—It was time.
We gathered on the dining floor, the once-lively space now eerily quiet. The cheerful atmosphere from earlier had vanished completely, replaced by a heavy, expectant tension that pressed down on all of us. Even the air felt different, as though the entire department store itself understood that it had become a battlefield.
Then, without warning, a mechanical voice echoed through the store.
[It is now time to begin. This Rating Game will follow a blitz-style format with a time limit of three hours. Without further ado—game start.]
A sharp electronic chime followed.
[Game start.]
The moment those words rang out, Rias's expression changed. The warmth she carried moments ago vanished, replaced by the sharp, commanding gaze of a true [King].
"Everyone, follow the plan exactly as we discussed."
Her voice was calm, firm—absolute.
"Ise and Koneko will advance through the interior of the store. Yuuto and Xenovia will move through the parking garage and strike from behind. Gasper, scatter and conduct surveillance throughout the department store. Report enemy movement immediately."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"Depending on how each group progresses, Akeno, Asia, and I will support Ise's group."
We each fitted the communication microphones into our ears. The faint hum of the device activating felt like crossing a point of no return.
Rias looked at us all, her crimson hair swaying slightly as she spoke.
"My cute servant devils… we won't lose again. This time, we win."
[Yes.]
Every voice responded in unison. The resolve in that single word was unmistakable.
"Then, Xenovia—let's move," Kiba said.
"Yes," Xenovia replied, gripping her sword tightly.
The two of them were the first to depart. Without hesitation, they sprinted from the dining floor and disappeared down the corridor leading to the parking garage.
Kiba had already confirmed it earlier—there were cars in the parking structure. However, they were nothing more than flawless replicas. No fuel. No functioning engines.
So much for my brilliant idea of hijacking one and crashing straight into the enemy [King].
Guess that plan's off the table.
Once Kiba and Xenovia were gone, Rias turned to us.
"Ise. Koneko."
I nodded.
"Koneko, let's go."
"Yes."
We moved out together, leaving the dining floor behind.
Koneko had already informed everyone of her decision. She would use her nekomata power in this game. There was no hesitation in her eyes now—only quiet resolve.
Rias's expectations of the enemy's response were clear.
Normally, the fastest and most adaptable members—Kiba and Xenovia—would be expected to move together and circle around via the parking garage. Their role would usually be harassment and disruption, drawing attention away from the enemy's base. Meanwhile, I would push forward, promote to [Queen], and become the spearhead of the assault.
That would be the obvious strategy.
And because it was obvious, Rias had flipped the script.
She was certain Sona would read us that way.
So instead of a diversion, Kiba and Xenovia were our true main assault force.
And I?
I was the feint.
It felt strange, deliberately restraining myself when I knew full well what I was capable of. My Balance Breaker could remain active far longer than what Issei originally managed—half an hour easily, compared to his ten minutes. In truth, I was confident I could face Sona's entire peerage alone and still come out on top.
But this wasn't about brute force.
This was a team battle.
And Rias didn't want me going "berserk," as she put it, and leaving permanent damage on Sona's side. Sona wasn't just an opponent—she was still Rias's friend.
So I followed the plan.
As expected, the enemy would focus their attention on me. They would deploy assassins and interceptors to stop the Sekiryuutei from advancing. That would thin out the defenses around their [King], creating an opening.
Meanwhile, Kiba and Xenovia would strike hard from the parking garage. Not as a distraction—but as a legitimate, dangerous threat.
When both pressures converged, we'd checkmate the [King].
"Ise, good luck," Rias said through the communicator.
"Ise-san, please do your best," Asia added nervously.
"Ufufu~ I'm looking forward to seeing your cool side," Akeno said teasingly.
I couldn't help but grin.
Man… having people place that much trust in you feels incredible.
Koneko and I advanced at a pace that was neither a walk nor a run.
The interior of the department store was designed with long, open hallways. Any loud movement would echo, revealing our position instantly. Running was out of the question.
Instead, we moved from cover to cover—behind shelves, around pillars, using corners and displays to break line of sight.
Even though the department store was massive, it was still a straight-line structure. At a normal pace, it would take less than ten minutes to cross from one end to the other. But moving cautiously like this… time stretched.
Five minutes passed.
No enemies.
Yet.
We had only made it about a quarter of the way through.
To anyone watching, it probably looked like we were avoiding battle.
Which was exactly what made us effective bait.
Then—
I noticed a change beside me.
Koneko's cat ears emerged atop her head, twitching lightly.
PIKO. PIKO.
A tail followed, swaying slowly behind her.
This was dangerous.
Because she was too cute.
Koneko suddenly stopped and pointed ahead.
"...They're moving. Two people. Straight ahead."
"You can tell from here?"
She nodded.
"...I released part of my senjutsu. I can sense the flow of spirit around us. I can't read details yet, but I can tell their direction and movement."
That was… insanely useful.
Nekomata senjutsu allowed her to read the spiritual flow of the environment itself. And since cats rely heavily on smell and instinct, her sensory range surpassed that of most devils.
"How long until contact?"
She closed her eyes briefly, focusing.
"...At this pace… about ten minutes."
I exhaled slowly.
Ten minutes until first contact.
That meant Sona's peerage had taken the bait.
~~~
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