Scarlet 8

Scarlet 8

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Commissioned by Sivantic

Word Count: 2516

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All signs pointed towards Rias Gremory just being a girl who wanted to be free of a relationship that was forced upon her. The arranged marriage between herself and someone named Riser Phenex was all she that she intended me to do. In fact, she barely conversed with me, and only spoke with Sitri. At best, I was just someone whose help she was gaining due to her best friend’s actions.

I was nothing more than an asset granted to her, yet I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I should be wary of her.

Overall, I was aware about my misgivings. Technically, I was a boy with all the memories of my past life, and with all-new accompanying feelings and desires. I was able to accept that I liked girls, that I needed a girlfriend, and make sure that I had a very, very healthy relationship in the near future. However, I also believed I was still me, because I remembered my past life and everything that happened there.

But, just as my new body carried issues, so did my past.

Logically, I shouldn’t be afraid of Rias Gremory. Nor should I feel the need to keep her at arm’s length and plan against her. I outgrew Emma, Sophia, and Madison, even if I did remember what they did. However, while my current mind sublimated the violence, conflict, and wanton butchery that I witnessed in my previous life, probably due to Ddraig’s influences, I was hyperaware of certain social dangers that would never normally cross a young man’s mind.

Humans are very aware of danger. They react, adapt, and change in accordance to danger. One can even say that civilization is formed off the basis of controlling danger. But, what dangers does one with a Longinus have? Someone who has been deemed compatible with Ddraig? An individual who is willing to fight every time when given the opportunity? What’s the thing that’ll make such a person feel fear, trepidation, and aversion?

Oi, don’t shift the blame on me. Female Dragons are huge, powerful, and too damn scary. You have no excuse for the… possible honey trap that can kill you with ease… you know what, you have a good point.

Right. Rias Gremory was the sibling of a Satan. She had the Power of Destruction. She was a Devi. She was beautiful, pretty, and every other word that could be attributed to absolute femininity. Someway and somehow, she made wearing a school uniform seem like the height of fashion, and that was without discussing the fact that she had a body that most women would kill for. On top of that, she seemed courteous, nice, and amicable.

So, not only did I have my experiences with extremely beautiful red-haired women in the past to deal with, I also had Ddraig’s knowledge and experience regarding the wooing of vastly more powerful females who can kill those who court them or treat them wrong with ease.

So, though she was a stranger to me, I wanted nothing to do with Rias Gremory.

It was too bad that she wanted to speak with me alone, to get to know me better, after she accepted Sitri’s help.

…

“Milk or sugar, Hyoudou-kun?”

“Neither, please. Thank you.”

Somehow the meeting room seemed more claustrophobic without anyone else present. With her whole Peerage present, along with Sitri, the meeting room seemed fairly large. Now, it was stifling. The antique furnishings, from the two sofas, the table between them, the clock, and everything else stayed the same. It was only the fact that I was alone with Rias Gremory and she was serving us both tea that was different.

Normally, I would be over the moon in the presence of such an incredible beauty, but that was impossible in my current circumstances.

All I felt was trepidation and wariness.

I was only capable of keeping a calm, collected countenance because of my experiences in my previous life. 

“Here you go, Hyoudou-kun. Please, enjoy.” The smile was a simple, concise one. There was nothing behind it besides courtesy. However, I had to blink away another person’s smile, and another smile filled with teeth that were more similar to swords. It was only due to my concentration that I didn’t break the heirloom tea cup within my hands, before Gremory took a seat. “Now, would you mind sharing your abilities with me, so that I can direct you as well as possible during the Rating Game? Rest assured that I won’t share your abilities with the rest of my Peerage. I simply need to know because of my duty as the commander.”

For a moment, I considered being obtuse. Information is the key to victory. I didn’t have a guarantee that Rias Gremory was never going to be my opponent. However, the fact remained that we were going to fight together. If I couldn’t offer her a little trust, then how could she trust me? And, that’s not even considering the fact that I needed to coordinate with her Peerage against another Peerage. To pay Sitri back, I had to give my all as long as I didn’t die during her request. I could have Sitri tell Gremory my abilities, but that would simply provide Gremory with information I was reluctant to give her in the first place, without the benefit of her trusting me.

The more I considered the situation, the more manic I was sounding to myself, so I simply forced myself to speak and think less.

“I’m a guerilla combatant with a focus on close-range and medium-range combat. I have a few long range attacks, but they’re not something I’ve used in combat.” There. Everything a commander needed to know. Nothing more and nothing less, especially since Sitri shared with her how close I was to Ddraig. The fact that I am a Longinus user, one that’s defeated several Fallen, is information that she’s already been provided. Relatively speaking, that was all I needed to tell her. “Sitri’s also armed me with Holy weapons. I’ll be using those in combat, but I’ll leave the when to you.”

“When?” Rias tilted her head. For a moment, the thought occurred to me that she wasn’t versed at command, but the smile that followed afterward dashed those hopes. NO. If she led a peerage and dealt with Strays that approached Kuoh that meant she was used to command. “Ah, whether it’ll be used as a trump card or at the start of battle! My, my, you’re confident in being able to fight against Devils without those Holy Weapons if I ask you, Hyoudou-kun? That’s very dangerous.”

“…” Why she would care for a contractor and mercenary, especially after being informed by Sitri that I had a healer at my disposal, was beyond me. Was it for the sake of camaraderie? Or, perhaps, she was simply the sort of person that got along with everyone? There were benefits to being both as a leader, especially when you have someone new in your group, even if that someone has been vouched for. Either way, I was probably overthinking things and letting my emotions get the best of me. This was still just about her getting a feel for me as an individual and ascertaining my strength herself. “I’d rather not, but if it’ll end with our decisive victory, I won’t have an issue fighting until it can be used to its greatest effect.”

Technically, bringing a Holy weapon into a Rating Game was an immense advantage for the team that did so, because Devils typically aren’t capable of wielding them, due to their weakness against them. Holy water, blessed silver, and other such things from the Church are very powerful agaisnt Devils and are humanity’s first line of defense against them. Light weapons wielded by the Fallen and Heaven are more powerful and lethal, but if a Devil brings that to a Rating Game they’re out to kill. 

As a Longinus User, I was already a good asset to have substitute in within a Rating game, but with those Holy weapons, I was an asset that couldn’t be misused.

Either I went in wielding all my strength at once, or as a trap that would be sprung.

And, the latter was naturally a better choice—

“Well, Hyoudou-kun, I’d rather you not get hurt, so please use them at the very start.” Those words caught me off guard. Perhaps it was because I was expecting something terrible from her mouth, or because of the fact that she threw away an asset that she could’ve had, but I was unprepared for those words. The way Gremory said them had something to do with it, too. She said it in a manner that I could only describe as airy. As easily as breathing, she exchanged something of strategic significance for someone else’s safety… and without any sign of ulterior motive whatsoever. Of course, I’d be a fool to just believe that there wasn’t any ulterior motive, and that she wasn’t a skilled liar, but with all my experience and knowledge, all signs pointed towards the fact that there was no ulterior motive and that she wasn’t lying to me. “We’ll simply strike quickly enough so that they’re incapable of planning around your abilities.”

That… that was a surprisingly good plan. Even if an opponent is prepared for your power, using it a creative way does provide an advantage. There was also the fact that we were going to be engaging in combat and that it was likely that there’ll be no future fights between myself and my opponent. Unless Riser Phenex was as tactically capable as Sitri, I doubted that he’d be able to create a counter to a human armed with Holy Weapons in the span of a single battle. Using my assets at the onset of the battle wasn’t as terrible of an idea as initially believed, when considered via that line of thought.

“Pahaha.”

Gremory’s laugher made my blink, before I realized that I must’ve suddenly gone silent during our conversation.

“I was thinking. Sometimes, I forget to talk when I focus.” There was nothing to be embarrassed about, or sorry for, so I withstood the habit ingrained into me by my new culture. I took a sip of the tea, enjoyed it, and made sure to quash the need. I had to present myself as a strong, nigh-indomitable individual I couldn’t do that by apologizing and lowering my head. Though Sitri had handled introductions initially, I still had to present myself well before Gremory. I couldn’t be weak. “I’ll do as you say. I have no problem with that plan. Would you like to talk about it now, or later with your Peerage?”

“Hmmm, it’ll be best to discuss with everyone present, so that I can clarify and make sure everyone has the same plan in mind.” Yes, that was a better reason to postpone planning rather than having to repeat oneself. Rias seemed to be a competent enough leader. “Making a plan with everyone in mind is best done with everyone involved.” Rias gave a hum after her words, before opening her palm. A simple notebook produced itself from a magic circle. She opened it before me, and I found myself looking upon Riser Phenex’s picture, and his dossier. She had information on her opponent. Very good. “Neh, Hyoudou-kun. You seem to be good at thinking quickly. Would you like to help me make our plan?”

Given what was on the line, I couldn’t refuse the offer.

Actually, I didn’t know why I would. 

Even if she had a hidden agenda, Rias Gremory depended on me being her ace-in-the-hole for escaping her wedding. 

After this, I can treat her like a common threat, like all other Devils.

But, now?

She didn’t seem the type to give up and die, so I doubted she’d take advantage of me whilst I was on her side.

Until then, I would do what she asks.

…

You know, you’re getting along well with this Devil, despite your fear of attractive, red-haired, and powerful women.

Ddraig said that in a way that somehow both complimented and insulted me. I was very convinced that he did it on purpose, but I couldn’t spare the time to talk back. 

I was focusing on Rias’s lecture on our upcoming foes.

The Devil Rating Game system was much like a sports pastime for the whole of Hell. It made sense for arena-based combat to be prevalent in a society focused on strength. However, there was a surprising amount of transparency… or I suppose it could also be called glory-seeking. Rating Games are supposed to establish Devils as either strong or week. When means and methods to showcase one’s strength is available, then a Devil is inclined towards presenting as much of themselves as possible.

So, Riser Phenex’s undefeated record, along with all his matches are available for viewing.

There was only a handful of hours before the match, but I intended to take as much information from it as possible, and Rias’s own knowledge of Devils helped me interpret the situation to better effect. 

To put things simply, Riser’s peerage was focused on himself and his Queen, as they provided the most amount of firepower, and if the Phenex heir was taken out it would be his loss. All his other Pieces, save for himself and his Queen, could be thrown away, though his sister provided healing support that would have to be dealt with quickly. It was a self-centered strategy of him taking on the enemy higher echelons, defeating them one by one as his Peerage ensures he isn’t dogpiled, and playing to his strengths of regeneration, high-powered attacks, and endurance.

It was a simple tactic that had few holes.

If his enemy fled from him, he’d support his lower echelons, and sweep away the other opponent’s pieces.

If he can’t defeat his enemy, he can outlast them, especially with his sister and his Queen by his side.

He worked with either at all times, preferably both, unless required. That meant he could have double his usual firepower, the ability heal more swiftly, or both. If his Queen didn’t need to confront someone with as much firepower as her, to stop the lower pieces from being overcome, he’ll have both to support him in hunting down the enemy’s King.

It was a plan with few moving parts, easily adjusted to fit most situations, and relied on personal skill, abilities, and strength being exerted to their absolute maximum. 

Anything that couldn’t compare to him would lose.

Those he was on par with would find themselves in a war of attrition without his regenerative abilities. 

Anyone better than just him will find him nonetheless attacking with extra firepower and healing abilities on his side.

Rias Gremory had no chance of winning against him, despite her blood, her higher quality of Peerage, and her power.

She was a princess that could only be taken and captured, no matter how much struggled, by Riser Phenex for all of Hell to see.

Not a bad opponent to make an example of, eh?

Not at all. 

There’s no better person for me to defeat handily to ensure no Devil seeks me or my family out again.

Even, Sitri and Gremory.