Chapter 64: Overwhelming Force (I)
[Begin.]
Strategy-wise, only one matter currently weighed on Rias' mind.
The Pawn Piece.
She had none, while Riser possessed a full stack—eight of them.
On their own, they were completely incapable of causing any damage to her peerage whatsoever, but that was before you considered the fact that they could promote.
In terms of power, Rias firmly believed her peerage had the upper hand, but if Riser were to have all eight of his Pawns become Queens, it was highly possible the scales would be tipped in his favour.
Even if her peerage were able to dispatch them all post-promotion, she still had to consider the toll doing so would take on her subordinates' stamina reserves.
Stamina that needed to be saved for Riser himself, a man whose Clan Trait was nothing short of an inescapable attrition war.
Disabling Immortality itself was impossible for her, which left her with no other choice but to deplete every last ounce of Riser's demonic power reserves to the point where he could no longer fuel his regenerative flames.
Either that, or she'd somehow have to deliver a blow that completely exceeds Riser's current regenerative capabilities. Regardless of which option she chose, conserving an immense amount of stamina was a must.
"Isaiah, Shirone." She addressed the two, reciprocating their looks of sheer determination tenfold. "You two will be responsible for targeting Riser's Pawn structure. The quicker you eliminate them, the better our set-up will be for barraging the rooster himself."
Having those Pawns gave Riser options and adaptability. It allowed him to make his strategy more favoured towards raw power, defense, or magical ability whenever he wanted to.
Rias had studied Riser's past games, she knew he tended to use them as sacrifice plays that served no other purpose than to wear his opponent down. Making it that much harder for them to force him into action and dwindle his demonic power reserves, a weakness which he had become significantly more attentive to after receiving his elder brother's instruction.
She wouldn't let him enjoy that luxury, before Riser even fully understood what she was doing, she'd evaporate his peerage's flexibility into nothingness.
"Understood." (x2) The Knight-Rook duo nodded in unison.
"Gasper, Akeno. Until all the Pawns have been removed from the playing field, you'll play support for them. If anyone who isn't a Pawn tries to interfere, stall them so they can ignore their advances and continue rushing down the Pawns."
Rias didn't plan on passively targeting the Pawn structure, she wanted a full-on blitzkrieg. She wanted every last one of them gone within a minute or two of combat, ideally even less.
As Alduin had countlessly repeated to her and her subordinates, hesitation was defeat. If she truly believed this would give her the best odds of victory, then there was no use in half-assing it, she'd give it a 101% effort.
"And if Riser decides to interfere midway?" Akeno asked, her expression just as calculating as her King's.
"Then you switch all focus to him. Gasper's two seconds of time-freeze should allow you to hit him with a powerful dose of Holy Lightning. While you're doing that, I'll come to support you personally." She pursed her lips, falling deeper into contemplation. "It's unlikely Riser will deploy himself right out of the gate, so hopefully by the time he does show himself, Isaiah and Shirone will have done enough damage to his Pawn structure that they'll be able to deal with the rest of his peerage on their own, assuming they don't flock to their master's side."
"What happens if we can't?" Isaiah queried, his demeanour not one of lacking confidence, but pragmatic consideration.
"If you're eliminated before the three of us take out Riser, then Akeno will have to take over the responsibility of dealing with whatever remains to prevent them from interfering while myself and Gasper continue to battle him." She smiled knowingly. "If Akeno can't deal with what's left, then she'll have to prepare herself for the scolding of a lifetime from our beloved mentor."
Akeno shuddered, hesitant to even imagine what Alduin's reaction would be.
"Alright," Rias glanced at the clock. "We've spent enough time conversing, you all know your roles, get moving."
Wasting no time on words, all four of them bolted out of the clubroom in preparation to begin their time-sensitive offensive.
As for Rias herself, she already knew what her role was, beyond relaying orders to her subordinates.
She and her Power of Destruction existed to account for any potential mishaps or setbacks during the match.
Yes, she believed her in planning, and all the training she and her peerage had done. But she couldn't let that blind her from the truth, as a collective body, they were vastly inexperienced in comparison to Riser's team.
There was no guarantee they'd be able to execute their plan to perfection, which meant she needed to be prepared for any potential failures and step in when the time was appropriate.
That was how any strategist worth their salt approached a problem. They accounted for both their strengths and weaknesses.
///
Until now, Riser had approached every Rating Game he fought with a distinct certainty. A lingering confidence in the back of his mind that wouldn't dare to consider the possibility of defeat, unless Riser wished to entertain it of his own volition to appease houses with close ties to the Phenex.
This felt different.
He didn't say it out loud, but when he faced his future bride and her peerage ten days prior, there was something different about them. They didn't give him that same, flimsy expression of unease like usual.
No. There was a firmness in them. A resolve kindling beneath their gazes, one that spoke to more than mere bratty resentment.
Rias had changed, there was no denying that, and so had her peerage.
Riser remembered what his father had told him about the running theory on the nature of Alduin's involvement.
He was training them.
Ordinarily, Riser wouldn't think much of it, turning his head and scoffing at the notion that a mere month of the lizard's tutoring was enough to completely flip the scales against him. Let alone even them.
But then Ruval got involved.
His eldest brother. His role model. His idol. The gold standard of what a Phenex should, no, could be. The man Riser dreamed of being every hour, every minute, every second of each day.
His father's belief that the training Alduin had allegedly provided Rias was strong enough for him to have his eldest son prepare Riser for his upcoming game, and Ruval himself seemed to be in complete agreement with the Lord's judgment.
Riser found it hard to understand that the entire basis of their concern was that there was a small chance that Alduin had inherited his father's talent for teaching.
However, while he might question his father every now and then, he'd never deafen himself to Ruval's words of wisdom.
For the past ten days, he had trained diligently and ensured that his peerage reciprocated his effort. He listened to every last word of advice regarding Clan Trait usage and strategy the man had to offer, and revised them time and time again—committing each and every syllable to heart.
And now, the moment of truth had come. It was time for him to prove to his older brother, who was probably watching the game back at the Phenex Estate alongside his family, that his teachings had not been in vain.
So what if he inherited a little bit of wit? He's still an ant in comparison to you. His eyes burned with determined ferocity. I'll make it clear to him, to father, and to you.
"Lord Riser," his Queen, Yubelluna, called to him. Attracting the full, undivided attention of his entire peerage. "How should we proceed?"
Riser hummed, looking back on his brother's instruction.
According to him, if Rias was self-aware enough about her own inexperience, her primary goal would be to eliminate the advantage Riser's experience gave him. Forcing the match's outcome to be totally reliant on the difference in raw power between the two peerages, leaving no room for Riser to rely on his usual tactics.
The question was how she'd go about achieving such a thing.
Riser pressed his index finger against his lower lip, looking over his peerage in contemplation. Wait a minute, his gaze focused on his Pawns. If she's watched any of my previous matches, she'll know that using my Pawns to grind down my opponents is one of my most commonly used strategies.
Part of him refused to believe such foresight and preparation could come from Rias of all people, but that part of him was quickly drowned out by his brother's words of advice.
Even without my Pawns, I should be able to win. But why even take the risk? This match is far too important for me to start rolling dice.
He motioned for both his Pawns, Rooks, and Knights to gather around.
"I'm splitting you into two teams, each containing four Pawns, one Rook, and one Knight." Leaving his Pawns to their own devices felt like he was asking for them to be eliminated within seconds, leading him to opt for a 'protection detail' type formation. "Ile and Nel, Ni and Li, Isabela, and Karlamine. You're Team A."
The called members all gathered to one side, nodding their understanding.
"Marion, Burnet, Shuriya, Mira, Siris, and Xuelan. You're Team B."
They did the same.
"Chances are our Pawns will be targeted, which is why we'll turn their goal against them and morph it into a trap." His lips curled up into a sinister grin. "Rias probably expects me to send my Pawns out on their own right out of the gate like I usually do, but this time you'll all be guarded."
Experience aside, there were two more advantages Riser had over her.
One, sheer quantity.
And two, she didn't have any Pawns. Meaning she couldn't promote at all during the match, and Riser had absolutely no reason whatsoever to bother trying to stop her peerage from setting foot on his territory—the new schoolhouse.
"Instead of having our Pawns play as bait, this time, your goal will be to promote as soon as possible." He fell deeper into thought, continuing to reflect on Ruval's advice. "If by some ill stroke of luck our Pawns look like they're about to be eliminated anyway, then I want you Knights and Rooks to sacrifice yourselves to ensure they're able to pass. Of course, this is assuming your sacrifice will actually result in a successfully promoted Pawn."
"Understood, Lord Riser." (x4) They replied with nothing other than immediate understanding.
If that was what their master desired, then it would be done.
"Good," he turned to his Bishops, his younger sister Ravel, and Mihae. "You two will work together with Yubelluna as the rear-guard. Your job is to support Team A and B's advancements, since I trust you to organize yourselves accordingly, I won't micromanage your positioning—unless I find that you're doing something outrageously idiotic, obviously."
"Hmph, I don't want to hear that word from your mouth of all people." Ravel huffed, turning her head dismissively.
Riser simply rolled his eyes in return. "Yubelluna, those two might be left vulnerable if they're disconnected from the rest. Can I trust you to guard them?"
"Absolutely, Lord Riser." She bowed respectfully, reassuring her King.
"Very well then," he nodded approvingly. "I want Team A to advance through the middle, where the school gymnasium is located, and Team B to flank around that. Understood?"
"Yes, Lord Riser!" (x12)
"Then start moving! The first few minutes of this match will be the most crucial. We can't afford to give Rias any room to breathe!"
///
"And off they go," Roygun hummed, her chest pressed into my back and her legs coiled around my torso. "It'll be interesting to see the types of strategies the younger generation like to employ," her eyes flicked to the screen displaying Riser. "I wonder if he'll fight like Ruval?"
"Have you fought his older brother yet?" I asked her.
"Nope, but he's my next opponent. We'll be competing for the fifth spot in about a month." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I know how Ruval plays though. He likes to position himself on the frontline most of the time. I've rarely ever seen him play passive."
"I doubt we'll see that from Riser."
"Oh? Why not?" She pulled me in closer, her head looming over mine with intrigue written all over her face.
"Because he's confused, he doesn't know what to expect." My memory flashed to his arrival ten days ago. "When he saw Rias and her peerage, he tried to hide it, but he noticed the changes." I tapped my temple. "He isn't the sharpest up here, but he's not enough of a dunce to ignore the changes in their demonic power and overall presence."
"Is that why he's using such a tight formation?" Sirzechs added.
We all understood why Riser had organized his Pawns around his Rooks and Knights the way he did.
"Most likely," I nodded affirmatively. "The fact that he has Pawns to promote and Rias doesn't is a huge advantage for him. I doubt he's interested in letting that advantage slip."
Not that it matters, the true deciding factor in this matchup has nothing to do with numbers, it's about abilities. Every single member of Rias' peerage, herself included, is uniquely powerful—overwhelmingly so.
Riser's peerage on the other hand? There's only himself and Ravel. Both of which possess the same Clan Trait, which Rias has been doing nothing but preparing for ever since we started training.
"I assume you and Rias discussed a counter strategy beforehand, right?" He continued, receiving nothing but a confused head tilt from me in return.
"No, we haven't discussed strategy once during the past month."
He blinked. "Pardon?"
"I gave her plenty of opportunities to test her own strategies, but I haven't given her any direct advice on the subject." I yawned, stretching further into Roygun's clasp. "Every choice she makes from this point onward is solely hers."
"I assume you had a good reason for not doing so?" His confusion was palpable.
Despite being in the presence of a Satan, I couldn't help but scoff. "What good would my advice have done? I have no peerage of my own and have never participated in a Rating Game, let alone watched one from afar. Any advice I could've given her on team tactics would've carried no substance."
"But you understand Riser, don't you? You understand his mindset. That knowledge could come in handy for Rias when she's making her own plans."
"You make it sound as if I'm some mystic seer," I exhaled disapprovingly. "Yes, I understand the way Riser thinks to an extent. But people act differently from their usual selves under pressure, and right now Riser's under more pressure than ever. From the match, from his house, and his own pride. Telling Rias to plan her strategy based on my experience with Riser is just begging for a fatal accident to happen."
Sirzechs breathed a thoughtful hum, leaning back into the couch. "Alright then, allow me to rephrase my question. What do you think of Rias' current strategy?"
I shrugged. "Honestly, if I were her, I wouldn't really bother with strategy at all."
"Care to elaborate?"
I pointed at the principal's office. "I mean, Riser's left himself completely vulnerable. Rias' peerage completely overwhelms his speed-wise, and has a member who can wield Holy Lightning. Riser's Immortality would have to work overtime to heal the damage from that, causing his demonic power reserves to basically evaporate out of thin air."
"Do you really think it's that simple?" He raised his brow. "Rushing after Riser like that would also leave Rias exposed, wouldn't it? What if her peerage can't eliminate him in time?"
"That wouldn't be a problem either, she's been working on a defensive technique for a while, and her Power of Destruction is perfectly suited to take out multiple targets all at once—though I doubt I need to explain that to you of all people." I continued. "Besides, with the exception of Riser himself, his peerage is way too weak to do any meaningful damage to her. None of them have a suitable countermeasure to deal with her power."
He smiled. "Has she truly grown that much?"
"See for yourself," I nodded towards the screen.
"Haha, I suppose I will."
///
Riser's Team B, led by Siris and Xuelan, continued to proceed around the gymnasium's perimeter as they had been ordered to, headed in the direction of Rias' territory in the old schoolhouse.
"Any sight of them?" Siris asked through the transmission circle connected to Yubelluna and the two Bishops following her, all of which had taken to the skies to get a clear, bird's eye view of the terrain.
"No, none yet." Yubelluna replied. "Stay vigilant, it's possible they might be aiming for an ambush." It made sense taking the numbers difference into consideration.
"Copy that," Siris put one hand on the Zweihänder strapped to her back, carefully examining the soil, trees, and foliage around her—looking out for even the slightest disturbance.
"Siris," Xuelan tapped her on the shoulder. "Maybe they're waiting for us to delve closer into their territory, they could've set a trap."
Siris pressed her lips together, cupping her chin. "It's possible, but knowing that's useless if we don't know what kind of trap to expect. With their limited numbers, I imagine it'd take them longer to set up the trap than it would for us to make it from here to their territory." She looked back at the Pawns following in formation closely behind them, slightly spread out so as to prevent them from cluttering.
Her master did say they were the most likely target, which made it entirely possible that they were waiting for the Pawns to reach a certain position before springing into action.
"Trap or not, we have to continue. Lord Riser wants to get our Pawns promoted as quickly as possible, so we'll do exactly that, even if you and I have to sacrifice ourselves to make it happen."
Xuelan thought for a moment before replying with a firm, steadfast nod. "Yeah, you're right. We can't afford to let Lord Riser dow—!"
"GAAAH!"
[Lord Riser's Pawn has been eliminated.]
The faces of Team B whitened with horror. Completely out of the blue, they heard the sound of their rearmost Pawn, Shuryia, bellowing a gut-wrenching scream before Grayfia's announcement came over the field's intercom.
Siris and Xuelan wasted no time exchanging words of panic, prepping their fists and Zweihänder before rushing to the location of their fallen teammate.
"All of you! Form behind us!" Xuelan ordered the Pawns, none of them hesitating to follow her orders and shifting their position accordingly.
Unfortunately, their opponent showed no signs of slowing.
"He's fas—!"
[Lord Riser's Pawn has been eliminated.]
The second closest to the rear, Marion, was defeated all the same before she could properly rotate by the swift strike of what appeared to be a blade straight to her midsection.
Two Pawns had already been felled, and only now could they clearly see the figure of the one responsible for it as he momentarily came to a halt.
A blond-haired boy with deep-blue eyes, wielding a longsword in one hand and surveying Team B with a blank, virtually indecipherable stare.
"Siris! Status!" Yubelluna roared over the transmission.
Swallowing her fear and pushing aside her clouded state of mind, she started to report. "We're being attacked by the Knight! He came out of nowhere!"
"Hold him for as long as you can! We're coming there now! And remember what Lord Riser said—"
"Yes, we'll make the sacrifice if necessary!" She fully withdrew her Zweihänder, gripping it tightly with both hands, primed and ready to confront the motionless Knight.
The Knight showed no reaction, simply raising his blade upwards and pointing its tip towards the ground.
What? Is he mocking us or something? Siris pressed her lips together in befuddlement.
"Siris," Xuelan stepped forward. "This guy's slashes seem to pack a serious punch. I'll play defense for you so you can focus solely on offense." Such was the role of the Rook after all.
Siris nodded. "Alright."
In tandem, they both rushed the Knight down, covering his flanks so he couldn't blitz by them and target the two remaining Pawns in their group.
Wait, what the hell is he doing—?!
The Knight plunged his blade into the earth, causing a plethora of fissures to erupt from his position and bloom into his surroundings. Completely disorientating Team B's balance as they struggled to remain upright amidst the force of what could only be described as a full-on earthquake transpiring beneath them.
Even though the Knight stood on the same chaotic terrain as them, his posture remained firm. His weight perfectly balanced against the shifting ground as if he were surfing against it, perfectly content with his elevation being thrown to and fro.
He paced towards Siris and Xuelan, his every step appearing practiced and calm.
Shit! I can't find my balance!
Siris struggled against the tremors, the weight of her Zweihänder drastically compromising her balance.
Xuelan gritted her teeth, planting her feet down and using every last ounce of sturdiness her Rook Piece could muster to regain some semblance of balance.
This isn't good! If we're taken out before Yubelluna arrives we'll lose the Pawns too—!
As the thought swam through her mind, the Knight turned into a blond flicker, darting towards her with his blade raised horizontally to his side.
[Lord Riser's Rook has been eliminated.]
Right before Siris' eyes, a fresh line of blood was drawn from one of the Rook's shoulders to the other. Decommissioning her in an instant as the swordsman's attention shifted to her, his eyes fixated on her Zweihänder.
He let out an amused chuckle. "When it comes to us swordsmen, bigger isn't always better, believe me, I learned that the hard way."
"Now you finally decide to speak?!" Ignoring the Knight's comment, Siris stabbed her greatsword into the ground to stabilize herself. Thankful that the tremors were starting to subside.
"Sorry," he wore a genuine, apologetic smile—a complete contradiction to his overwhelmingly terrifying swordsmanship and agility. "I'd love to stay and chit-chat, but our plan kind of has an emphasis on speed."
He lunged at her, effortlessly weaving around Siris' bulky, slow-swinging weapon as if he were floating and delivering a frighteningly precise thrust to her chest.
[Lord Riser's Knight has been eliminated.]
And finally, he faced the remaining two Pawns of Team B, Burnet and Mira, who despite all the games they had fought in, couldn't help but shiver in fear as they witnessed the enemy Knight's incomprehensibly dominating display of skill.
"Don't worry, I'll make it quick." His promise came with a bishounen-like smile that put a beet-red blush on the faces of his targets.
[Two of Lord Riser's Pawns have been eliminated.]
///
"That was… something." Sirzechs muttered, probably wondering if what he had just seen was truly the work of the humble, honor-driven Isaiah he knew.
"It was as it should be," I countered. "When the difference in strength is that vast, what possible point could there be in dragging things out? He got the job done, all he has to do is move on to the next target until the battle's over."
Other than the fight against Riser, and possibly Ravel, I honestly have absolutely no interest in this game besides seeing my lovely little students relish the opportunity to show what they're made of on the big screen.
"You say that, but you're really only interested in seeing how your favorite Dhampir fares—aren't you?"
No comment.
"Still," Serafall chimed in. "While I'm rooting for Rias 100% of the way, I was kind of expecting this battle to be a bit more… even. It's kinda anticlimactic in a way."
Sirzechs nodded fiercely. "I couldn't agree more."
"Hmph, what kind of a teacher would I be if my students couldn't deal with some rooster's lascivious harem?" I won't accept anything less than a complete, one-sided beatdown.
Who knows? Maybe it'd do his skewed mentality some good.
///
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