High School DxD: Return of the Crimson Dragon Emperor

Chapter 53: Chapter 51: Game Night Prep!!

[Azazel Side]

”A blunder, huh?” Shemhazai, my deputy governor, opened with that in the conference room at the Demon King’s territory.

I sipped tea beside him, muttering inwardly, Keep it chill. The Demon King’s party got canned due to an attack by the Chaos Brigade. Or rather, that’s how it ended up. Nobody could’ve predicted SS-class rogue devil Kuroka and Sun Wukong’s descendant Bikou crashing the party for a peek. Thanks to Issei chasing them off solo, we avoided casualties, but other factions will likely question the devils’ vigilance after this breach.

As you can see, Shemhazai and the Seraphs from the angel side are pissed, brows furrowed. Can’t say I’m one to talk, though—I’d be in hot water if they knew I was off gambling at the casino during the chaos.

Shemhazai kept reporting. ”The culprits were the Chaos Brigade’s independent special unit, the Vali Team: Sun Wukong’s Bikou, the nekomata Kuroka, and the wielder of the Holy King Sword Caliburn. Three members of a team, each with immense power, infiltrated. The devils’ management—”

Ugh, here we go again. His lectures are endless. Still, Vali’s built a hell of a team—each member’s top-class devil level, with Vali himself at Demon King tier. The Vali Team’s practically an army.

Issei, who drove them off, is no slouch either. Both he and Vali are already Demon King-class, and they’re still growing. Tannin mentioned the White Dragon’s Juggernaut Drive and the Red Dragon reaching beyond Balance Breaker. This generation’s Two Heavenly Dragons are freaks.

By the way, Tannin’s here in chibi-dragon form, chatting with the higher-ups about the upcoming Rias vs. Sona Sitri match. ”I’m rooting for Rias-jou. I wanna see how far she can go without Issei,” he said.

”The knowledge Azazel’s brought is shaking up the Rating Game,” another added. ”We might see the top ranks shift within six months.”

”Good. The top ten haven’t budged in years. This’ll make for some fun games,” Tannin replied.

Haha, the alliance has made things too relaxed. Is this chill vibe okay for the three factions?

The door swung open, and everyone froze. ”Hmph. Can’t these youngsters even greet an old man?” grumbled a one-eyed geezer in a tattered hat, his white beard nearly touching the floor, dressed in a simple robe and leaning on a staff.

”Odin,” I muttered.

Yup, the chief god of Norse mythology, Odin, strolled in with a Valkyrie in armor. ”Well, well, long time no see, you backwater Norse geezer,” I said.

Odin stroked his beard. ”Been a while, you bratty fallen angel. Cozying up with old enemies, huh? Plotting something sneaky?”

”Hah! Unlike you tradition-obsessed rustic gods, we youngsters are flexible. Growth over grudges,” I shot back.

”Spoken like weaklings who lost their God and Demon Kings—a pitiful bunch of kids,” he sneered.

Tch, this geezer’s mouth never stops. ”Can’t call it standing on our own, huh, old man?”

”All I see is a kids’ playdate. Just makes me laugh,” he said.

This is going nowhere. Serzechs stood, greeting him. ”It’s been a while, Lord Odin.”

I thought, Does this geezer deserve that? Guess I’m not wrong.

”...Serzechs, huh? Came for the game invite. Must be tough, with your Lucifer bloodline tied to the White Dragon Emperor, now a terrorist. The devils’ future ain’t easy,” Odin said, smirking.

Serzechs kept smiling. Odin’s gaze shifted to Serafall, dressed as a magical girl from a Japanese anime. Cosplay queen, that one—her sister must have it rough.

”Well, Serafall, what’s with that outfit?” Odin asked.

”Oh, Odin-sama! Don’t you know? It’s a magical girl☆!” she said, striking a peace sign.

”Hmm, is this what young folks are into? Not bad, not bad. Maybe we’ll bring this to the Norse lands,” Odin mused, eyeing her legs and skirt.

Perverted old coot. ”Odin-sama, that’s indecent! It shames Valhalla!” the Valkyrie scolded.

”You’re too stiff. No wonder you can’t snag a single hero,” Odin said.

The Valkyrie burst into tears. ”S-So what if I’ve never had a boyfriend!? I want one too! Waaah!”

Odin sighed. ”Sorry, this one’s my current escort. She’s got the looks but is too rigid to get a man.”

Your hiring choices suck, old man. Is she even fit to guard you? Whatever, I’ll skip poking at other factions.

”I hear your siblings are fighting, Serzechs, Serafall. Pitting dear sisters and best friends against each other? Devilish indeed,” Odin said.

”They need to overcome this for the devils’ future,” Serzechs replied.

”My Sona-chan’s gonna win☆!” Serafall chirped.

Both Demon Kings believe in their sisters—total siscons, no surprise.

Odin took a seat. ”Now, the Chaos Brigade’s fun, but I came for the Rating Game. When’s it happening?”

The room shifted to talk about the upcoming game.

Later, I stepped out for a break, lounging on a hallway bench. Man, these bigwig meetings are a pain. As I stretched my neck, Serzechs joined me. ”Azazel, what’s your take on the game? Issei-kun can’t join...”

”Issei’s the Gremory team’s pillar. They’ve pulled through because of him. You’re curious how they’ll fare without him, right?” I said.

Serzechs nodded.

”They’ll probably step up. Knowing Issei’s on the sidelines, they’re fired up to not look pathetic,” I added.

[Azazel Side Out]

The night before the Rating Game against the Sitri team, we gathered in my room for a final meeting. Same reason as the training debrief—my room’s just convenient.

The party incident with Bikou and Koneko-chan’s sister got resolved since I drove them off. I got questioned as a witness, and the devil in charge asked for my autograph for his daughter, a fan. Thanks to Gremory devil education, I’d practiced my name in devil script enough to nail it.

Back to the meeting. ”Rias, Sona Sitri knows a fair bit about your team, right?” Azazel-sensei asked.

”Yes, she’s got the basics. Yuto, Akeno, Asia, and Xenovia’s main weapons are known. The Phenex match footage is partly public. She also knows about Gasper’s Sacred Gear and Koneko’s background,” Buchou replied.

”So, almost everything. How much do you know about them?” Azazel-sensei asked.

”I know Sona, her Queen, and a few others’ abilities. Some are still unknown,” she said.

”That’s a disadvantage. Common in games and battles, though. Sacred Gears can evolve mid-fight. Stay sharp. They’ve got eight members, right?”

”Yes. One King, one Queen, one Rook, one Knight, two Bishops, two Pawns. Not a full set, but with Issei out, they’ve got one more than us,” Buchou said.

I feel bad. My absence leaves us short, and we’re already low on offensive players.

Azazel-sensei scribbled on a whiteboard. ”Rating Games categorize players: Power, Technique, Wizard, Support. Rias, you’re a Wizard type—excelling in magic. Akeno too. Kiba’s Technique—speed and skill. Xenovia’s a Power type with speed, aiming for one-hit kills. Asia and Gasper are Support—Asia leans Wizard, Gasper leans Technique. Koneko’s Power.”

That’s a lot to take in. I’ll need to remember this for when I play. Azazel-sensei graphed the team’s types, marking Kiba as Technique, Xenovia as Power, and so on.

Wait, where’s mine? ”Sensei, what about me?”

Everyone looked at Azazel-sensei, curious. ”Issei? You can handle everything but Wizard. Power, speed, technique—you shine there. Even Support, with your Gift ability,” he said.

Nice, I’m pretty versatile! Sucks I’m useless with magic, though.

”That’s more than enough versatility. Almost too many uses,” Buchou said.

”With Issei, young devil games wouldn’t need fancy strategies. Just go all-out,” Azazel-sensei said.

”That’d tank my reputation,” Buchou sighed.

Right, games aren’t just about one strong familiar. Strategy’s key. Rating Games are deep.

”Let’s refocus,” Azazel-sensei said. ”Power types need to watch for counters—tricky Technique abilities. Some Sacred Gears have counter skills. For Power types like Koneko or Xenovia, a single counter can flip the fight. The stronger you are, the worse the reflected damage.”

”I’ll overpower any counter,” Xenovia said.

Don’t brag about that, Xenovia. ”That works when you’re Issei-level. Against a counter specialist, you’re toast. Counters are best handled by Akeno’s magic, Kiba’s skill, or Gasper’s vampire abilities. It’s all about matchups. Power types are strong but risky against Technique,” Azazel-sensei said.

”Hmph. I’ll aim for Issei’s power then,” Xenovia said.

Work on technique, Xenovia. It’s not that easy, though.

”Rias, if Sona’s team has a counter user, they’ll likely target you or Xenovia. Stay alert,” Azazel-sensei warned.

”My Power of Destruction and Xenovia’s Durandal aura could be instant KOs if reflected,” Buchou agreed.

Yeah, Kiba’s the best bet against counters.

Azazel-sensei put down his pen. ”You’re at a disadvantage this time, but I believe you’ll win. Trust your strength—you’ve got this.”

That was his advice. After he left, we strategized until game day.

I did everything I could for the team. Now, I just pray for their success.

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