~Student Council room~
"Amazing…" Tsubaki commented with an astonished expression.
"I will admit," Sona began. "I'm impressed that Midoriya-san is able to use his aura in such a unique way."
"Yes, it's quite amazing" Ibara said with smile on her face, "For what is worth, Izuku was able to learn that move all on his own, as well as other techniques, including the explosive aura you witnessed."
Hearing that made Sona and Tsubaki widen their eyes at the former sister, "It would seem that you know more about what he's capable of than his own master" Tsubaki said towards her.
Who simply giggled, "I wouldn't say that...Izuku was always someone who would train his mind to the most difficult of tasks...that's what makes him so unique" She said this while placing a hand on her cheek.
Sona and Tsubaki look on at Ibara in amusement.
'Wow...to think you would get this much stronger, Midoriya-kun...interesting' Tsubaki says in her mind, softening her eyes when she turns her head to look at Izuku in the screen recording the gymnasium.
~Rating Game battlefield~
Koneko was staring at Izuku in shock. When she witnessed him firing his attack, she felt a familiar odd feeling she felt when she witnessed his aura from back when Riser was in the club room take on the shape of a dragon.
While Xuelan too was amazed with Izuku's attack, she was also upset that her three allies were defeated by him since he was the enemy.
"What's wrong, Koneko?"
Koneko snapped out of her worried gaze when she heard Izuku talk to him.
"If you were worried about me, you've got nothing to fear," Izuku assured her since he noticed her worried expression aimed at him. "Besides, you were able to take down Xuelan. You should be proud."
Xuelan gritted her teeth while looking away from Izuku, feeling ashamed of her defeat. Koneko on the other hand, only looked downwards with softened eyes, confusing Izuku even further.
"Koneko, Izu, what's your status?"
Izuku then blinks when he hears Rias' voice from his communicator. He places his hand over it to respond.
"The gym's under our control, Buchou. We're now awaiting further orders."
"Good work, you two. Akeno's in position and she's ready to go. I want you two to evacuate immediately."
Both Izuku and Koneko nod at Rias' command. The two then nod at each other before beginning to move.
But first, Izuku wanted to do something right quick.
He then picks up the two halves of Mira's staff with both of his hands and made his way to her, who widened her eyes at the sight of him in front of her, fearing that he's here to finish her off.
But that wasn't the case since she heard the sound of two objects hitting ground near her.
"Huh?"
Mira was confused at first but when she opened her eyes, she widened them in surprise to see that Izuku dropped the two staff halves in front of her while smiling softly.
"Why are you giving them back?" Mira asks while looking away with furrowed brows. "I can't work up the strength to fight back, you know?"
Izuku's smile didn't drop from her tone of her voice.
"I didn't have a need for them," he answered simply. "Besides, you may need it when you get back from the game."
Mira widened her eyes again at how kind Izuku sounded to her. When she moved her head back to him, her cheeks tinged pink when she saw him wink at her with a gentle smile.
"Get stronger, Mira. If we ever have a rematch, I'd like to see how much you've improved from this game."
As Izuku turned around to catch up with Koneko, Mira's eyes soften at how nice he was to her. She expected him to at least tell her how weak she was and how she was clumsy, but no. Instead, he encouraged her to get stronger for the next time they met.
She didn't know why, but she started getting a warm feeling in her heart when she heard his words to her loop repeatedly in her mind.
"Wait! Are you two leaving?!" Xuelan asks Izuku and Koneko when she saw them head toward the exit. "This place is vital for the game! How can you two just run off like that?!"
Izuku only stopped his pace and turned to the Phenex Rook.
"It isn't like me to kick down enemies who can't defend themselves."
"Huh?" Xuelan made a confused sound when he said that to her.
"Besides, after this is all over," Izuku continues, shooting her a kind smile. "I hope we can all be friends."
Xuelan and the loli twins gasped at what he just said. Their enemy was a man that Rias despised, and yet he wants to be friends with them after the game is over? What kind of talk was that?
"Let's go, Idiot Izuku-Kouhai!"
"Hey you don't have to call me an idiot! I'm coming!"
Izuku ran out of the gym with Koneko in front, leaving the girls to look on at the doorway, still surprised with the young Pawn's words to them.
But Mira wasn't surprised. She was smiling to herself when she heard him say he wanted to be friends. Because of how kind and sweet he was to his enemy, it was like she expected him to say something like that.
'That Rook of Gremory-sama called him Izuku…'
Mira's smile widens as she closes her eyes and lets a blush form on her face.
'I can't wait to see him again.'
Izuku and Koneko have made it out of the gym while running as fast as they could. Once they were at a safe distance from the building, the two turned around to face it.
"Okay, when's Akeno-senpai gonna blow her sky high?"
Izuku's question was answered when he and Koneko saw a yellow magic circle appear from a storm cloud that just so happened to be above the gymnasium.
The flash of lightning and the sound of thunder caused Izuku to jump a bit as the yellow lightening blew up the entire gymnasium, leaving nothing but rubble.
"Take~! Ufufufufu~."
It was at that moment, Grayfia's voice can be heard from an unseen intercom.
"Three of Riser-sama's Pawns, and one of his Rooks, retire."
"Holy shit!" Izuku exclaimed while staring at the destroyed gym with eyes as wide as saucers. "That was insane!"
"Yup. 'Insane' is one way to put it," Koneko said in agreement. "She's the real deal. It's why her nickname is 'The Priestess of Thunder'. She knows how to bring the boom. And she likes it."
Izuku blinked at his senpai in astonishment,'This might be the first time I've heard her talk this much.'
He then turns his head to Akeno, who was flying above the destroyed gym giving Izuku a sly wink while licking her fingers, making the former blush a little and shudder, 'This girl is really downbad'
"I'm just glad that hardcore woman's on our team, and not theirs."
~Student Council room~
"I must say, I'm impressed," Sona commented with a smirk while pushing up her glasses. "Rias used an important strategic position to lure them into a trap, and then blew it sky-high. Pretty bold move."
"You're right," Agreed Tsubaki. "Looks like Riser-sama has no choice but to unleash everything."
"True," Added Sona. "This battle's just begun."
The two then turn to Ibara to get her opinion.
"How about you?"
"I agree with you Sona-san" She then focuses her attention on Tsubaki and gives her a sly wink and smirk. "And I think even you can agree with me when I say that Izuku-san's a very kind man; being sympathetic with the enemy."
Tsubaki widens her eyes at Ibara's words and immediately looks away from her, trying her best to suppress her ghost of a blush.
"Y-Y-Yeah… I've known that for quite a while now."
Sona sighs at her Queen's shy behavior and Ibara's teasing grin and pays attention back to the game.
'I wonder if Midoriya-san will realize that being too kind to people, especially to women, will eventually bite him back one day?' Sona thought.
~Rating Game battlefield~
Both Izuku and Koneko have their hands on their communicators to listen to their next objective from Rias.
"The Phenexes still have us outnumbered. We'll need to by Akeno a little bit of time so she can be fully ready for her second attack. Once her power is replenished, we'll start to make preparations for our next move. Until then, stick to the plan, and I promise you, we will win this game!"
Izuku nods his head in affirmative and turns his head to Koneko, getting her attention.
"Where to now?"
"We need to get to the athletic field as soon as we can. Kiba's waiting for us there. If we see any baddies, we own them. Sound good?"
Izuku nods his head to her in response and turns his head towards their next destination. A worried expression was now on his face.
"I just hope he's doing okay. I mean, he's all alone out there."
Back in the forest, Marion conjures up an orange ball of magic and fires it at a Gremory seal, destroying another one of the traps she, Burent, and Shuriya were able to find before it could go off.
"Do you think the Gremorys really believe these stupid traps are going to slow us down at all?" Marion asks her team, getting annoyed by how many traps they've encountered so far.
"Girls!" Marion and Shuriya's attention was now on Burent, who was pointing towards somewhere. "I've found their home base!"
Upon further inspection, the Phenex Pawns smirked to themselves when they saw the roof of the old school building. But their smirks immediately dropped to frowns and confused expressions when they saw that the building has vanished like a ghost.
"What the Hell?" Marion didn't understand what happened.
"Hello, Ladies."
The Phenex Pawns gasp when they heard a male voice from behind and turned around to the source. They widened their eyes in surprise to see Kiba smirking to them while holding the hilt of his Holy Eraser in his left hand.
"You gals looking for some company? Because if you're feeling lonely this evening, I might be the man for you."
"Shit! Guess we walked right into that one didn't we?" Burent asked to her teammates.
Kiba chuckled while pointing his right index finger towards his head.
"While we lack in manpower, we make up for it in brain."
Shuriya only giggled at him with a devious look.
"I hate to burst your bubble, since you are my type, blonde, but as cute as you are, do you think you can take all three of us at once?"
"Hmph! Why don't we find out?" Kiba asks happily as he unsheathes his Holy Eraser and holds it in front of him, readying himself for combat.
Seeing the situation they're in, Marion turns to Burent and Shuriya, having an idea.
"Girls! You two go ahead and take care of that blonde, I'll go ahead and scout out the other Gremorys!"
"No, Marion!" Shuriya barks back. "If we're gonna take down that Knight, it's going to be the three of us!"
"B-But, Shuriya! It's two on one! You two can handle it!"
Burent rolls her eyes at her fellow Pawn, knowing the exact reason why she wants to leave.
"Look, Marion, if you wanna fight that Pawn boy so badly, it can wait once we kick that blonde's ass!"
Marion stutters at her words while her cheeks started to turn red.
"Sh-Sh-Sh-Shut up!"
"Then help us out! We'll get to the others after we take him down and promote to Queen!"
Marion gives Burent a slight pout before nodding her head and focusing her attention on Kiba.
"Nah. I'm sure he'll handle himself out there," Izuku says to Koneko. "I mean, he's got his speed, and chances are, his opponents are Pawns. Either way, we better leg it and give him a hand."
Koneko nods her head in agreement, giving Izuku the green light to get moving towards their next destination, with Koneko following from behind.
As the two were walking. Izuku suddenly stopped dead in his tracks with wide eyes and furrowed brows,'...this sound...this scent'
"Izuku-kouhai? what's wrong?"
Izuku didn't pay attention to Koneko's question. He was too busy scouting out any immediate danger that might follow upon them and then his instincts causing him then turn around to Koneko and started running towards her.
"Koneko!"
Koneko lets out a gasp in surprise when Izuku suddenly shoved her four feet away from him. Right after he did that, a purple magic circle surrounded him and…
*BOOM!*
Koneko gasps again, more louder than her previous one. She stared on at the scene with eyes as wide as saucers when she witnessed her kouhai getting caught in a big explosion created by the purple magic circle. Her heart starts to beat at a very fast pace, not believing what just happened.
"IZUKU!!"
"Ufufufufu~."
Koneko flinches when she heard a sinister giggle from above. Looking up towards the source of the giggle, her eyes narrow angrily and shivers in rage as she finds out who was responsible for blowing up her Kouhai.
"That's one down," Yubelluna says, letting out another giggle.
"You…"
"When you hunt prey, the best time to take them down is when they've accomplished something. That's the time when the prey is the most vulnerable."
But suddenly Yubelluna was interrupted from her speech when she felt someone speed by them from behind, followed by a sharp pain in her left side.
Yubelluna holds onto her left side as she widens her eyes in horror when it started bleeding large amounts of blood from the slash that looked to have been caused a blade, and what appeared to be claw marks.
"Wh… What?! How?!"
Koneko looked on at the sight as well, eyes widened in shock at the amount of blood that profusely leaked from the wound on the Phenex Queen's left side, and rained on the ground.
"That's some move you pulled, Yubelluna."
It was at this moment that both Koneko and Yubelluna shot their heads towards the source of a male voice. Upon eye contact, they both looked at who it was, eyes widening in shock.
"But don't let your guard down until you've at least confirmed that your opponent is truly taken down."
The man they saw in front of them was Izuku Midoriya, holding his Blade firmly in his right hand while clenching his Boosted Gear embedded fist. He looked unscathed, not at all harmed from Yubelluna's explosive magic.
"Kouhai…" Koneko's eyes began to water, so thankful that Izuku's still in the game and kicking.
"You?!" Yubelluna sends Izuku a harsh glare while keeping her hand on her still bleeding wound. "I don't understand! I timed my explosive perfectly to explode as soon as either you, or possibly that girl ever set foot on my magic circle!"
Izuku lets out a "Hmph!" as he makes the sharp blade maneuver in a twitching motion, causing sparks to fly out of the sword.
"I've simply moved out of the way in time. That's all there is to it."
Yubelluna growls at the Pawn when she saw him smirk in confidence, a smirk Koneko personally grown accustomed to during her training session with him ten days ago.
~Student Council Room~
"Oh my goodness! He almost scared me there!" Ibara says as she wipes the sweat off of her forehead. "As soon as Izuku shoved Koneko-san out of Yubelluna's magic circle, he used his increased speed to escape from the explosive magic, and strike at the Phenex Queen with his Blade."
Both Sona and Tsubaki then looked towards the screen where Izuku was, "But it's still amazes me that he was able to to do that much damage on the Risers Queen with a simple blade" Sona said with a hand under her chin.
"That's because he's using his aura around it similar to the technique he pulled against the three pawns" Ibara said with the two Devils being surprise at the detailed time this former nun witnessed.
Sona then turns her attention back to the game.
"Amazing...and I do agree with how Midoriya-san was able to counter her attack. Now that I've seen it, it makes me question if a speed of a Knight can avoid attacks like Yubelluna's too."
Tsubaki nodded in agreement while being thankful that Izuku was still alright. She looks on at Izuku standing before her enemy and alongside Koneko.
'Midoriya-kun…'
"Tch! Don't think you've defeated me just because you've cut me with that sword of yours, brat!"
Izuku simply looks on to see that Yubelluna was digging in her breast pocket for something. He lets out a sigh, knowing what she's looking for.
"You're going to use your Phenex Tears to heal up, are you? Hmph! Go ahead. It'll be more of a challenge than fighting you with a bleeding wound."
Yubelluna lets out another growl as she took out a bottle of Phenex Tears and opens it up. She then pours the liquid all over her wounds, and as Izuku expected, her wounds have healed 100%.
"Ara ara, somebody looks pissed."
Izuku and Koneko turned around to see Akeno float down towards them while giggling.
"Izu-kun, you've scared me. I thought that Bomb Queen over there really got you."
Izuku just lets his traditional confident smirk form from his lips.
"You've got nothing to worry about." He then points his thumb towards Yubelluna. "Can you take care of her for us? Koneko and I need to catch up with Kiba."
Akeno giggles towards her while placing a hand on her cheek.
"Why, of course I'll take care of her."
She then aims her sultry gaze at her. "But there's something you need to do for me first, my favorite kouhai~."
Izuku flinches at the nickname she gave him, but sighed, wanting to get this over with.
"What is it, senpai?"
"Ufufu~. From now on, I want you to call me Akeno. There's no need for you to address me this way anymore.
Izuku and Koneko sweatdrop at her request.
"That's it?" Izuku asks with beady brown eyes. "That's all you want me to do so you can fight her?"
"Yup. That's all."
Izuku let's out a sigh, keeping his deadpanned stare on his senpai.
"Okay… If that's what you want… Akeno."
Satisfied, Akeno moves in front of Izuku and Koneko to face Yubelluna.
"Oh! Akeno!"
"Yes, Izu-kun?"
Getting her attention, Izuku leaned forward and whispered something in her ear while slipping something in her pocket, earning a confused look from Koneko and Yubelluna.
Getting what he whispered to her, Akeno nods her head with a smile.
"Got it! Thanks for the tip!"
Smiling, Izuku turns his head to Koneko and nods to her, getting a nod back from her, and the two get moving to find Kiba.
Seeing them gone, Akeno turns her head towards her opponent, who lets a smirk form from her lips.
"I've been wanting to fight you for what seems like ages, Priestess of Thunder."
Akeno giggles at Yubelluna.
"Oh have you now? That's sweet, but the pleasure's truly mine, Bomb Queen."
"Tch! I don't like how that name sounds. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth."
Flaring up their power, Akeno's yellow, and Yubelluna's purple, their battle has begun.