Earlier

Issei looked at the girl standing before him in the breezeway and let out an annoyed growl. When he, Yui, and Kaori had left the ORC building he'd sent the two knights to go help out his pawns at the track field while he went to help his surrogate queen who'd been fighting Yubelluna. From the videos he'd watched of Riser's previous matches despite Yubelluna being classified as a Low-Class devil her explosive magic was that of a Mid-Class bordering on the verge of High-Class. The only reason Issei could think of for her low status was Riser either not wanting to reveal her true power, or (and the more likelier option in his opinion) not being able to stand having a peerage member the same rank as him, especially the one Issei assumed was his primary sleeping companion based on what he'd seen in the ORC.

Normally Issei wouldn't have worried as much, Akeno's holy lightning was very effective when dealing with devils and fallen angels but he was more worried about the fact that none of his peerage members had reported seeing any of the opposing pieces using Phoenix Tears. A medicine that only the Phenex household could produce, Issei suspected that Riser had brought at least one into the game, having seen him do exactly that in one of the tapes he'd watched. The fact that in the video it had been given to Yubelluna hadn't eased his concerns in the slightest, only making him work late into the night during training week to determine Riser's most likely strategy.

It had been fairly simple to determine what an arrogant, overconfident man like Riser would do, he'd want an overwhelming victory just to show how outmatched the son of a Satan was compared to him. To make sure of that Issei believed that Riser would want to bring in his family's medicine that could heal all wounds and restore magical power but Riser's overconfidence wouldn't allow him to bring in the maximum two that he was allowed. Issei suspected that Riser would give the Tears to Yubelluna like he'd done previously but he didn't tell his peerage his suspicions. If he revealed what he suspected then they would hold back when they fought her, something Issei knew from his 'homework' could be a fatal mistake. Using this and the information he'd gained from constantly rewatching Riser's previous games had allowed Issei to so far in the Rating Game to consistently predict his opponents moves and the fact that he'd been able to carve up Riser's forces like he was a butcher with the carving knife hadn't escaped his notice. What he hadn't counted on was Riser sending one of his pieces to protect his Queen in case of interference. That was a surprise and looking over the woman's shoulder watching the queens battle Issei wondered for a moment if he had played Riser, or if Riser had played him.

He was shaken out of his thoughts by the woman in front of him cracking her neck and shaking her limbs out, clearly warming up. "Is this one of Riser's plans?" Issei asked, fishing for information from the look to be punk. With spiky light brown hair adorned with red highlights on the front, an army green jacket that showed off her midriff and emphasized her assets, as well as black jeans with a section cut off on her right leg that showed her right thigh and part of her buttcheek the woman seemed to be the devil equivalent of the stereotypical 'rebel'. The stereotype was only made more obvious with a half mask on the woman's face that covered her nose but left her mouth bare in addition to the black fingerless fighting gloves and black combat boots. 'She looked like she either causes trouble or brings it with her wherever she goes,' Issei couldn't help but think.

The woman shook her head and flashed him a grim smile, "No, Riser-sama ordered me to go to the track field with the others. However I wondered why you let your queen engage Yubelluna so I asked for permission to go guard her in the unlikely chance that she was actually a ploy. Since you're here it looks like my guess was correct."

Issei's eyes widened in shock but he quickly hid it behind a playboy grin, "Oh, so this was your idea, not Riser's? How were you able to get him to let you do this? Based on what I know Riser's not the type of guy to take advice from others, even if they're subservient to him." Her reveal that she had been the one to see through his actions upped the woman in Issei's book a few spots. If it was her idea then the plan would likely work.
The appraising look the women gave Issei did not escape his notice but he waited for her answer. In their physical battle it was better to let her make the first move especially considering that she was likely a rook since she was cracking her knuckles. As for their mental spar, she was clearly defensive not wanting to give away information but having spent years studying women in elementary and middle school Issei was learning far more from her than she knew. "I suggested that sending two knights, two pawns, and a bishop to deal with a pair of knights and pawns was more than enough. I asked him to let me go protect Yubelluna in case one of you was sent to try and steal her Phoenix Tears." The reveal only confirmed Issei's grim belief at the reality of the situation, but at the moment he was more distracted by the woman in front of him.

"What's your name?" He asked genuinely curious.

The woman responded without hesitation, "I am Isabela, Riser-sama's rook and the one who will end this game by bringing you down." So saying the newly named Isabela launched herself at the young king, which was just what Issei had been waiting for. With a single spell the natural ice magic he'd inherited from his mother flowed out covering the rook. In less than a second the entire hallway was made of ice with a giant block of it around the woman with only her head exposed.

Knowing she couldn't move Issei strode forward to knock her out, before that happened though an announcement came through from Beelzebub, "Issei's queen has retired." causing Issei to clench his right hand into a fist in anger. If he hadn't had to deal with this rook he would have been able to help Akeno but now she was gone. All that remained of the two teams were Riser and Yubelluna against Issei and his knights with Issei having a sinking feeling that Riser's queen was now healed and her magic restored.

A sneeze made him turn back to the punk he'd frozen. "Sorry," Isabela said a slight blush on her face. That made Issei raise an eyebrow although he didn't allow his cold expression to show it, she was apologizing to him? "You look like you're a good king who cares for his pieces. I know I'm not a member of your peerage but for what it's worth, I hope to fight you again under better circumstances. I enjoyed our fight even if I didn't even get a chance to actually, well, fight."

Something about the heartfelt sincerity of the girl caused Issei to relax and to the frozen girl's surprise he actually chuckled. "I hope to fight you again as well although I can't promise that the result will be any different. But before you go can I ask, has Riser ever, done it with you." The brown hair adorned with red twisted as the girl shook her head.

"No, Riser-sama has had, slumber parties with us where we all sleep together but he's never actually done it with me. He mainly does the deed with Yubelluna, Mihae, and the pawns excluding Mira and the green twins of course. O-O-Of course he's never laid his hands on Ravel-sama either, if he did that-"

"I would kill him," Issei growled. The imprisoned rook shivered at the cold gaze he used when he looked down at her. The look in his eyes made it clear to the woman, Ravel belonged to him, anyone who tried to do anything to her would answer to him and they would most likely not make it out alive. The look made it clear to anyone who could see his eyes at the moment that this was the son of the Strongest Queen and unbeknownst to the pair back in the observation box where Issei's family sat with the Phenex family Grayfia let the smallest of smiles cross her composed face. Sirzechs meanwhile shivered in inherent fear, he'd seen that look on his wife and he immediately pitied anyone Issei directed that look towards in the future, he knew that they would not enjoy the following moments.

Knowing he needed to continue on, Issei couldn't help but ask the trapped rook one last question before she was retired. Already the blue light was beginning to appear and Issei knew the two had only moments left. "Why do you serve Riser?" he asked. A part of the agreement between the two kings back in the ORC had come to his mind but he wanted to know more before he made a decision. In the end it might not matter if he lost but if he won, well, then they'd have to wait and see.

"I wanted to fight strong opponents." The rook said looking at the king who'd bested her. "I used to lead a gang when I was human and one evening we decided to rob a blond rich looking teen we found standing in an alleyway. We were starving and needed the money," her eyes took on a fargone look as Issei saw her relive the moments her voice turning bland and emotionless. "He destroyed us, wiped us out and burned everyone alive. I was the only one left, and then the monster came over and kneeled down next to me where I lay dying in that dark alley. He asked me if I feared death and in that moment, I did. I'd done bad things, you had to in order to rise to the top and keep your members' respect. I was afraid and he offered me a choice but I was weak. My followers died because of me, the people I hung out with and grew up with, my sisters. And I didn't even have the courage to lead them to the afterlife, to whatever hell awaited us. I failed them, what kind of leader was I?" With those final words the rook's head dropped down her chin knocking against her frozen prison as a single tear slid down from the eye not covered by the mask. Then in a flash of blue light the woman was gone leaving an empty block of ice against which a young king stood looking at his own reflection.

"Riser's rook has retired," Beelzebub's calm emotionless voice rang out.

For a moment all was quiet and then with a brutal roar of fury Issei gathered to his fist the power he'd inherited from his father, the Power of Destruction and punched the ice cube, annihilating it with the waves of destructive force he emitted. Then with a calm control that only a rare few possessed Issei strode outside to the courtyard in front of the new schoolhouse, where Riser and his queen stood waiting. Issei stopped and looked at the man who he had come to hate. So focused was he that he didn't even acknowledge his knights who walked to stand behind him on either side, Kaori on his right, Yui on his left, his first two pieces.

In the observation box Rias looked at her nephew with concern having just returned from checking on her retired peerage members to hear the rook's tragic backstory. She hadn't known Issei for long but she could see how much the story had angered him. Though she hated to admit it the tale had made a nice tinder adding to the roaring bonfire of hatred and disgust that she had for her fiance.

"He didn't do anything illegal," her father and Issei's grandfather, Zeoticus Gremory, had told her when she'd gasped in shock upon hearing the rook's tale about her past over the screen.

"He may not have done anything illegal dear but that story still doesn't sit right with me." Her mother and Issei's grandmother Venelana had added.

"Yes but she still is quite strong. My son wouldn't have recruited her otherwise," Lord Phenex said, his arms laying calmly on his armrests as he watched the two young kings face off, glaring at each other in silence.

'Well I guess we know which piece Issei wants,' Sirzechs thought, sending his wife a quick glance who knowing her husband had done the same to him at the exact moment. The looks were brief but once they were over anyone who knew the two could see that they were grinning on the inside. If Issei won then he and his peerage would have grown quite a bit in strength with their potential new members.

"What was that look?" Sirzechs felt a tugging on his robe and looked to his right to see a young girl in her late teens with black hair tied into twin buns dressed in the clothes of a magical girl. This was Serafall Leviathan, one of the four Satans and a close friend of Sirzechs who managed foreign affairs for the underworld. While many found that odd considering that she casually threatened to start a war every other week, Sirzechs knew that she honestly tried her best to keep the peace. Also the fact that she had faced Grayfia for the title of Leviathan and had if not beaten her but been strong enough to hold her own was a major show of her skill.

Sirzechs smiled at her and with a grin promised, "If Issei wins you'll see," which earned him a 'hmph' from the magical girl as she turned away frustrated.

"Issei-sama won't lose. He's the one I trust with my future, and the one I want to serve," the voice of Ravel cut in sharing her thoughts on her wannabe master. "He's stronger than my brother, I don't know how he'll do it but he shall emerge triumphant."
Rias shot the young girl a quick glance. Though she at first hadn't made much of an impact on the young Gremory heir she now looked the girl over moving her up a few places on Rias's list of people who have shitty relatives she hated but may not be all bad. "Then let's watch and cheer him on," Rias said letting a grin of anticipation cross her face. The finale was upon them and nobody wanted to miss it, collectively all over the Underworld and from quite a few screens beyond faces leaned closer, bodies scooted to get comfortable, and then silence fell as Issei spoke shattering the silence.

"Riser let's make this a one on one battle." Issei said his voice low and controlled.

Riser began to laugh, "Wh-wh-why would I do that?" he managed to get out between gasps for air. My queen just drank her Phoenix Tear and is as good as new, she's ready to go while your pieces on the other hand look worn out." It was true despite their calm appearance Yui's and Kaori's chests were rising and falling rapidly. It was obvious to anyone who noticed that they were clearly tired from their previous fights which had dragged on for several minutes before they'd beaten the knights. Issei just let out a devilish grin.

"You'd do it because you're a selfish glory hog who needs the help of a Low-Class devil to beat the son of a Satan. You say you're so good, so worthy of marrying my aunt and yet you don't even have the guts to go one on one with me. Oh I feel so sorry for Ravel, not only does her own brother hit her but now she has to see that he's too much of a coward to finish the fight, HE started."

Rage. That was the only word that described Riser in that moment. He was going to kill the talking piece of brown haired shit that had come out of nowhere to steal HIS sister. So what if he had pretty ladies serving him and his aunt was his fiancee, it didn't matter; in the end Riser was a Phenex, the one that flew above all, the immortal bird. If he wanted something didn't he deserve it? Of course he did, Riser Phenex was a King.

Flaming wings erupted from Riser's back as he launched himself at Issei who quickly summoned a wall of ice between them. Riser didn't even slow down summoning a fireball; he launched it at the obstacle destroying it. What he didn't expect was the beam of destructive power that hit him square in the face as soon as the ice cleared. Blinded by the sudden loss of his eyes but still able to think through the already healing pain, Riser drew back his arm to punch where he thought Issei had last been standing. However the arm never reached because as he thrust it forward the limb in question was cut off.

Issei smiled; Riser had launched himself at the trio in his rage leaving his queen in his wake. Ignorant of everything but his target Riser either didn't notice or take into account that there were two beautiful knights standing right beside their king and one had stolen .875% of one of Riser's knights speed to add to her own. It was a simple matter for Kaori to slice the easy target presented to her. Issei had given his orders under his breath when he'd thrown up the wall, "Go deal with the queen once you injure him, I'll take care of everything else." Not knowing what the plan was but trusting her master Kaori did just that with Yui right behind her as they dashed past the wounded Phenex.

As soon as Riser's arm vanished Issei launched the spell that would determine the game. "Cryostasis," he yelled as he cast a blue spell at the stump as it prepared to erupt in flames. Riser felt something hit him but his eyes were still healing themselves so he had no idea what it was. However Issei's voice had given him away and Riser charged forward to once again launch a punch at his opponent only to realize something was wrong. Looking towards the stump where his healed hand should be with his now fully recovered eyes Riser was shocked by what he saw. The limb was growing back but what mattered more was the speed it was coming back. The cut wasn't healing in an instant rather the flesh that would be his new arm was slowly regenerating instead of bursting into flames like it usually did. After a count of five the partially healed limb burst into flames and everything seemed right again only Riser was glaring at his opponent now not just with rage, but suspicion.

"What. Did you. Do." Riser called out as he circled his foe not wanting to get close until he knew what had happened. His arm had healed but the fact that it wasn't immediate had made him realize two things: he could be hurt, and he had severely underestimated his opponent.

"What's wrong Chicken Boy? Not cooked all the way through?" Riser clenched his teeth but didn't attack. He himself would willingly admit to being brash but he was no fool, he hadn't won his previous games with just power but with strategy as well. Not knowing what the spell did meant there was only one option.

Kaori kneeled on the ground panting, her will and shinai were the only things that kept her from passing out. Her outfit was torn and her body was littered with burns but she wasn't out of the fight yet, not as long as she could keep the queen away from her king. As she watched Yui tried to strike Yubelluna only to be launched back by an explosion as the queen swiftly dodged then countered. The problem wasn't that they couldn't reach the queen, even with the knight trait of her queen piece Kaori was still faster since she'd stolen Siris's speed. The problem lay in that Yubelluna only needed to cast a spell in the duo's general direction to hurt them. While not as powerful as Akeno's lighting the size of the explosions cast was still damaging to the pair knocking them back before they could cut her with their swords.

Kaori moved to stand in front of the body of her fellow knight ready to defend her but Yubelluna didn't attack, she just stood there and smiled as she leaned against her staff. It made Kaori furious but she could do nothing. Hearing Yui struggling to get up she looked over to see her friend push herself onto shaking legs with her katana, a victorious smile on her face as she looked at their foe. "You alright?" Kaori asked a little concerned at how her friend was smiling in this situation.

"I cut her," Yui said as Kaori looked at her with disbelief. "Just now when you attacked I followed you. The explosion knocked you back but you acted as a shield so I could get through. It's small but I managed to slice her slightly on the left arm. She probably didn't even notice thinking she dodged."

Kaori looked at her friend concerned but she pushed it down. She could worry later right now they needed to deal with the queen and then go help Issei. Kaori could still remember her fight with Riser and how he had destroyed the two knights with almost no effort. Yui may have been human at the time and just awakened her Sacred Gear but the ease with which the blond devil had bested the two still scared Kaori. She may not know how strong her master was having never seen him go all out against any of the Strays they'd fought but she couldn't help but doubt him. Riser just seemed so invulnerable with his healing ability and while Issei had been in constant contact with Sona and Ravel as the three came up with a plan she couldn't help but worry that there was no way to best the Phenex.

"Kaori!" Yui's shout drew the knight back from her thoughts as she looked at her friend. "You're worrying about him, focus. The longer we take to deal with her," the pinkette nodded at the violet robed queen, "the longer it'll be before we can go help Issei.

Refocused, Kaori nodded at her friend. "Do you think you can use your ability on her?"

Her friend shot her a grin that made Kaori glad for a moment that she was on Yui's good side, "I can probably use my ability two more times, one for the queen and then one on Riser."

Kaori nodded as she tensed up, seeing her preparations the bomb queen stood straight and pointed her staff at the knight with her left arm. "Great, activate it when she tries to hit me." The nod Kaori received was all the provocation she needed as she launched herself at the woman, her Sacred Gear on her back feeding her the stolen speed of her first foe.

As the knight approached the bomb queen summoned a magic circle, it'd been fun to play with the two but she should wrap it up and get back to her king soon. However as soon as the magic circle appeared on the end of her staff Yubelluna's arm erupted in pain causing her to almost drop it. The sudden jerk caused her to lose focus on the spell causing it to go off, thankfully for her instead of being pointed straight down her staff had jerked to point to the left of her target where it hit a small out of the way building. Glancing towards her opponents Yubelluna saw the one with the short pink hair on the ground, knees under her, clearly exhausted. Her sword lay next to her discarded and Yubelluna could see that the knight didn't even have the strength to pick it up.

While it was nice to see one opponent clearly out of the fight the bomb queen was more concerned by the rapidly approaching brunette. As Kaori approached the bomb queen tried to raise her staff with her right arm but before she could the brunette was inside her guard thrusting with the point of her sword. Time seemed to slow down for Yubelluna as the sword entered her body just under her left breast and pushed upwards towards her heart. Then in a flash of blue light she was gone. "Riser's queen has retired," the now familiar voice of Beelzebub said. Hearing it Kaori collapsed on her back, hands on her head as she tried to catch her breath. Her sword lying beside her. Looking over she locked eyes with her childhood friend and the two began to laugh, they'd taken down a Queen, a QUEEN. Yui opened her mouth to say something and then an earth rattling explosion rang out. Kaori could only watch mouth agape as her friend vanished in a ball of fire. "One of Issei's knight's has retired." Beelzebub said.

Kaori weakly tried to prop herself up but she was too weak, she didn't even have the strength to lift her sword from where it lay on the ground although she did grab it. As she watched a shadow appeared in the flames growing larger as it came closer. The shadowy figure took on the form of a blond pimp as it emerged, the flames clinging to his body but not hurting him. 'Riser,' Kaori thought with pure fury.

The pimp in question looked down at the kneeling knight with an evil grin. "Nice to see you already know the proper posture," he said as he lifted her up by her hair till her feet were off the ground. Kaori weakly tried to swing her sword but Riser merely grabbed the blade and threw it away. Using his free hand he raised a finger and waved it back and forth like he was scolding a misbehaving pet. "Ch, ch, ch, that's no way to act, especially to someone who beat your master."

Kaori glared at him, "Issei would never lose to you," she weakly proclaimed. That only made the grin on Riser's face grow wider.

"Oh but he did. He managed to somehow delay my healing but he couldn't stop it. I'm a Phenex and you idiots can't seem to grasp the fact that I'm immortal. No blade, no magic, no power can harm me. No matter what happens my flames will heal me, is that so difficult to understand!" While he had begun his rant calm enough he'd ended it yelling at her. Then his maniacal grin was back, "I don't know what your king did to me but the fact that he tried to challenge the superiority of us Phenex's means he needs to be punished. Now I can't directly do anything to you since we're on view to the world but tell me, if I was to strip you would you be able to stand beside you king? Would his family allow it? They need to uphold their position after all." Kaori gasped as Riser formed a knife out of his flames. Slowly with almost delicate care he lowered it to her side where he raised it up and down. "Should I start with your chest or your private parts?" he asked, a thoughtful look on his face.

Kaori's face became as stiff as stone as she defiantly looked over his shoulder. "It doesn't matter, you'll lose to Issei. You're just a spoiled little boy who for the first time in his life has met someone that doesn't bend his knee to you. Welcome to the real world, as strong as you think you are there's always someone stronger." She lowered her eyes to glare directly into Riser's, her gold versus his dark blue. "And Issei is stronger than you."

Riser drew back his arm as rage once again overtook him. Why, why, why. Why was everyone so defiant. He was the one who was in the right here. Everything he did just showed his strength, showed that he had the power to protect his sister and his fiance. He'd worked so hard practicing magic from childhood and working with his peerage to become stronger still. His parents focused on his older siblings leaving him and Ravel to take care of themselves (if you can count leaving them with dozens of loyal servants as fending for themselves). When he'd gotten engaged it had just made him work all that harder. He didn't want the power, he needed it. He'd seen the strength of those his brother faced in the Rating Game and he worked to be able to defend all he cared about from those who would take it away. Power meant everything, without it you couldn't defend anything so he'd sought it and worked to earn it. Now why was everyone acting like he was the bad guy? Where did he go wrong? Why couldn't anyone see he was doing this for them?

With a brutal roar he thrust his flaming arm into the knight's chest causing her to disappear in a flash of light. "Issei's knight has retired," came the announcement. Turning Riser turned to look at where he knew his foe, his rival stood waiting.

"Why didn't you interfere?" He found himself almost growling the question.

The boy responded with an almost casual shrug. "She didn't want me to. She saw me and if she had asked or desired it I would have been there to drag you off of her in an instant. She chose to goad you. To anger you to the point of snapping. No matter what happens now I win because in your current state your experience means nothing." Riser looked into the boy's eyes and could see the hatred he held for him reflected there. The boy had wanted, no needed to help his knight but she had kept him from doing so with no more than a look over his shoulder.

With a mad laugh Riser grinned as he let the flaming wings sprout from his back. "You wanted a one on one battle, well here it is, the Immortal Phenex versus the son of a Satan. What better fight could an audience desire. Whoever wins gains everything while the loser will lose what they desire and care for. If you want my sister, COME AND TAKE HER!"

His challenge was met with a cruel grin, "You come to me, I won't move for those who are weaker than me." With a brutal roar that sounded more beast than man Riser flew at the man. Issei let out a self-satisfied grin, 'Well Sona, let's see if your plan works.' As Riser drew back his right arm for a brutal swing Issei raised his left hand to meet him. As the blow came forward Issei said the words of the spell he'd spent the last week developing with the help of Rias and Grayfia. "Absolute Zero."

In her seat in the student council room Sona let a small grin flirt across her face. This was a move only he could do. One that no one else, except maybe his brother, would ever be able to cast. If Issei needed a way to fight the healing flame then this was the way to do it. It had surprised her when she'd received a call from him via magic circle the day after he and the two peerages had left for training. She could still recall the conversation:

Flashback:

"Is there anyway to remove the Phenex's flames?" Issei had bluntly asked her.

Sona sighed she'd been expecting the question but she was sure he'd already asked Grayfia, her answer likely wouldn't be any different. "You can use holy objects they tend to work. Holy water causes their flames to go out of control to the point they do nothing. Burns from crosses and wounds from holy swords only heal through the application of a healing Sacred Gear or regular recovery over time. None of those will be of use to you since you're also a devil. Issei, honestly, I don't know how you can beat him."

"Well could I freeze him? Freeze him to the point his flames won't activate?" Issei had asked hopefully. Grayfia had said no but from the praise his aunt heaped on the Student Council President Issei could only hope that she had an idea. His hopes died with a sigh.

"It is possible, theoretically. The regeneration of a Phenex relies on the movement of atoms. Even as supernatural beings we still are made of the same atoms as everything else in the universe and atoms at −273.15 degrees celcius don't move. But even Grayfia can't reach that low, it's impossible," Sona said. "Your current lowest temperature isn't even halfway there. You can't reach absolute zero right now and even if you one day surpass your mother, who I'll remind you is considered The Strongest Queen, you'll likely never be able to get your ice that low."

"What if we found a shortcut, or another way to reduce the temperature." Issei said, grasping at straws.

"It might be possible," Sona admitted grudgingly. "But what could remove the energy in an atom?"

Back to Present:

"That's impossible even Grayfia-chan can't reach absolute zero." Serafall said mouth agape as the three sat with their families who all seemed equally shocked at the sight on the screens in front of them.

"Indeed, but he wasn't just using my magic." Grayfia said. She'd known what Issei had thought of and while she had admitted it was possible she honestly hadn't thought her son would be able to pull it off.

"He combined out abilities." Sirzechs realized, "Instead of just empowering his Power of Destruction to destroy more he made it more precise. He used it to destroy the movement of the atoms, the very source of Phenex's Flame. There is literally no energy to produce heat, or allow the atoms to move and reproduce. Riser is trapped and there is a good chance that we wouldn't even be able to pull him out of there without Issei ending the spell." Sirzechs explained as fatherly pride burned within him.

"Is that even possible," Rias asked as she watched with shock.

"Obviously it is," her mother added equally flabbergasted, "Issei just did it."

"To think he would possess this much power within a year of learning who he was," Zeoticus added, stroking his goatee. "Even if he practiced his abilities in secret while he was with the humans, to be able to pull something like this off…" He trailed off, there was no need to continue as everyone's attention returned to the screen as Issei approached the frozen statue that had been his foe.

Riser had frozen the second his fist touched Issei's palm. In less than a second the combination of Issei's two inherent powers had flown through his body freezing and destroying the movement of the very atoms that made up the sack of flesh that was Riser Phenex. His entire body was off the floor courtesy of the wings he'd used to launch himself at Issei and only a few pillars of ice that Issei had set up to catch him had kept Riser from falling and shattering on the ground. If that had happened he could have very well died and there likely would have been no revival for him this time.

With a calm that came from having complete control over a situation Issei strode around his floating foe taking in his handiwork. Then with almost delicate precision he coated his pointer finger with the Power of Destruction and severed the outstretched arm at the elbow where it fell and shattered on the ground. "That was for Yui and what you did to her at the kendo club." Moving to his other arm which was hanging bent at Riser's side Issei repeated the process severing it at the elbow. "And that was for what you did to Kaori." Striving to stand in front of Riser's frozen face Issei lowered his finger so it was right in front of Riser's forehead. "I could kill you right now. If I move my hand forward or let my power spread I could kill you and no one would be able to stop me. It's tempting, oh it's so very tempting, with one movement one moment of letting loose I could avenge Yui, and keep Rias from ever having to worry about you again."

Issei let the possibility hang there for a few seconds which to the world watching could very well have been hours. Then Issei pulled his hand back and dispersed the power on his finger, "But I won't. I think it would be crueler to take what I can from you, to show you that despite you trying to mess up our lives my peerage and I are stronger than you. If I can defeat you with only three pieces imagine what I can do with a full set. When that day comes, I want to face you again in another Rating Game. If you can hear me little fire bird know this, I hate you. I hate you for what you did to me and those I care for. But I will not let my hate consume me, I'm going to enslave and use it instead. People who say hate's bad are stupid. Hate is a motivator nothing more nothing less. Use your hatred of me and this defeat to motivate you and when we face each other again I'll beat you without using this attack. Until next time little fire bird."

With a wave of his hand Issei dispelled the spell on Riser whose stumps immediately burst into flames as he cried out in shock at the sudden wounds on his body. Then in a blue flash he was gone and the voice of the Satan Beelzebub rang out although this time there was a hint of emotion in his voice, "Riser Phenex has been retired, Issei Gremory is the winner of the Rating Game." After the announcement a blue light flashed and teleported the victor away. If Issei had wanted to make a debut he'd certainly done it. He'd beaten the Immortal Phenex overwhelmingly and in the process showed the entire world that he could literally freeze hell over if he so desired.

Author's Note:

So with that the Rating Game is officially over. I will note that the majority of the final Issei vs Riser came from Arumage. He had Absolute Zero and the flashback with Sona (and the science part) as well as Issei severing Riser's limbs and everyone's reactions to said attack. I added the part of him wanting to face Riser in the future and take full responsibility for the knights against Yubelluna. Should they have won? Probably not especially since she was healed up. Do I regret it? Absolutely not as I tried to stick as closely to cannon as possible while also needing to take her out so we could have Issei vs Riser. The fact that Riser would likely have given her a bottle of Phoenix Tears only serves to add to the difficulty but overall I'm happy with how this turned out. I was planning on posting this next week but since you all just passed 20,000 views on the story consider this your reward. In case you can't tell my family took me camping AGAIN. I never really understood the point of camping, why do it when you have AC and indoor plumbing at home. This is probably doubly ironic considering I'm a Boy Scout but who cares. Anyway next chapter Issei gets some new pieces and then we can focus on devil politics and Issei's school life. He still had that bet with Yuuto after all. Unfortunately this is as far as Arumage ever got so his notes are all gone, that means from here on out every adventure and Peerage Member is up to me. So until next times stay healthy and stay safe.

This is your favorite devil signing off,

D'yavol Lucifer