EPIC: Path of Demons and Dragons

Though it wasn't enough to end the fight, Akeno catching Yubelluna off guard and hitting her with a point-blank blast of lightning was enough to injure and inhibit her mobility severely. They had several exchanges after the fact, but with Akeno's [Evil-Banishing Broom] possessing Accelerated Flight, Magic Jamming, Evil Warding, and Clean Sweeper, it was nearly as effective as a Holy Sword or Light-based weapon against Devils and other supernatural entities.

'A-Rank weapons are no joke...' thought Vahn, his gaze captivated by the image of Akeno's figure and smile as Yubelluna plummeted from the sky, eliminated from the match. There were times when her overexcited smile scared him, but that wasn't one of them.

Ostensibly not expecting Yubelluna to be defeated, at least not as quickly as she was, Riser's expression transitioned from smug arrogance to shock and then outrage as he got up from his temporary throne in the Principal's Office and mobilized personally. And with the power of a High-Class Devil and near-instantaneous regeneration, he was bound to be a force to be reckoned with.

'Rias is going to kick your butt...' affirmed Vahn, taking care to be mindful of his word usage. At the same time, he joined Asia in shifting their gazes to the three largest displays, depicting Akeno gathering a massive storm cloud over the gymnasium, Koneko and Kiba entering it to distract those inside, and Rias and Issei mobilizing.

Focusing on the latter, Vahn watched as Rias took to the sky, her black dress, adorned with crimson gems, perfectly complimenting her bat-like wings and hair. His brows creased slightly when he saw Issei raising his gaze in a very obvious attempt to get a peek up her dress, but the latter quickly got his act together, shaking his head and smacking his cheeks before taking the scenic route around the campus perimeter to enter the New School Building from the front.

With the main display switching to follow Rias, Vahn's breathing became stable, his mind calm and focused as he steeled himself for the inevitable battle between her and Riser. Ravel also ascended into the sky, sporting wings of flame that were smaller but brighter than her brother's, but she didn't appear to have any intention of joining the battle as she remained a distance away, observing from afar with crossed arms.

Recalling his interaction with the drill-haired girl, Vahn had mixed feelings. His opinion of the Marquis Phenex Clan wasn't particularly high, thanks to Riser, but Rias didn't appear to harbor any resentment toward them. Ravel was also very smart, so while he wasn't fond of people arbitrarily deciding they could be in a relationship or make use of him, he didn't dismiss it as a possibility.

Following a brief exchange, where Rias vehemently refused to back down, the battle between her and Riser got underway. Riser had the advantage in terms of speed and general aerial mobility, as his fiery wings functioned similarly to rocket boosters, but Rias quickly demonstrated she hadn't come to the Rating Game unprepared as she struck a pose with a long, thin, elegantly designed Magic Wand, icy-white in color and emitting a faint aura of frost.

As Rias was mainly known for using Destruction and Teleportation Magic, Riser wasn't expecting her to spontaneously produce a localized blizzard, battering him with ice, wind, and snow. The attack didn't cause any visible damage to his body, but unlike the majority of spectators, Vahn knew why his speed had suddenly slowed drastically as one of the effects of the A-Ranked Frost Queen's Frozen Baton was Deep Cold, temporarily reducing the target's mobility by a minimum of 50%, increasing based on exposure.

With his movements producing a distinct purple afterimage, an effect he failed to dissipate even after igniting his entire body, Riser charged at Rias with his wings functioning as afterburners. Even with his speed cut in half, he was still incredibly fast, forcing her to take evasive action as she made use of the wand's 7,500 Magic Attack and Spell Rotation Enchantment to bombard Riser with Low-Class Water and Ice Magic that had the power of Middle-Class Spells.

Though his body and flames were continuously doused or briefly frozen solid, Riser didn't relent. Rather, as they had expected, he gave up trying to face Rias directly and instead created distance from her, reciprocating her barrage of Magic with fast-moving flame attacks. Vahn was surprised to see that Riser could create seemingly autonomous birds that could fly at extreme speeds and actively dodge counterspells, but since the Rating Game was taking place in a sub-dimension that replicated Kuoh Academy down to the grass and soil, he supposed it made sense that a High-Class Devil could create seemingly-living flames.

BOOM

As his gaze had been fixed on the match between Rias and Riser, Vahn was slightly startled by an intense flash of light and the sound of a very powerful explosion. Akeno had completely erased the gymnasium with a powerful bolt of lightning and a massive explosion that ostensibly shook the entire battlefield as all the displays briefly flickered.

'I knew Akeno-san was powerful, but to reduce such a large building to nothing but a smoldering crater...I still have a long way to go...' thought Vahn, swallowing due to the tension in his throat.

"Akeno-san is amazing..." muttered Asia, her green eyes wide in a mix of fascination and awe. She had seen numerous miracles during her time as a Sister, but nothing quite on the level of what Akeno had just performed. Others in the Church would doubtlessly find such a thought blasphemous, but she imagined it's what God's wrath would manifest.

"She really is..." affirmed Vahn, his gaze, once again, fixed on Akeno until a flash of fiery orange and crimson pulled his attention back to the scene of Rias blocking a large explosion with a Magic Barrier. Fortunately, they had learned that Magic Defense directly translated to shield strength, so even though her barrier was hastily erected, Rias was able to fend off the blow with ease thanks to her Devil Queen's Matrimonial Gown, providing her an additional 6,666 alongside several other defensive items.

Seemingly realizing something was wrong, Riser began questioning Rias about her wand and distinctive getup. His Hell Fire might not be a match for the destructive power of Rias's Power of Destruction, but the flames of the Phenex Clan could burn fire-elemental creatures and even scorch the scales of Dragons. They weren't something Rias should be able to defend against using an ordinary Magic Barrier.

Unfortunately for Riser, Rias was under no obligation to disclose her or, more accurately, Vahn's secrets in the middle of a match to determine her future. Ravel had also kept it a secret that she figured out many of Vahn's abilities before the Rating Game began, so Riser could only speculate as he shifted strategies to conserving his Demonic Power.

Though Rias taunted and tried to goad Riser into going on the offensive, the blond-haired Devil proved he wasn't completely incapable of reason or strategy as he made a beeline to where Koneko and Kiba were facing off against the few remaining members of his Peerage. Rias knew he was trying to get her to expend her Demonic Power in outrage, but since she couldn't simply allow him to do as he pleased, she gave chase and flung multiple spells at his back.

Seeing Riser swoop in and grab a surprised Koneko by the neck, burning her with his palm as he cackled and provoked Rias, Vahn felt like ice water had been poured directly onto his brain. At the same time, a golden glow manifested within the depths of his eyes, the pounding of his heart akin to a drum in his ears.

Feeling a chill permeate her body, causing her to shudder involuntarily, Sona peered back over her shoulder with concern and confusion as she stared at Vahn. Her Demonic Power drastically exceeded the quantity of energy in his body, but she felt pressure akin to being in the room with a very angry Satan-Class Devil. The light in Vahn's eyes was invisible to her and others, but the intensity within them was apparent.

With his gaze fully focused on the scene playing out on the display, Vahn didn't notice Sona, Tsubaki, and Asia staring at him. He didn't even hear Asia softly calling out to him, the pounding in his ears much too loud and his mind too focused to process extraneous stimuli.

'I will fucking destroy him...!' Vahn exclaimed in his mind, his fury peaking as Riser tore away Koneko's top, groping her chest and licking her cheek as he threatened that if Rias kept misbehaving, he couldn't guarantee the safety of the members of her Peerage.

"Vahn, calm down...!" shouted Sona, embracing Vahn alongside Tsubaki and Asia as he rose to his feet, the room around them shaking and all but the central display flickering out of existence as he stepped forward. The trio of girls tried to hold him back, but they found themselves repelled as his Chainbreaker activated, causing them to briefly become statuesque, their bodies suffused with numbness as Vahn approached and slipped his right hand into the display, piggybacking the feed to transport himself to the battlefield.

"Huh? What are you doing here...?" asked Riser, just as confused as Rias as Vahn abruptly appeared from a brief spatial tear.

"Master..." muttered Koneko, her voice weak due to her burned throat and tears building in her golden, cat-like eyes as feelings ranging from shame, mortification, relief, and concern washed over her.

"Let her go..." stated Vahn, his voice producing a prominent resonance as an invisible pulse erupted from his body, causing everyone within to feel a palpable tension.

'What the Hell is this kid...?' Riser asked himself, outwardly forcing a smile as he remarked, "I don't know how you got here, kid, but interfering with a Rating Game like this is grounds to determine the outcome in favor of the aggrieved party. You just handed me the—"

Before Riser could finish declaring his victory, Koneko disappeared from his grasp, reappearing in Vahn's left arm as he used his extended right to make a closing gesture. Riser instinctively attempted to flee into the sky, but as the space around him distorted, focused around a point within his chest, he found himself wracked with unbearable pain before the ends of a spear with an ivory white shaft, gold accents, and a cross-shaped blade tip erupted from his left shoulder and the right side of his stomach.

Feeling pain unlike anything he had ever experienced, the result of his skewered body burning from within due to the spear's Holy-elemental damage type, Riser cried out the most intense, agonized scream of his life. A startled Ravel quickly flew over to de-escalate the situation, but when she saw Vahn direct a stare at her, she froze mid-flight, a bead of sweat forming on her left cheek as she trembled from her very core.

Fortunately for the still-screaming Riser, Rias promptly landed in front of and embraced Vahn, holding his face to her breasts and cradling him and Akeno as Grayfia appeared nearby. She had been designated the Referee for the Rating Game, so while she would have preferred not to, she had no choice but to teleport Vahn's spear outside of Riser's body before pouring a vial of sparkling crimson liquid onto his head as he collapsed, breathing heavily and drooling as he supported himself on his hands and knees.

Exhaling faintly from her nose, Grayfia shifted her silvery gaze to where she could sense Sona's Observation Magic emanating. Then, with her hands folded neatly over her lap, she bowed, stating, "Given what just occurred, this Rating Game shall be suspended as representatives from both sides convene to determine the most appropriate course of action. I apologize for my negligence in permitting this incident and will accept full responsibility alongside any punishments deemed necessary..."

And with those words, the Rating Game between Rias and Riser was over, tentatively decided in favor of the latter...

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