Tales Of The Fearless Dragon 40

Hey everyone, and welcome to this new chapter. This chapter is shorter than usual, but that's because it's meant to be the epilogue to wrap up the Vacation in Hell Arc. This will be a very dialogue-filled chapter, so don't expect any action, but there will be some emotion. Hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-based parody, Highschool DxD, Highschool DxD New, Highschool DxD Born, Highschool DxD EX, and Highschool DxD Hero are all owned by Funimation, Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Passione, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the official release.

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"Shirou" Regular speech.

"Shirou" Thoughts.

DRAGON SHOT Attack names.

(Shirou) Words said previously.

"SHIROU!" Shouting speech.

[Ddraig] Dragon talking.

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A New Term And An Old Face

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—…

"…Ahh… Mmm…"

"Oh, you're finally awake?"

Laying in a bed in the medical ward where Devils reside after being eliminated during a Rating Game was Saito, who had just woken up to the sound of a nearby voice.

His eyes were blurry at first but slowly adjusted to the world around him, and he could vaguely make out the image of a person sitting next to his bedside. Once he was fully awake, he was able to recognize the person sitting next to him was Sona.

"Uh… Where am I?" Saito asked with a groan.

"You're in the medical ward." Sona informed him. "After you retired, you've been unconscious while the doctors started healing you."

Saito looked to be in a somber mood as he sat up and avoided eye contact before he asked her. "What happened with the match?"

Sona looked down, also seeming to be somber as she answered. "…We lost."

"I could pretty much guess that." Saito told her, still not looking at her before he clarified. "What I want to know is—How bad was it?"

"Real bad."

Sona and Saito looked up when they noticed that answer didn't come from either of them. They looked up at the door to the room they were in and saw Shirou was still there, ready to enter.

"Shirou?" Sona blinked.

"Tsukiharu?" Saito added.

"Well, there's a third option now." Shirou said jokingly as he walked in and continued his answer. "Since your curious, the only member of our team that got taken out was Koneko—By you. After that, we systematically took out all the members of your team until we cornered and Checkmated Sona."

Saito looked at Sona with half-closed eyes. "Is he being serious?"

"Sadly, that is what happened." Sona reluctantly confessed.

Saito grasped the sheets of his bed in apparent frustration and irk. "Great, our oh-so brilliant plan didn't work."

"In all fairness, it almost did." Shirou played Devil's advocate. "If the opponent had been anyone but me, they would have lost."

"That's hardly a consultation. When you lose, you lose. How close it was is never really a factor in the grand scheme of things." Sona responded with regret before she looked at him curiously. "Changing the subject, why are you here?"

Shirou shrugged his shoulders. "Our team was hearing our evaluation from those at the top who watched the game. It felt like it was going to drag on for a while, so I ducked out."

Saito nodded at that, understanding the sentiment. "Makes sense, so what do the critics have to say?"

"Oh, you know, just what you'd expect. Since our estimated odds of victory were already much higher than yours and the fact that we outclass your group on paper, to the critics, the outcome was just the natural result they were expecting. All they said were things like, "It fine display" or "As expected of Princess Rias", the usual stuff."

"So, all the praise was directed towards Rias?" Saito asked rhetorically.

"Essentially, in spite of the fact that the ones who did the most work were me, Mika, and the Knight duo, the higher-ups gave full credit to Rias and only Rias." Shirou explained, sounding like he wanted to face-palm. "Honestly, even Akeno stood out more than her."

"It's actually not that surprising, in the eyes of the judges, it's more of a customary practice for the King to not be in the frontlines." Sona informed the two of them. "Kings are judged highly by playing the role of the commander and having their servants fight and lead them to victory. So doing a minimal amount of work but still gaining an overwhelming victory thanks to correctly using your pieces is how High-Class Devils acquire high evaluations."

"Well, that's great for them, but not everyone is exactly comfortable with the idea of fighting until they're in a hostile bed, only for someone else to get all the recognition." Saito complained with annoyance. "I know this doesn't mean anything anymore, but those geezers can go to Hell."

If someone else from the Gremory Peerage had been present at this moment, they would have noticed and also pointed out that this exact portion of this conversation was very identical to a conversation Shirou and Rias had. Rias had also explained to evaluation system in the Underworld to Shirou, and his response with almost the same as Saito's.

Though Shirou himself didn't seem to catch on to the similarities.

"Well, at the very least, Sirzechs was different from the rest of them. He even showed up to give Mika an award." Shirou went on to inform them. "He said it was a medal that's given to the one who excelled and fought the most impressively in the Rating Game. Basically, an MVP award."

"I've heard of that, it's typically only something given out during the professional games, but considering this one garnered a lot of attention for being the kickoff to the tournament, they must have decided it was important enough to hand it out." Sona deduced, sounding impressed. "Regardless, it's an honor for anyone to achieve that award. Considering it can't be given to the King, acquiring it means that you definitely caught the eyes of the spectators."

"Not to rag on your Sister, but for real, I thought if anyone, you would have been named the MVP." Saito voiced his confusion. "I mean, you kinda always have been in all your other fights or whenever your group does something."

"Well, this time was different for two reasons." Shirou explained, not upset either way. "First off, given the nature of this match, I couldn't really show off all my powers. Hell, I couldn't even show off my armor. Even though it was my big debut, since I was basically nerfed the whole fight, I wasn't able to blow anyone's minds or live up to the hype, which hurt my score. The other reason is that, in the end, Mika was the brain behind all our plans and the main reason we cornered your group. It came to a strategy game between two tacticians, and she came out on top. Since she outsmarted Sona, she was voted the MVP."

"Huh, so if our side had won the match, who would have been voted the MVP?" Saito wondered while looking at Sona.

"I don't know, but I have no misgivings." Sona said graciously and modestly. "I concede that I was completely defeated in this battle. However…" She gave him a look of self-assurance. "I have no intention of letting things end here."

"I figured you'd say that." Shirou said, not surprised by her enthusiasm. "Well, the tournament has only just begun, so you'll have more chances."

Sona stood up from her chair and looked directly at Shirou. "If you don't mind, may I speak to you in private?"

Shirou blinked. "Sure, why not?"

Sona smiled and walked past him to the door. Shirou was about to follow.

"Wait…"

Shirou and Sona stopped when Saito called out, and he looked only at Shirou with a serious expression.

"I… There's something I want to ask you."

Saito was quiet but focused. Ever since Shirou first entered the room, the mood between the three of them was lighthearted and comfortable, but right now, Saito had the same atmosphere as when he did when he first woke up, somber but serious.

Sona could tell this was something for only the two of them, so she stepped out and chose to wait in the hallway. Once the two Pawns were alone, Shirou approached the bed again so that he could hear Saito's question.

"So, what did you want to know?"

Saito exhaled and looked down at his bed sheets for a few moments until he finally looked up and asked.

"What does it mean to be strong?"

Shirou looked a little bewildered. It wasn't that he was confused by the question itself, but what threw him off was that Saito had asked him about it. But his expression remained calm as he responded.

"Is that what you wanted to ask me?"

"Yeah, do you know?" Saito asked, still serious.

Shirou waited a bit before giving a small nod. "I do. Want me to tell you?"

"….…" Saito thought about what his answer should be—As if he was contemplating what he actually wanted to say—Until he came to a decision. "Nah… I think I'd rather find out the answer for myself."

Shirou smirked when he heard that answer. "I had a feeling you'd say something like that."

With that, Shirou turned around again and proceeded to walk out of the medical room, this time without stopping. As Saito saw him go and watched his back move further away, he entered his own thoughts again.

"I may not know what it truly means to be strong yet, but what I do know is that the biggest difference between the two of us is that he does know, and sometimes that can make all the difference." Saito thought to himself as he clenched his fists. "I could just have him tell me, but then again, no one had to tell him, he figured it out on his own, and I wanted to do the same. And when I do, I will fight him again."

Even though he was defeated and put in a hospital bed, Saito's determination and motive hadn't changed. Like a mountain climber facing a great mountain, he'll never stop aiming to reach that summit.

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After meeting with Sona in the hallway, she requested that he follow her because she also wanted to speak with him in a private room. After leaving the medical ward and entering a different section of the building, Sona opened the door to a private room and led Shirou inside.

The room they were in was a spacious one with minimal furniture, a large window, a couch, and a coffee table with two chairs beside it in the middle of the room.

"Okay, I'm here. What was the important thing you wanted to talk about?" Shirou asked curiously.

Sona didn't answer at first. She first closed the door and then went over to the coffee table before she turned to face him with a smile as she held up something in her hand. It was a Black Pawn Chess piece. "Would you care for a game?"

Shirou returned her smile with his own and replied to her request. "You're on."

As they both sat down at the table and she brought out the Chess Board, the two of them set up their pieces. It wasn't long until everything was ready, and the two of them began their game.

TAP!

"So, what made you decide to ask for a Chess game all of a sudden?"

TAP!

"If you recall, we already agreed to play together, but that was some time ago, and I felt like we've put it off for too long. Now that we both have a free moment, I thought this was a good time."

TAP!

"Really? And this has nothing to do with the Rating Game we just had?"

TAP!

Sona stopped for a second after making her next move and shook her head a bit.

"Fine, maybe there's some truth to that. I'm not bitter that I lost or anything… It's just—"

TAP!

"It hasn't really sunken in yet?"

Shirou finished her sentence with what he believed she was feeling. And apparently, he was right, as Sona didn't deny it.

TAP!

"I was prepared for the possibility of losing. I knew that I was a 9:1 underdog. But even so, despite not being the most distinguished in either my family or my generation in the Underworld, I was confident in the belief that I was the best from an intellectual standpoint. It was a bit of a shocking blow not only to lose but lose like that."

TAP!

"I get that. But how does that lead to you challenging me to a Chess game?"

TAP!

"Maybe because I don't want to concede defeat yet fully."

"What do you mean?"

TAP!

Shirou looked up at her curiously as Sona fixed her glasses and explained.

"I knew what made me a different strategist from your Sister. My ability as a tactician came only from strategies I learned about in books or studied from previous strategists and, of course, my IQ in Chess, but the thing I lacked that she had was actual experience in battle. Your group had taken part in true life-or-death battles before and faced overwhelming odds with dire consequences, while this match was my first real battle. I was just the more inexperienced strategist."

"It's still your turn." Shirou reminded her.

"Oh, right."

TAP!

"As I was saying, while I'm willing to accept defeat as far as the Rating Game is concerned. That doesn't mean I'm willing to concede to being inferior intellectually. This is my way of confirming it."

TAP!

"That still doesn't make sense to me. Mika was the one who outsmarted you, so why are you challenging me?"

TAP!

"You're wrong. Can I tell you something; When I confronted your group in the plaza, I had already accepted the idea that victory was no longer possible."

This time, Shirou stopped during his turn. He didn't know exactly how to respond to that statement but was clearly taken aback by it. He didn't need to ask, though, as she elaborated.

"From the beginning, I was prepared to lose a few pieces. That's the nature of the game, but when I lost Tsubaki and heard the circumstances behind how, that changed things. Tsubaki was a crucial part of my end game, and not only was she gone, but Kiba and Xenovia, who could both use Durandal, still remained. My whole victory plan had fallen apart, and I didn't have the means to create a new one."

TAP!

"But I don't get it, you knew you couldn't win, but you still acted so desperately? That looked nothing like someone who was ready to give up."

"I never said I was planning to give up. It's just that my end goal had been forced to change. Even if we could no longer will, at the very least, I wanted to demonstrate the capabilities of my Peerage. I wanted to pull off a great accomplishment in the match that couldn't be overlooked regardless of the victor."

TAP!

As if to emphasize a point, Sona's next move had one of her Bishops capture one of his Pawns, and now both of them had only half of their remaining pieces left on the board.

"You mean retiring me?" Shirou accurately guessed what she was referring to.

Sona nodded in confirmation. "The Red Dragon Emperor. The most powerful servant of Rias Gremory, who has never fallen in battle. Not just the Underworld but the whole Trinity Factions acknowledge your renown in battle. If we had succeeded in removing you from the battlefield and possibly after that, maybe survive until the time limit expired, our evaluation would have been rated highly by the panel of judges that considered us the much weaker team."

TAP!

"I get it. Even if you couldn't win, if you could say that you were the first and only ones that could claim they defeated me, the person who had captured everyone's attention, even if you lost, as long as you went the distance, you'd get some of the recognition you were hoping for."

TAP!

"It was a more realistic goal by that point. But sadly, that didn't end up happening. I was serious, though I intended on using every resource available at my disposal, all for the purpose of defeating you."

"Yeah, I realized that when I felt my insides rupture."

"Then did you realize why I wanted to challenge you to this game?"

TAP!

Shirou didn't seem to get it as Sona continued to explain.

"I gave it everything I had to defeat you, you specifically. My plan seemed foolproof, neither Rias nor even Mika saw it coming or could do anything to stop it, so in that one moment, I had outsmarted everyone in the Gremory Peerage. But… Not you."

TAP!

"Shirou, you alone were unhindered by my plan, and you even overcame it. My strategy that pulled the rug under everyone's feet came undone by your plans and that was what surprised me the most. It caught me off guard so much that the only time I felt that way was… Well, the first time we had played Chess, it was like you saw right through me."

TAP!

Shirou was trying not to be distracted by the look Sona was giving him, filled with respect, acknowledgment, and a hint of admiration.

"I didn't want things to just end like that, so I felt like I just had to face you in Chess again. It's just something I needed to get off my chest."

"Well, if that's the case, there's something I need to get off my chest as well."

"What's that?"

"Sona, you know that I respect you, right?"

"Of course, the feeling is mutual. We may be fundamentally different in many aspects, but we carry a strong feeling of respect for each other for the parts we have in common."

"That's how it was at first. But recently, my feelings on the matter have changed."

TAP!

Now Sona was the one who tried not to be distracted as felt her body temperature increase slightly due to the way he phrased that.

"W-What do you mean?"

"Don't get me wrong. I care about Rias a lot for many reasons. But as a person, I feel that you have my respect more than she does."

"Why is that?"

TAP!

"It happened ever since the gathering of Young Devils when they asked everyone about their dreams. I was honestly unimpressed. Aside from Sairaorg, everyone just answered like they were reading from a script. Even Rias just gave the politically correct answer, the answer that was "Expected of a Young Devil of a Noble household", but that all changed when you stepped up and said your dream."

"Even though my dream was laughed at?"

TAP!

"That's just it. You knew they were going to laugh, but you said it anyway. That's one of the things I respected about you."

"It… Was?"

"I respected that you were willing to speak your dream in spite of knowing what their reaction would be. You're not naive, you knew they would laugh before you said it, but you didn't care and said it anyway. Most would just fall to peer pressure and try to keep their heads down, but not you. And someone who is trying to find success in a society that wants you to fail, how could I not respect that?"

TAP!

Sona became a bit flustered and slightly averted eye contact. "Thank you. I'm flattered that you hold me in such high regard."

"Well, it's not the only reason. Sona, did you want to build your school because you're unsatisfied with the current society in the Underworld?"

TAP!

"Honestly… Yes, I might be part of the Nobility, but I've always hated how close-minded they are. Traditions and historical practices are important, I admit that, but where is the line you're willing to draw between them before realizing you're just making excuses for yourself? No matter what self-serving excuses they make, all they really want to do is maintain the status quo because it appeals more to them. But, it's not fair to deny others the opportunity to make something of themselves when they have the talent and potential for it just because the ones on top aren't willing to look at what the Underworld needs instead of what they want."

Shirou let her speak her mind before exhaling as he responded.

"That's another reason why I respect you. Your thoughts on the matter line up with mine."

TAP!

Before Sona could ask what he meant, Shirou explained.

"Do you remember back at Peace Summit when I proclaimed that my goal was to become Lucifer someday?"

"Of course."

"What I didn't say was the true reason as to why I wanted that. Even before I came to the Underworld, I felt this way, and after my time here, I'm sure of it. I can't stand the way things are done here, the Supremacy of the Higher Class, the objectification of the Lower Class, and the way everyone just accepts it. I also hate the status quo and wanted to change it."

"You mean… You want to change the system of the Class division among Devils?" Sona couldn't hide her surprise. "You realize that is an unbelievable objective that goes far beyond unprecedented. Just the notion of trying to become the Devil King Lucifer is already a borderline impossible task already, but to assume you can overwrite the nature of a society that has remained unchanged for centuries goes far beyond that. Not even Lucifer has the ability to do that?"

"So you're saying a Young Devil heir to a Noble household does have the ability? Must be, after all, that's what you're trying to do—Overwriting the nature of a society that hasn't changed in centuries?"

TAP!

Sona was silenced by that retort, it was true that his ambitions seemed far out to the point of almost being farfetched, but then again, the argument could be made that her aspirations fit the same description. It was for different reasons, but they both wanted to change the status quo.

"Sona, I know that I'm shooting for the stars here, and I know I can't do this alone, but we both know that things can't stay the way they've always been. Every other race is trying to move into the future, and Devils have to be willing to do the same."

TAP!

"Yes, I agree."

"Then, help me."

TAP!

"I want to help you reach your goal, but I also want you to help me. I believe that what the Underworld needs is an overhaul and that both our goals will be major steps towards creating a better future, but more than that, I believe that the best way to achieve those goals is to surround ourselves with capable, trustworthy, and likeminded individuals who can help us in the parts where we're lacking. And to start things off, the first ones we can look to for aid can be each other."

Sona processed his words. They were eloquent, well thought out, and didn't have any kind of deception or ulterior motive. He was honestly speaking his true thoughts, laying his true feeling bare for her to hear.

"He, of all people, is asking for help?"

TAP!

After processing all that, she let out a breath and said.

"You really have changed."

"A lot of people have been telling me ever since I returned from the mountain. But honestly, I still feel like me, like how I've always been."

TAP!

"Well, it is true that you are the same in many ways, but those who know you can see it. There are aspects of yourself that you acquired, ones that you didn't have before or possibly just weren't aware that you possessed. From a contextual standpoint, you're the same person, but it can't be argued that some things are different from before."

"I suppose so. Though, speaking of things that are different from before—"

TAP!

"Checkmate."

Sona paused and got up from her chair as she looked closely at the game board. She looked over all the remaining pieces they both had and was taken aback when she realized that he was indeed right. Her King had been cornered, and she didn't have to means of escaping. She had lost.

Sona narrowed her eyes with irritation and looked up at him. "Was that a tactic? You were keeping me distracted so that I wouldn't notice your trap?"

Shirou looked at her with smug satisfaction. "Oh, if we're playing that card, are you saying you weren't trying to distract me when you started the conversation?"

Sona's expression lightened up as she sighed and sat back down. "Forget it. I know better than to act pouty over a loss."

"Not to rub salt on an open wound, but since you play Chess like you play a Rating Game, your strategy wasn't too hard to figure out." Shirou humorously pointed out.

Sona leaned in her chair and sighed. "Well, now I'm two for two on losses today. Certainly not how I envisioned my summer."

Shirou's expression changed back into a serious one, and he looked straight at her. "Sona, about what we were talking about before."

"Yes, I know." Sona also went back to being serious. "We got a bit sidetracked, but this is something we should address rather than leaving it open."

"So, what's your response?" Shirou asked.

"Tell me this, if the time should come when I feel that I am in need of your aid, can I count on your assistance?" Sona inquired.

"As long as I can count on you being there when I need your help, then absolutely." Shirou answered right away.

"That's both fair and appropriate, and I am perfectly willing to accept that." Sona stood up from her chair and held out her hand. "Shall I consider this to be an unwritten contract between the two of us?"

"I prefer to think of it as a promise—A solemn vow." Shirou clarified as he clasped her hand. "One that I'll die before I break."

They shook hands as if to completely make it official as Sona spoke.

"Let's work together to make a new future for the Underworld, one that isn't shackled to the past. I'll be counting on you."

Shirou nodded before he let go of her hand and began to walk away.

"I know, and that's why you've got nothing to worry about." Shirou told her before he stopped at the door and said one last thing. "In case you ever feel like it, I'm not against the idea of playing against you again, Chess or a Rating Game."

"I'll keep that in mind." Sona acknowledged his proposal and somewhat looked forward to it.

With that, Shirou exited, and Sona was now alone in the room. She looked at the door that closed on his way out and thought for a bit before she looked at the Chessboard again and stared closely at the pieces that signified her defeat. She stared at it for a long time as she got lost in thought.

"It finally happened. For the first time in my life, I was beaten in a game of Chess. And yet… I thought I'd feel more disappointed than this."

At that moment, Sona's expression had changed again. Her mouth had formed a small but sincere smile, and even though she might not be aware of it, her whole face seemed to be at peace and softened in a way that typically didn't seem normal on her. She looked like a young maiden who got something she wanted but wasn't quite aware of.

"I wonder why… I'm not upset by this?"

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After parting ways with Sona, Shirou made his way across the building to the recreational area that the rest of his team occupied after the match had ended. He went up to the vending machine to get a drink when he heard footsteps approaching.

"Hey, there he is."

Shirou looked to his right when he heard that familiar voice and saw Ren approaching him along with Rias and Mika. Shirou pulled his drink out of the machine before speaking to them.

"Hey guys, is the post-fight meeting over."

"It just ended a few minutes ago. Where were you?" Rias asked.

"Medical ward." Shirou answered her. "I was gonna tell Saito the outcome and ran into Sona, and then we talked for a while."

"Oh, and what exactly did you talk about?" Rias asked, squinting her eyes a little.

"Was it about the award I won?" Mika asked sarcastically while drawing attention to the medal on her blouse.

"Are you still on about that?" Shirou rolled his eyes.

"Yep, she hasn't stopped bragging about it since the moment Sirzechs gave it to her." Ren informed him.

"Better get used to it. It's my first of many MVP Awards to come." Mika proclaimed proudly. "That's right; I'm the MVP."

"Whatever." Shirou took a sip of his drink. "The old geezers always give more credit to the Strategists. Brains are more important than brawns and all that over bullshit."

"Aww, is someone upset that he didn't get this award~?" Mika cooed mockingly. "Tell you what, I'll let you try it on if you say pretty please and kiss me on the cheek."

Shirou gulped and looked annoyed with her. "I'd rather chew on ground glass, you weirdo."

"You don't have to be bothered, Shirou, our evaluation of the match received very high marks, especially for your performance, and all the higher-ups had nothing but the utmost praise for you." Rias assured him.

Shirou just looked at her with half-closed eyes. "Rias, I'll thank you not to assume I need to be patronized."

"Well, I was wondering when I'd run into you."

Once again, someone approached to join their conversation. This time, it was someone none of them had met before. On the surface, he looked like an old man wearing a hat and detailed robes that had an air of nobility. He had only a single eye while the over was covered by a monocle. Moreover, he had a long white beard.

However, neither Shirou nor Ren were fooled by his appearance. They could feel the enormous amount of power coming from him. It dwarfed practically anything they had sensed up until this point. Azazel, Serafall, and even Tannin. Each of them was powerful, but even they didn't match up to the power the old man gave off. He was a God; that was obvious.

Despite the large amount of power he had at his disposal, he casually approached Shirou without a care, though the aforementioned Devil kept his guard up.

"Just who the Hell are you?"

Seeing the serious expression he was making, the old man laughed.

"I'm the Old Man of the Northern Countryside. Red Dragon Emperor, it seems you need to study a little more. Well, you are devoted."

Shirou narrowed his eyes. "Don't joke around. I can tell you're more than just some overly familiar old man from the countryside."

"Shirou, this man is Lord Odin of Valhalla." Rias informed him before she stepped forward to greet him. "This is the first time we've met. I'm Rias Gremory."

"I see, I see. Sirzechs' little Sister, huh? I saw you in the game. Well, there was also something like that. But, I see, hmm. So big. When I was watching, I was fascinated by just these." The old man was looking at Rias' breasts with lewd eyes, which made the others, especially Mika, cringe.

"Rias, is he seriously the Norse God Odin?" Mika asked reluctantly.

"He is. That's what I'm led to believe." Rias confirmed it.

"And judging from the power I'm sensing from him, he can't be anyone besides Odin." Ren seconded it, though he didn't sound happy about it.

"I was afraid of that." Mika sighed and lowered her head. "This is disappointing."

"Hmm, what makes you say that?" Odin asked, curious about their reactions. "What's so disappointing about meeting a God?"

"Nothing, except you're nothing like how I thought you'd be." Mika answered unemotionally. "I thought you'd be much more impressive based on how you were portrayed in the M.C.U."

"True, the Strongest deity in all the Nine Realms, and when you meet him, you learn that his fictional version is more God-like than the actual him." Shirou also voiced his disappointment.

"Yeah, the Odin in the M.C.U looked, talked, and acted more like what you expect when you think of Odin, I could totally picture him ruling the Norse Gods." Ren agreed as he crossed his arms. "And not to be "that guy" but he even looked cooler than this guy."

"Okay, enough, you three, you're being rude." Rias stepped in to scold the three of them. "This man is an important VIP for the Alliance and a leader of a powerful Faction. You're being disrespectful. And it's ridiculous to compare him with a fictional version of him from a movie."

"First of all, it's a cinematic universe." Mika corrected, wanting to pay attention to detail. "And second, be honest, wouldn't you be disappointed if an important figure in the supernatural world who holds one of the greatest powers in existence just turned out to be—" She pointed at him. "A dirty old man who's the Norse God equivalent of Azazel."

"Hey, "that" is something I take offense to." Odin spoke out on that last comment. "My brand of taste in women is of a different nature than that brat Azazel."

"Really, that's all you took offense to?" Shirou asked sarcastically.

"Our preferences are fundamentally different. Azazel focuses too much on emphasizing his favorite part of the woman—Breasts. Now, breasts are a reasonable choice, mind you. They're not all that's important." Odin explained like he was giving a lecture. "The right way to enjoy a woman is to pay attention to all the best parts. Everything, from their curves to their frames, and making sure everything is firm in the right places and soft in the other right places."

SLAP!

As the others were getting ready to groan at his lecture on the ascetics of perversity, a beautiful armored woman who had entered the room at some point hit Odin's head with a paper fan.

The woman in question was a beautiful young woman with long, straight silver hair and aqua-colored eyes who appeared to be in her late teens; her height was 5 feet 8 inches. Her battle attire is a set of Valkyrie armor, which consists of a white breastplate with gold and pale blue accents and matching fingerless gauntlets, boots, hip guards, and wing-shaped hair clips. She also wears a black leotard underneath her breastplate, black thigh-high stockings, and a pale blue cloth wrapped underneath her hip guards, all of which are clad with pink lacing along with her hair clips.

"Geez! Did I not already tell you that indecent actions were prohibited?!" The Valkyrie snapped at him. "Since there's going to be an important meeting now, please pull yourself together as the King of the Norse Gods!"

Odin groaned as he rubbed his head. "…Truly a Valkyrie with no openings. I know already. It's a conference on terrorist countermeasures with the Angels, Devils, Fallen Angels, Zeus of Greece, and Indra of Mt. Sumeru." The old man muttered with his eye half-closed.

"Lord Odin, you mustn't do such indecent things! The reputation of Valhalla will cry!" The Valkyrie loudly reprimanded him.

"I'm pretty sure their reputation's been crying for ages." Ren whispered, joking to Shirou.

Odin snorted at her. "Geez, you're so stuffy. That's why you can't get any heroes as a boyfriend."

The Valkyrie paused before she immediately broke into tears at Odin's words. "A-At any rate, I'm just an aged female warrior with a history of no boyfriends! I, too, want to have a boyfriend! Auuu!"

"Okay, that one was a low blow." Mika whispered to Rias, which he agreed with.

Odin also sighed. "I'm sorry. This person is my current assistant—Rossweisse. Although she's good-looking, she's too stuffy. She can't get a man either."

"In her defense, I don't think the blame lies entirely with her." Shirou said, not even bothering to whisper.

"Well, it's fine. Sirzechs' Sister and Red Dragon Emperor. The world isn't full of only trials. There are many fun things as well. Advance forward while both fully enjoying and suffering through it all. Being reckless is the only way for youngsters to grow up. Hohoho."

Leaving just those words, the old man and the armored woman left the room. Now the four of them were left to unpackage that whole encounter. Mika looked at Rias and asked.

"And, you're absolutely sure that was the real Odin?"

Rias massaged her forehead. "At this point, I wish I could say I wasn't."

"So that was Odin and a Valkyrie." Shirou thought before he shook his head. "If Stan Lee saw that, he'd be rolling in his grave."

"Not to change the subject, but Shirou." Rias stared back at her Pawn. "You never did answer me. What exactly did you talk about with Sona?"

"You still want to know about that?" Shirou asked with a hint of annoyance.

"I'm actually a little curious myself." Ren confessed.

"Yeah, spill the gossip, and don't skip out on the juicy details." Mika insisted mischievously.

Shirou sighed before answering. "Fine, you want to know so badly? I was telling Sona how I respect her more than you."

"You—What?" Rias was clearly not expecting that but was more insulted than upset. "In what way could you have more respect for her than me?"

"You really want me to get into it?" Shirou asked rhetorically.

"Honestly, I don't have a problem believing that." Ren shrugged his shoulders.

"It was actually pretty obvious for a while." Mika informed him, unfazed. "It was unspoken but unsurprising."

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The second half of August—

The members of the Gremory group, along with Ren, were now ready to return to the Human World and currently receiving a farewell from the Underworld at the station in front of the main residence.

"Well then, Shirou-kun. I look forward to the day we can meet again." Zeoticus said as many servants stood behind him. "You may return here any time without hesitation. Think of the Gremory household as your own home."

"Appreciate it, and I will…" Shirou replied before saying under his breath. "Until I get my own castle."

Venelana soon affirmed his comment. "He's right, though. Shirou-san. Please take care of Rias in the Human World. Since my daughter can be so selfish, I worry."

"M-Mother! W-What are you saying!?" Rias' face turned deep red in a way that others would consider cute.

Things only got more awkward when Zeoticus started crying. "…Uu, I'm also being moved to tears. The future of my family is bright…"

Venelana sighed beside him.

"Wait a minute, dear. Isn't this where the father is supposed to retaliate by saying something like, "I won't give up my daughter yet!"?"

"Even if you say that—Shirou-kun seems to have surpassed my power already and yours for that matter, so isn't it enough already? I think it will be fine even if I settle down soon."

"Please wait until Rias has graduated from high school, at least before talking about retirement."

"Ugh…" Shirou had to fight back the urge to groan at them. "This family's tendency to be over the top is really starting to annoy me."

"Rias, send us a letter during your remaining summer holidays." Sirzechs said that while carrying his son Millicas in his arms. Grayfia was standing immediately behind them.

"Yes, Brother. You stay well as well, Millicas."

"Yes, Rias-Nee-sama!" Millicas replied cheerfully. "Sir Shirou, come back soon!"

Shirou pointed his fist at him. "Stay cool, kid."

Millicas held his fist out as well, remembering the fist bump Shirou taught him, and smiled widely as Shirou nodded and had a smirk of satisfaction.

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The return train. The group had boarded the train after giving our last farewells to Sirzechs and the others and were on their way back home. Everyone pretty much sat in the same sitting arrangement as when they first boarded the train—Except this time Mika was sitting on Shirou's lap, and this time Ren was there.

"Haa, our summer vacation in the Underworld is finally over." Mika leaned back with a sigh.

"I doubt I'll ever be able to forget this experience for the rest of my life." Xenovia commented with a smile.

"Even though we do this every year, I think this one has been the most memorable trip home I've ever had." Rias confessed jokingly.

"There were a lot of twists and turns this time, like being on a rollercoaster." Akeno added.

Kiba looked over at Shirou. "What about you, Shirou-kun? What were your thoughts on our summer vacation in Hell?"

Shirou had stayed silent the whole time they had been on the train, and even though Kiba had asked him a question, he didn't seem too motivated to answer. That is until he noticed that all eyes were on him, waiting and expecting to hear his answer.

With a yawn, Shirou spoke. "…Honestly… I still wish I could have gone to Vegas."

Hearing that caused some of them to tilt their heads until they remembered that originally when the summer had begun, Shirou had already that he had planned to go overseas to Nevada for his summer vacation but had been forced to change those plans because of their mandatory trip to the Underworld.

"Oh yeah, somehow I had forgotten about that." Akeno noted nonchalantly.

"Yeah, well, I didn't." Shirou said bitterly.

"Oh, come on now, you can't honestly say this trip wasn't worthwhile." Rias pointed out. "You trained with a Dragon King, you met and associated with the heir of the most prestigious Noble Devil families, you fought off the Khaos Brigades' attack, and you even awakened to the true power of the Amakusa bloodline. How can you not say this wasn't the better choice for how you spent your summer."

"Rias, I do not deny that there were many significant moments and milestones of my life that took place this summer. I'm just saying I would have also liked to have known what the vacation I'd planned would have been like." Shirou clarified. "It's not weird to imagine what if."

"He's right. Everything else aside, I really was looking forward to Vegas." Ren agreed with him. "It's a never-ending party of sin and celebration, and it's pretty much impossible to stay sober for more than a few minutes."

"Personally, I was looking forward to going to Vegas for different reasons." Mika confessed with a playful smile. "I wanted to have a wacky Las Vegas adventure like the ones they have in American Sitcoms."

"What does that mean?" Asia asked curiously.

"It's actually a funny trope. In sitcoms, whenever the characters take a trip to Vegas, they also end up getting into shenanigans or Tomfoolery, which is funny to watch." Mika explained with amusement. "In Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, Will and Carlton lose their money and get stuck in Vegas, so they have to enter a Dance competition."

"In the Big Bang Theory, the guys take Howard to Vegas to cheer him up by paying a prostitute to pretend to like him and sleep with him." Ren gave another example.

"And my personal favorite, in That 70s Show, Hyde went to Vegas and came back married to a Stripper who stayed and lived with them for a while." Mika finished with a laugh.

Shirou scoffed. "Oh please, we don't need Vegas for Strippers. We already got plenty of them at home." He referred to Rias, Akeno, Asia, and Xenovia.

Rias didn't respond but thought to herself with half-closed eyes. "I want to be upset by that, but at this point, I can't exactly say that isn't partially true."

"Moving on, can someone tell me what's wrong with those two?" Ren asked, pointing to the side.

The direction he pointed to was where Gasper and Koneko were sitting. Both of them were slumped down, looking both upset and melancholy with a gloomy atmosphere over their heads.

"Oh, they're depressed because they couldn't contribute at all during the Rating Game." Shirou answered bluntly.

"Now, now, that's not true." Rias attempted to placate the conversation.

"Yes, it is." Mika immediately and indelicately shot down her attempt. "One of them got taken out after getting her ass kicked, and the other was just used as bait in the opening move and spent the rest of the match as an infield spectator."

Koneko felt an arrow go through her self-esteem and became more upset while Gasper started to cry. "Uwaaaaaa! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm useless! I trained so hard but was as worthless as pond scuuuuuuuuum!"

Ren groaned and facepalmed. "I'm sorry I asked."

"You don't have to be so upset. There'll be other Rating Games—In the near future, I might add." Rias reassured them. "While summer might be other, our business that started in the Underworld has only just begun. Now that the first match has ended, the continuation of the unofficial Rating Game matches between the Young Devil heirs will start soon."

"Who'll our next opponent be and when?" Mika asked curiously.

"I don't know yet. They'll inform us later."

"Not like it matters either way." Shirou started off casual but then looked confident. "No matter who we face, we'll just beat them and clean sweep this whole tournament."

Rias smiled at his confidence. The truth was his words were her thoughts exactly. "Yes, that's right."

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After the train arrived at the underground platform on the Human World-side, the gang stretched their legs and headed back above ground. Their first order of business was to return home and settle back in. After that, they wanted to get dinner started.

Of course, since they had been gone all summer, that meant that most of the food in the house was no longer fresh, and so naturally, Shirou went out to buy groceries. Asia and Ren were accompanying him to the store.

"I'm happy that you'll be joining us for dinner, Ren-san." Asia said pleasantly.

"Well, you guys invited me, and the food at your place is the best, so I couldn't say no." Ren replied happily.

"I wouldn't say you "couldn't" you just didn't want to, which is the smarter choice considering it's my cooking." Shirou corrected him.

"Always gotta have the last word, don't you?" Ren asked jokingly.

"You know I do." Shirou replied casually.

Asia smiled with a pure joy that only she could express. It always made her happy to see the two of them engage in their friendly banter and the fact that she could be a part of it.

Her smile also had a bit of nostalgia in it. "Now that I think about it, this is the first time in a while the three of us have walked together."

They both looked at her and then at each other before they thought about that statement.

"Oh yeah, you're right." Ren picked up on that. "During First-Term, the three of us used to walk to school together all the time."

"That was only a few months ago, but it feels like ancient history now." Shirou said while wistfully looking up at the sky. "So much has happened, we're the same, and yet we've changed so much at the same time."

"A lot of people feel that way after summer break, but it's different for us." Ren said before lightening his tone. "Speaking of which, once the Second-Term starts, I'm pretty sure everyone in our class will start doing that again."

"Definitely, they have nothing else going on in their lives." Shirou hardly sounded interested.

"Eh, what does that mean?" Asia asked curiously and innocently.

"It's a tradition in Japanese High Schools. Everyone starts talking about what they did over the summer as though they're bragging about their accomplishments, even though it's all pretty small stuff." Ren explained before giving an example by impersonating a classmate. "I tried to dye my hair."

"Yeah or, "I started having an interest in cool guys' clothes, and once maybe tried them out"!" Shirou followed up.

Ren laughed and continued. "And let's not forget—"I want to become popular with girls by wearing something they'll like"!"

"And, of course, the guys who change themselves during the summer all have that one same motive!" Shirou pointed out.

[Changing yourself during the summer and getting a girlfriend.] Shirou and Ren said at the same time.

"If you've got to try so hard and spend a whole summer just to get a girlfriend, you have no life." Shirou finished with a laugh.

"Well, for a lot of the guys, even if they don't get a girlfriend, they settle for just losing their virginity." Ren pointed out before thinking about what he said. "Which in some cases is even sadder."

Asia blushed a little at the mention of virginity but spoke those thoughts aside. "Well, I think I wouldn't mind talking about what I did over the summer, I want to be able to share the memories I made with my friends."

"That's fine and everything, but it'll be a lot more complicated if we try it." Shirou informed her. "After all, what kind of High School student spends their summer in the literal Underworld? Could you even tell people that?"

Asia could see he had a point but didn't get upset. This was nice—Because everything had been so serious and hectic all summer, this peaceful, casual, pleasant atmosphere between friends was like a breath of fresh air. It was blissful to enjoy these calm and peaceful moments every now and then.

Unfortunately, these moments don't last long—

As the trio turned around the corner, they saw a mysterious man with delicate features that stood before them and had drawn near Asia. He was a gentle-looking, handsome young man with dark cyan hair that went past his ears. He also wore expensive clothing consisting of an all-black Noble suit with green cuffs at the ends of his sleeves and a long white cape with a fluffy collar.

"Asia Argento…We finally meet."

"U-Umm…"

Asia was bewildered. Shirou and Ren were also thrown off by the sudden arrival of an unfamiliar face that apparently had business with Asia.

"Who's that guy?" Ren asked Shirou.

Shirou narrowed his eyes. "I don't know but I feel like I've seen him before."

Nobody moved. While they were trying to figure out who this person was, the mysterious, delicate man questioned Asia with a sincere expression.

"…So you've forgotten me. We should have met that time."

The delicate man stepped back a bit and removed his cape before he started to open up the front of his suit. The delicate man suddenly revealed his chest and showed a big scar there. It was a deep scar. Asia's eyes opened wide when she saw that.

"—! That wound, could it be…"

"What? You remember him?" Shirou asked her.

The delicate man smiled as he answered the question for her. "Yes, my face couldn't be seen back then, but I am the Devil from that time."

"—!?" Asia became speechless at those words.

"My name is Diodora Astaroth. That time you weren't able to treat it to the point where a scar wouldn't remain, but my life was saved due to your Sacred Gear."

It was confirmed—He was someone tied deeply to Asia's past. She had been branded as a witch for saving a Devil by chance, and now that same Devil was standing before her.

—That's right, he was the Devil who had been the trigger for Asia being driven out of the Church.

"Diodora Astaroth? That's right. He was at the meeting between Young Devils." Shirou finally recognized him. "He's the younger Brother of the Devil King Ajuka Beelzebub."

Ren's eyes widened for a different reason as he also recognized Diadora. "Wait, this aura, this guy is…"

Without responding to or even acknowledging the amount of surprise and confusion he was responsible for, Diodora tenderly took Asia's hand and kissed it. Right after that, he spoke to Asia.

"Asia, I came to meet you. I apologize that I couldn't greet you at that meeting. But, I think the encounter between you and I was destiny—" He then got down on one knee and looked at her with complete seriousness. "I want you to be my wife. I love you."

—He had proposed to Asia right then and there.

"Eh?" Asia was flushed and completely taken aback.

"Huh?" Ren was flabbergasted.

"Well, shit…" Shirou just facepalmed.

The hot summer had come to an end, and the autumn that would likely become long would soon begin.

—…

Ō ō

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And that's the chapter.

First of all, what did you think of the moment between Shirou and Sona? Ever since their first Chess game, I always wanted to have them do another one where they settle their tie, and considering the dynamic in their relationship, I figured, what better time to give them a meaningful moment than during the Chess game?

Both of them were able to convey true thoughts toward each other and gain an understanding of each other on a deeper level. And, though Shirou may not know what it means to beat Sona in Chess, he'll find out at a later time.

As for the scene with Odin. Ever since I started watching the M.C.U (Marvel Cinematic Universe)A while ago, I always felt that their Odin was more like an Odin compared to this world's Odin, and I couldn't help but poke some fun at that.

And finally, at the climax of this chapter, we get the arrival Lord of Scumbags himself, Diadora. If you hated him in the canon, get ready to hate it even more in this story.

Anyways thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed. If you liked the story, leave a review, if you want more, click the follow/favorite, and as always, have an awesome day.