magic, Strategy
Ability – Creating holes in surfaces
Category – Wizard

Sirzechs – “…You’re sure this woman isn’t a devil?”

Reimu – “Ye-… Actually… It would make a lot of sense…”

Knight: Saki Kurokoma
Specialty – Mobility and Single-Target Power
Ability – Unparalleled leg strength
Category – Secondary Power and Technique

Azazel – “Prince Shoutoku’s horse, eh? Tell you what… I’d ride her any time… heheh…”

Reimu slaps Azazel on the shoulder*

Azazel – “Ow!”

Reimu – “Calm yourself, perv.”

Knight: Iku Nagae
Specialty – Midrange Expert, Terrain/Weather Control
Ability – Manipulation of weather, mainly lightning
Category – Wizard

Michael – “Hm? Nagae-san? What’s she doing here? Shouldn’t she be with Hinanawi-san?”

Reimu – “From what I understand, Miko and Iku have a bit of an amicable relationship. Something about the grace of heaven… Either way, Miko called in a favour and got her on her team. Works pretty well with Soga too… Speaking of whom…”

Bishop: Soga no Tojiko
Specialty – Weather Manipulation, Long-range Striking
Ability – Calling forth thunder
Category – Wizard

Ajuka – “Ah, I see. Nagae-san sets up the thunderstorm, and Soga-san uses that thunderstorm to amplify her own abilities to call down thunder.”

Azazel – “That’s a two-way synergy, don’t forget. If Soga-san calls her lightning down, Nagae can amplify that herself to create huge localized thunderstorms across the arena. That’s some power that Miko packed…”

Ajuka – “I see… the ability to concentrate an entire thunderstorm, as well as the ability to exponentially explode a single bolt of lightning… If they could create an entire thunderstorm where each bolt is comprised of an entire thunderstorm in and of itself… That would be a nearly insurmountable wall.”

Bishop: Mononube no Futo
Specialty – All-rounder
Ability – Manipulation of feng shui
Category – Wizard

Shiva – “You shouldn’t be fooled by how simple her abilities seem. She’s one of the head hermits of the Mausoleum, a rival equal in power to the Myouren Temple. Being able to stand up against those monsters should give you an idea of how strong Mononube can be.”

Reimu – “You really have a hard-on for Byakuren, don’t you?”

Shiva blushes* - “Oi. They’re related to my own pantheon, they’re just the ones I know most about.”

Sirzechs deadpans* - “Yea, that’s not fooling anyone.”

Rook: Hata no Kokoro
Specialty – Versatility and Adaptability
Ability – 66 Masks of Emotion
Category – All of them, but only one at a time

Reimu – “It’s weird to say… But I genuinely think that Kokoro is the most powerful and useful member of their lineup, only behind Miko herself and that's because of her raw power.”

Azazel – “I can see that. Harnessing the raw powers of the infinite depths of human emotions is not an ability to be stifled with. Its something that not even devils can fully tap into. On top of that, she has sixty-six of them… that’s an unprecedented amount of wholly different sets of power she can use.”

Ajuka – “I hate to admit it, but Azazel is right. The levels of energy that we can draw out of the Seven Deadly Sins is nothing compared to this.”

Rook: Miyako Yoshika
Specialty – Specific tech/counter and nullifications
Ability – Eating anything
Category – Power

Azazel – “Talk about a wall… Not only does she have heightened durability and endurance, along with no sense of self-preservation, all from her status as a jiangshi… She also has that ability of hers to eat anything that exists in the material world… This isn’t someone you can just take head on.”

Ajuka – "She definitely works for her intended purpose. There are so many matchups that exist where you can just plop her down and she would eat everything that they throw at her. And then once people get close, her poison techniques will endanger close range fighters too… She's an amazing tank and counter unit, but really, she's someone who needs to be countered herself."

Pawn: Kogasa Tatara
Specialty – Surprise and Ambush
Ability – Ajuka looks up from his pad. He turns to face Reimu. “Does she actually have any particular special abilities?”
Reimu shrugged. “I don’t think so?”
Category – Secondary Support and Technique

Sirzechs – “Is there really any reason she’s here? She doesn’t really provide anything, does she?”

Azazel – “Hm… With her and Miyako, I can definitely see a case being made they’re specifically brought in to deal with other line-ups. Her job seems to be to get into the heads of Nue and Mamizou from Myouren Temple, sharing abilities in the same field.”

Pawn: Kyouko Kasodani
Specialty – Support and Amplification
Ability – Echo
Category – Support

Michael – “What a cute dog… I’d like to pet her.”

Reimu – “…Why does no one else have anything else to say?”

Commentator/Analyst Panel Comments

Shiva – “Hmm… Taoism… To be honest, I’m a bit surprised this is the line-up they went with… Why didn’t they fill out the rest of their pawns? I can see a whole bunch of holes in their strategy and power… How will they be able to deal with straight-up physical threats? Their sole defensive wall, Miyako no Yoshika, will be blown up instantly by the likes of the oni or their main rival.”

Reimu Hakurei – “To be honest, its because Taoism is the least liked in Gensokyo. Both Shinto and Buddhism have good will amongst the youkai, while all of the humans are usually aligned with some other faction. It is weird though they didn’t take on any of the Chinese Heroes like Cao Cao or Sun Wukong, though.”

Azazel – “This team is definitely super strong… but I don’t see them winning the whole thing. They have way too many holes and even their few strategies like the thunder won’t be enough to win matches on their own. The physical thing is the main one, but also, they’re super massively reliant on their magic. This seems like a team that will fall apart after the first few rounds, once everyone figures out their flaws.”

Ajuka Beelzebub – “That might be the case, Azazel, but you shouldn’t underestimate their raw power. The prince is one of the beings closest to encroaching Divinity. They might not have much else, but Miko-san was the one watched by the gathering Divine Spirits.”

Michael – “On top of that, this is definitely the most cohesive leadership in the competition, even more than their rival. Whereas the Buddhists are closer to peers under the same faith, following behind their mutual friend Byakuren Hijiri, we see a clear structure here. Miko gives orders, while the wicked hermit advises from the shadows, providing strategy. To be honest, the pawns being pawns, and the bishops being bishops makes a lot of sense.”

Sirzechs Lucifer – “She will definitely have the easiest time out of the Gensokyo residents blasting through the lower groups and preliminaries though. That divine light of hers is definitely the most raw magical energy that anyone is packing here, maybe matched only by that Greek Goddess. Doesn’t help those people that Rating Games are traditionally filled with Devils. Traditional Peerages will melt in an instant against that light. Even if Vali-kun or Issei-kun run into her, I’m not confident in their chances.”

Shiva deadpans* - “Who has a hard-on for who, now?”

Reimu – “I was the one who said that, you know?”

Team Border of Phantasm and Dreaming – Hakurei/Kyoto

Reimu – “Oh, these guys.”

Sirzechs – “Wrong segment, Hakurei. After the members, remember?”

Reimu – “Sorry.”

King: Yasaka
Specialty – Leadership, Terrain Manipulation, Power
Ability – Kyuubi lineage, Leylines of Kyoto
Category – Primary Power and Wizard, secondary Support

Ajuka – “Hmm, leadership as a specialty, eh? I guess its warranted, seeing as how, so far, she’s the only one who is an actual leader of an actual faction.”

Azazel – “Ah, Yasaka-chan… Man… I forgot how busted the ability to take in an entire set of Leylines was. She’ll certainly be hard to overcome, even with the several Gods in play.”

Queen: Nurarihyon
Specialty – Everything
Ability – Complete control of nightmares and shadows
Category – Primary Power, Technique, Wizard and Support

Azazel – “This one feels more unfair than even those who are stronger than him. There’s the ‘I didn’t get to do anything unfair’, and then there’s ‘I really lost to a dice roll unfair’… This is definitely the latter, which is infinitely more infuriating. If your match is scheduled to be in the day, good job, you have a chance. If you lost the fifty-fifty and you fight during the night? Well… you lose, I guess.”

Bishop: Ran Yakumo
Specialty – Calculation and Strategy, Magic
Ability – Intelligence, Shikigami abilities, Kyuubi lineage
Category – Wizard

Shiva – “Isn’t this stretching the rules a little? I feel like that little cat counts as way more than a familiar… Should we revise the rules?”

Azazel – “Eh, doesn’t change that much…”

Sirzechs – “The aun- *Sirzechs whispers to Reimu* What is Yasaka to her again?”

Reimu – “Daughter.”

Sirzechs – “Right, the mother of Yasaka… To be honest, it’s a bit weird seeing this formation. The daughter as the King with the father as the Queen, while the mother is off as the Bishop… And then, somehow, her daughter’s sister/her daughter's own daughter’s sister/playmate is her contractee… What a mess…”

Bishop: Keine Kamishirasawa
Specialty – Close Combat, Information Manipulation
Ability – Physical strength, Eating History
Category – Power

Michael – “To think she would participate in this tournament… She seemed rather peaceful to me… What pushed her to fight like this?”

Reimu – “Well, the moon is always full in the Underworld, right? She’s a were-hakutaku, so whenever the full moon comes, she always has a bit of a change in personality. Also, it’s a favour for her good friend, Mokou. She’s somewhere in this line-up as well.”

Sirzechs – “I don’t really get the ‘bishop’ part of her kit… Doesn’t she just smash things really hard? Aside from her history-eating thing, which is more of a utility thing, I don’t really get why she wasn’t a rook…”

Ajuka – “Well, I took a peek at who was chosen instead… There’s a pretty good reason for that.”

Knight: Aya Shameimaru
Specialty – Mobility and Weather Control
Ability – Unparalleled Speed, like seriously
Category – Technique

Ajuka – “Talk about some serious speed… Fast enough even under our restricted playing field and rules to completely surround the entirety of the terrain in an uncontrollable whirlwind and tornado…”

Sirzechs – “I’ll refrain from commenting, here.”

Shiva – “When I look at these speed stats… geez… Were our restrictions enough? How the hell is this supposed to work out?”

Azazel – “I’m a bit worried as well, but there’s nothing we can really do. Restrict any further, and things start to be unfair for other people as well. She’s just an extreme abnormality.”

Reimu – “Everyone’s being chatty, so I guess I’ll say something here as well. She has more than just unparalleled speed, you know? Along with being able to cause tornados with raw speed, she also has one of the purest wind manipulation abilities as a first-generation pureblood tengu, so she can slice you up pretty bad too.”

Michael – “No one commented on her job as a reporter, huh? Interesting…”

Sirzechs – “There was a silent agreement among us, who have all been affected by her tabloids… Let’s just move on before we climb down that rabbit hole.”

Knight: Hatate Himekaidou
Specialty – Reconnaissance and Scouting
Ability – Spirit Photos – Telegnosis Photography
Category – Support

Reimu – “Aya’s rival, huh? Well, her newspapers are certainly less… boggling…”

Sirzechs – “I can see that she’s likely a Knight because of her rivalry with Shameimaru… but from a tactical standpoint, her magical abilities and thoughtography would have made her much more suitable for a bishop.”

Michael – “Well, she’s certainly of a much better character than her rival. Though my privacy feels even more invaded…”

Ajuka – “She’s certainly nowhere near as fast as Shameimaru, but she’s still a tengu. Don’t underestimate the natural abilities of that bloodline. Not to mention, those information-gathering abilities of hers are certainly something.”

Reimu – “Hmm… There is something that I’m wondering about, though… Her thoughtography relies on things already being seen and heard… How would that work? Maybe that’s what Chen and Aya are for? Well, aside from what they already do.”

Rook: Suika Ibuki
Specialty – Strength. Lots of it. Also, some extent of Terrain Manipulation.
Ability – Density/Sparseness Manipulation. And Strength. Lots of it.
Category – Power. Serious power.

Reimu – “Oh. Joy. The Onis are up now… This’ll be a mess.”

Sirzechs – “…Is there anything much for us to talk about here? We all know how ridiculously strong she is… Even under our restrictions… She’ll still be able to blow apart anything in her way…”

Azazel – “But the more… ‘conceptual’ and ‘abstract’ abilities will stand a chance, no?”

Ajuka – “Still, even if she there is something she can’t blow up, she still has that other ability of hers. I heard that she was able to reduce a mountain range to sand with it… Yet another avenue of heavy terrain manipulation. This is shaping up to be a troublesome team. Leylines, tornadoes, density… what’s next?”

Reimu – “You don’t want to know.”

Rook: Yuugi Hoshiguma
Specialty – Wildcard. Strength.
Ability – Ruinous Superstrength, Unexplainable Phenomena
Category – Power

Reimu – “And there she is.”

Ajuka – “…Unexplainable Phenomena… wow… What a completely insane busted ability… You’re telling me she can just sit there and stuff will just fall to pieces around her?”

Reimu shrugs*

Michael – “Her rather… intense… habits of indulgence seem to make her an even less controllable threat… Should we not disqualify her on grounds of being completely uncontrollable and unrestrainable?”

Shiva – “…I think it’ll be fun to watch. I’d let it pass.”

Azazel – “…Is that the grounds we’re basing this off of now, Shiva?”

Pawn: Kasen Ibaraki
Specialty – All-rounder
Ability – Strength, Hermit magic (?), Animal-guiding, Oni lineage?
Category – Primary Power and Technique, Secondary Wizard and Support

Reimu – “I’ll be honest. I fought her true self and still don’t understand what she can really do.”

Michael – “Is she really a hermit? …She acts like one from time to time, but she still indulges in worldly desires…”

Ajuka – “What’s with this mix of abilities? Animal guiding, Oni strength and other miscellaneous hermit abilities… With those beasts of hers, she even does enough to be classified under ‘Wizard’ and ‘Support’. What’s with these Four Devas? Talk about overloaded kits…”

Sirzechs – “Well, from what I hear from Yasaka and Nurarihyon, they’re just about as chaotic as they sound.”

Azazel – “What’s with that mysterious arm of hers, anyways? That’s the part I get the least…”

Reimu – “You don’t want to know.”

Pawn: Fujiwara no Mokou
Specialty – Close Quarters Combat, Bruiser, Environmental Destruction
Ability – Immortality, Fire Manipulation, Possible relation to Suzaku of the South
Category – Power

Azazel – “And there she is, the fiery troublemaking immortal herself.”

Ajuka – “I think, by now, most people here are familiar with her. Let’s just move onto the team overview.”

Commentator/Analyst Panel Comments

Shiva – “Hm. This team truly does have everything, and not in a ‘jack-of-all-trades’ way either. They do have true masters of several arts here. They have both unparalleled strength in the oni and unparalleled speed in the tengu… It would be extremely tough to beat this line-up. I would say they would be my favourite to win, but I have to stick with Byakuren, still. That team’s high-roll potential with their enhancements from their leader is frankly absurd.”

Reimu Hakurei – “I kinda know everyone here, so it’s weird to talk about them. If I will mention one thing, I’m surprised by how well connected everyone here is to each other. You wouldn’t expect it, but they all actually have fairly close ties despite having such a wide and varied roster.”

Azazel – “…Aside from their overwhelming immediate strengths like the oni, tengu, and their King and Queen, they have so many utility advantages as well as strategical tools that those alone would be enough to overwhelm most of the competition. They have so much map control its absurd. Completely reducing mountains to atoms with Shuten-douji, uncontrollable happenings with Hoshiguma-douji, complete aerial control with Shameimaru, shadows being unsafe, complete synchronisation and exploitation with leylines… I’d struggle to find a way to beat this team even if I had infinite power.”

Ajuka Beelzebub – “I’m very interested in the synergies of this line-up. There are so many amazing combinations that could be possible here with this variety of powers. Imagine Hoshiguma being paired up with Shameimaru, spiralling natural disasters out of control, or Nurarihyon with Ibuki, making shadows appear and disappear at will. I think I’d need a chart to figure out all of those possible combos.”

Michael – “I feel like it should be natural that this team shouldn’t function together properly… but it really seems like it does, as Hakurei said… We have conflicting personalities, like the aggressive and dominant personalities of Hoshiguma and Ibuka, the calmer, but still explosive personas of the hakutaku and Ibaraki, to the wildcards of Ran and Fujiwara no Mokou, and still, somehow, they all work together under Nurarihyon and Yasaka.”

Sirzechs Lucifer – “Something else to note is also that Yasaka is the only participant so far to have ‘Leadership’ under their considered strengths. This definitely means there’s something different about the way she leads those under her into battle. I think more than their synergies and strengths, what will stand out most is how Yasaka will employ these personalities in an effective manner.”

Team Chasers of the Phantasmal Truth – Incident Resolvers/Residents of the Hakurei Shrine

King: Marisa Kirisame
Specialty – Innovation/Invention, Magic, Improvisation
Ability – Magical Ability, Problem-solving
Category – Wizard

Reimu – “Well, she’s my best friend. Nothing more to say.”

Michael – “…There really isn’t, is there? We all know what she’s capable of, and Hakurei’s faith in her best friend speaks miles.”

Queen: Mima
Specialty – Magic, Strategy
Ability – Advanced Magical Theory and Ability
Category – Wizard

Reimu – “This was definitely the wild card brought in. I was not expecting her to be on board with this, let alone in the submissive leadership position.”

Sirzechs – “Don’t underestimate her. She might seem like a simple vengeful spirit, but she was instrumental in the destruction of Makai a decade back. Don’t laugh at someone capable of standing toe-to-toe with the greatest creations of Lilith.”

Ajuka – “That would also apply to Kirisame, no?”

Michael – “I’m tempted to say that she’s a bit too cruel… but I’d be judging her too much on being a vengeful spirit and it isn’t really true. I had a few pleasant conversations with her.”

Shiva – “When I asked her a bit on her intentions entering, she laughed it off and gave some vague statement involving Hakurei. Whatever.”

Reimu – “Eh, I’ll handle myself. And to be honest, there’s something later on that she’ll definitely not be able to overcome. But that’s probably gonna be last.”

Bishop: Sanae Kochiya
Specialty – Weather Manipulation, Versatile Combatant
Ability – Miracle Invocation, Possession by the Moriya Gods
Category – Primary Wizard, secondary Support

Azazel – “Ah, yes… The infamous ‘Green Reimu’…”

Reimu – “Is that seriously what you’re calling her?”

Shiva – “Well, they’re not wrong.”

Sirzechs – “That aside, this is a fairly troublesome opponent to deal with. You have versatile situation manipulation with her miracle invocation, along with various avenues of both attack and support through invoking her chosen gods.”

Bishop: Sumireko Usami
Specialty – Long-range Combat, Wide-area Control
Ability – Esper abilities
Category – Wizard

Ajuka – “Probably THE most unassuming combatant of the competition. And one of the least warranted. Seriously, she looks like and acts like a cute high school girl, but then breaks out her bat-!@#$ insane esper abilities. Teleportation, telekinesis, psychic pressure… She’s something straight out an anime, like that Accelerator guy from that Science vs Magic thing.”

Michael – “Don’t even get me started on those Occult Balls of hers… Those caused the alarm system of Heaven warning against the end of the world to go crazy so many times… Seriously, who thought it was a good idea to give a little girl the ability to literally call forth the Apocalypse?”

Reimu – “I’ll agree with you on that. Marisa needs to take those things back.”

Knight: Youmu Konpaku
Specialty – Close Quarters Combat, Defence Penetration
Ability – Master Swordsmanship, Half-phantom bloodline
Category – Primary Technique, secondary Power

Azazel – “Finally, a straight-forward combatant. I can deal with wrapping my head around a sword-wielder. However fearsome she may be.”

Shiva – “Are you sure about that? Those slashes seriously defy a sense of reason most of the time.”

Reimu – “Not to mention how that sword of hers cuts into the spiritual realm. She got in trouble with that in the past, actually. She was scolded by the Yama and a Shinigami. Had to undergo formal classes because of it.”

Azazel – “Sheesh, really? Looks like I’ll have to take that back.”

Knight: Sakuya Izayoi
Specialty – Murder, Ambush, Single-target Elimination
Ability – Time manipulation, high proficiency in bladed weapons
Category – Technique

Shiva – “Hold on, shouldn’t she be restricted from this competition? Outside of the Spell Card thingy in your homeland, isn’t she a natural-born murderer? This can’t be safe, can it?”

Reimu – “Eh, Remilia told her to hold back on the deadly knives. She’ll listen to her mistress.”

Michael – “Speaking of which, I know Scarlet intended on entering the competition herself… It’ll be odd for both sides to have them separated like this.”

Sirzechs – “I believe this is because the theme of the team was those tied to the stability of Gensokyo through Hakurei here. We have those who join her commonly on solving Incidents, like Kirisame, Konpaku and Izayoi, as well as those who reside commonly in the Shrine, like Mima and Clownpiece.”

Rook: Yuuka Kazami
Specialty – Just a monster. Plain and simple.
Ability – Ruinous strength, Communication with Nature, High magical ability
Category – Primary Power and Wizard

Reimu – “Yeah, don’t anger her. Or step on her flowers. Actually, don’t approach her.”

Michael – “I guess that’s all we need to know, then…”

Sirzechs – “Hold on, why is she part of this team?”

Reimu – “She helped clean up a lot before I matured, like back in Makai. She also has a bit of investment in Marisa, so she helps her out from time to time.”

Rook: Clownpiece
Specialty – Wide-area disruption and control
Ability – Causing Chaos
Category – Primary Wizard, secondary Support

Reimu – “Oh, joy. She’s here. That little bugger under my shrine.”

Michael – “This seems like a horrendous choice to mesh with the rest of the personalities here.”

Azazel – “Well, true as that might be, you can’t deny her strength. She’s a specialty even among Hell Fairies, and a personal aide to that Greek Goddess.”

Pawn: Auun Komano
Specialty – Area Protection and Denial
Ability – Protective Sprit
Category – Support

Michael – “…She’s cute.”

Reimu – “Hands off. She’s mine.”

Pawn: Kosuzu Motoori
Specialty – Strategy, Problem-solving
Ability – Deciphering of all things
Category – Support

Reimu – “Hm? What’s she doing here? Seriously, Kozusu, go back home, or hell, come here. Join us for commentary, we could use your abilities. Don’t endanger yourself like this.”

Commentator/Analyst Panel Comments

Reimu – “These guys are basically all my friends, so I don’t have much to say. I definitely worry a bit about their leadership, though.”

Shiva – “This is quite the group of characters… We have a standard western magician, a vengeful spirit, an esper, a half-phantom samurai, a… vampire slayer? Fairies from hell, protective spirits… I think this might be the flashiest team in the roster. I’ll certainly be watching them more than anyone else.”

Azazel – “Definitely the most diverse team yet… We have coverage for just about every situation here. Kirisame and Mima-san give magical firepower, Kazami, Konpaku and Izayoi are no joke up close, and Sumireko and Sanae give an excellent amount of utility with their various abilities.”

Ajuka – “Hmm… I think I have my eye on Konpaku and Kirisame the most. Kirisame’s ability to innovate and create magic spells is nothing to scoff at, hell, I could probably learn something from her, so I think watching what kind of havoc she causes will be enlightening. As for Konpaku, I’m simply interesting in looking at the extent of her swordsmanship. She might be in the top five most talented sword wielders in history, impressive for her age.”

Michael – “While this team might be the most diverse, I think the same applies to their personalities, which might be a bit of an issue. I don’t see a clear leadership structure here, nor do I see a coherent sense of teamwork… Perhaps if Mima-san was leading, I’d think differently, but my confidence is shaken with Kirisame-san there…”

Sirzechs – “I’ll piggyback on Michael’s point here. They have one of the best lineups, but I don’t see much of a gameplan here… They seem super chaotic and random, just running at you over and over until you collapse. It’ll certainly be enjoyable to watch, though. If there’s one team that’s likely to upset the competition, or be upset in return, I think it would be this team. Definitely the wildcard of the competition.”

Team Luminescence of the Untouched Star – Lunarians/Eientei

King: Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto
Specialty – ???
Ability – ???
Category – ???

Reimu – “You know, I fought him a while back and I still don’t really get what he does.”

Queen: Kaguya Houraisan
Specialty – Area Denial, Magical firepower
Ability – Manipulation of ‘Eternity’ and ‘Instantaneous’, possession of the Four Treasures
Category – Primary Wizard, secondary Support

Azazel – “The counterpart to the fiery Fujiwara, eh? Sits back and acts subtly in a supportive manner, where as Fujiwara rushes in and takes the spotlight.”

Reimu – “Don’t forget about her treasures. Those give her some serious firepower.”

Bishop: Watatsuki no Toyohime
Specialty – Strategist, Weapons Specialist
Ability – Linking together the lands, seas and skies, possession of the Lunarian Armory
Category – Primary Support, secondary Power

Ajuka – “I’d love to get my hands on those weapons the Lunarians possess. Sadly, I’m just about the most Impure being in the world, a Devil, so that will never happen.”

Yukari – “Also, don’t forget about that natural ability of hers. She’ll appear right besides you when you want to least, or make you go to an undesirable location.”

Reimu – “Oi, Yukari, get out.”

Bishop: Reisen Udongein Inaba
Specialty – Psychological manipulation, Crowd Control
Ability – Madness-inducing Vision, Lunatic Moon Rabbit
Category – Primary Wizard and Technique, secondary Support

Azazel – “Huh… its super weird to talk about what this girl can do… Her sex appeal is undeniable though.”

Reimu – “Don’t say that to her face.”

Ajuka – “Let’s see. Highly dense and focused firepower with her magic bullets combined with Lunarian technology, as well as that screwy vision of hers. Definitely the worst ranged combatant you can face.”

Knight: Watatsuki no Yorihime
Specialty – Can do Anything. Capital A.
Ability – Invocation of all Gods
Category – Can do everything.

Azazel – “I feel like we should have made a rule specifically regarding her. Having infinite Gods you can invoke is cheating.”

Rook: Tewi Inaba
Specialty – ???
Ability – Good fortune
Category – Support

Shiva – “…Does she even do anything?”

Rook: None
Specialty – N/A
Ability – N/A
Category – N/A

Shiva – “It’s not like that other rabbit was worth two rooks… They just forget?”

Sirzechs – “I think its more likely they couldn’t find anyone amicable with them. The Lunarians have rather poor foreign relationships, and the fact that Tsukuyomi is leading isn’t helping. Maybe if Kaguya-hime was leading, she would have been able to bring in a few extras with her beauty.”

Pawn: Seiran
Specialty – None in particular
Ability – None in particular
Category – None in particular

Azazel – “So, she’s just a footman?”

Reimu – “Might seem that way, but she’s certainly above average in all areas. Not to mention, access to the Lunarian Armory. She’s part of an elite corps. Don’t underestimate her.”

Pawn: Ringo
Specialty – None in particular
Ability – None in particular
Category – None in particular

Reimu – “You know, I thought the Myouren Temple was top-heavy. This is just kinda next level. They don’t even have a complete roster. Missing one Rook and six Pawns…”

Sirzechs – “To be fair, considering the contents of that top-heavyness, I think its warranted at least a little bit. Manipulation of eternity sounds like an extremely unfair ability.”

Azazel – “Hmm… I wonder how top-heavy Kaguya-hime and that suited Inaba are…”

Shiva – “Huh, what happened to that Dream World lady? That Doremy Sweet or whatever it was… Last I checked, they had a working relationship. I’m sure she would have been fine coming down from her duties and participating for that reward.”

Reimu – “I dunno, to be honest. But that reward part makes sense, since, you know… she lives in the world of real dreams…”

Shiva – “…Right…”

Sirzechs – “You forgot.”

Commentator/Analyst Panel Comments

Shiva – “Tsukuyomi? …Wow… That’s uhh… that’s kinda heavy… And that Kaguya girl as well by his side… I thought they were bitter enemies?”

Reimu Hakurei – “…It’s complicated. They still kinda are.”

Azazel – “Hmm… I’m really not sure how to feel about this… This just seems kinda over-the-top… We have basically the entire Shinto pantheon channelled through Yorihime-san, Kaguya-hime who is just kinda unfair, and amazing infantry in the form of the rabbits. After reviewing the rest of the teams, I think this group can go through to the top four, even without a complete roster.”

Ajuka Beelzebub – “A truly fascinating combination of abilities… I don’t think the world has ever seen anything quite like the combination of Houraisan and… well, anyone. That ‘eternity’ and ‘instant’ manipulation of hers will probably be the turning point of the team’s strategy. Aside from that, I wonder how Yorihime-san will work here, being able to pair up any god from Tsukuyomi’s natural pantheon next to him.”

Michael – “…Wait… isn’t this just the structure of Lunarian Society, or something?”

Sirzechs Lucifer – “Hmm… Where are the others? I remember there were a few more people from both parties here… Like Omoikane-no-kami, and that Ame-no-Sagume?”

Reimu sweatdrops* - “Uh… They’re up next.”

Team Above the Clouds of the Highest Heaven – ???

King: Eirin Yagokoro
Specialty – Strategy and Calculation, Large-scale Area Denial
Ability – Unparalleled Intelligence, Supreme Archery, Inventor of Divine Magics
Category – Everything

Queen: Sagume Kishin
Specialty – Strategy and Calculation, Trump Card
Ability – Reversal of a Situation, Divine Magics
Category – Everything

Bishop: Hecatia Lapislazuli
Specialty – Extreme Magical Firepower
Ability – Unparalleled Mastery of Sorcery
Category – Everything

Knight: Utsuho Reiuji
Specialty – Extreme Firepower. Puts Fire in Firepower.
Ability – Complete Essence of the Sun; Nuclear Fusion
Category – Everything

Rook: Junko
Specialty – Raw Power
Ability – Complete Purification
Category – Everything

Pawn: Raiko Horikawa
Specialty – ???
Ability – ???
Category – Everything

Commentator/Analyst Panel Comments

Shiva – “…You’re joking.”

Reimu Hakurei – “I’m not.”

Azazel – “…This is fair?”

Ajuka Beelzebub – “What a horrifically overtuned team.”

Michael – “…Is there even any competition?”

Sirzechs Lucifer – “How do you even win against this?”

Shiva – “Seriously, you might as well just chuck together a team of the Boundary-keepers of Gensokyo at this point.”

Reimu – “Hmm… do you think they’d accept last minute entrants? Yukari and the rest of the Sages aside from Kasen should be free right now… I could use some pocket money.”

Sirzechs deadpans* - “That’s even less fair. Also, I don’t think there’s enough money in the Underworld or any world really to satisfy your greed.”

Azazel – “As the organizer of this tournament, I feel kinda tempted to just call it right here and let these guys take the prize… What the hell does Yagokoro even want?”

Reimu – “I think this is more for the subordinates. Sagume usually only thinks about the benefit of her people, and I know for a fact that Eirin is content.”