High School Dxd: Word of Creation

Rating Game Grounds, Underworld –

POV: Koneko Toujou

The battlefield was chaos. Smoke drifted through the air, the ground cracked and scorched from the countless explosions that had ravaged it. Riser stood tall, his golden wings radiating unshakable confidence.

He spread his arms, as if conducting a grand orchestra of destruction.

"This is where it ends," he declared, his voice echoing over the battlefield. "Rias, your resistance was amusing, but it's over. You have lost too many pieces. Your efforts were pointless from the start."

I clenched my fists.

Rias ignored him, her crimson eyes flashing as she lifted into the sky, her destruction magic flaring to life.

"Then we'll see how pointless it is," she said coldly.

With a powerful flap of her devil wings, she soared upward, locking onto Riser. Within seconds, their battle erupted above us, vanishing beyond our sight.

I didn't have time to focus on them.

Because in that same moment, Yubelluna raised a single hand—

And Shiori was sent flying.

A massive explosion of flames slammed into her, the force of the attack blasting her straight through the main school building.

The impact sent a tremor through the battlefield, as massive amounts of dust shot into the air.

I couldn't look.

Because standing right in front of me was Mihae, one of Riser's Bishops.

She stood calmly, her blue kimono swaying, her dark eyes cold and unreadable. Around her, floating orbs of water hovered, circling like silent executioners.

I raised my fists. This wouldn't be easy.

"You should surrender," Mihae said softly.

I didn't answer.

I charged.

Mihae didn't hesitate.

The moment I moved, she started backing up. She wanted distance. I wouldn't let her have it.

Mihae's eyes flickered—then she retreated, her bare feet gliding effortlessly across the battlefield.

She lifted her hands, and the floating orbs suddenly condensed into whips.

*Snap!*

A whip of pressurized water lashed toward me.

I lifted my arms to block—

*Smack!*

The impact hit like a truck. My feet dug into the dirt and the shockwave cracked the ground, but I didn't falter. I barely even flinched.

"Tough," Mihae murmured.

I lunged again, swinging a devastating punch—she barely dodged, the force of my missed strike shattering the ground.

The impact left a deep crater, dirt and rock flying into the air.

Mihae's retreat was flawless, always staying just out of range.

She flicked her wrist.

Water spears formed around her—then shot toward me.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Each one hit like a bullet, slamming into my arms, shoulders, and chest.

I took them all head-on.

The water exploded against my skin, soaking my uniform. The water broke against me and slammed into the ground behind me.

I kept moving.

Mihae's expression tightened.

She launched another attack, this time a spiraling water drill.

The force pushed me back, my boots digging trenches in the dirt, but I didn't fall.

Instead, I gritted my teeth and powered through.

One step.

Two steps.

Then—I lunged again.

She barely dodged, but my fist smashed into a tree instead.

The massive oak exploded into splinters. Mihae took another step back.

I smirked. She was running out of space before she was in the trees.

She raised her hands again—this time, the water shifted, becoming more volatile.

She wasn't playing around anymore.

The orbs of water suddenly stopped moving—

Then they compressed.

A bright blue light flared to life, swirling with deadly force.

Mihae's gaze darkened.

"This is over."

Then—she fired.

A massive beam of water shot toward me, cutting through the air like a dam bursting at full force.

There was no dodging this.

I raised my arms, bracing myself—

The sheer force of the blast slammed into me, lifting me off my feet. The ground was sliced to pieces around me by the stream of water as it slammed into me.

It felt like being hit by a waterfall condensed into a single attack, crushing and relentless.

My body skidded across the ground, slamming into broken stone and debris.

I tried to stand—but my vision blurred.

Mihae exhaled, lowering her hands as a massive spear of water flew towards me.

Grayfia's voice rang out.

"Rias Gremory's Rook has been retired."

I felt my body flicker, my consciousness fading as the teleportation took effect.

Damn it.

I lost.

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POV: Issei Hyoudou

I ran alongside Kiba, my heart pounding as we chased Ravel across the battlefield. The sky above was painted in streaks of orange and blue, Ravel's hellfire birds lighting up the air as she weaved through the open field. Her blonde hair fluttered behind her, her devil wings keeping her at a frustratingly out-of-reach distance.

"She's fast," I gritted out, watching her hover just above us.

"More than that," Kiba muttered, his breath controlled but sharp. His sword gleamed in the dim battlefield, the ice-cold edge of his blade shimmering with power. "She's playing with us."

Ravel smirked as she casually tossed another ball of flame, this one shifting midair—twisting into the shape of a bird, its burning eyes locking onto us before diving straight down.

"Hellfire Bird!"

*Boom!*

We barely managed to dodge as the explosion tore into the field, scorching everything in its radius. I shielded my eyes from the heat, sweat already pouring down my forehead. The sheer power behind that blast was terrifying.

Kiba's eyes narrowed. "We can't let her detonate those. If that bird had hit us directly, we'd both be out of the fight."

Damn it, he was right. One clean hit and we were done.

I clenched my fists. "Then we just have to make sure it doesn't hit us!"

Ravel chuckled, lazily flipping her hair back. "You two really are slow. Did you think someone like me would be easy to take down? I am a pureblood high-class devil—I may not be the best fighter, but against mere knights and pawns, I don't even have to try."

Tch. Arrogant much?

But before I could even think about a retort, Kiba sprang into action.

With a swift motion, he raised his sword, frost gathering at the edge of the blade. With a single swipe, a wave of icy shards surged forward, cutting through the air straight toward Ravel.

She barely dodged in time, her body twisting gracefully midair. But Kiba wasn't done—he followed up immediately, sprinting forward with unnatural speed, closing the distance in seconds.

His blade flashed.

Ravel's eyes widened.

Just as Kiba was about to land a hit, a massive torrent of water slammed into his side, knocking him off balance.

Fuck! I wasn't paying attention, Koneko got eliminated!

I turned my head and saw her standing a few meters away, her hands glowing with swirling orbs of pressurized water.

"Mihae," Ravel said in a mocking tone, "took you long enough."

Mihae didn't answer, merely adjusting her stance, her gaze cold and precise.

I gritted my teeth. This was bad. We were already struggling against Ravel alone, and now we had to deal with another Bishop too?

Kiba flipped back onto his feet, his sword digging into the dirt as he used it to stabilize himself. He shot me a look. "They're covering for each other. We can't get close without one of them stopping us."

I nodded. "Then we just have to be faster."

Boost!

The emerald glow of my Boosted Gear flared as another wave of power flooded through my body. But I felt it this time. My body was starting to slow down—the constant Boosting was taking a toll on me. I wouldn't last much longer.

Kiba must've noticed because he immediately moved ahead.

"I'll take lead," he said sharply, vanishing in a burst of speed.

He lunged toward Ravel again, his ice blade glowing brilliantly under the night sky.

Ravel raised her hand to fire another attack, but Kiba was already in front of her.

His sword cut clean through the flames, freezing them midair.

Before Ravel could retaliate, I saw my opening.

"Dragon Shot!"

I fired a massive red energy blast straight at her.

For the first time, Ravel's eyes widened in surprise. She raised a flaming barrier, barely managing to absorb the impact.

Kiba rushed in, taking advantage of the distraction. His sword flashed—aiming for her unguarded side—

But before he could land the finishing blow, Mihae moved again.

A massive wave of water crashed between them, forcing Kiba back.

I grunted in frustration. Every time we tried to land a decisive blow, Mihae stopped us.

The moment Kiba retreated, Ravel retaliated.

"Hellfire Bird!"

Another burning bird shot down, exploding between us. I barely managed to roll away, but Kiba—

Kiba was too close.

*Boom!*

He was caught in the outer blast, his body slammed into the ground with an audible crack.

Ravel didn't wait for him to recover as a wave of flame released from her hand and raged towards the stunned Kiba.

I tried to rush towards him but the flame moved too fast. It ripped the ground to pieces and caused the air to go wild.

When the flame hit and then faded I wasn't prepared for what I saw.

My stomach dropped, half his body was scorched. The smell of smoke filled the air as I watched with absolute horror. Kiba face and upper body had all the clothes burnt away and had black charred skin.

Kiba struggled to push himself up, but he was done.

Ravel floated down, smirking. "You were annoying," she admitted, "but you're out now."

Kiba coughed, looking at me. "Issei… you have to-" His wheezing voice cut deep into me as I saw him fall as I rush to him.

Grayfia's voice rang out. "Rias Gremory's Knight has been retired."

I watched as Kiba's body faded as he couldn't go on.

I was alone.

I clenched my fists, that bitch hurt Kiba bad...

I had to keep fighting.

Even if my body was screaming. Even if my legs felt like lead. I had to win. I had to protect Rias.

I stood up, raising my gauntlet, my vision blurring.

Ravel tilted her head, watching me struggle. "Oh? You're still standing?"

Mihae narrowed her eyes. "You should've fallen by now. You've been using your power too much."

I panted heavily. They were right. My entire body felt like it was burning from the inside.

But I wasn't done.

I forced myself forward, even as my vision swam.

Ravel sighed, raising her hand. "This is over, Pawn. You were amusing, but I don't have time to-"

Boost!

Another pulse of power.

Another surge of heat.

Boost!

Ravel's expression finally changed. "…What?"

My Boosted Gear wasn't done yet as green energy emitted from me straight into the sky as I roared through the exhaustion.

Final Liberation!

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A/N: So what do you guys think? Any constructive criticism is welcome. Also, be sure to leave a review and power stones as that is my motivation.