Chapter 11
Issei started sweating harder. He didn't know if it was because of the humongous wall of flame behind him or not.
The fire roared so loud it was hard to hear anything else. All he could hear was a constant crackling buzz in his ear. The buzz was so loud it hurt, so Issei pulled out his communicator and put it in his pocket. He hoped it wasn't completely broken, but he doubted he'd have a chance to listen to Rias now even if it did work.
The three of them hovered in the air. Kiba was doing the worst of them. He had a couple bruises and cuts dribbling blood. Issei and Koneko hadn't been wounded yet, but the last fight had taken a fair bit of their stamina. They were wounded, tired, and needed to heal and re-group.
And they had nowhere to go. On one side was a gout of flame that Issei had to crane his head to see the top. On the other was Riser.
Riser walked down the sidewalk next to the soccer field. His fists were both tight and his neck pulsed in burning fury. The air around him distorted from the heat he exuded. His footsteps left burning imprints on the concrete behind him. A few licks of fire seemed to be stuck to his body in various places, and the unadulterated rage on his face nearly made Issei gulp.
"You," Riser's voice seemed to come from the fires at their back. "You would dare raise a hand to Ravel?! You may belong to my bride, but no one lays a hand on her without my permission! I'll turn you to ash! Burn, you vermin!"
They scattered. A jet of flame burst from the wall right where they'd been. It burned so hot Issei felt its heat from a few meters away.
He's not playing, Issei realized. He's really trying to kill us. Ddraig!
"BOOST!"
Issei knew it would take a while for him to build up enough power to fight Riser on equal footing, if he could at all. But he didn't have time to wait. Riser would scorch him if he tried to sit back and wait.
Wait. Issei looked behind Riser. Riser's here. Which means the Student Council building's open! He beat his wings as hard as he could, darting over Riser. Yes!
His instincts screamed at him to dodge, so he did. He banked hard to the right in time to avoid a fiery spell that exploded in the air. The force of the explosion pushed him back twenty feet before he caught himself by extending his wings. He looked for the source of the spell and found her.
Yubelluna was floating between him and the Student Council building.
Shit! Kiba then grabbed him and pulled him away. "What's the—"
Another column of fire spawned where Issei had just been. It reached at least thirty meters high. When it died, Riser was right where it had been, his devil-wings made of pure crackling flames.
"Trying to run, Sekiryutei?" Riser mocked his title. "Did you really think it would be that easy?"
Riser's Queen glided to his side. "Riser-sama, may I have him?" She pointed at Issei. "I've always wanted to fight one of the Longinus."
Riser paused. Issei and Kiba took that opportunity to retreat to Koneko. Koneko had a few more pieces of burning clothes now, though she patted out the fires without emotion. When she put out the last one, she showed a small grimace in pain.
"Issei-senpai. Yuuto-senpai. Plan?"
They both landed next to her. Kiba let out a sigh. "To be honest, Koneko-chan, I have nothing. Yubelluna alone would be tough for us. Riser makes it nearly impossible. I honestly don't see how we win with us as we are, and I can't hail Buchou. I think we should retire and let Naruto-san finish it."
"Coward!" Issei pointed an accusing finger at him.
Kiba seemed confused. "I'm just thinking logically, Hyoudou-kun. As we are—"
"We can handle ourselves," Issei cut him off. He thought back to his talk with Ddraig before the Rating Game. "Do you want to just wait for Naruto to solve all our problems going forward?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Kiba shook his head. "I'm simply acknowledging our limits."
"Bah!" Issei brushed past Kiba, pushing him back with a shoulder shove. The Boosted Gear let out a 'BOOST'. "Sit around and wait for rescue if you want. Me? I'm gonna' go kick their asses. Naruto's strong, but so are we! You wanna' roll over and give up, be my guest. I'm not gonna' rely on Naruto to win this. I won't give up. As long as I can stand, I'll keep fighting! I'll never stop pushing forward! Now, are you gonna' wait for Naruto, or will you step up? Yuuto! Koneko! We can do this!"
Kiba and Koneko stared at him, neither of them saying anything. Soon, it got unnerving.
Koneko broke the silent spell. "Issei-senpai...right. Yuuto-senpai. Let's fight."
Kiba let out a rueful chuckle. He shook his head, bemused. "I can't believe it, but I think you're right, Hyoudou-kun." He summoned one of his swords and brandished it forward. "Waiting for rescue isn't what my sensei taught me! Always keep pushing forward!"
"Yosh!" Issei exclaimed with a flourish of his Sacred Gear. "Let's go! Yuuto! Koneko!" He then sprinted towards Riser and Yubelluna with Kiba and Koneko following right behind him.
Ddraig let out an amused snort. It would appear they want to prove themselves as much as you, Partner. Relying on Naruto is smart, but it is a bad strategy to do so often. Eventually, you will have to stand on your own. I'm glad you see it my way.
Issei cracked a grin. I hate to say it - or think it, rather - but you were right. Asia, Buchou, and everyone else can't just sit and hope Naruto will fix everything for us. He won't always be there. We need to be able to handle ourselves. Besides, his grin widened, Naruto would hate having to constantly save us.
Yubelluna was slightly bowed behind her master. Riser raised his hands and a large fireball came into existence in front of him. Riser then said, "You may have him." He launched the fireball right at the three of them.
Issei stopped and summoned the energy in his Boosted Gear. "EXPLOSION!" it shouted. Issei put everything he had into one Dragon Shot. It wasn't his most powerful, but it packed a fair punch. The ball of red energy shot forward and collided with Riser's fireball. They were evenly matched.
Kiba and Koneko sprinted past him and then where the two spells were fighting for supremacy. Kiba slashed through Riser's arm, but the wound sealed over with a lick of yellow fire faster than a blink. Riser didn't even acknowledge the cut or Kiba. He held out an arm and blocked Koneko's follow-up strike. To Issei's surprise, the block held. Riser smirked.
The fireball exploded. The shockwave threw Issei from his feet. He tumbled across the soccer field, flipping enough times he grew dizzy. He woozily stood once he stopped. Issei had to brace himself against one of the soccer goals to regain his balance. The world stopped spinning a little later. When it did, he tried to find his comrades. He saw them both still fighting Riser. He took a step and his instincts screamed again.
He listened.
The ground where he'd just stood exploded like a fiery grenade had gone off. Pieces of dirt-shrapnel seared the air as they passed him by. Issei coughed out the dust that he'd breathed in and waved the rest away. His new opponent stood ten yards in front of him.
Yubelluna was smiling. "I hope you're ready, Sekiryutei." A few pieces of flame licked the scepter she carried. "Riser gave you to me to play with. I suggest using this time to get to know each other. We'll be seeing each other a lot after this."
Issei dropped into one of the stances Koneko had taught him. He told her, "You won't win."
Yubelluna laughed at him. "Amusing! Come then! Show me the might of one of the weapons said to be able to kill a god!" She sprouted her wings and flew into the air.
The roar of Riser's flames came from where he knew Kiba and Koneko were fighting Riser. He wanted to help, but Yubelluna would get in his way. He needed to beat her first. The one who beat even Akeno. A bead of nervous sweat fell from his brow. He needed to focus. Naruto had warned him that a wandering mind would cost him the fight.
Alright then. He closed his gauntleted fist. Guess I'll just have to get through her first. Ddraig, you got any ideas?
Plenty, Ddraig said. But the one I prefer would be me taking over your body.
Well let's assume that's off the table.
Ddraig snorted. Just break your limits then. Actually, never mind that. Balance Breaker would kill you as you are. Hmm. Give me a few minutes.
I don't think we have that long! Issei summoned his wings to flee the area. He could see Yubelluna gathering energy. Wait. He grinned. I just got an idea.
Issei flew directly at his floating enemy. He punched at her, but she lazily sidestepped the blow. She jammed her scepter into his stomach, knocking the wind from him. She jumped back and pointed the ball of her scepter at him. A mass of purple energy coalesced at the end of it.
Issei regained his bearings and scanned Yubelluna. She was lazy. She underestimated him. She was overconfident. Good. He could use that - he was pretty sure. Naruto had taught him that underestimating someone was the surest way for them to surprise you.
But his surprise would have to wait. Yubelluna finished gathering the energy for her spell. Issei felt the hairs on the back of his neck stiffen. He decided that he needed to get moving or take his chances with that spell.
He got moving.
Issei flew upwards until it almost hurt to breathe. His chest burned and he greedily sucked in as much air as he could. Idly, he wondered if the Rating Game space had a ceiling, but he dismissed that thought just as quick as it came. Yubelluna activated her spell, firing dozens of purple bolts of magic at him. He started flying as fast as he could, knifing to the sides in a pattern he hoped wasn't noticeable. He narrowly avoided the explosions of purple energy. Each bolt exploded like fireworks, hurting Issei's ears with each giant 'boom' in the sky. She ran out after about a minute of continuous explosions.
He somehow managed to get out of the attack with only a pair of ringing ears. He couldn't hear anything at the moment, but he could still move. He counted that as a win.
He fired a few Dragon Shots at Riser's Queen. She avoided them easily enough, so Issei tried something new. He summoned a single ball of red energy. He focused on it, imagining what he wanted it to do. He didn't know if he had the power for it yet, but he needed to try. He cried out, "Dragon Rain!" and punched the ball of red energy.
It descended about thirty feet before exploding into a dozen smaller Dragon Shots, all aimed at Yubelluna. Yubelluna squawked in surprise. She shot a few of the streams of draconic energy but couldn't stop them all in time. She tried to summon a large magic circle as a barrier but didn't get it activated in time. She let out a pained screech as six Dragon Shots all hit her at once.
Issei didn't savor his taste of victory long. He dove out of the sky to try and capitalize on his advantage. He'd almost made it to her when he suddenly felt the ambient magic in the air. It felt like electricity. Yubelluna dispelled the smoke around her, her face in an enraged snarl. She had a large mass of purple energy in her free hand. She thrust it out at him, firing the solid beam of energy at him.
He didn't have time to dodge. He tried to summon the bubble he'd used to protect Koneko. He only partially succeeded. A small round shield met Yubelluna's spell. The spell had tremendous force behind it, shooting Issei and his shield out of the sky and through a glass window into a building. Issei tried to focus on maintaining his half-bubble, but cracks formed along its entire length. A few seconds later, his bubble popped. With it came an explosion so powerful it shook the building and shattered the glass of every window in it.
The explosion hit Issei full on. It blew him through concrete walls like they'd been made of paper mâché. He felt a few bones crack. His chest and hip hurt. He guessed those were where the breaks were. He soon blew through one more wall into a large atrium area. He tumbled out of the air onto the thousands of pieces of glass from where the grand ceiling sun window used to be. The glass shards cut into his body through his clothes, leaving a large swath of bloodied glass on the floor behind him.
At last, he came to rest while still on top of the shattered glass. His entire body now hurt, though it was worst where the breaks were. He felt a few shards of glass still in his body. He'd need to pull those out when he stood up. He coughed up a glob of blood, staining his teeth and chin. The coppery taste stayed.
He looked around. He realized where he'd wound up. "Heh." He croaked a pained laugh that immediately turned into bloody coughs. "I made it." He then yelled, "I'm not done yet, Grayfia-san! Don't even try and pull me out of here!"
His voice's echo was his only answer.
He slowly turned himself over, both because of how hurt he was and to try and minimize any new cuts he'd get. He brushed aside some glass and set his hands on the cool marble tile flooring. Shakily, he pushed himself up and to his knees. The glass crunched like snow under him. He then managed to stand on his own two feet again. He looked around and noticed black on the edges of his vision.
"Well, I suppose that's not good."
Ddraig spoke up. You are an absolute idiot, you know this? The fact this was your plan to Promote speaks volumes about you.
"Heh." He smiled, showing his bloodied teeth. "Whatever. It worked. Promotion: Queen."
It was immediate. His body glowed so bright he may as well have been a light source for the room. He felt all of the boons of the Queen Piece together at once: the might of the Rook, the speed of the Knight, and the magic of the Bishop. Suddenly, he didn't hurt anymore. He felt like he could take on the world.
Issei had practiced fighting while Promoted while on the training trip. While he liked both Knight and Rook, Queen was undoubtedly his favorite. Not only did his strength and speed shoot up, but his Boosted Gear's potency skyrocketed too. He understood why the Queen was often considered the most powerful. Being a Queen certainly made him feel like he was.
"Rias Gremory-sama. Rook. Retired. Unable to continue."
Grayfia's neutral voice sliced through him like sharpened ice. The realization hit him hard. Koneko had been beaten by Riser. Issei didn't know how, but he blamed himself for not beating Yubelluna sooner. Now Kiba was fighting Riser on his own. Kiba was already wounded from before Riser had showed up. He wouldn't last much longer.
So Issei didn't hold back.
A green aura exuded from his Sacred Gear, went up his arm, and then covered his entire body. Issei prepared a single Dragon Shot at the wall in front of him. He needed to help Kiba as fast as possible, and what's the fastest way to get somewhere?
"A straight line."
Issei fired what was quite possibly his largest Dragon Shot ever. The wall never stood a chance. The Student Council building disintegrated in front of him. Where once had been concrete and fine artistry was now a gaping hole to the outside. Issei ignored the protests in his limbs and flew into the oddly colored sky, blowing the shards of glass away like a strong gust of wind.
He found Yubelluna soon enough. She was cheering on her King as he toyed with Kiba. Issei ignored the men below in favor of the task at hand. Yubelluna didn't have time to do more than shout in surprise.
He dug his gauntlet deep into her stomach. Yubelluna spat out a mixture of blood and spittle. Issei then punched her straight upward, her arms and legs hanging like a ragdoll. She dropped her scepter. He then flew faster than he remembered ever flying before to get ahead of her.
He stopped and hovered above Yubelluna as she screamed through the air. He summoned one last Dragon Shot. He waited until she could look him in the eyes. When she did, he said evenly, "For Akeno-senpai." He fired.
The red energy completely enveloped her. It soon hit the ground, shattering the concrete like one of her explosions would. When the energy dissipated, Yubelluna was nowhere to be seen.
"Riser Phenex-sama. Queen. Retired. Unable to continue."
For a moment, Issei didn't know how to react. He'd just taken on Riser's strongest servant and won! He'd actually won! Yubelluna had even beaten Akeno, and he'd avenged her! He wanted to celebrate! This felt even better than beating Reynare had. Goodness. Was this how Naruto felt all the time? It was intoxicating.
"Rias Gremory-sama. Knight. Retired. Unable to continue."
And there was still Riser to beat.
A clump of flame was left burning where Kiba had just been. Looking around, Issei saw dozens of small fires burning across the entire area. The stench of smoke was everywhere. With it was a stench Issei didn't recognize, but he guessed it was probably burnt flesh.
Fresh waves of fury came over him. Issei roared a primal shout of anger.
Riser didn't seem injured in the slightest. The only signs he'd even been in a fight at all were a few dirt stains and a couple cuts into his shirt. His skin was still pristine, free of any blemish or wound. A single mote of flame sparked over one of his fingertips.
Issei didn't bother with words. He could see it in Riser's eyes. To him, Issei was nothing more than a bug to crush underfoot. He wasn't a challenge. He was an inconvenience.
Issei seared the air as he flew, dropping on his prey like a hawk. Issei aimed for the chest. Riser caught his fist, the force behind it sending out a small shockwave. Issei spun into a kick at his head, but Riser lazily ducked under it.
Riser then coated one of his fists in flames and dug deep into his gut. Issei both felt and smelled his flesh sear. Issei shouted in agony, a few lines of blood spilling from his mouth. The blow sent him to the ground, hacking out globs of blood while he rolled around to try and put out the flame.
The flame wouldn't die though. Issei hopped to his feet and quickly tore off his shirt and jacket, exposing his torso. Where Riser's fist had connected was a large red burn that stung worse than any sunburn Issei had ever felt before. It was a sharp, stinging pain that flared up whenever his muscles even twitched, so it was constantly aching.
Riser let out a small laugh. "This is the Sekiryutei?" He shook his head, disappointed. "Just like Rias. More muscle than brain, with not as much of either as you think."
Issei twitched. The insult to him he could live with. But insulting Rias genuinely pissed him off more than he already was. He growled. "Say whatever you will about me, but you keep Buchou's name out of your mouth!" He leapt to engage Riser once more.
Riser flared his wings and smacked him with one. The flaming appendage had a surprising amount of force behind it, sending Issei sprawling to the dirt.
"I didn't give you permission to speak," Riser said like a tired parent would a disobedient child. "I suppose Rias has been lax with all of you. I'll have to train you properly, it seems. But, rejoice! For I am a kind master. I will ensure you lot know your place."
Issei spat out some dirt. He stood to his feet. "You don't know the first thing about Buchou. She's just—"
Again, Riser put him in the ground. This time, he dug his heel into Issei's back to keep him down. Issei let out a small grunt in pain, but he refused to give Riser the satisfaction of any more than that.
Riser ground his teeth. "The only reason I haven't burned you to a crisp yet is because I'm hoping that seeing how feeble you all are will convince Rias how foolish she has been. She has a soft spot for her 'precious servants', and I went a little overboard with the other two. Though it was their fault, after all. They tried to hurt Ravel, and I just lost myself for a moment."
Pictures of the broken, bleeding, and burned bodies of both Koneko and Kiba came to Issei's mind. He grit his teeth. He didn't know how long he'd let himself gather power, so he asked Ddraig directly, How long until I have enough to beat him?
Ddraig was quiet. Soon, he answered, his voice solemn. Partner. As you are now, you can't. The amount of power you would need to build would kill you.
For a second, he froze. He shook his head. He refused to believe that. No. You said—
Partner, Ddraig cut him off sternly. There is no shame in admitting defeat now. You've done enough. You have four cracked ribs and a fractured hip. Your Promotion has kept your wounds from worsening, but it won't be long now. Your reserves are empty. The only energy you could have is in the Boosted Gear.
It's over. You lost this one.
Issei felt tears of frustration well up. Again, he shook his head. "I can still...stand—"
Riser stomped on his wounded hip.
Issei thought he knew pain. No. He didn't. Not before. He shrieked in agony, his voice cracking. It was like someone had injected lava into his side, the heat was so intense. It hurt so much Issei couldn't even breathe. His leg locked in place, his muscles freezing. He heard something 'pop' in his leg and the pain disappeared. He at first thought that had been good, but he then realized he couldn't feel his leg at all.
He choked and gagged, unable to take a breath the pain was so intense. Riser this time stomped on his shoulder, and Issei felt it pop out of place. Again, Issei screamed. His vision swam and went blurry.
He faintly heard Riser taunting him but couldn't make out the words. Something arrogant, he assumed. He tried to flail his limbs and push Riser away, but Riser just stepped on him again.
Issei couldn't give up though. Rias was relying on him. He'd promised her he would become the strongest Pawn for her. How could he keep his promise if someone like Riser could beat him? He needed to get up. He needed to keep fighting. He swore he'd protect everyone. He wouldn't give in, no matter how broken his body became. He'd always get up. He'd find a way. He wasn't sure how, but he knew he would.
He made one last, desperate attempt. Ddraig! What can I do for just some of your power?!
Offer your body to me, and all of my power is yours to wield! Ddraig sounded eager. You are a devil, so let us bargain. Give me your arm, and I can grant you temporary access to my full power. It will be enough to push this man back and win. But know that your sacrifice is permanent. Your arm will be that of a dragon forevermore.
Issei hesitated.
Riser's weight disappeared. Dully, Issei heard a crash. It was like someone had stuffed cotton in his ears. He looked up and saw a cloud of billowing dust coming from the direction he'd heard the crash.
Had he, really? It was so hard to tell where anything was now.
He spied a new figure dressed in the male Kuoh Academy uniform. He didn't know how, but this new guy seemed like he was ten feet tall, he was so huge. He saw only his back, so Issei looked up as far as he could. Blond, spiky hair.
He realized who it was as the new face turned to him. There was a rare showing of pure rage on his usually-smiling face.
"Na...ru...to?"
He felt it. The kind of hatred he reserved for people like those Uchiha bastards. The utter loathing of a person's very existence. It was something he hadn't thought he could still feel.
But oh boy could he.
Naruto snarled at the cloud of dust that had once been a storage shed. Seeing Riser torture first Koneko, then Kiba, and now Issei had sent him over the edge. He'd sworn to Issei that he wouldn't move unless there was no one left. He'd stubbornly kept his word even though both he and Rias had wanted him to intervene. That, he told himself, was a mistake.
He should have moved the second Riser had left his roost. But he'd promised his best friend he'd let them try. Never again would he make such a promise. He'd rather die than stand by and watch his friends get tormented like that.
"Na...ru...to?"
Naruto turned to Issei. Poor, burned, broken Issei. Rias had been in tears, begging Naruto to break his word and help. The boy's face was mostly unmarred, but Riser had burned his footprints into Issei's back in four spots. One of his arms and one leg hung limp. Naruto couldn't see them, but he knew Issei bore burns on his chest and stomach too.
Asia had retired herself once Naruto had left. She'd promised him and Rias she'd heal everyone herself. Rias had told him the medical staff were top notch, but they weren't miracle workers. Asia, with Twilight Healing, was. It had left only Rias and Naruto in the Game, but even that was overkill.
He managed a sad smile through the rage. "Sorry I was late, Issei. You did well."
Issei clenched his gauntleted hand, pulling some dirt with his fingers. He croaked, "So...rry I...could...n't…"
Naruto was immediately by his side. "No. No, no, no, no. Issei. You gave it your all. I'm proud. So proud. Rias-chan and Asia-chan are too. Just leave this to me now. Rest. Heal. Asia-chan's waiting for you."
A frustrated tear came from Issei's eye. He was trying to say something but didn't have the energy. Issei hefted his Sacred Gear and grabbed Naruto's leg. There was barely any pressure in the grip. The jewel in the gauntlet glowed bright. "Transfer!" it declared.
An energy unlike any he'd felt before poured into him. Naruto had worried Transfer wouldn't work with his separate chakra network, but that seemed to have been unfounded. It matched perfectly. It was a surge that seemed to calm his constantly-rampaging chakra while simultaneously increasing it. The energy itself felt both foreign and familiar at the same time. It was like when he merged with Kurama, only with a much smaller entity this time. It was at one time both comforting and burning. Like a fireplace.
This must be everything he's built up fighting Riser. Naruto laid a comforting hand on Issei's back. "Thank you," he whispered.
The teleportation magic enveloped Issei's body as he lost consciousness. A few seconds later, Issei was gone and Grayfia announced Rias' Pawn had retired. Naruto took a long breath to try and calm himself. He needed to assess the situation before breaking Riser.
Riser had two Pieces left - his Bishops. Ravel Phenex, his sister, was a noncombatant that to Rias' knowledge was only with Riser to gain experience in a peerage, so she wasn't able to do anything threatening. Mihae, the other Bishop, was one of Riser's actual peerage. She disliked violence but would fight if Riser ordered her. In the scouting reports, she was only a skilled magic user but not really special in any real way. Rias believed she was protecting Ravel on Riser's orders. She was a slight threat, and not one Naruto would usually register. However, with Rias still a possible target, he would take no chances.
His personal training trip had heightened his control over his new chakra, so he had left a weakened clone to watch over the Occult Research clubhouse. If there were to be even a hint of hostile movement, he would fly over to remove the threat before it could think of being one. He knew Rias could handle herself and likely didn't need his protection from someone like Mihae. But he would not risk the slightest chance of losing this Rating Game now. Not after the pain Koneko, Akeno, Kiba, and Issei had endured. No. He'd crush anything that made the foolish choice to get in his way.
Naruto activated his communicator. "Rias. Where's Ravel and Mihae?"
There was a pause. Rias sniffled. "They're-They're still together. My familiar is watching them now. They're actually not far from where you are. Naruto," her voice cracked, "Ravel and Mihae are not threats. Ravel isn't a bad person, so please don't hurt her. Riser's just rubbed off on her."
Naruto flexed his fingers, nails extending into claws. "As long as they stay that way."
A giant tower of flame grew from where he'd sent Riser flying. Vaguely, Naruto heard a bird's shrill cry. Riser himself looked no worse for wear, courtesy of his bloodline's healing factor, but his clothes were now a mess of tattered ribbons. Riser stalked forward, his burning wings extended fully. The heat around him was so intense it lit the grass on fire as he strode by. Naruto suppressed a smirk when he saw the pure, unadulterated, demonic rage in his snarl.
"Rias," Naruto said.
There was one last sniffle. "Yes?"
He could feel Kurama's chakra seeping through his fury. He had to fight it down. He couldn't kill Riser, no matter how much he wished he could right now. "Don't watch," was all he said.
Riser made to speak. Naruto didn't care to hear anything from his filthy mouth. He threw a single kunai between Riser's teeth, silencing him. It stabbed into the top of Riser's mouth and lodged itself there. Riser grunted and glared at him. He reached into his mouth and yanked out Naruto's kunai.
Naruto closed the distance faster than a blink. Looking closely, he could see a drop or two of blood on his kunai. Naruto this time punched Riser square in the face. He felt the head contort around his fist. Riser was sent flying once more.
Naruto didn't let his prey escape. He flew so fast he heard a sonicboom or two behind him. He caught up to Riser almost immediately. He reached out and grabbed him by the neck, stopping him cold in the air. If Riser hadn't had his healing factor, Naruto guessed his insides would've been jelly right now.
He was glad it wasn't. He had much more punishment to dole out.
He squeezed Riser's neck. Riser maintained his baleful stare though his gags for air. Naruto saw Riser was missing a tooth now. He was apparently injuring him faster than Riser could heal. That was good.
Naruto squeezed even harder. He stared directly into Riser's eyes, his own colder than ice. "You have made a very grave mistake, Phenex. You harmed my friends. I'll let you live, but you will wish I hadn't."
He saw it. Riser's confidence, for just a flicker, had died. He felt fear. He was capable of it. So Naruto would leave him with only that when he was done.
"D...Dragon," Riser managed to squeak out through a gargle.
Naruto beat his wings once, sending a powerful gust of wind that nearly knocked some trees over. "Not quite."
He tossed Riser into the sky. While he sputtered for air, Naruto blinked to right behind him. Naruto stabbed a kunai into Riser's shoulder and buried the entire blade until he felt it hit bone. He then spun in the air and kicked Riser straight down.
The air whistled as Riser plummeted. He hit the ground hard, the force causing a fissure that split the ground for fifty feet in either direction. A giant cloud of dust and dirt billowed out from the point of impact. Naruto blew it all away with a single flap of his wings.
Riser was struggling to stand. When he did, Naruto stared down at him, his face a mask of impassive enmity. "You're pathetic," Naruto said. Riser tried to fling a spear of fire at him. Naruto caught it out of the air and threw it right back at double speed. The spear pierced completely through Riser's oblique. Naruto's own healing factor repaired his burned skin. Riser finally screamed in pain.
Naruto almost teleported, he moved so fast. He was beside Riser again. He telegraphed an axe kick so Riser could try to block. Riser fell for the feint, so Naruto spun on his heel and pushed his foot into Riser's gut instead. A dab of blood and spittle left his mouth.
Riser clutched his stomach, shaking as he fell to his knees. Riser was gasping for breath. It felt good to watch him be humbled, and it felt even better that Naruto had done it himself. He brandished his claws and stabbed them into Riser's chest. Not too deep though. He couldn't risk killing him - he had to remind himself. He lifted Riser off his feet. Riser's healing factor was working overtime, Naruto could see, but the wounds Naruto left were too great to heal very quickly.
He held Riser in the air. Riser kicked at him, but those kicks may has well have been mosquito bites to Naruto. Naruto caught one of the kicks and squeezed until he felt the bones crack. The bones healed almost immediately, so Naruto just held tighter. Riser's eyes widened in shock when he realized what Naruto was doing. Naruto was content to let him feel his leg break over and over and over and over.
Riser scratched desperately at his eyes. Naruto let go of the leg to block him. Riser then pushed off with his legs to un-impale him. The five round stab wounds healed slow. Riser was gasping for breath and bent over, but he was still defiant. Naruto decided it was time to end it.
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small, sealed rectangular box. He broke the seal with one of his claws. He removed the lid and tossed it to the side. He reached one finger in and looped it under the bead necklace. He finally pulled out a small silver cross that had a ruby in the center.
Asia had warned him that it would burn like nothing he'd ever felt before. Naruto had been wrong to doubt her. The burn seemed to sizzle his finger like an egg on a greasy pan. He'd taken a chidori to the chest, but that was nothing compared to this. For the first time, he understood Rias' concern. This small rosary, barely larger than one of his fingers, seemed to burn away his very soul. He was lucky he had his own impressive healing factor. Otherwise, he didn't know if the damage this thing would do to him would be permanent.
But if there's one thing that will break him, he thought, it's something like this.
Legitimate panic took Riser's face once he noticed Naruto's crucifix. "H-H-How?! How are you holding that?!" he shrieked.
Naruto wrapped the beads around his hand until he gripped the rosary itself. By all deities out there did it hurt. But Naruto was experienced with pain. He knew how to ignore it. Kurama would ensure no permanent damage was done. Naruto answered Riser's demand with a smirk.
Naruto closed the distance between them and slammed the rosary-powered fist into Riser's solar plexus. The bones shattered. Riser's face was frozen in agony. Blood dribbled from his mouth. Riser fell to his knees. Naruto raised his fist one more time. "It's over."
"Onii-sama!"
Naruto looked to the side. Ravel was there. She was obviously distressed. She had multiple trails of tears falling down her face. Mihae was trying unsuccessfully to pull her away from the scene. Mihae panicked when she saw him looking at them. "Ravel-sama! We need to run! Now!"
Ravel shook her head. "No! I won't leave onii-sama!"
Naruto dashed to them before they could move. Mihae and Ravel jumped. Mihae immediately put herself between him and Ravel. She tried to put on a brave face, but Mihae was shaking just as much as Ravel.
"Retire." It was his warning and an order. "Remove yourself from this Game now." His voice was cold as death, terrifying the girls even more.
"N-N-Never!" Ravel stuttered, trying to look defiant. Naruto could see how scared she was though. She'd likely never seen someone as powerful as him. He could understand it. That fear. He'd felt it himself before, and he'd seen it in the people he once considered friends after the war. "O-Onii-sama won't lose!"
"Suit yourself." Naruto raised the fist without the rosary.
Riser flashed over and caught his fist. He was still coughing blood, and Naruto could see his chest was still caved in. "M-Mihae...Ravel… RUN!" There was panic. There was fear. Not fear for himself though. Fear for the two he was protecting.
Ravel and Mihae froze.
Riser grunted in annoyance. He cried out, "I retire both my Bishops from this Game—effective immediately!"
That shocked Ravel. "But onii-sama!" Nothing more could be said. Grayfia removed her and Mihae from the scene and announced Riser had retired them.
That's one worry gone. Naruto then said, "Now it's your turn."
Riser coughed up more blood. "Like I'd...ever...get beaten by...a Low-Class—"
Naruto cut him off with another holy fist, this one to the shoulder. Riser again howled in agony. He fell to his face this time. Riser tried to push himself up. Naruto dangled the Rosary from his fist and rested it on the back of Riser's head. Riser's eyes bulged. His flesh seared like a steak on the grill.
Riser tried to summon his flames but none came. "You see," Naruto said, his voice ice. "I've dealt with people like you all my life. People who think I'm nothing. A nobody. I've beaten people much more powerful than you think you are. You're an ant before me, boy." He grabbed Riser's hair and forced him to meet his eyes. "I want you to see how weak you are, Riser. You—are—nothing.
"I could snuff you out if I cared to." Naruto saw his reflection in Riser's eyes. He was backlit by a large flame that cast his face deep in shadow. His eyes were prominent though. They were still blue, which was a small surprise considering his rage, but they were now a vertical slit like when he summoned Kurama's chakra. He had no idea how though. He'd purposefully chosen to push Kurama's chakra back. He decided to think about it later with Kurama. He then finished, his voice a deadly whisper, "Now. Concede."
That did it. The fire finally died in his eyes. He'd broken him. Riser's eyes fell. His voice was raspy. "I… I…"
"Say it." Naruto pressed the cross onto his neck.
Riser grunted. His lips quivered. "I... concede."
Naruto dropped him and stood up. He looked at the rosary. It had no blemish on the polished silver. He knew Asia valued her collection of crosses, so he wrapped it in a shred of cloth and put it in his jacket pocket.
Grayfia then announced, "Riser Phenex-sama has conceded. Rias Gremory-sama is victorious."
Naruto took in a deep, calming breath. He hoped Rias had listened to him. That side of him was one he wasn't proud of. It had developed in the months after the war when he was chasing down Sasuke's gaggle of war criminals. He'd needed information, and they wouldn't crack.
Naruto. Kurama spoke for the first time since Naruto had moved on Riser.
Yeah?
You did well.
"Yeah." He looked off in the direction of where Rias was. "I know."
He then felt magic in the air. He looked up and saw a blue magic circle that he recognized as Grayfia's. It descended over him, teleporting him out of the Rating Game.