Amano was the last to enter the club room the next day, seeing an unfamiliar face in the ranks of the club. A woman with grey hair and maid attire stood in front of Rias' desk.

"Woah, we got a maid?" Amano asked with shock.

"No, silly. This is Sirzechs', Rias' older brother, Queen piece, Grayfia." Akeno replied.

"Oh. Was thinking I would finally be off flyer duty." Amano said, immediately taking a seat beside Koneko.

"You're the one who turned down a familiar, dude..." Kiba said with a sigh.

"Ah. This is the one-piece-pawn who single handedly killed a Fallen Angel. He's... incredibly week. A low born." Grayfia stated.

Amano immediately disliked her.

"I'm gonna ignore that from the boot scraper." Amano spat with a glare, but Kiba immediately covered his mouth.

Suddenly, a large orange teleportation circle appeared near the entrance of the club room, and Amano broke free from Kiba to prepare for what he assumed was an invasion.

Fire erupted from the circle, and a lone figure was visible in it all.

"Phoenix..." Kiba said with disdain.

"Ah~... Riser has arrived in the human realm." The blonde, arrogant man in a burgundy suit announced, his back to them all. "I've come all this way to see you, my beloved Rias," Riser said with a smug smile.

"...Whom?" Amano whispered, seeing no one really react to his presence.

"This gentleman is Riser Phoenix. He is a pure-blooded Devil of noble birth. Third heir in line to the House of Phoenix." Grayfia answered.

"Oh... it's a rich kid." Amano mumbled.

"He is also the fiancé to the next heir to the House of Gremory." Grayfia continued, making Amano wide-eyed with a nervous smile.

"This is the guy?" He asked Rias, shocked the guy was so cliche, but nervous about how soon the man would introduce himself.

•

Riser sat on a couch with his arm draped over Rias' shoulders, sipping on a cup of tea made by Akeno.

"This tea prepared by my Rias' Queen is most delicious. Lovely," Riser complimented.

"Thank you for the complements, sir." Akeno said with a bow.

Riser had no shame in playing with Rias' hair, and starting to caress her thigh, but Rias was soon to stand up and cancel his advancements.

"That's enough. Why don't you understand I have no intention of courting you." Rias said with venom.

"But, my darling, Riser believes your family's circumstances are still such so that you cannot afford to be so selfish." Riser said with a shrug, knowing she really had no say in the matter.

"I will not bring dishonor my family." Rias declared. "I have no intention of denying you our family name, but my husband will be mine for the choosing."

"Remember. It's imperative for Devils to remain pure-blood. We're still recovering our numbers from the last war. Both your father and Sirzechs decided on this arrangement with the future of Devils in mind." Riser said with a sly tone.

"My father, my brother, and my whole clan made this decision because they're in too great a rush. For the final time," Rias turned her back on him, and walked to her desk.

"I will not marry you." Rias exclaimed, but as soon as she turned back to him, he grabbed her chin gently.

"Then, for the final time, Rias," he leered down at her with lust. "Riser bares the reputation of the House of Phoenix. Besmirching our good name is unacceptable." He said switching to annoyance.

"He's really feely..." Amano mumbled.

"Riser doesn't care if he has to incinerate everyone in this room— you will return to the underworld with me!" Phoenix said, glancing at the rest of the Occult Research Club.

"If my lady insists on her preferences above those of her family, she is to settle this via a rating game with Lord Riser." Grayfia interjected.

"Rating game? This is Siege all over again..." Amano commented.

"It's a game Noble Devils play with each other. Long-story-short, their servants compete in a battle to determine who wins." Kiba explained.

"Oh, that's why we're chess pieces." Asia whispered.

"Exactly. It's why we have individual roles and powers via the pieces. This is in order to play the rating game." Akeno continued.

"Riser has played through numerous rating games, and has scored several wins for himself. Unfortunately, my inexperienced bride has never even qualified for an official game." Riser bragged.

"He knows only mature Devils are allowed to participate, so it's not as if she's had much opportunity." Akeno said with a frown.

"Rias, I have to ask. Is this adorable group the extent of your servants? They're all you have?" Riser mused.

"And so what if they are?" Rias questioned with sass.

Riser laughed calmly and snapped his fingers. Another orange teleportation circle appeared, and flames burst forth again, revealing an entire peerage that covered every last chest piece, fifteen women.

"Riser has fifteen pieces. In other words, I have a complete set." Riser mocked.

"Compensating, much? I don't know if anyone, even Devil, could need that much play." Amano grumbled.

"Ah, it seems your pawn is jealous. Perfect. Yubelluna." Riser called. A woman in regal garments and wavy brown hair walked over in response. Riser took no time in wrapping his hand around and groping her ass, leaning in and beginning to make out with her, all in front of everyone.

Rias grit her teeth and clenched her fists again, enduring such an indecent and disrespectful display.

"Oh. So he's definitely compensation. I guess a cock can only grow but so much." Amano joked, leaning forward with a smirk.

"You dare?! It would be best you remember your place when you speak to me, brat." Riser spat with irritation.

"Oh, I know all to well my place. I'm a Pawn under Rias Gremory, and you don't fuck with her, or any of us." Amano challenged, simply annoyed by the act of shamelessness.

Rias was shocked at his claim, but happy he defended her nonetheless.

"I expect no less from some tacky, undercut, lowborn bastard. Your insignificance is the only thing keeping you alive right now." Riser barked.

"Quit chirping and fight, you pompous bitch." Amano spat back, glaring at Riser with a provoking smile.

"Mira." Riser called.

Amano lunged forward and summoned his swords as a girl in a white and red traditional get up lunged forward with a wooden staff.

Amano slashed down with fire tracing his blade, and it quickly cut through the staff. He kicked her away with ease and turned on his heel to dodge the sudden slash of another peerage member, wielding a large claymore the size of his entire body.

Sweeping his leg around, Amano used it to regain footing and roll away from another vertical slash, racing back in and clashing with a icy double slash.

Amano kicked up the heat and suddenly switch to fire, causing a small blast of steam to send the woman crashing back into her team.

Amano was ready to rush down the peerage with murderous intent, but Rias quickly grabbed his collar and pulled him back, holding him closely so he wouldn't lose himself like normal.

"Enough... I'm sure that's enough." She said with a small smile. Rias was happy to see that Amano was warming up to the peerage and even called out Riser in her name. He was willing to fight for her, so she'd let him do just that.

She also didn't want to go out without a fight. She picked up that tenacity from him.

"Grayfia, tell my brother I agree to the Rating Game." Rias said with a smile, making the House of Gremory gasp in shock.

"I will inform him immediately." Grayfia nodded.

"Hell yeah! Now we're talking. I'll kill all of you," Amano exclaimed with a grin.

"Ha. I'd love to see you try, scum. Low tier garbage like you aren't even a threat." Riser commented, walking to his peerage.

"We'll see you at the game." He parted, a teleportation circle appearing under them all, and sending them away.

Amano threw his fist up in triumph, and was excited to put an arrogant noble in his place. He wanted to see him suffer, and the best way was to take what he held dear.

His pride, his life, and Rias.

~•~

"Oh... we actually have to train for this?" Amano asked, a large hiking back on his back.

"Of course. We are outnumbered, so we will make up for it with quality. We only have ten days after all." Rias replied.

"Maybe I should apologize to the guy. Not everyone is born with height in the right places." Amano muttered, clasping his hands together and wagging his head.

"Oh, shut it. Keep moving." Rias said nudging his shoulder as they walked up a mountain trail.

Kiba walked past with a bag double his size, and Koneko carried something you couldn't even label a bag. It was more like a fucking boulder...

"Okay, what is in their bags. My bag feels like a truck." Amano whined.

"Well, you haven't even been a Devil for a month. You haven't cultivated to your strength's full potential." Akeno replied, passing with a wink.

"I like to think I can hold my own, but you all constantly remind me otherwise." Amano sighed.

•

"Your abilities over magic buffs are commendable, I can give you that. But what you lack is simply potential and skill. You utilize your abilities well, but they are nothing but buffs. Multipliers of your own power." Rias began.

"We will use these ten days to hone our abilities, and increased your base powers so that your buffs will be more effective. Is that clear?" Rias asked Amano and Asia.

"Yes, ma'am!" Asia replied, and Amano nodded.

"Lets begin. Kiba, we'll have you first gone his... what do you call it?" Rias asked.

"I thought Voltage was simple enough." Amano revealed.

•

The others watched as Kiba and Amano sparred with their swords, Kiba being the quicker of the two even with Amano's Voltage in use.

Amano could hold his own, but not once did he land a hit like Kiba did. Kiba would always be a second before his reaction time and land very minimal strikes.

It wasn't as if he was holding back, it Kiba had a feeling that if he put too much into a strike, Amano would counter it immediately, so he stuck with small, swift slashes.

"Is this kind of training a bit... useless?" Akeno asked Rias.

"Not at all. Amano needs to be able to react according to the other peerage's Knights. They do have two after all. He has to go beyond just reacting to one opponent as well. Koneko." Rias commanded.

Koneko leapt forward as Kiba clashed with Amano, and Amano's arms suddenly sparked with electricity. He spun around, leaning under Kiba's blade, and rolled under his legs, kicking him towards Koneko.

Koneko used Kiba as a vault to close in, and Amano grit his teeth as she punched his swords, sliding back into a tree.

Amano felt the force vibrate through him and nearly lost his grip on the swords. He hadn't truly been able to gauge their power, but it was obvious their power and experience was above his own.

Amano grit his teeth thinking about how weak he looked, and clenched his swords tighter.

"Bring it on!" He shouted, rushing back at the two.

Asia stared worryingly at his wild demeanor. Everyone knew Amano wasn't profound in swordplay, he was just crafty. He used them as if they were extensions of himself, but more like claws than swords.

Amano roared in annoyance after Koneko punched him in the face, making Asia smile nervously.

•

"For your second lesson, you'll become aware of the aura and magic surrounding you, as well as be able to harness it." Akeno began, she, Amano, and Asia, all within the mountain top estate owned by Rias.

In a living room of sorts, Amano was covered in cuts and bruises, and was even bleeding from his forehead.

"Are you sure you don't want to be healed?" Akeno asked, but knew his reply.

"Yeah. I need to get used to this." Amano said with determination.

"Alright. Just try to manifest that feeling of power, and stream it to a focal point." Akeno said with a shrug.

Asia was quick to catch on, since it follows the same premise of her healing. A green orb footed in between her palms, and she gleamed excitedly.

"I did it!" She cheered. "Awesome! You have a lot of natural talent for magic,"Akeno responded. Amano gave her her a thumbs up, and didn't bother to attempt just yet.

"You are a different case, Amano. Your three abilities don't truly harness the magic into a proper form. You use the principles behind the elements to increased your strength, and enhance your Sacred Gear. Try to call forth a flame in your hand, instead of picturing a wildfire." Akeno instructed.

Amano held out his hand, and put all his thoughts on manifesting a small flame. Seconds passed, and the most he could muster was a few sparks, but it never caught fire.

"Try ice?" Akeno suggested.

Amano switched elements, and tried to imagine creating a cube of ice. His hand indeed began to frost over, and even harden and pulse with mist, but the only progress was a lump of ice on his palm.

"Hmm. It seems you lack the control, but you definitely understand the method. I would just give it practice until the meantime. You'll get around to it." Akeno replied.

"Sure." He shrugged, not sure of the importance.

•

Amano glared into space as he was put on cooking duty with Asia. He didn't know how to cook, so food prep was all he could help with.

He looked at the mountains of vegetables he needed to cut, and grew irritated.

He held a onion in his hand, and clicked his tongue.

Suddenly, the skin of the onion was peeled clean off, and it was even diced correctly, falling out of his hands and onto the tray.

Amano and Asia stared blankly at the event, almost making Asia forget that the water was boiling.

Amano looked at his hand, and summoned his sword.

"W-Wait maybe you should do that outsid—?!"

Asia was too late.

Amano had only thought about cutting, and every vegetable was cleanly prepped within moments.

"Ugh... what are we gonna do with all these...?" Asia whined, but Amano grinned in delight of the new power.

•

After an entire feast of purely vegetable-based dishes, everyone but Amano was off to bed.

The others watched as he rushed out of the mansion and into the woods, all confused to his vigor despite the long day.

It became like this for at least three more days.

During these days, Amano learned about Devils weakness to Holy properties, the war that put them in a state of disarray and brought on recruiting humans, and even the origins of the Rating Games.

On the third day, Amano was about to leave the mansion after dark again, but Rias caught sight, finally willing to intervene.

"Alright, spill it. What are you doing every night?" Rias asked with a tone.

"Training. It's what we're here for." Amano replied, watching as she walked to the door and beside him.

"I figured at least that much. I mean what are you so adamant on hiding from us. If it's an asset, we'll use it. So show me." Rias ordered, opening the door for him and motioning him to go out.

•

Rias stood in her lavender night gown, fixing her reading glasses with a journal in hand.

Amano was leaping from tree to tree, his body only visible by the sparks that followed his figure as he raced around.

Rias could tell that his body was currently fixated on one thing. Moving. He wasn't slashing, he was cutting. He was simply trying to get around. He was building up momentum.

Amano found his footing and landed on one tree as his Voltage began to crackle brightly.

With the blink of an eye, Amano was bouncing back and forth from one tree and another across from it, slowly making afterimages of his movement appear, before they showed an entire spectrum of step by step movements. His speed was increasing the more he leapt, and the smoothness of the afterimages only got better.

Rias was nodding in acknowledgment, but when she saw a glint of red, yellow, and blue, she gasped.

Amano looked to be frozen in midair between the trees, and the three colors danced around his body, before all aspects of his power became active, shrouding him in electricity, fire, and frost.

Amano landed, and brandished both swords with a smirk, throwing out a simple cross slash.

With a wink, almost a hundred laceration of the three colors appeared around him, and sliced everything but Rias in a fifty foot radius.

The gale that blew from his attack brush past her, and Rias was smiling at him with confidence. She was finally proud of him, and able to recognize one of his feats for what it was.

"Incredible. So you've mastered multi-casting on your own." Rias praised.

"It took time, but I had to master each element I used first. I still can't conjure the elements themselves, but all I need is them within me." Amano said with pride.

"Keep this up. I'm sure this will be an overwhelming ability over our opponent." Rias nodded with respect.

"Will do." Amano replied, happy to finally see that content look on her face.

Unfortunately, however, that was the peak of that ability, what he called the Cyclone Eruption. It didn't take much for it to be unleashed, but the buildup of momentum was mainly to hit increased the rate at which he could handle the speed of slashing that many times, be it with magic, or his swords, endurance was key.

Amano would never admit that he was about to pass out from only one of those attacks.