A New Motivation: Chapter 21
I decided to start things off. I leapt toward Rias, blade flashing as I closed the distance and swung at her to test the waters. Despite not having a sword of her own, she was more than capable of defending herself, as she had shown with Koneko. A hand wreathed in magic slapped my first swipe away and a barrier blocked my second strike as I came around for more.
Yamato sliced through her shield but it bought her enough time to back up and fling a spell at me which I just managed to block but failed to deflect completely. I was sent flying backwards, flipping through the air in an uncontrolled tumble, straight towards Kiba.
I landed on my feet and was immediately swept up into a sword fight with the Knight. He didn't waste any time. The moment my feet were on the ground, his swords were whistling through the air as they sought purchase on my tender flesh. Yamato blurred upwards to meet them, knocking one back and breaking the other, but it was immediately replaced with a similar looking blade as Kiba let the broken one fall to the ground.
“You’ve gotten faster at that.” I commented. He didn't reply, face focused as I parried a slash and returned with a quick jab that he stepped past before moving to step into my guard. I warded him away with my Devil Bringer, before our battle began in earnest.
Sparks flew as we danced around each other, trading blows and blocking strikes as we both gave it our all, showing each other all we had learned training under Souji.
The battle was intense but neither of us were gaining the upper hand. Training with Souji made us both stronger, but we were basically evenly matched. And yet, despite the fact that I couldn't seem to gain the upper hand, I was smiling as I fought for control of the duel. Testing myself against someone who was actually on my level was much more fun than getting stomped into the dirt by the likes of Souji and Grayfia.
Judging by the smile on his face, Kiba was enjoying it too.
Coming up from below, Yamato bit into a silver blade as I bore down on him. Kiba had to use both swords to hold me back but he was struggling. He was faster than me, but I was stronger than him, and the fact that he was using two swords certainly didn't help matters.
Unfortunately, in our excitement, we had forgotten that this match wasn't a one-on-one. Koneko reminded us when she barreled into me at a million miles an hour knocking me off of my feet and taking my place in front of Kiba. She didn't miss a beat, grabbing the Knight by the collar while he was still distracted and swinging him around, tossing him at Rias like he weighed less than nothing.
“Woah!” He shouted as he was upended and thrown away. My eyes tracked him for a moment, stunned at the loss of my opponent, before I was forced back into the present by a fish approaching my face.
Koneko’s fist landed on the flat of my blade and the muscles in my arms shouted in protest as they were forced to contend with the Nekoshou’s strength. I fell backwards with the punch, leaping away and sending my Devil Bringer towards her to keep her from following. To my shock, Koneko simply grabbed the spectral arm and drove it into the ground, overpowering it effortlessly as she followed after me with a determined expression.
Without my Devil Bringer blocking her path, she caught up with me much faster than I expected. I tried to hastily defend with my sword but she was on me too quickly. Yamato went spinning away as Koneko slammed her fist into the side of the blade.
I gaped at the loss, nearly eating a fist to the face for it as Koneko pressed her advantage. I dodged two blows to the ribs and blocked another with a grimace. A leg sweep nearly took my feet out from under me but I just managed to step over it and return the favor with a fist aimed at Koneko's jaw.
That turned out to be a mistake. Koneko's durability let her eat the hit without any trouble; she barely flinched as my knuckles slammed into her face, and I only had a split second to regret my decision before she grabbed my arm and brought me close.
I managed to avoid a world of pain by resummoning my Devil Bringer and yanking her away, causing her to stumble and let go of my arm. I then reeled back and kicked her in the stomach as hard as I could. It would have seriously hurt anyone else, but all it did was render her breathless and get her to back off so I could have some space to breathe.
We broke apart, eying each other as we regained our stamina. A burst of magic made me glance to the side for a moment. Kiba was fighting Rias now and doing about as well as Koneko had been. He was trying to close the distance as she threw wave after wave of magic at him and having a rough go at it. He just couldn't seem to get in close enough to be effective. It made me wonder how I'd fare against her.
Well, to find out, I had to take care of the opponent in front of me.
I pulled Red Queen out of storage, slamming the top into the ground and revving it once, twice, three times to truly get the weapon going. Koneko eyed the burning blade warily. Even with her strength, just getting grazed by it would hurt. She knew that, so she was probably going to be much more cautious this time around.
To make sure of it, I summoned a quick spell in one hand and brought my Devil Bringer close, combining them with Synthesis. The blue surface shifted yellow and crackling bolts of lightning seemed to spring from every surface, striking the ground and whatever else was in reach.
“Ready for round two?” I asked Koneko who narrowed her eyes and nodded, holding her fists up in a boxing stance.
Grinning, I sprang forward and swung at her. Flamed trailed behind Red Queen like a flag and Koneko sprang backward to avoid my first strike and jumped over it next. Her leg came crashing down to drive me into the dirt but I stopped just short, letting it pass by me and sink into the ground instead.
Koneko twisted, slapping away my Devil Bringer as it came toward her back. It didn't disperse this time, made stronger by the magic I had imbued it with and she grimaced as stray bolts of electricity zapped her skin, singing nerves and causing them to spasm.
She came at me again, fist poised to turn me into mulch and I jumped into the air, revving Red Queen to send more fuel over the blade and causing it to burn brighter than ever before. I passed the blade in front of me like a torch, causing her to shield her eyes and look away, and that gave me the opening I had been looking for.
My Devil Bringer came back around for another pass, only this time she wasn't in the position to dodge it or shove it out of the way. The clawed fingers clamped around her waist, and she went stock still as electricity surged through her body, causing it to lock up.
The spell I incorporated into my weapon wasn't that strong, at least compared to what Rias was throwing around, but it served its purpose well, pumping electricity into her muscles and mixing up the signals her brain was sending out. When I let her go, Koneko slumped to her knees, breathing heavily as stray sparks jumped over her skin and caused her to twitch.
She tried to stand up but her legs buckled underneath her, sending her sprawling onto her back. Worried, I came up beside her, grabbing Yamato off of the ground and storing it away before kneeling down next to her. “Are you alright? I didn't get you too hard, did I?”
She shook her head. “Just… tired. I think I'm done.” Her head dropped into the grass and her ears drooped as she sighed. “You’re fast and your hand is annoying. Go fight someone else.”
Her frank tone choked a laugh out of me, before an explosion tore my eyes away from her and to the ongoing battle behind me.
Kiba was still having trouble with Rias but it looked like he was doing better than before. Our King was sporting a few cuts and scrapes from his blades and a good portion of her skirt had been torn thanks to whatever esoteric magic he pumped into those things. Kiba was far worse though, completely shirtless and littered with small burns from her Power of Destruction. And from the way he was breathing, he was barely hanging on.
I took this in, noting the amount of swords covering the ground, before looking back at Koneko. “I guess I'll just go…?” I gestured vaguely and she nodded.
“I'll get up on my own. I just need to lay here for a minute.”
I nodded, taking her word for it, before heading over to help my fellow swordsman. This was a free for all, but honestly, I doubted we'd do anything substantial against Rias unless we worked together.
With that in mind, as the two of them paused to regain their stamina, I strolled up behind Kiba, patting him on the shoulder. He started, looking at me in surprise, and I grinned. “You look like you could use some help over here.”
His tense shoulders relaxed as he realized I wasn't here to fight. He returned my grin with a tired one of his own. “That would be appreciated. I was starting to worry I bit off more than I could chew.”
“You and me both, pal.” I said as I took my place beside him. “Koneko hits ten times harder now. And I got the feeling she was still holding back. I wouldn't want to get into an actual match with her.”
“Considering how she threw me like a sack of dry feathers, I believe you.”
Rias watched us banter with an amused expression on her face. Her aura had slightly diminished over the course of the battle but it was still going strong. Crimson flames licked at her skin like fiery tongues as she put a hand to her mouth to contain her smile.
“Oh my! Two on one this time? The two of you don't plan to take it easy on me, do you?”
“I’d say our incredibly powerful leader warrants the attention.” I returned as I hefted Red Queen. “You’re pretty incredible, Rias. I have a feeling we'll struggle either way. At least this way, we stand a little bit of a chance.”
“A compliment? Or an excuse to bully your poor King?” Her aura grew more intense as her expression became devilish. “Looks like I'll have to teach the two of you some proper manners.”
A moment passed as we waited for each other to make the first move. Kiba had put down his previous swords and replaced them with a single, large bastard sword that looked more like a bunch of hexagons stapled together. My Devil Bringer hovered over my shoulder, normal once more as I stopped wasting power on the spell fueling it, and Rias's aura began to flicker with dark flakes of destructive energy.
I glanced at Kiba and he met my gaze. A wordless conversation passed between us before I nodded and stepped forward, deciding I would be the first to go once again.
I wound a hand back and gathered magic in my fingers, sending a current of ripping wind towards Rias. It ate up the grass as it approached, but Rias dove to the side, gathering her power and sending a beam of energy at me in retaliation. I sent my Devil Bringer to block it, resulting in an explosion that sent smoke and rampant magical energy everywhere.
Kiba took advantage of Rias's distraction to zip behind her and strike at her from behind but she expected this and already had a shield formed by the time he reached her. Lightning burst from the Knight’s sword as it bit into the barrier, but none of it got through the thick layer of magic.
“Nice teamwork, you two.” Rias complimented, before focusing. A sigil formed on the ground below Kiba and a pillar of ice burst upwards from the ground, slamming into his chest and sending him flying upward like a firework.
Luckily, I was there to catch him. I held him close as he regained his bearings, pulling him out of the way of a fireball that Rias sent after him, before using Red Queen to cut the second one in half. As we disappeared behind the resulting cloud of heat and ash, Kiba tapped on my shoulder and I let him go, allowing him to fly on his own.
“Thanks.” He said, and I nodded as I kept an eye out for any more spells. Kiba looked at the sword in his hand and shook his head. “Rias is taking this seriously. It's like I'm trying to attack a brick wall. Who knew she'd improve in defensive magic so quickly.”
“Grayfia always said that glass cannons are worthless in a real battle.” I replied. “Rias has been focused on magic this whole trip so it makes sense she'd improve her defense as much as her offence. We'll need something strong if we want to break through her guard.”
Kiba watched as the smoke slowly cleared, allowing the red haze of Rias's magic to peek through. He hummed, catching my attention as he glanced towards me with a small grin.
“If that's the case, then I might have an idea.”
Rias was waiting for us as we landed, watching us with a keen eye as our wings disappeared. She hadn't moved much. Maybe she was just waiting or perhaps she was more tired than she was letting on. Her magic was still stable, powerful and potent, but she'd been fighting for quite a while so she was probably a little gassed. That could work in our favor.
I impaled Red Queen into the dirt, resting it there as I called out to my King. “Since this is all to test how far we've come, Kiba and I have something we want to show you. Do you mind?”
Rias seemed bemused by the request. “A combination attack?”
“Something like that. Kiba?”
“Right. Here I go.” The Knight held up his hands, focusing hard. “Sword Birth!”
A bright shaft of light burned to life between his fingers, lengthening and growing thicker in less than a second. It started out as a dark blue, slowly shifted lighter until it was the same color as the sky. The form became more solid, fluctuating between two distinct shapes before I passed a hand over it and stabilized it for good, leaving him holding a thin, razor-like blade with a golden hilt capped by a dark green jewel.
Rias looked at the sword with interested eyes. “Interesting. Well let's start again, you two. I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do.”
“We look forward to showing you!” I stepped forward, clearing the way for Kiba as I hefted Red Queen and jumped into the air. Revving the sword once, I came down toward the ground like a comet, slashing at Rias in a wide arc. She jumped backwards and my weapon carved into the dirt like a knife through butter, sending dust and dirt billowing in every direction.
I burst through the smoke, swinging again but Rias was ready and parried my sword with a blast of magic, knocking it away. I twisted, pivoting and slashing upwards, knocking up more dust as my blazing sword passed inches from her face.
“Close.” I commented as she backed away. She gave me a grin and her aura coalesced into a large glowing ball that she sent after me, making me jump to the side just as a surge of magic came from behind me.
A wave of dirt, so thick that it was almost solid, passed through the air where I just was. It bowled through the bolt of destruction which just simply wasn't large enough to destroy it all, and continued toward Rias whose eyes widened in shock.
“What the–!” Rias threw out a wave of destruction but it only affected the first layer of the wave, leaving the rest free to go after her. Her wings burst from her back as she tried to get away but she couldn't quite manage to get enough distance in time. She was swept up in the wave of earth which rolled around her, shifting like it was alive as it crawled up her limbs and clamped around her body, leaving only her head peeking out the top.
It looked like she had been wrapped up in an earthy cocoon, trapped by a billion tiny particles packed so tightly together that not even air could squeeze its way between them. I glanced backwards, following a thin thread of dust back to Kiba who was holding his glowing sword like a wand, pointing it at our King with a single hand.
“Earthbound Restrict.” Kiba named the blade. “It’s a combination of gravity magic and earth magic. As long as this thread is intact, you won't be able to move a single centimeter.”
Rias grunted, squirming as she tried to escape. The cocoon didn't even budge, lending credence to Kiba's claim, and she gave up after only a second or two. She slumped, smiling at the Knight tiredly. “You managed to figure out a way to combine powers? That's amazing, Kiba.”
“Only thanks to Nero.” He admitted, glancing at me.
“Yep.” I smiled as I walked back to stand with him, shouldering Red Queen. “With a healthy dose of Synthesis, Kiba can choose pretty much any two swords and combine their power into something different. Pretty cool, huh?”
“More than cool, it's amazing.” Rias smiled widely despite how she was trapped. “You two have come far. I can't wait to see what kind of combinations you can come up with.”
Kiba and I both flushed with pride at her praise. The battle had been tough, but just that statement alone made it all worth it.
“So, Rias, do you surrender?” I asked leadingly. Rias didn’t respond right away, seeming to feel around her restraints. The dirt packed around her didn’t allow her to move anything but her head, but she must have noticed something that we didn’t as she suddenly smiled.
“Oh, I don’t think I’m finished just yet.” Her eyes drifted shut and her face became blank, an emotionless mask that had no tells to discern what she was thinking or planning on doing. A moment passed, before her signature power began to leak from her skin even more intensely than ever before. I eyed her warily, glancing at Kiba who had a concerned look on his face.
“She can’t break out of there, can she?” I asked worriedly. Kiba shook his head, tightening his grip on his sword.
“She shouldn’t be able to.”
“Shouldn’t and can’t are two different things, Kiba.” I said, moments before the cocoon disintegrated into whatever came after dust. Rias’s power poured out of her like a broken faucet, washing the entire clearing in malignant energy so powerful and destructive, my clothes began to turn to ash even from several yards away. I created a simple barrier to block the wave, but it was quickly eaten away as well, leaving nothing to protect us from our King’s strength.
Luckily, Rias mercifully decided not to fully disintegrate us and reeled in her magic after all of the dirt was off of her. She stood. She was panting and covered in sweat from the effort of releasing so much energy at once, but she was free and that didn’t bode well for us.
“Now, my cute little servants…” Rias gathered her strength, standing tall as Kiba and I watched in shock. She narrowed her eyes, green pinpricks glaring at us as she smiled sweetly.
“Are you ready for round two?”
I shared a look with my fellow servant as Rias’s power rose once more and we gulped simultaneously.
~~~
“Ahh~! This is nice…”
Rias sighed as her tired body sank into the warm embrace of her family's hot spring. Her aching muscles and slowly healing bruises sang out in thanks as warm water enveloped her up to her chin. To either side of her, Nero and Koneko made similar noises as they embraced the pool as well, joining her in a little post training relaxation.
Rias would say they deserved it. They all did, really. Her cute little servants had come so far so fast. She couldn't be prouder of them.
The welts and bruises they had accrued from their intense battle were mere whispers of what they were before, or in Nero’s case, gone almost completely. Their bodies still ached and their minds were still weary, but it all came with a deep satisfaction as they proved how far they had all come.
The heiress spread her arms out, feeling the steaming water brush up against her nude skin as she looked around. This was the first time that the three of them decided to relax together like this. Kiba had respectfully declined her offer of joining, choosing to enjoy a soak in private instead of with them all. A pity, but Rias knew not everyone was as comfortable with their nudity as she was.
Case in point, Nero had her eyes clenched shut like she would go blind if she opened them for even a second. It seemed that her newest servant still wasn't completely comfortable being naked around them all. Or maybe she was just embarrassed to see them all in their most natural state. It was kind of adorable really.
“Are you enjoying the spring, Nero?” Rias giggled as the girl's eyes reflectively turned towards her before darting away. Her face was flushed, though that could be attributed to the temperature instead of embarrassment, and she nodded as she sank deeper into the water.
“It's very nice.” She said after a moment. “I wish I joined you guys sooner.”
Rias smiled. “I’ve found it's the best way to relax after a long day. Training or otherwise. I used to soak for hours after lessons with Mother or Grayfia. After a while, it's like all of the bad stuff just melts away.”
Koneko hummed in agreement, seeming one step away from falling asleep as she lounged on the edge of the pool with her head resting on her arms.
Rias ran a hand through her hair, pausing on a few strands that were shorter than the rest. Nero had been kind enough to help her cut out the frayed hairs that had resulted from breaking out of that cocoon, but she was certainly no licensed barber. It was barely noticeable, but Rias would have to remember to make a stop before they returned to Kuoh.
“You three really gave me a run for my money, you know?” Rias said after a moment of silence, “Though it was less of a free-for-all there at the end, I think.”
“You kind of warranted it, though.” Nero pointed out. “If we didn’t team up against you, it wouldn’t have really been a fair fight at all.”
“True that.” Koneko said lazily.
“I’m not that strong. I was struggling to keep up with you especially, Koneko. I kept having to restructure my barriers so you wouldn’t break through.”
“You were never that good with barriers before.”
“Grayfia’s training was very… grueling. And thorough. She made sure to pound the need for proper defence into every part of me. Including my body.”
Rias sighed, leaning back in the water. Her crimson hair spread around her like a shroud as she stared at the ceiling, languishing in the steam and mineral-rich water without a care. This, just hanging out with her servants and enjoying each others’ presence, was really all she needed in the world. Life was perfect.
Well, almost. There was still one part of this picturesque scenario that was off. Just like the battle before, there was a member missing from the pack, and it wasn’t Kiba. For the first time since they got here, Akeno had decided not to join Rias in her soak. Her Queen had locked herself in her room and wasn't responding to any outside presences. Rias knew she was there, she could feel her, but she refused to come out or even talk to her. To any of them.
Rias knew why of course. They all did. But knowing what was wrong and fixing it were two separate things entirely, especially when Akeno wouldn't even talk to them about it, which Rias knew she wouldn't. Akeno had been her first piece, her Queen. She knew from experience how difficult it was to even bring up her heritage, much less actually talk about it. She worried that bringing it up now might do more harm than good. But something had to be done.
Rias's eyes strayed towards Nero once again as she recalled how close she and Akeno had grown. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that she was closer to Rias's Queen than anyone sans Rias herself and she had obviously noticed Akeno's shift in mood as well. With her advanced knowledge, there was no doubt in Rias’s mind that Nero knew what was bugging her. And though they hadn’t known each other long, Rias knew she wasn’t the type to sit around and do nothing while her friend was hurting.
Though it pained her to do so, Rias decided to hand the delicate process over to Nero. She couldn’t help Akeno, not in the way that would matter. But perhaps Nero would be able to break through her shell and finally help her heal.