16 Chapter 16 I smiled, and pulled her in close.

Yubelluna stood stock still for a moment longer, then her arms shakily rose to return the hug. "What have I done wrong? Why do they hate me so much?" she asked meekly, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks as she buried her head in my shoulder.

"I don't know. And I don't care. Their opinions don't matter. We're going to fight Rias's peerage, and we're not just going to win. We are going to humiliate them. The whole Underworld will see who you are. Who we are." I pulled back a little and pushed her chin up so she was looking me in the eye. Moisture trailed down her cheek like a window in a storm, but even so she focused on me. "We are going to win. Do you hear me?"

She nodded almost imperceptibly and mutely said, "We're going to win, Riser."

I smiled, and pulled her in close. "Damn right."

X

All things told, I'd expected this to take a lot longer to set up. Admittedly, my experience with Rating Games boiled down to sitting in a box every once in a while while Ruval thrashed whoever his opponent was with little to no help from his peerage, but I honestly thought it would take at least a couple weeks to have a match scheduled. In actuality, it took all of five days. I was willing to bet a large part of that was the stadium owners trying to cash in on all the drama surrounding mine and Rias's engagement before public interest died down, but apparently the fact that I was the challenger sped things up quite a bit as well. As I was the 'lesser' party because I was outnumbered, I was permitted a set amount of time to prepare, but I decided to waive that right in favor of expediency. Now, we were just minutes away from entering the arena.

"Remember, do not trust your regeneration against the Power of Destruction. It is unlikely to cancel your Immortality, but it is possible the effects of your bloodline will be slowed by a direct hit. Do everything in your power to avoid any of Rias Gremory's attacks." Clarissa said, trying to get in some last minute coaching before Yubelluna and I would enter the battlefield.

"Don't worry, Clarissa. We'll be fine." I said, trying to assuage her worries.

Clarissa narrowed her eyes at me and huffed a disappointed sigh. "It is that arrogance that will cause you to lose this match. Your skills reflect on those who taught you. Therefore, if you lose, I will lose, and I cannot tolerate that."

Smirking, I raised an eyebrow at her and said, "So that's the only reason you care? Your reputation is on the line?"

Clarissa held her gruff aura a second longer before allowing herself to smile. "Perhaps I am the slightest bit fond of the both of you."

Yubelluna chuckled merrily and ran up to give Clarissa a quick hug. "Don't worry. We're going to kick their asses."

"Ladies and gentlemen,"

A cultured, professional voice echoed around us.

"It's time. Protect each other, and do not let me down." Clarissa gave us one last nod of encouragement before a teleportation circle appeared beneath her and whisked her away.

"I would like to welcome you all to the Rating Game between Rias Gremory and Riser Phenex. As many of you know, my name is Grayfia Lucifuge and I will be officiating this Game."

I didn't know the sister-in-law of my opponent would be the ref. "Conflict of interest much?" I said aloud, and Yubelluna hummed in agreement but didn't comment.

"Today's game will follow the standard Rating Game rules and take place in a setting chosen by the challenged party. Rias Gremory has elected to fight in a simulated version of Kuoh Academy. The participants will now be transported into the arena."

A column of blue light enveloped Yubelluna and I. One moment we were standing in the waiting area, the next we were in what appeared to be a classroom.

"Homefield advantage. I thought I was supposed to be the one who had advantages like this? Aren't I the one who is outnumbered?" I said aloud. I wasn't really talking to anyone specific, but now that I was in the arena I was certainly being recorded and watched. I was playing my reactions up for the audience.

"This does not change our plan, my king." Yubelluna said calmly as she walked to a window to survey our surroundings. "Nor does it change the outcome of the game."

Walking over to join her, I said, "No, I guess it doesn't."

Looking out the window, I saw tan dirt leading away from the building I was in. There was a swingset sat atop the dirt, and a patch of vibrant green grass beyond that. Beyond the grass, at least half a mile away, was another building. That was likely where Rias and her peerage had been transported.

"The participants will be allotted ten minutes to plan and organize before the battle begins."

Grayfia's voice once more echoed around us, but left just as quickly.

"What do you suspect they will do, my king?" Yubelluna asked as we stared out the window together.

"That depends." I answered non committedly.

"On what?"

"Whether or not they're smart."

Yubelluna turned from the window to look at me in confusion. "My king?"

"If they were smart, they'd be using Rias's knight's Sword Birth to trap literally everywhere. That Sacred Gear is undersold only because its users have been massive idiots. It allows you to create any sword you can think of, within some staggeringly variable limits, including enchantments, yet its wielders only ever use it to make pointy sticks. If Rias's knight were smart, he'd create a bunch of swords enchanted to explode when anyone not in his peerage passed them. Then there's the potential to create rope traps, electrocution traps, pit traps – honestly you could make just about any trap with that Sacred Gear.

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