Rias said nothing, just silently withdrew from her battle stance.
Seeing that both sides had calmed down, Grayfia finally spoke:
"Your Father and Lord Sirzechs, as well as the members of the Phoenix family, anticipated that things might escalate like this, so they have made final preparations."
"What preparations?" Rias frowned slightly.
Grayfia glanced at Badr and said calmly, "It's the [Rating Game]."
Before this, she had come with the intention of mediation, aiming to resolve Rias predicament through the [Rating Game];
But she was slightly surprised that this unknown young man named Badr dared to bring it up first...
From his earlier swift defeat of the [Pawn], it seemed Rias servant was not entirely useless.
Rias couldn't help but glance at Badr;
It seemed Badr's prediction was correct...
The final result indeed pointed to the [Rating Game].
Perfectly in line with Badr's earlier suggestion, Rias was now eager for this method.
So, she immediately agreed.
"Excellent! There's no better opportunity than this! Riser, let's decide the final outcome with a match!"
Rias directly issued the challenge.
—
The Rating Game begins!
Rias expression turned fierce.
She actively challenged, even throwing down harsh words.
"Riser, I will make you disappear into ashes!"
Due to the marriage contract, she had endured too much anger and could no longer hold it back.
In principle, the Rating Game could only be conducted between Devils, but there were exceptions, such as among family members!
Clearly, Rias family had considered this situation, specifically using the marriage contract event to push Rias towards the Rating Game!
They might also want to use the Rating Game system to make Rias yield.
This showed that in the eyes of her family, Rias could not possibly win the Rating Game, which made her feel frustrated and as if her whole family was against her.
Riser wore a detestable smile, glancing at Badr and his three companions, and couldn't help but snicker.
"Rias, are these four your only servants?"
"What if they are?"
Rias responded coldly, clearly displeased.
Riser looked at his full roster of fifteen servants and burst into laughter, which sounded extremely grating to Rias.
"Haha... I am High-Class Devil who has participated in multiple Rating Games. Even so, do you still want to compete?"
Riser laughed, feeling confident and rightly so.
"Of course."
Rias morale did not falter, and she constantly remembered Badr's calm and composed expression, inexplicably boosting her confidence.
"Fine, Rias, if you win, do as you please. If you lose, come back to the Underworld and marry me." Riser said.
Thus, the Rating Game was decided.
To outsiders, this might seem like a highly unequal game.
One side had sixteen people, the other only five; it appeared to be a one-sided battle.
In practice, the potential of those taken as servants could consume more chess pieces, leading to situations where the roster wasn't full.
Therefore, many high-ranking Devils didn't have a full roster of sixteen pieces, and having all fifteen pieces like Riser was quite impressive.
Moreover... all of his servants were women, making the scene even more striking.
To Badr, this seemed normal.
After all, if it were him, he would choose all women too...
Not for any other reason but to challenge his weakness...
Riser coldly glanced at Badr and said to Rias:
"Then let it be ten days later. Don't say I bullied you, you can fill up your roster in these ten days if you want. You can make your pieces transform, right?"
"Are you suggesting that I should?"
"Don't you want to? Think I'm insulting you? The Rating Game isn't as simple as you think. If your servants can't perform at their best, you'll lose quickly. I've seen many lose in their first battle because they couldn't perform at their best."
Riser, after all, was a traditional Devil noble. When it came to the Rating Game, he still maintained some combat etiquette.
He coldly looked at Badr and said: "Don't disgrace Rias. Rias [Knight], your attack represents Rias attack."
In this regard, Badr knew Riser was right. He sincerely meant to remind him.
Badr calmly said: "Rest assured, I will give my all in any battle."
"Then let's set it for three days later. I will have everyone ready." Rias mediated, believing in Badr. She knew he must have been prepared for a long time; three days would be enough.
The final time for the Rating Game was set for three days later.
During those three days, Badr temporarily put aside his commission work and devoted all his energy to training, reaching his peak state.
Previously, most of the battles were sudden, but now having ample preparation time for a fight was a first...
Time flew by, and the day of the agreed battle soon arrived.
It was eleven-twenty at night, and the location was the club room of Kuoh Academy.
Rias team was all present, and aside from Riser's team, there were two other spectators.
They were the student council president and vice-president, Sona Sitri and Tsubaki Shinra.
The light of a magic circle flashed, and Grayfia was transported over.
"The official start time is midnight. Are you all ready?" Grayfia asked softly, as calm as ever.
"No problem, everyone is here."
Rias was confident, though to Grayfia and Sona Sitri, her team's number seemed a bit thin...
"Alright, the battle will take place in a different space. Other factions can watch through broadcast domains."
Grayfia reminded: "Also, Lord Lucifer will watch this battle, so don't forget that."
"Brother?" Rias was slightly taken aback, frowning slightly, murmuring, "Brother will watch too..."
Badr didn't mind; whether the Satan watched or not made no difference to him. He felt no pressure.
"One more reminder, in the different space, self-transportation through magic circles is forbidden. Please be aware."
Grayfia reminded, mainly directing it at Rias team since this was their first Rating Game.
Then, Grayfia's voice resonated within the school, through the campus broadcast:
"Everyone, I am Grayfia, servant of the Gremory family. I will serve as the referee for this Rating Game between the Gremory family and the Phoenix family."
"In the name of my master, Sirzechs Lucifer, I will witness the battle between these two families. Please offer your guidance and support to both sides. The battle will take place at a replica of Kuoh Academy prepared by Lady Rias in the human world."
Badr and the others finally understood that they had chosen Rias side as the home field for the battle.
"Now, let the battle begin!"
As Grayfia's voice fell, she transported everyone into a different space.
Badr felt a momentary blur before sensing fluctuations of magic power. However, the scenery before him seemed unchanged.
Asia nervously grasped Badr's arm. "Haven't we arrived yet?"
"No, we're already here," Badr replied softly.
He did feel the teleportation, but he wondered why the scenery before him hadn't changed at all, as if they were still in the school. He speculated it might be some kind of illusion.
...
Support me and read 12 Chapters Ahead of Others!!
https://p@treon.com/dragonnx
[Replace '@' with 'a' to access Patreon Normally]
avataravatar
Chapter 64: Game-Changing Revelation, Dual-Class
[#]: Support & Read 12 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!
[#]: 400 Power Stones = Extra Chapter!!!
...
in the next second, Badr's pupils suddenly contracted, and an unexpected change occurred.
Under everyone's gaze, Badr's body suddenly manifested a shadow, and then, to everyone's astonishment, another "Badr" separated from Badr's body...
Everyone: "!!!"
...
In the broadcasting room, besides Grayfia, were Sona Sitri and Tsubaki Shinra from the student council.
"President, does Rias really stand a chance? No matter how you look at it, there's too much of a disparity in combat strength."
Tsubaki Shinra adjusted her glasses, showing a lack of confidence in Rias side.
Sona Sitri naturally understood this and could only sigh lightly:
"There's no choice. Rias has no retreat. She can only give it her all."
"President Rias servants are excellent, and Badr occupies two [Knight] positions, so he must have some skills. But even so, they are too outnumbered, with not even a single [Pawn], and only one each of a bishop and a rook..."
Tsubaki Shinra continued her analysis:
"If Riser's 8 pawns break into the main base, all 8 pawns could transform into [Queens], which would directly end the battle."
"We can't underestimate Rias. Let's see to what extent she can command..." Sona Sitri said.
Her gaze swept over the clubroom where Rias was, and suddenly her expression froze. She couldn't help but push against the table and stand up!
"What? This is..."
The student council president was staring at the magic-formed broadcast screen with a look of surprise.
Tsubaki Shinra also looked over, her eyes widening in surprise as she murmured:
"What's going on? Why are there two [Knights] for Rias?"
Not only Sona Sitri and Tsubaki Shinra, but all the forces observing the Rating Game were also slightly surprised and focused on Badr.
In the alternate space, the old school building.
Badr, who had just understood what the replica of Kuoh Academy meant, suddenly saw another version of himself split from his body the next second.
This situation left him stunned for a moment.
At this moment, he felt quite peculiar. It felt like he had gained a doppelganger, but Badr knew very well that both were himself, both the original!
"What's happening?" Asia rubbed her eyes, looking at the two identical Badrs in front of her, thinking she was seeing things.
Akeno Himejima and Koneko Toujou were also puzzled.
Only Rias showed a contemplative expression.
"Could it be... because of the dual class?"
Badr also carefully sensed his condition, finding no loss in his combat power. On the contrary, he now had double the combat power!
"It seems I've discovered an incredible secret." Badr couldn't help but smile slightly.
Rias couldn't hide her excitement either:
"Badr's class is [Knight] + [Pawn], which I've always thought was significant. I didn't expect it to lead to such an unbelievable change..."
Akeno Himejima also understood:
"Because Badr holds two classes, and the Rating Game is divided by class, after entering the game, two 'Badr' appeared, one as a [Knight] and one as a [Pawn]?"
"This situation is unprecedented, but it's the most straightforward explanation right now!" Rias was overjoyed, feeling a sense of double happiness...
Badr said softly, "And it seems to be more than that..."
He clenched his fist, his lips curling upwards:
"Although the classes are divided into two, both my bodies can still use the powers of both classes... and the Sacred Gear."
Everyone's eyes lit up!
"So... both versions of Badr have the effects of [Knight] and [Pawn]?" Rias was thrilled again!
This was terrifying; it was practically cheating!
"Ara ara, it really seems incredible..." Akeno Himejima smiled.
"That's great."
"That's amazing!!"
Koneko Toujou and Asia were both very happy; Badr had indeed given everyone a big surprise.
In the broadcasting room, Sona Sitri slowly sat down, still showing a bit of disbelief.
"So... Rias had her own [Pawn] all along? And a Devil piece with dual classes?"
"So that means Badr actually used two [Knights] and eight [Pawns] to become a Devil?"
Sona Sitri and Tsubaki Shinra were both shocked by this revelation!
At this moment, the forces watching in the background were all dumbfounded.
Rias had always kept Badr's class a secret, so everyone thought she hadn't found suitable [Pawns], not even her brother, the Satan, knew about this!
Finding her own pawn was one thing, but using eight pawns at once was another. Moreover, having a [Knight] and [Pawn] as the same person, and keeping such an important matter hidden!
Now that the battle had begun, the secret could no longer be hidden. Rias and Badr had silently revealed a huge surprise, stunning everyone.
"Grayfia, make sure Badr is kept safe in the battle. Don't let anything happen to him."
Sirzechs Lucifer, one of the four Satan of the Underworld, immediately gave instructions to his wife, Grayfia, his [Queen].
In the Rating Game, although seriously injured players would be transported away immediately, accidents had happened before, such as when one side got carried away and ended up killing the other.
Now, Badr's appearance was seen as a rule-breaking event, and Sirzechs would definitely take it seriously.
"Alright! Now let's arrange our tactics! Badr, let me command the battle. First, tell me your original plan so I can coordinate with your actions!"
Rias seemed more confident now.
Badr smiled and pointed to the school map on the table.
"My original plan was simple: you defend while I break through and transform, then execute a decapitation strike. This is the only way for us to win with a weaker force, but it would put a lot of pressure on us.
However, with the doppelganger, things seem much simpler, and we can change the plan... The core of the plan is — exchanging positions!
Rias, I need you and Asia to hold off Riser's [Queen], even if you don't defeat her."
Everyone was stunned.
"Wait... Rias is the [King]!" Akeno Himejima said. "You want her to face the [Queen]?"
That was supposed to be Akeno Himejima's job.
"Yes, and Badr, if Riser's eight pawns break into our base and all transform into [Queens], we have to defend our base," Rias reminded.
"That's true." Badr smiled, "So, before the exchange of positions, you need to support me from behind and first eliminate all eight pawns."
Everyone: "..."
Indeed, if there were no pawns left, what was the point of defending the base? Even if Riser got the base, he could only stare blankly.
the question was, could it really be that simple?
...
According to Badr's current arrangement, the prerequisite is to deal with the eight soldiers first.
Then, Rias can confidently go to stall the [Queen], allowing Akeno Himejima, this powerful [Queen], and Koneko Toujou to go together to deal with the enemy's bishop, rook, and knight.
As for the opposing Riser, the [King], that task naturally falls to Badr, this lower-class horse!
However, Badr, this lower-class horse, may not necessarily lose to Riser, the upper-class horse!
