Atsuko DxD Adventures 22

Full Title: Why the Heck was I Reincarnated in DxD without a Cheat Power!?

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I must not register this on an emotional level.

Atsuko felt the room zone out on her, like the sounds and the argument was muffled and away from her.

Her expression was normal, showing nothing. Looking to the side, she saw Issei staring at her in concern. Kiba and Koneko were focused on the argument between Rias and Riser, while looking unhappy. 

Well, not exactly argument so much as a shouting match on Rias' part, and amusement on Riser's part. 

We're losing control of the situation here. Atsuko thought. If we don't get favorable training time, we're fucked! 

Atsuko racked her mind trying to figure out what made Riser change his behavior. Why was he too easy going with Rias suggesting a Rating Game? Why did he care enough to know about her and her brother? What made him spy on them?

Or maybe that's what happened in canon too, but he just didn't care as he didn't see Issei as a threat? 

Atsuko's eyes moved over to Akeno, who thankfully was calm enough, and had enough situational awareness to sense the Bishop's gaze at her. 

For just a moment, Atsuko felt anger directed at Rias' Queen. Akeno was her senior and the better and more knowledgeable mage. Why didn't she sense Riser's familiar? Why wasn't there some barrier around the ORC building?

No, blaming anyone now is just gonna make things worse for all of us. 

Atsuko took a breath, and cast the pain spell she discovered yesterday, on the lowest setting on herself. It felt like being slapped away, and the tunnel vision filter left her eyes, so she can focus on the present again. 

Atsuko thought to cast some wind spell to whisper into Akeno's ear, but worried that might be noticed by Riser. 

Actually, that doesn't matter. 

Atsuko cast two spells at the same time, something that she focused very hard to make herself manage to do. Even if Riser realized what she was doing, it's not like he would stop her, without it being faux pas, something a noble would never do. 

Or rather, even if he noticed her wind spell, he wouldn't notice her telekinetic spell. And even if he noticed her telekinetic spell, it's not like he knows the details.  

"Akeno-senpai, please do something. Rias needs to calm down." 

Akeno hear Atsuko's whisper, then felt a pressure on her palm that was still holding the tray, she served Riser's tea on. 

Opening up her palm, Akeno felt a telekinetic pressure, as if someone was moving their finger on her palm. It was obviously Atsuko, and her words were:

"We need three months, ideally." 

Akeno glanced at her junior and smiled at seeing her already trying to figure out how to make things work in their favor. She nodded to Atsuko and moved. 

"The heaven do you mean, you were doing me a favor!?" Rias shouted. 

"You didn't bother answering any message I sent, not even a refusal. At least this way, my parents are satisfied, and they don't message yours in concern, and you don't have me coming around in surprise. So, yes, I was doing you a favor letting my familiar check in on you."  Riser said, his nonchalant smirk never leaving

"I think saying 'I will never marry you' was enough of a definitive message!" 

"And yet it seems that's what will happen. Although a Rating Game? Are you sure you want to go with that?" Riser made a show of looking around. "This is your entire Peerage, isn't it?" He smirked as if he didn't know." 

Rias' eyes widened in fury, but before she could blow up at him poking at how he had been spying on her, Akeno stepped in. 

"Rias," Akeno spoke, breaking Rias off from her anger for the moment. "If Lord Riser is fine with the idea of a Rating Game, maybe we should simply come to an agreement acceptable to all parties." She picked up the empty tea cup, placing it on the tray again. 

"'Agreement'?" Rias said slowly, trying to see what her Queen was going for. Akeno nodded with a smile. 

Akeno then calmly sent a telepathic message to her King, without giving away any motion. 

"Calm down. You have a plan, this is still to your advantage." Akeno said as she moved back to set the tea on the mini-kitchen sink. 

Only for Atsuko to walk up to Akeno, and gesture for taking the tray from her. Akeno wanted to tell her junior that it's fine, only for Atsuko's eyes to stop her from how intense and insistent they were. 

"You need to be by her side, Akeno-senpai." Atsuko whispered, adding in a smile. 

"...Don't cause problem." Akeno smiled back as she handed over the tray. 

"I will." Atsuko said back, as she took the tray and with everyone busy with the discussion, no one saw her hide the cup away, placing a similar one in the sink, and running water over it. 

No one but Grayfia, who said and did nothing. 

"The Rating Game." Rias finally spoke with a forced calm. "Yes I still want to go through with it. I take it you don't have a problem with that." 

"Fine, I agree." Riser said dismissively. "To show how generous I am, I'm even willing to have the date of the match be in a week's time. That should give you all the time you want to...'train'." He said the word with amusement, as if the idea was hilariously futile. 

Rias was about to reply, when her Queen sent her another message. 

"Please don't make fun of me, you have seven years of experience over me in Rating Game." Rias said back. 

"Heh, I'm afraid our parents aren't gonna wait seven years for you to catch up so it would be fair." Riser laughed. 

"No, I merely want three months. That should be more than fair, wouldn't it?" Rias said back. 

"Hmmm," Riser hummed unconcerned. "No." He said definitively. 

"What!?" Rias cried out. 

"Consider this as me acknowledging your potential fighting ability if you're sufficiently motivated. Plus," Riser glanced at the Hyoudou siblings. "You have the Red Dragon Emperor at your side. Truthfully giving you any time at all would be foolish, but yet you're still my fiancée so I'm being gentle with you here." Rias gritted her teeth about to retort, when Akeno placed a supportive hand on her shoulder for a moment, before stepping back. "Besides," Riser continued, now looking at Atsuko. "That Bishop of yours had been casting spells all around the room, and I ignored that insulting behavior. Honestly I'm being too accommodating."

"Oi! Don't even think about throw some bullshit blame on Atsuko, you fried--OW! OW! OW!" Issei cried out as he tried to hold on to the back of the couch Rias was sitting on for support. 

Behind the couch, Atsuko was stepping on his foot while reinforcing her body to hit stronger. 

"Ah, please don't mind my brother," Atsuko said while wondering what type of curse she could develop from the cup Riser drank from. "As for casting magic? Eh, I was worried things would have turned violent. We're very new as Reincarnated Devil, I didn't realize that was a faux pas." She said with a smile. 

"That is what my presence is here for, Ms. Atsuko." Grayfia spoke. 

"Ah!" Atsuko comically jumped at the maid's comment. "S-Sorry, Ms. Grayfia, I kinda forgot you were there, so I was nervous." Atsuko chuckled while looking silly, making Rias and her fellow Pieces lose some of their tension. "But you know..." Atsuko said slowly. "It's actually kinda flattering." She looked purposely toward Riser. 

"What is?" He raised an eyebrow. 

"How much of a threat you see Issei that a seven year Rating Game veteran is willing to go along with this ambush play, all to secure his victory." Atsuko said with a calm smile, a mocking coldness entering her eyes. 

"What?" Riser said slowly, the room heating from his flaring aura. 

"I mean really? A 'week'. That's token performance of generosity, so you can tell people seeing this game that you 'gave Lady Rias a chance'. But obviously the truth, well, you know that you'll lose if Lady Rias actually had time to prepare." Atsuko said.

"Rias," flames spready out around Riser, yet it didn't touch Rias or her Peerage. The heat was uncomfortable though. "Your Bishop seem to enjoy callously running her mouth. You should control her better, lest I rip and burn her tongue." 

"You bastard!" Issei said, as he summoned his crimson gauntlet Sacred Gear. 

Koneko and Kiba took a more tense stance ready for action. Atsuko place a hand on Issei's shoulder firmly, telling him to stay in place.  

Issei was angry, but looking back at Atsuko he saw her wink at him, telling him that thing are fine. Still looking angry, Issei faced Riser again but standing protectively in front of his sister, rather than charge at the Devil noble. 

"You even think about touching my Peerage!" Rias cried out. Before looking back at Atsuko, only to see her Bishop not scared, but looking focused back at her. Rias understood then, this was an opportunity. "And she is right, Riser." 

"Excuse me?" Riser's focus was now back on his fiancée. 

"This whole thing is simply an ambush. Change up the wedding date, making it now. Not giving me any actual time to prepare, and more importantly you going along with it. My cute Bishop is right, it's almost like you're afraid that given a fair chance I'll crush you in a Rating Game." 

"You dare insinuate that this Riser Phenex would cheat in order to win against you, Rias!" Riser got up to his feet. His fire rising higher now. 

"EEEK!" Issei jumped back, and hugging Atsuko like a safety blanket.

"I'm not insinuating." Rias stood up as well, but in a much calmer fashion, as she looked Riser dead in the eyes. "I am saying you're doing that."

"You--!" 

"That is enough." Grayfia interrupted. Instantly the flames vanished with the silver maid's energy snuffing it out.

The group relaxed a bit, with Atsuko even pushing Issei's away by the face, who now let go of her.  

"I can see that tensions are too high." Grayfia stated. "Shall I take it that you can't come to term on your own, and need Lord Sirzechs, Lord Gremory and Lord Phenex to moderate in this?" She said, leaving the question hang in the air. 

For a while both Rias and Riser just stared at each other in frustration. 

Rias felt a telekinetic poke from behind. She glance back to see her Peerage giving her supportive looks, and Issei even giving her a thumbs up. Atsuko had a cheeky grin too, letting her know, who poked her.

"No." Rias finally spoke. "We can handle this ourselves. I can handle this." She said looking back at Riser. 

"...You there, Bishop." Riser said. "What would you say would be a fair amount of time for you all to prepare?" 

Rias wanted to intervene, instinctively wanting to protect her servant and family, but in the end, this was Atsuko they were talking about. And said Bishop did answer without missing a beat. 

"Ideally, three months like Lady Rias originally requested. Given how sudden everything was, yet how prudent it is to deal with this situation rather than delay it. There's also the fact that not only does Lord Riser has more experience, your Pillar Trait is already all the advantage you need." 

"Hmm," Riser smiled at the compliment, almost about to say that the girl knows her betters, before pushing the words down. "One month. Given that the wedding was meant to take place within this week, that's more than fair." 

"Then Lady Rias should pick the battleground." Atsuko said right away, before stepping back and closing her mouth. 

"Ah, that. Sure." Riser said dismissively as he walked to the center of the room, back half turned to Rias and the group. "You have a bravely loyal servant, Rias." He said. "Stupidly foolish as well," he looked Atsuko directly, as he began to teleport away. "I wonder how you'll scream as you burn." He said ominously. 

But it was Riser that was throw off. 

Because the wide grin and mad gleam in Atsuko's eyes made him think he fell into some kind of trap. 

As Riser left, he couldn't help but think Rias' Bishop's true self under the polite mask was unnerving.

===x===

"It seems you and Lord Riser have worked this out on your own, Lady Rias." Grayfia said once the Phenex scion left. "I will head on and inform your brother of the news, and leave you to prepare." A teleportation magic circle lit up under Grayfia's feet. "One last thing, Atsuko." She said. "You noticed it already, but I'll say it all the same, don't speak for your master, as it makes her look worse for it. Also learn how to communicate with telepathy, throwing wind magic around was painful to look at. So uncouth."     

With that the Strongest Queen left. 

The Gremory Peerage sagged in relief that the meeting was finally over. 

"I'm sorry for losing my temper, and how things went everyone." Rias said. 

"No, you did well, Rias. Also I'm glad that Atsuko surprisingly didn't do anything." Akeno said with a playful grin, while looking at the mentioned Bishop. 

"True." Kiba jokingly said. 

"Indeed." Koneko nodded. 

"Ah man, that was intense," Issei said with a laugh. 

"Issei." Atsuko suddenly spoke with a commanding tone. "Please cover Koneko's ears." 

"Huh?" Issei looked at Atsuko and seeing how hard she was breath, along with the angry look on her face, he got what she was about to do. "Sorry, Koneko-chan!" 

Issei moved and whispered the catgirl Devil. 

"Please just go along with this for now." 

Koneko looked perplexed but nodded anyways, and Issei covered her ear. 

Atsuko then took a deep breath. 

===x===

Koneko, along with everyone else present looked at Atsuko in confusion and curiosity. 

Then Atsuko opened her mouth and Koneko got the jest of it. 

Atsuko was swearing viciously. She was waving her arms around, stomping her feet, wildly gesturing like some drama actor. 

The reactions amused Koneko more than anything. 

She could feel Issei wince behind her. 

Kiba actually lost his princely mask as he looked at Atsuko in concern. 

Rias sat back on her office chair, leaning against her desk, but she was staring wide eyed as Atsuko kept going. 

Akeno looked amused at first. Then confused. Then intrigued. Then Rias' Queen took out a notepad and started writing in it. 

Koneko herself didn't see what the big deal with. Atsuko was venting a bit by cussing, so what. 

Although the Rook Devil had no idea what fucking a chicken with a holy acid ice cone lollipop on diarrhea causing, electron disrupting spear had to do with anything.