ALL NOVEL Apocalypse is just another word for truth
I could feel the fire. the heat that came from it was so scalding that it felt as if my skin was peeling. My body hurt and pulsed with agony.
In my arms, rested a brown-haired teenage boy. His body was broken, his limbs resting in unnatural angles. On his face, there were tears and burn marks. “Buchou, I'm so sorry” the teenage boy cried to me.
‘President’ my mind instantaneously translated. Why was he calling me this? Without my input, my mouth moved “It's alright Issei, it's alright”.
His body was covered in light before disappearing in sprites of lights. ‘He had been teleported out of the rating game’ my mind whispered to me.
“You should give up Rias. All your pieces are out. Your queen lost to mine. The red dragon emperor, your last Hope also lost. Stop fighting the unavoidable. Give up Rias. This is your duty as the pure-blooded heiress of the Gremory clan.” The voice came from a man with flame wings protruding from his back. The voice was owned by a tall and I had to admit handsome young man in his early 20s with short blond hair and dark blue eyes. He wore a burgundy blazer with gold embroidery on the right with matching pants and black dress shoes. Underneath his open blazer was a white dress shirt that was not fully buttoned, giving a slight view of his chest.
A headache split my head and with it, images rushed forward in the disorganized canvas that was my mind. I remembered everything. I remember being raised by my parents and our servants of the Gremory household. I remembered my embarrassing brother whom I loved more than anything. I remembered my peerage, the family that I had made, those that I was supposed to perfectly lead and protect from the world. I also remembered another life. I remember being raised by my grandparents. I remembered their love, and how they honestly spoiled me beyond recognition. I remembered their death. I remembered my parents who didn't understand, who never tried, and who were more siblings and strangers than my parents. I remembered the burdens and expectations they tried to push on me. I remember the flood of pills I swallowed. I remembered death. I remember the shape of a shrouded figure with eyes as cold as the cosmos dressed in a dark robe that seemed alive and from which came maddening whispers. I remembered indiscernible flashes of events. I remembered finally facing the sweet oblivion I longed for and embracing it.
Involuntary, a laugh escaped from me. Here I was trying to flee from duties and obligations just to enter into a situation with greater expectations and burdens. None of this was supposed to be real. Rias Gremory, devils, and rating games shouldn't exist. They were supposed to be mere fiction created to attract an audience of horny readers to make money.
Those things existed in a light novel entitled Highschool DxD that sometimes could be evaluated more as porn than a light novel.
It was a world where every pantheon existed, where creatures capable of destroying the world many times moonlighted as emo goth toddlers or siscons. It was a world where I was just the main girl of a harem for Issei. A world where boobs gave superpowers to perverts.
It was a world where I would always have my fate controlled or influenced by stronger beings and I hated it. I hated it all with all my heart. With me there, who knew what else had changed? Would Grayfia intervene to make Issei crash my wedding? Even if she did, would he win this time?
Watching the eyes of Riser gazing upon me with lust and remembering our previous interactions, I knew what awaited me. I let the power of destruction surge free in me and leak out in the real world. I wanted all of it to end. I was so much tired and I longed for the eternal sleep that had been denied to me.
I wasn’t something special. I wasn’t the smartest, the wisest or knew dozens of ways to erase my problems. I was a failure that in the end decided to end their own life. The original Rias had been unable to do anything against Riser. The original Rias has given up in the canonical story because nothing that she could be doing would vanquish Riser.
Riser was stronger than me by a wide margin. His remaining pieces in the rating game were his sister and his queen each matching me in strength. The only piece I had left in the rating game was Asia, Asia who even though she looked scared, Asia who Even though she absolutely despised violence stayed at my side.
I stopped kneeling and stood up. I turned towards the nun and smiled. I didn't know why but she looked horrified. The power of destruction was running amok in me and the outside world. The original Rias tried to control the power of destruction when in reality, true destruction was something uncontrollable. To gain something, you must be ready to sacrifice to obtain it. The power of destruction could never truly be harnessed without knowing this truth. Either my power will consume every obstacle on my path or gorge itself with my existence freeing me. In all cases, I won. “Please Asia,” I spoke softly. “Leave”.
She tried to say something, probably to contest my decision but I didn't let her talk. “Please” I spoke again. “Believe in me, Asia.” Fat ugly tears spilt from her eyes. With a touch of my finger, they evaporated. The power of destruction didn't hurt Asia. I didn't allow it to. Like an angry dog, it tore through my inside bringing maddening pain. I bit on my tongue to stop myself from screaming. Warm blood pooled in my mouth but I didn't pay attention to it. I continue to Gaze at Asia.
Looking defeated, the nun said out loud the words that I wanted her to say “I surrender”.
Light began to envelop Asia the same way it did to Issei. I turned my gaze at Riser and his queen. Was this worry in his eyes? Was this fear? Was this a mix of the two? I wondered how I must be looking to the outside world. I probably looked like such a mess and not how the regular Rias Gremory did.
Right now, I don't care about grace, elegance or other akin concepts. I yearned for only one thing, “You spoke of duty Riser,” I said to the blond man. “Fuck your duty” I spat to the Phenex. I guided the power of destruction, the abyss inside of me wanting to destroy everything and compressed it into a ball. It hurt me to try to contain it. The power of destruction lashed at me in rage but I whispered to it making promises of future ruin if it let itself be temporarily controlled, shaped. The pain lowered “I won't let myself be a slave. I won’t let my freedom be taken by anyone be it because of you, of our families, our races or Lucifer and God!” I ignored the headache by mentioning the father of the angels and punched the ball.
A laser made of the power of destruction surged towards Riser and his queen. Yubelluna, the queen of Riser tried to erect a shield to protect herself and her king. It was a grave mistake. She should have dodged. The beam tore through her shield and her as if it hadn't encountered any resistance. It continued its way towards Riser who instead of taking the brunt of the attack like he always did dodged by leaning on his side.
The beam continued its advance and entered in contact with the barrier separating the dimensional gap from the pocket dimension created for the rating game cracking it before dispersing.
I let myself be sheathed by the power of destruction like armour. With a scream, I launched myself to Riser by kicking my feet from the ground cratering it and creating cobwebs.
I could see Riser reacting as if the world was slowed. I could see the multitude of minuscule and instinctive actions that his body made to allow him to protect himself.
I tried to punch through his guts. Flames surged from the Phenex to create a protective barrier. My destruction met his hellfire and snuffed it out in less than a millisecond. Unfortunately, a millisecond was enough for the blond devil to move back away from me. Behind me from my back exploded crimson wings made of destruction to keep me flying.
A smile bloomed on Riser’s face. “Finally, some fight in you Rias!” the blond devil yelled. “It would not have been a satisfying victory if I didn't put you down at your best”.
He acted as if it was a game as if the thing not being fought for was my liberty. Rage and anger overturned my reason. I rushed to the Phenex full of pain, anger and despair. He met my charge sheathed in the Hellfire that distinguished and made his family unique.
We clashed in the sky of the fake Kuoh academy with a gigantic boom. Our fists met and even with my power of destruction, I was sent flying through one of the buildings that made the kuoh academy.
I crashed into it. It caved under the speed I was sent to it. I went through a wall, a second one and a third one. I used my wings to regain my balance by spinning like a ballerina and sank my feet into the ground to stop myself.
I tore through the ground as if I were a knife and the ground butter. Riser didn't let me find back my bearings. He appeared before me with a punch. I cocked my head to the side dodging it and grabbed his overextended arm to throw him behind me on the ground in the direction I was still tearing the ground towards.
To his credit, he materialized a dome of fire to protect himself. I directed more power of destruction to my right leg. Unfortunately for Riser, I was a true egoist. I shot the dome with my leg as if it were a soccer ball. My leg tore through the dome and sent Riser flying his face caved in.
I flew towards the direction I had sent Riser. I was greeted by a rain of fireballs akin to divine punishment. I materialized over my shoulders crimson swords made of the power I inherited from my mother and sent them to meet the balls of hellfire.
The power of Destruction from the Bael lineage and the hellfire of the Phenex clan met and this false world shook.
They created by their collision explosions and shockwaves that tore through the fake Kuoh academy turning its still-standing buildings into rubble.
Riser appeared from the smoke and punched me in the gut creating a sonic boom. I spat blood. I tried to counterattack by sending him a right hook. He dodged it and headbutted me making me fall to the ground cratering it beneath me.
It hurts so bad. I just wanted it to end. The only thing the original Rias and I were good at was giving up. I should have done the only thing I was good at yet I raised back on my feet.
The Phenex threw himself at me. I moved to the left. His fist went through the ground and pulverized it. I gathered my power of destruction to hit him with a beam of destruction at point-blank range.
Riser reacted as fast as lightning. He copied me and fired a laser of hellfire to counter my destruction. The two beams met in a thunderous roar. The heat from his flames set everything around him and under him on fire.
The grass had been turned to ashes. The ground under and behind him looked more like Lava than anything. My Destruction had not left any traces on its way. It had swallowed everything on its path and erased them.
I urged my power of destruction to come forward wilder, stronger. It didn't give me any advantages. I had done something the original Rias had never done, let the power of destruction run free. I had let it take its toll on me to reach even greater heights of strength yet Riser continued to match me in strength.
I could only use the power of destruction as long as I could use my demonic energy to serve as a bridge between the dimension that the power of Destruction originated from and this world.
Unfortunately, Rias’ reserves of energy were not infinite. I watched with despair my power of destruction gradually disappearing. Was this at the end truly my worth? Was I bound to forever fail when it mattered the most?
My beam of destruction was overwhelmed by the hellfire of the blonde devil. I tried to raise a meagre defence by crossing my arms in an X shape to protect myself.
The hellfire of the Phenex met my arms and I knew pain.
I clenched my teeth to stop the scream wanting to escape from my mouth. The attack of the Phenex sent me flying away from him like a ragdoll.
I fell harshly on the ground. I skidded over it Before being stopped by my back colliding with a still-standing wall. Tortuous Pain coursed through my veins. Each breath was one that felt wounding. I could feel blood streaming from my nose and my eyes. It felt as if all my internal organs were damaged.
I leaned on the still-standing wall. I tried to move my arms. One felt unresponsive and the other took difficulties to move. I looked at them. Angry blackened flesh met my sight.
I could see the sinews and even some of the white bone in my arms. It looked disgusting and I turned my gaze away from the grizzly sight to not puke.
I used the still-standing wall and my barely functioning arm to stand. All my body weight was supported by my left arm. I wasn't able this time to bite back the scream of pain that escaped my mouth.
Riser flew down. He looked as pristine as he did at the beginning of the rating game. He looked at me and I saw in his eyes pity and sadness. “You did your best Rias. I was wrong, you're not weak. Unfortunately for you, you're still weaker than me. Give up Rias, please. I hate seeing you like this. Do you really hate me that much? Why can't you see that everything done by our families is for our good?”
I only had one answer to his monologue. “Go fuck yourself, Riser.”
The blonde-haired devil sighed. His fire wings exploded from his back. With a flap of them, he flew above the fake Kuoh academy.
From where he was, Riser’s wings looked more for me like two distant twin stars than anything else. “I tried to make you do by your own will the sane thing Rias but you don't want to do so” the voice of Riser thundered over all the fake Kuoh academy.
He put his hands above his head as if trying to reach for the cosmos. Over his palms, a ball of fire began to grow and grow and grow. The orb of fire continued to grow and grow until it dwarfed all of Kuoh Academy. Riser was holding in his hands a new sun. He had created a star made of hellfire.
The ground all around and under me began to melt because of the unbearable heat. Searing waves of heat entered in contact with my skin. It felt as if somebody was trying to peel my skin off.
“You lost Rias!” the Phenex voices boomed before he sent to me the sun made of hellfire. Was I fated to always lose? Was I fated to always disappoint others and myself? What was the fucking point of me reincarnating if I couldn't change anything? How was this fucking fair?!
The attack of Riser descended towards me like a holy punishment coming from a celestial being. I drilled my two feet into the ground. What I was doing was nonsensical, and ludicrous but I was exhausted of letting the world enact his will upon me. I was exhausted from always giving my best and always failing.
The ball of hellfire came before me. I laid out my functioning arm before me. I should have lost the rating game. The sun created by Riser should have ended my resistance but a miracle occurred.
I didn't lose. I could feel the ball of hellfire pressing against me, trying to consume me. I could feel it burning yet at that moment when I was at my lowest, I felt stronger than I had ever been before.
Strength surged into my veins like an injected drug. My demonic power that had been depleted was back bigger than before. My broken arm wrenched and became functional again. I could feel the pain receding and being replaced by bliss.
I couldn't stop myself. I laughed with all my heart as if madness had taken a grip on my mind. It felt like a deus ex machina situation. A savage grin split my face. With my newly healed arm, I coked my arm and punched the hellfire sun made by Riser. The magic used by devil-kind was one where every phenomenon possible could be created as long as the devil using his magic had enough power to reach the effect he intended to impose on the world.
Before, I had been scared and had used my power of destruction to a height the original Rias hadn't reached to beat Riser.
Now I felt calmer, serene, I could see all the different ways I could have beaten Riser if only I had thought if only I hadn't lost myself in the negativity of my brain.
The power of destruction in me felt now less like a wild beast that could turn against me at any moment and more like an obedient hunting dog waiting to be called to enact the will of its master.
I wished for the hellfire ball to not lose its shape. I wished it to be cut completely from the will of its creator. More than that, I made it hotter. I sped up the movement of the atoms.
When the ball of fire came back to its progenitor, it had taken a white colour. Riser tried to retrieve control over the ball of hellfire but was unable to.
The orb of fire exploded in the face of Riser Phenex. The fake sky of Kuoh took a scarlet colour. A shockwave and a searing heat erupted in an omnidirectional wave.
I didn't try to protect myself. I opened my arms as if I was waiting to hug a dear friend. The heat burnt off to cinders my clothes and peeled off my skin but I didn't worry. As I had suspected, my skin began to grow again, protecting and hiding my raw flesh and my muscles from the outside world.
The incomplete flashes of memories, the dark figure, me taking the place of Rias Gremory, me being able to regenerate as fast as I did and become stronger because of the adversity when the original Rias couldn't. I had made in numerous moments of escapism many CYOA where my characters would be self-inserted into other worlds.
I hadn't created one where I'll be self-inserted into Rias Gremory but I had created one where the self-insert would have benefitted from a superpower after going through the lowest point of their lives, through a manufactured Parahuman trigger event.
If I knew that all of this was going to be real, I would have not created such a harrowing experience but hey, What was a story without a twist? Didn't people like to see the underdog rise and what else could be the perfect essence to represent this concept than the essence of evolution? This is what I had thought.
Maybe none of this was real and it was just a fantasy created by a comatose brain. Maybe everything happening was something being written to amuse spectators that I couldn't peer at. It didn't really matter in the end. Right now, I felt only one thing and that was bliss. I would handle the future later. Right now, I just wanted to go wild and stop thinking.
Even though I didn't really care anymore about being naked due to becoming Rias Gremory, I still materialized new clothes over my skin to replace the ones that had been destroyed. I would allow myself to be blessed by Metatron before letting Riser’s lustful eyes run over my naked body for longer.
I chose to go for a basic outfit. I now wore a white long-sleeved shirt, a black tie, black pants and brown shoes. I urged using my demonic power the wind to braid my hair in a loose braid to not obstruct me.
I looked like a Makima replica. Was it chuuni of me to dress exactly like her? Probably but no one knew about chainsaw man because it didn't exist yet. I willed a piece of rubble to fly into my hand. With a flick of my will, it turned into a mirror. I watched my reflection and deemed my appearance suitable. Being sharply dressed for breaking an engagement was a must.
I continued to gaze in the mirror. I had to admit that I looked more than divine. It was a beauty that no mortal creature could attain. The sight presented in the mirror was the reflection of a drop-dead gorgeous woman with Ivory skin, luscious red hair that looked more like freshly spilt blood and less like the orange colour that natural redheads had, with blue eyes that seemed to contain all the immensity of the sky and a buxom body that looked too perfect and too well proportioned to be real. Even art depictions created to portray perfection couldn’t equal my beauty. I looked like something unearthly and it made me wonder how even with the use of hypnosis the Original Rias and other devils were able to hide their nature as something more.
“You” a voice boomed in rage in the infernal-looking sky. I closed my hand on the mirror and broke it. Riser looked now less like the scion of a noble clan and more like a drug addict coming out of a street brawl.
To his credit, Riser had been able to stay in the rating game after taking the brunt of an attack Of at least 9,726 degrees Celsius and he was just at the moment somebody at the level of a strong High-class Devil.
What would an ultimate class being be able to do? Swim in the sun? Could a satan class being like Serafall be able to freeze multiple planets of the solar system? What terrible acts could monsters like my brother or Rivezim enact on the universe if they wished to I wonder?
My musing was stopped by a punch from Riser. His hand met my jaw and the thing that came to bend was his hand. His broken hand was enveloped in regenerative fire and with his other one, he tried to fire at me at point blank a beam of fire.
I grabbed the hand from where the hellfire was going to come and redirected it towards the sky painting this sky in a warm orange colour.
Since the announcement of my engagement and the beginning of the rating game, I had felt like a conscious puppet being played with by a marionnetist unable to act or to do anything to change my fate.
A savage grin split my face. With a jerk, I tore the arm of the Riser from its socket and with a pirouette, I used his arm as an improvised club to smash him in the neck as if it was a baseball ball and with a loud sonic boom, I sent him flying.
I had been all this time the prey, the one that worried. I had been too weak then to do anything but now that I was stronger, I wanted Riser to suffer, to feel at least a third of the anxiety and fear that had permeated my body.
I began walking in the direction where I knew I had sent Riser flying. I wanted to test something and I had the perfect test subject, one that I hated and that was nigh immortal. While walking I began to sing softly while infusing my voice with demonic energy. My voice carried in all the destroyed fake Kuoh academy. An eery and siren-like voice came out of my mouth. A haunting melody resonated in all of the rating game areas. It was a voice made to invite men to commit the worst atrocities while smiling and feeling guilt-free without any resistance. It was a voice with the only purpose to entice to commit the worst unholy sins.
https/youtu.be/-T5eYF9WiRI
“Who’s in the shadows~” I sang. As if being awakened by my voice, the shadows all around me began to move, to twist as if answering a call.
“Who’s ready to play~” I chanted. I continued to walk taking my time. The shadows around me began to take shape. They stopped mimicking objects of the real world to take independent forms.
They took the shape of Knights in black armour with stoic masks. They looked like the shadow beings fought against when playing Persona 5 at the beginning. They kneeled before me.
I sang the next verse “Are we Hunters,~” I spoke. Blue fire enveloped them after the verse but it didn't burn them. Instead, as if they were machines, they absorbed the fire. They changed after doing so. They looked more corporeal, less like mirages and more like tangible things.
I finally found Riser and the reason why he hadn't come flying directly at me. At his side was his sister Ravel and both of them seemed to be arguing.
“Something is wrong brother,” the youngest of the Phenex clan said to her older brother. “I don't know what it is but something changed in Rias. I felt like I'm sure you did how when she was on the verge of losing, she unexpectedly grew stronger. You experienced how she hijacked your attack and now with...the shadows. I think...I think that you should capitulate brother.”
“You want me to give up because of fear Ravel? You want me to shame my name and the name of our clan because of fear sister? She may have unexpectedly grown stronger but I can feel her demonic energy and it is not too superior to mine. Maybe I can't win by myself now but I got you with me. Against both of us, she will without a doubt lose.” Riser replied to his sister. He looked her in the eyes and said “Don't you trust me anymore? Did you lose faith in me?”
The youngest child of the Phenex clan shook her head in denial “No brother, I trust you and if that's what you think best, I'll act accordingly. I accepted you as my King. I would follow you even in the highest heaven”.
A smile bloomed on Riser’s face “Thank you for believing and staying with your idiotic brother Ravel.” His flames materialized in a gold-coloured aura.
Iditencal flames erupted from the youngest Phenex “You don't need to thank me stupid”. She turned towards me “Let’s win” she told her brother.
I mockingly clapped my hands “It almost made me cry. Tell me, scions of the Phenex clan.” I modified the following lyric
“Are you the prey?~”
My monsters made of shadows and animated by fire began screeching, making guttural sounds. I let one of my fingers wander on the armour of one of the shadowy creatures I summoned.
By an unseen signal, the knights jumped at the Phenex siblings. Ravel fired numerous arrows made of flames at the knights I had summoned. Only one of the arrows reached one of my knights. It bypassed the armour and went to lodge itself into the knight's flesh.
The knight screamed like a rabid animal. With rage, the knight jumped towards the two Phenex. He pivoted on his heels and with his great sword tried to bisect in one slash the two siblings.
Riser was there to meet the strike. With his bare hands sheathed in gold fire, he blocked with his palm, a taunting smile on his face that was erased by a right hook in the face of another knight. With a boom, Riser was sent soaring.
“Onii-sama!” yelled Ravel in concern for her brother.
“You should care more about yourself and less about your brother,” I told the young Phenex.
With a scream, the youngest Phenex crouched under a stab and with a powerful clack from her wings, she sent herself flying directly at me bypassing and darting around the shadow knights.
“Take this” she screamed and released point blank to my face her fire in a continuous stream. Unfortunately for her, I was untouched.
“Smart of you,” I told her. “For most summoners, close-quarters combat is synonymous with defeat.” One of the knights had used his shield to protect me from the flames of the Phenex. “Unfortunately for you, you're not fast enough to attack me without my knights protecting me”.
I extended my arm toward her. She tried to take a step back but found herself blocked by the figure of one of my knights. “Let's see how much damage the Phenex immortality can endure”.
“Don't you dare!” a masculine voice shouted above me. In a swift and perfectly executed movement, I moved my arm upward.
My open palm met the fist of the third son of the Phenex clan. The ground under me and all around caved making me fall underground.
I willed my power of destruction to erase everything entering in contact with my skin except Riser’s hand. I wanted to see what he was planning.
We drilled into earth layer after earth layer until my feet met what seemed an impenetrable layer. It felt different, more study.
“You don't know it but you already lost Rias!” shooted Riser seeming crazed. With a movement of his wings, he stayed above me. He opened his palms as if waiting to receive a gift. Powerful winds began to coalesce between his hands. Paying attention to the superior view inherently possessed by devils, I deducted what Riser planned. With a look the spot where resided earth and dirt before the two of us crushed through it was replaced by newly demonic-made ground by Riser.
The winds stopped to amass themselves into Riser’s hands. The blonde devil looked triumphant. “I removed all the breathable air I'm sure that you must be beginning to feel weaker and weaker with each passing moment.” He wasn't wrong. I could feel myself become lightheaded. My breath was becoming ragged and breathing felt like a chore. “I am a Phenex. We Phenex are masters of fire and the winds. Unlike you, I can regenerate endlessly so I don't have to worry and if you try to go back to the surface, I'll be there to stop you from doing so. Every act that you now make or don't make is one leading to your assured defeat,” the Phenex spoke. “You may have gained strength Rias but it doesn't change that you were predestined to lose to me!”
Unfortunately for the jubilant Phenex, my lungs adapted. The lack of air wasn't bothering me anymore. I felt as if I could now for all eternity roam in the cosmos without having the fear of running out of air if I wanted.
It also made me wonder. Did devils go to space and walk on the moon? My memories both from this universe and the previous one didn't have an answer to the question. It also made me wonder what would happen if a werewolf was sent to the moon or a nigh immortal vampire thrown into space where they wouldn't be protected by the Earth’s atmosphere from all the radiations emitted by the sun or even what would happen if a sage tried to use the natural energy of Pluto.
I exited my mind to come back to reality. The Phenex was still babbling about his assured victory and how I could never win and whatever else. His naivety in thinking that he had outsmarted me bloomed into me a cocktail of emotions, of mirth and amusement.
I couldn't help myself, I laughed. “I know what you're popular with women Riser. You always tell the best jokes” I said while giggling.
“Don't you realize that you have lost?” the Phenex asked me.
“Oh Riser, you misunderstand something. This is not the ending.” I directed one of my fingers to the Phenex as if my finger were a gun.
“Bang,” I said.
An invisible force flew toward Riser. It annihilated to nothing his torso and his neck and continued to drill a path towards the surface sending tons of dirt flying.
“How?” the still regenerative Riser whispered. I wasn't going to tell him that the reason why was because of an alien superpower to this reality that I had gained because I had drunk from a bottle of a sketchy figure.
I simply said a half lie “You forget something Riser. We may act or look like humans but we are not. We are devils. We don't need air to breathe as long as we want to idiot.”
“Now, it is my turn,” I said to the siblings. Riser now healed and his sister Ravel tried to put some distance between themselves and me by flying away.
“There's no surrender And there's no escape~”
I sang. Vultures' wings grew from the backs of my knights. They began to soar through the air with the goal of catching the siblings.
Riser threw a spear at one of his chasers. The knight dematerialized in dark wisps to reappear before the shocked Phenex. With a quick movement, the sword of the knight went through the heart of the Phenex. With blood streaming from his mouth and clenched teeth to not scream he set with a flick of one of his fingers the knight in flames. It seemed at first to be useless but the Phenex continued to raise the intensity of the flames until they took a white colour dispersing the shadow.
I stepped with my right foot on the ground. I let the power of destruction leave the inner of my soul to access reality. I didn't use it to destroy Riser or his sister.
Instead, I commanded it to anchor itself to the earth and create walls that would not permit anyone to enter or leave the areas they delimited. “No more running or flying away. It is a game of survival and let's finally see who's the prey, who's the hunter. You took care of one of my knights Riser.” I created a throne, one almost identical to the one that had originally been created for my ancestor Runeas and that was only sat on by the head of the clan Gremory. I sat on it, my feet crossed on the armchair, my head leaning on my fist “Let's see if you can continue to dance like this with my other knights.”
The two siblings sent twin beams of fire to the knights. All of the remaining knights evaded them. One knight targeted the youngest of them. The female Phenex noticed and raised a shield to defend herself. The sword pierced through it and met the soft flesh of the young devil. The young devil tried to replicate the feet of her brother but the knights had also learnt and due to this, the knight removed violently with a loud squelch of the sword leaving the flesh and sinews of the Phenex, the shadow knight took a step back evading the coming attack of the Phenex.
scene*
https/youtu.be/zUyf_VhWo6s?si=cFkxH0enXw1Mb13D
I had to give credit to the members of the Phenex clan for their tenacity. The knights have been through what seemed to be instinctual or maybe telepathic teamwork lashing out at the Phenex siblings protecting the back of each other. They were more like cornered prey than anything else. My shadow knights learnt the patterns of the attack of the siblings. No flames that were produced by the siblings and no whirlwinds or cyclones were enough against my knights.
Each mistake from the Phenex siblings was rewarded with pain and blood. In unison, all the knights soared towards Riser. It's what I had thought at first and something that must have been similarly thought by Riser because he brought a shield to protect himself.
Unfortunately for the Phenex, it was a faint. They swerved around the Phenex in a graceful way and with screeches threw themselves at the youngest Phenex stabbing her from all sides and making her look like a porcupine.
The swords protruded from the Phenex from every angle. The Phenex let out loud screams of pain. She tried to dislodge the knights and make them back up with her flames but unlike the other times, the knight didn't bulge or try to move.
I saw instantly the reason why. The shadows that were consubstantial to their existences began to be poured into the young Phenex. From where I was, I could see the veins of the young sister of Riser turn black as if venom was being poured into them.
The white scleras of the eyes of the Phenex were turning black. The blood coming from her was changing from a red scarlet colour to a dark oozing substance. “Brother” the Phenex begged.
“Ravel!!!”. The Phenex in a blaze of hellfire flew to the rescue of his sister. The flames enveloping him expanded into a sphere in the sky creating an artificial sun.
The flames succeeded in banishing from the corporeal world all my remaining shadow Knights. Like a messianic figure, Riser took the falling form of his sister into his arm.
The flames of Ravel sputtered trying to regenerate their master but they were unable to do so. Ravel grabbed the arm of her brother “I'm sorry to have failed you” I heard her speak softly to her older brother.
“You didn't fail me. You made our clan and me proud.”
The light that characterized the removal of one of the pieces in a rating game covered the body of the youngest child of the Phenex house “Win Brother” she said before she was taken out of the rating game.
Tremors shook the body of the Phenex. The fire clouding him was growing in intensity, in heat and shine. “You” the Phenex said softly yet his voice seemed to echo in all of the destroyed fake Kuoh academy.
The wings on his back were taking a more animalistic shape. His feet and hands were twisting discarding a humanoid form to take the shape of talons and claws. His neck bent and elongated looking almost identical to the neck of a vulture. Protruding veins that seemed to be filled with hellfire appeared grotesquely all over his skin. The sky of the rating game began to be stormy and looking foreboding. Harsh winds almost searing flew through the fake Kuoh Academy.
The Phenex looked now less like a very handsome young adult and more like an avian monstrosity. He looked now like what true devils were expected to look like. I left the throne and peered at the transformed devil. How interesting. The closest thing to this transformation in devil kind was the one of my brother Sirzechs whom I knew because of the memories of the original Rias.
My brother wasn't born in a form made of flesh and blasphemy and sin and hellfire like other devils. He was born a creature of destruction. My brother was at his base somebody made of the power of destruction. People thought that the form of destruction of my brother was something that he had unlocked when it was in truth the real him. The appearance that he took was one that was meticulously crafted to create trust and deflect from his true form.
This transformation that was happening right now would have never happened even in the future canon timeline where Riser would at best be an ultimate class devil.
Was all of this happening because I was inserted in an alternate reality to the original canon timeline? Was all of this happening because some existence, some entity was trying to preserve the canon? Was this because of the reunion of numerous improbable factors that were now reunited? Many thoughts ran through my mind.
The demonic energy of Riser had grown at least a thousand times making him able to breach the gap between high-class level and low ultimate level. He had already surpassed me when it came to devil energy and His power was still increasing. There was now a true chance of him winning. Things were back in his favour. Even in the case where I would lose and Issei would challenge Riser, I don't think that my pawn would be able to win like in the canon timeline with how much Riser was stronger.
If I hadn't played with him, if I hadn't committed the sin of Hubris, things wouldn't be like this. Even with all of those facts, I didn't care because I had one thing that still gave me confidence in winning and that was my essence of evolution. I could have played safe and ended it just after discovering my essence but it wouldn't have been as beneficial as the current situation.
For everyone else who was unaware of my essence, I would surely now lose but for me, this situation was more a boon than anything else. High stakes meant high rewards. I either lose which would mean the end of everything for me because I would kill myself before letting Riser touch me or I fight against Riser, win and come out stronger than ever more ready to face the challenges that I know I will have in the future without a doubt.
The voice that came out wasn't a human one or one that could be replicated by a human. It was the sound of the winds tearing and beating restlessly against material things. It was the sound of the thunder meant to cower lower life forms before superior ones. It was the voice of an angry celestial being. “It's not about you marrying me anymore,” Riser slurred. “I only care now about making you suffer and lose”.
He reappeared before me faster than I could follow. He tried to skewer my head with one of his claws. I used my two hands to catch his claw between my palms. Not far away from us, the defeating noise of the sound barrier being broken made itself known.
The transformed Phenex covered his claws in razor-sharp winds and tried to bisect me. I shaped hastily a shield made of the power of destruction.
Even with it, I was sent flying helplessly. I used one of my hands to stop my impromptu flight by trying to anchor myself to the ground with it.
My hand left a path of destruction drilling through blackened and melted concrete and dirt. I was able by doing this to stop myself.
I had a headache. Maybe the cause of It could be the warm blood that I felt running from my head. I didn't exactly know where it was coming from but my hair was now soaked with warm blood and it wasn't a pleasant sensation. I raised my hand to examine it. My perfect nails had been shredded and dirtied.
My body was at first sending me pulses of pain. The pain however began to disappear little by little. I watched my nails go back to a more than pristine condition. They looked brighter as if I just did a manicure. They also looked sharper. Curious, I slashed the air in the direction of the ground. Everything before me was cut open as if I was Moses before the Red Sea.
I expanded my wings from my back to not fall into the chasm that I had accidentally created. My blood had stopped streaming like a waterfall. The headache ailing me had disappeared and my thoughts felt clearer than before.
I saw with my eyes the demonic form of the Phenex. He was watching me too. Our gazes met. We exchanged no words yet we understood each other the thoughts of the other.
I released all my demonic power. The power of destruction erupted in a pillar of doom with me inside it. With a thought, I twisted my power of destruction recreating an armour made of it.
The armour was different from my first one. It looked more refined, more slick, more defined. It felt like a second skin. I saw with my eyes how the Space and the atoms around me began to be erased.
With a guttural scream, the Phenex skyrocketed towards me. With a thought, My wings and my armour sent me flying towards him.
We left annihilation in our wakes and under a false desolate sky, our fists met. I felt resistance as if I had punched a steel wall while being a human.
Pain shot through my veins like ecstasy and without a mirror, I knew I must have been smiling like a maniac.
I sent another punch directed to his again face. Instead of dodging, he tanked it. Dark clouds parted from the strength of the collision.
A claw enveloped in fire was sent swinging at me. I could dodge but I didn't. Why should I when he didn't? Why should I fear pain when It makes me stronger?
My fist met his claw and broke. I was sent flying. Imagination I reminded myself. You're a devil and drank an essence that only makes you stronger with every obstacle you face.
The phenex was suddenly above me. With a talon, he fell towards me. I reached for something unreachable and grabbed it. I twisted it and with that action, we switched.
I turned and pointed a palm at him. He had realized that I wasn't where I was before. He looked above towards me to be blasted with a beam made of the power of destruction.
It cut through him and went into the cracked earth under us bathing everything with a scarlet glow.
Even with a hole the size of a basketball ball, the Phenex rushed towards me as if unaware of my previous action.
Fierce Winds accompanied him. I pushed my hands toward him to stop his mad dash. My arms exploded in bloody gore and I was sent away.
My surroundings turned into an unrecognizable blur. Pain clawed at the door of my sanity. I felt the heat. An infernal flame had been created by Riser and even far away, I knew that there was a chance of me being reduced to ashes before I could regenerate.
Stop panicking. Pain only exists because of receptors sending a message to the brain. I took hold of my demonic energy and commanded it to shut the pain away.
The mind-numbing pain was now gone. I looked at my arms or to be more precise where I had arms. “Imagination,” I whispered to myself.
Steams erupted from my wounds. I saw how bone, veins, nerves and flesh appeared from nothing. I moved my finger testing my new arms.
I finally paid attention to my surroundings. Only clouds could be seen. Riser had almost made me reach the edge of the barrier of our rating game.
I could feel the temperature go up. I didn't know exactly what Riser did but it seemed dangerous which meant interesting.
I pumped my demonic energy into my eyes to see what he was doing. My view pierced through the clouds and the ashes and the ember in the air.
Riser was clad in winds when he had sent me flying away but now he had added to them his infernal flames. I saw with my gaze how the clouds, the earth, and even the air began to take fire.
A giggle escaped me. I loved this I realized. I'm not scared anymore. Maybe it was the adrenaline talking. Maybe later I would think otherwise but now while laughs of joy escaped my lips, I had never felt so free.
I opened my palm and materialized the power of destruction in the form of a ball. I didn't stop there. I added rotation to the ball and compressed the centre of it.
“Eat your heart Naruto” I whispered.
I saw looking at the Phenex the telltale signs that he would soon attack.
Riser wings batted and sent him flying in my direction. Everything ignited around in its wake. It looked like the birth of a new star. He raised his claw in a sweeping movement I knew would bisect me in half before I turned to ashes.
‘Beautiful’ I thought before sending myself Into the hell he had created. My Rasengan replica met his flames and space distorted.
The world around us began to wither away as if it were a drawing being erased by an eraser.
I stopped focusing on what happened around me and focused on my opponent. The Phenex screeched maybe in anger, maybe in hatred, maybe in a mix of both. I didn't know exactly what emotions his screams conveyed and to be honest, I didn't care.
Black began to pool over my arm and his claw. I pushed with everything. My destruction and his flames disappeared in our struggle. It may not have been more than a nanosecond.
A black orb materialized between us not larger than a raisin before exploding.
I hastily tried to use my power of destruction as a shield and Riser tried to do the same with his hellfire. Our bloodline powers were
Extinguished by the waves of black that spread.
I felt my right arm and all of my lower body disappear. Riser wasn't in a better shape than me. The top of His wings had been removed. He had lost his two talons but unlike me had still remaining his two arms.
He tried to claw at my face with one of his claws. I moved my head to the right. I felt his class connect with the left part of my face and found the vision of my left eye turn black.
He tried to finish the work with his other claw. “Imagination,” I repeated to myself.
Time, the limits of the flesh. What was impossible I will discard all of those things. It didn't matter if it was the prince of the host, the bastard child of the Morningstar the Abrahamic god himself or even the great red, expectations or rules. I will never again let myself be stopped by anything or anyone “Time alter-double accel” I chanted.
I flew past the strike of Riser into his guard. I flooded my fist with my power of destruction. I released all of my power nanoseconds away from hitting Riser.
My fist erupted in black and red and pushed through the flesh of the Phenex. Blood and viscera erupted in an explosion from him. “Checkmate,” I told him before the area of The rating game disappeared.
“Rias Gremory is the winner,” a worried voice uttered before I let my consciousness fade away.