Part I:
The morning after Riser's visit, the Occult Research Club reconvened with a sense of grim determination. The usual casual atmosphere was gone.
This was serious now.
Two weeks until the Rating Game.
Two weeks to turn a twenty percent chance into something resembling victory.
Rias sat at her desk, maps and diagrams spread before her. Akeno stood beside her, taking notes. Kiba leaned against the wall, arms crossed. Koneko perched on the sofa with Hoarfrost's massive head in her lap. Asia sat primly in a chair, hands clasped nervously. And Issei sprawled on the floor, still groaning from yesterday's training.
Caelan stood by the window, observing with his usual detached expression.
"Alright," Rias began, her voice taking on the commanding tone of a King addressing her peerage.
"Two weeks. We need a strategy. Caelan gave us the framework yesterday—isolate and eliminate Yubelluna first, avoid direct confrontation with Riser, systematically dismantle his support pieces. But we need specifics."
She looked at Caelan. "Where do we start?"
"Assessment," he replied.
"I need to understand each of your capabilities in detail. Strengths. Weaknesses. Limits. Then we build a strategy around maximizing the former and minimizing the latter."
"Sounds simple enough," Kiba said.
"It won't be." Caelan's gaze swept over them.
"You're all going to hate me by the end of this."
"We already hate you," Koneko said flatly.
"Fair point."
---
Part II:
Akeno Himejima - The Sadistic Queen
They started with Akeno, since she was the strongest piece on the board.
The training ground behind Rias's mansion had been converted into a makeshift battlefield. Magical barriers contained the area, preventing collateral damage.
Caelan stood in the center, arms crossed. "Show me everything. No holding back."
Akeno smiled—that dangerous, predatory smile that meant someone was about to suffer. "Ara ara~ Everything, Sensei? Are you sure you can handle it?"
"Just attack me."
"If you insist~" She transformed instantly.
Her school uniform shimmered and reformed into her battle attire—a shrine maiden outfit that was technically traditional but had been modified to be far more revealing. The skirt was shorter, the top tighter, showing off her curves in ways that were definitely intentional.
Black wings sprouted from her back—six of them, a mix of devil's bat-wings and fallen angel's feathers.
Her hybrid nature on full display. Lightning crackled around her hands.
"Holy Lightning!"
The bolt that shot toward Caelan was massive—golden-white energy that carried both the destructive force of devil magic and the purifying power of holy light. The combination was devastating.
Most devils would be vaporized.
Caelan raised one hand.
The lightning hit his ice field and stopped. Not dispersed. Not absorbed.
Just... frozen in mid-air, crackling energy crystallized into jagged formations that hung suspended like deadly sculpture.
"Impressive power," Caelan said calmly.
"Flawed application."
"Flawed?!" Akeno's smile turned sharp.
"That attack could kill most High-Class devils!"
"Yes. But it's inefficient." He gestured at the frozen lightning.
"You're combining two opposing energy types—holy and demonic. The interference reduces overall effectiveness by approximately thirty percent. You'd be stronger focusing on one or the other."
"But the combination is my specialty! It's what makes me unique!"
"Unique doesn't mean optimal." Caelan walked around the frozen lightning, analysing it.
"However, if you're committed to the hybrid approach, you need better control. The holy and demonic energies are fighting each other. Learn to layer them instead—holy on the outside to penetrate defenses, demonic on the inside for maximum damage." Akeno blinked.
"That's... actually brilliant."
"It's physics. Try again. This time, layer the energies." She did.
The second bolt was noticeably more focused. The golden holy light formed a shell around a core of crackling demonic energy.
When it hit Caelan's field, it actually penetrated slightly before freezing. "Better," he acknowledged.
"Keep practicing that. You have raw power, but your technique is sloppy. Refine it." Akeno looked simultaneously impressed and annoyed.
"You really are a harsh teacher."
"You want to win or you want compliments?"
"...Win."
"Then listen and improve."
Yuuto Kiba - The Knight of Swords
Next was Kiba, who stepped into the training area with his usual polite smile.
"Sensei," he greeted. "Show me your swords." Kiba activated his Sacred Gear—Sword Birth.
Light flashed, and suddenly he was holding a blade.
Then another.
Then another.
Within seconds, a dozen swords of varying types floated around him. "Impressive variety," Caelan observed.
"What are their attributes?"
"Each blade has different properties. Holy Eraser—destroys demonic constructs. Flame Delete—counters fire-based magic. Shadow Blade—can cut through shadows and darkness. I can create weapons tailored to any situation."
"Versatile. But." Caelan's eyes narrowed.
"You're spreading yourself too thin. Twelve different swords mean twelve different focuses. In high-speed combat, that's a weakness."
"But I need options—"
"You need mastery. Pick three swords. Your best three. Master them completely. Know them so well you can summon and use them without conscious thought. Versatility is meaningless if you can't execute fast enough to matter." Kiba frowned.
"That goes against everything I've trained for."
"Then you've trained wrong." Caelan gestured.
"Attack me. Use all your swords." Kiba hesitated, then lunged. His speed was incredible—the boost from his Knight piece making him a blur of motion. Swords flashed from every angle, each one targeting a different opening.
Caelan didn't move.
Every sword froze the instant it entered his field.
One by one, they clattered to the ground, encased in ice. "Too many weapons. Too many angles. You diluted your attack." Caelan pointed at three specific frozen swords. "Those three strikes would have worked together—a feint, a misdirection, a killing blow. The other nine just cluttered your attack pattern." Kiba stared at his frozen arsenal.
"I... never thought of it that way."
"Think now. Less is more. Master three swords. When you've perfected those, add a fourth. But only when you're ready."
"Yes, Sensei."
Koneko Toujou - The Silent Rook
Koneko's assessment was... brief. She stood in the training area, looking tiny and delicate, her white hair catching the sunlight.
"Show me your strength," Caelan said. She walked over to a boulder—easily five tons of solid rock—and punched it. The boulder exploded into gravel.
"Adequate," Caelan said. Koneko's eye twitched. "Adequate?" "Your strength is impressive for your size. But you're not using your Nekomata abilities at all. Where's your Senjutsu?" Her expression closed off.
"I don't use that."
"Why not?"
"...Personal reasons." Caelan studied her for a moment.
"Your sister used Senjutsu. That's why you're afraid of it." Koneko's eyes widened.
"How did you—"
"Because fear doesn't come from nowhere. And the only Nekomata strong enough to traumatize you is Kuroka." He crossed his arms.
"Your sister's actions don't define what you can become. Senjutsu is a tool. Use it or don't. But know that you're handicapping yourself."
"I'm strong enough without it."
"Are you? Can you beat Riser's Rooks without it? Can you protect your King?" Silence.
"Think about it," Caelan said quietly.
"You have two weeks to decide who you want to be." He walked away.
Koneko stood there, staring at her hands, something complicated warring in her expression.
Hoarfrost padded over and nuzzled her side. She buried her face in his fur, and the massive dire wolf rumbled comfortingly.
Asia Argento - The Healer
Asia was nervous when her turn came.
"S-Sensei," she stammered.
"I'm not really a fighter. I'm a healer. I don't know how much help I can—"
"Healing is combat," Caelan interrupted.
"Show me your Sacred Gear." She activated
Twilight Healing—rings of golden light forming around her fingers.
Warm, gentle energy that radiated peace.
"Heal that tree." Caelan pointed at a training dummy that had been damaged during Akeno's lightning attacks.
Asia focused, and the golden light flowed. The charred wood began to regenerate, sprouting new growth.
"Good. How long can you maintain that?"
"Um... maybe thirty minutes? If I'm not doing anything else."
"Not enough. You need to double that. Minimum." Caelan's tone was firm but not unkind.
"In a Rating Game, you're the lifeline. If you run out of stamina, everyone dies. We're training your endurance."
"But I don't know how—"
"Meditation. Mana circulation exercises. And—" He paused. "—learning to heal while under pressure."
"Under pressure?" Caelan created a small ice construct—a floating orb that shot tiny, harmless ice shards.
"Heal the dummy while dodging. If you get hit, start over." Asia's eyes widened.
"That's—that's mean!"
"That's necessary. Battles aren't calm. You need to heal while people are trying to kill you."
"But—" An ice shard whizzed past her ear.
"Timer starts now."
"SENSEI!"
Issei Hyoudou - The Red Dragon Emperor
And finally, Issei. The perverted Pawn stood in the center of the training ground, looking simultaneously terrified and determined.
"Alright, Sensei," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Give me your worst."
"You're not ready for my worst. We're building fundamentals." Caelan pulled out a small notebook.
"First question: how many times can you Boost before the power starts leaking?"
"Uh... I don't know. I've never really counted."
"Unacceptable. Your Sacred Gear is your greatest asset, and you don't even understand its mechanics." Caelan's voice was sharp.
"We're fixing that. Today's training: Boost until you hit your limit, measure the power output, rest, repeat. We're going to map your exact capabilities."
"That sounds boring!"
"It's essential. You can't achieve Balance Breaker if you don't understand your baseline." Caelan's expression softened slightly.
"The Boosted Gear is the most studied Sacred Gear in history. Former wielders have left extensive documentation. I've compiled their research. We're going to use it." He pulled out what looked like an ancient scroll.
"This is from Belzard—one of the strongest Red Dragon Emperors in history. His training regimen. We're adapting it for you."
Ddraig's voice rumbled from the gauntlet: [Partner... he knows of Belzard? Impressive.]
"Ddraig approves," Issei said, surprised.
"Ddraig has been stuck in mediocre hosts for too long," Caelan replied.
"Let's see if you can be different." Issei's face lit up with determination.
"YES, SENSEI! I'LL MAKE YOU PROUD!"
"I don't do pride. I do results."
"RESULTS THEN!" [This is going to be entertaining,] Ddraig chuckled.
Part III:
Later that afternoon, the entire peerage was training in the modified gymnasium that Rias had set up in the mansion's basement.
Akeno was practicing her layered lightning attacks. Kiba was drilling with his three chosen swords. Koneko was doing strength training (while pointedly not using Senjutsu). Asia was meditating to build her stamina. And Issei was running through Boost cycles while Caelan took notes.
It was productive. Too productive.
Which meant something had to go wrong.
It started when Akeno's latest lightning bolt went slightly off-target and hit one of the support pillars.
The pillar cracked.
The ceiling shuddered. And the magical barrier maintaining the training space glitched.
Reality rippled.
"Everyone OUT!" Caelan shouted. They scrambled toward the exit— —and the barrier *ollapsed. There was a flash of light, a sensation of falling, and suddenly they were standing in the mansion's entrance hall.
Perfectly fine.
Except.
Except for one small problem.
Their clothes had been inverted.
Not removed.
Inverted.
As in, inside-out. As in, whatever had been underneath was now on the outside, and vice versa. Rias looked down at herself and shrieked. Her school uniform was gone. Instead, she was wearing what had previously been *under* her uniform—a red lace bra and matching panties.
Just that.
Nothing else.
Akeno was in black lace. With that little pink bow.
Asia was in white cotton with the tiny embroidered cross.
Koneko was in simple white undergarments that were somehow more modest than what the others wore but still clearly underwear.
Even Kiba's undershirt had somehow become his outershirt, leaving him in nothing but boxers.
And Issei— Issei was wearing what could only be described as the most garish, oppai-print boxers in existence. Bright red with cartoon breasts all over them.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Rias shouted, immediately trying to cover herself.
"The barrier malfunction inverted matter states!" Caelan, who was somehow still fully clothed (his ice field had protected him), was already analysing the phenomenon.
"It's a known side effect of unstable spatial magic!"
"NEVER MIND THE SCIENCE! FIX IT!"
"I can't! The effect will wear off in approximately—" He checked his watch. "—five minutes."
"FIVE MINUTES?!"
"Give or take." Akeno, despite the situation, started laughing.
"Ara ara~ Well, this is embarrassing."
"HOW ARE YOU LAUGHING?!" Rias demanded.
"Because it's funny! We're all in our underwear!" She struck a pose. "At least mine are cute~" Asia was bright red, trying to hide behind a conveniently placed statue. "This is so improper!" Koneko just stood there, expressionless. "This is stupid." Kiba had somehow maintained his dignity despite wearing only boxers.
"Well. This is a first." And Issei— Issei was having the best and worst moment of his life. "PRESIDENT! AKENO-SENPAI! ASIA! KONEKO! YOU'RE ALL IN YOUR UNDERWEAR!"
"WE KNOW!" Rias shouted.
"BUT IT'S RIGHT THERE! I CAN SEE EVERYTHING!"
"STOP LOOKING!"
"I CAN'T! IT'S LIKE A DREAM! A BEAUTIFUL, PERVERTED DREAM!" He spun toward Caelan.
"SENSEI! Is this what enlightenment feels like?!"
"No. This is what a spatial anomaly feels like. There's a difference."
"I DON'T CARE! THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!" Then the front door opened.
Grayfia stepped through. The Strongest Queen froze, taking in the scene before her: her son standing fully clothed while the entire Occult Research Club stood in their underwear in various states of panic and embarrassment.
Silence.
"I see training is going well," she said, her voice absolutely deadpan.
"GRAYFIA!" Rias shrieked.
"This isn't what it looks like!"
"It looks like everyone except Caelan is in their undergarments."
"Okay, maybe it is what it looks like, but—"
"I don't require an explanation." Grayfia's gaze swept over them with professional detachment.
"Though I will note that Lucien's peerage trains in far more... conventional ways."
"Of course they do," Rias muttered. Grayfia's eyes landed on Caelan.
"And you remained clothed because...?"
"Ice field. Spatial inversions can't penetrate absolute zero."
"Convenient."
"Strategic."
She almost smiled. Almost.
"Well. Carry on. I came to deliver a message from Sirzechs, but it can wait until everyone is... properly attired."
"THANK YOU!" Rias said desperately. Grayfia turned to leave, then paused.
"Oh, and Akeno?"
"Yes, Lady Grayfia?"
"That particular shade of black is quite flattering on you." Akeno's face went bright red. Grayfia left.
The moment the door closed, everyone started talking at once.
"OH MY GOD—"
"SHE SAW EVERYTHING—"
"I'M SO EMBARRASSED—"
"BEST DAY EVER—" Caelan looked at the ceiling and wondered, not for the first time, why he'd agreed to any of this. Khione's mist coiled around him, the entity's amusement palpable.
"Your life is chaos, little king."
"I've noticed."
"And yet you're smiling."
He wasn't— Except he was. Just a little.
"Shut up," he muttered.
The spatial inversion ended exactly five minutes later, and everyone's clothes returned to normal.
But the memory—and Issei's enthusiastic descriptions of "President's legendary red lace" and "Akeno-senpai's divine black set"—would live forever.
Part IV:
That night, after everyone had recovered from the wardrobe incident (Issei was still grinning like an idiot), they gathered in the living room for serious strategy discussion.
Rias had changed into comfortable clothes—sweatpants and an oversized shirt. Akeno wore a simple dress. The others were similarly casual. They sat in a circle on the floor, maps and diagrams spread between them.
"Alright," Rias said, her President voice back.
"Based on today's assessments, what's our actual strategy for the Rating Game?" Caelan stood by the whiteboard he'd set up, marker in hand.
"First, terrain. The Rating Game will take place in a replica of your school, correct?"
"Yes. Kuoh Academy grounds. That's standard for school-affiliated Rating Games." He started drawing.
"Advantage: home territory. You know every hallway, every room, every exit. Riser's team doesn't."
"Disadvantage," Kiba added, "is that it's a confined space. Hard to avoid combat."
"True. But we can use that." Caelan drew X's on the map.
"Key positions: the gymnasium—large space, good for Akeno's area attacks. The library—multiple levels, good for ambush tactics. The sports field—open area, disadvantageous but unavoidable." He tapped the board.
"Phase One: Eliminate the Pawns. Riser has eight of them, all relatively weak individually. Kiba, that's your job. Use your speed to pick them off before they can group up."
"Understood."
"Phase Two: Isolate and destroy Yubelluna. The Bomb Queen is their strongest piece after Riser himself. Without her, their offensive capability drops dramatically."
"How do we isolate her?" Rias asked.
"Bait. She's arrogant. She'll pursue what she perceives as a weak target." Caelan looked at Asia.
"You're bait."
"WHAT?!" Asia squeaked.
"You're the healer. Every tactician knows to eliminate the healer first. She'll come for you. When she does—" He looked at Akeno. "—you hit her with everything you have. Layered Holy Lightning. Maximum power." Akeno's smile was sharp. "With pleasure."
"Phase Three: Dismantle the support pieces. Once Yubelluna is down, the rest of Riser's team loses coordination. Pick them off systematically. Koneko handles the Rooks. Kiba handles the Knights. Akeno provides area denial."
"And Issei?" Rias asked.
Caelan was quiet for a moment. "Issei fights Riser." Everyone stared. "WHAT?!" Issei jumped up. "SENSEI, I CAN'T FIGHT RISER! He's immortal! He's been doing this for decades! I'm—I'm nobody!"
You're the Red Dragon Emperor."
"That doesn't mean—"
"Issei." Caelan's voice cut through the panic.
"What's the core function of the Boosted Gear?"
"It... it doubles my power every ten seconds."
"Correct. And how long can you Boost before hitting your limit?"
"About... eight times? Maybe ten on a good day?"
"Which means, theoretically, you can reach 256 times your base power. 1,024 if you push to ten Boosts." Caelan's eyes were intense.
"Riser relies on regeneration. But regeneration has limits. Overwhelm it fast enough, and he can't recover."
"But—"
"You won't fight him alone. Once the rest of his peerage is eliminated, everyone converges on Riser. You're the spear. The others are the support. Together, you can win."
Ddraig's voice rumbled: [The human is correct, partner. If you can achieve Balance Breaker, even Phenex immortality won't save him.]
"Balance Breaker," Issei breathed.
"Can I really—"
"You have two weeks to find out."
Part V: Later that night, after everyone else had gone to bed, Caelan stood on the mansion's balcony, staring out at the darkened city. He heard footsteps behind him.
"Can't sleep?" Rias's voice.
"Don't need much sleep anymore." She joined him at the railing, close enough that their shoulders almost touched. "Today was productive. Chaotic, but productive." "The wardrobe incident was unfortunate."
"You mean hilarious." She grinned.
"Issei's still talking about it. I think he's memorialized our underwear in his brain forever."
"Disturbing."
"That's Issei." She was quiet for a moment.
"You're really good at this, you know. The teaching thing. The strategy thing. You might actually give us a real chance."
"Twenty-eight percent now. We're improving."
"Only twenty-eight?"
"We lost two percent when the spatial barrier malfunctioned. That was a safety hazard that shouldn't have happened." Rias laughed.
"Of course you calculated that." They stood in comfortable silence.
Then Rias spoke up: "Can I ask you something personal?"
"You always do anyway."
"Fair." She bit her lip.
"Why are you really helping us? You said this was professional. Just a job. But... you care. I can tell."
Caelan was quiet for a long moment.
"I don't care," he said finally.
"Liar."
"I'm being objective—"
"You smiled today. When Koneko and Hoarfrost were playing. When Akeno landed that layered lightning attack perfectly. When Issei finally understood the Boost mechanics." She looked at him.
"You care?"
"Caring is inefficient."
"Caring is human."
"I'm not human."
"You know what I mean." She bumped his shoulder with hers.
"It's okay to care, Caelan. It doesn't make you weak." He didn't respond.
Rias sighed and, in a move that was becoming familiar, leaned her head against his shoulder. "Thank you. For everything."
"I haven't done anything for you yet."
"You've done more than you know." They stood like that for a while, the cool night air wrapping around them.
Then Rias spoke up again: "Hey, Caelan?"
"Hm?"
"Today, when the clothes thing happened... did you look?" His silence was answer enough.
"I KNEW IT!" She pulled back to grin at him.
"You're not as cold as you pretend!"
"I looked for approximately 0.3 seconds before averting my gaze. That's not—"
"YOU LOOKED! HA! The Ice King is actually a warm-blooded male!"
"This conversation is over."
"Aww, are you embarrassed?"
"I'm leaving." He turned to go. She grabbed his hand.
"Wait." He stopped.
"For what it's worth," she said quietly,
"I don't mind. That you looked. It's... kind of nice. Knowing you see me as more than just a political ally or a problem to solve." Caelan looked at her. The moonlight caught her crimson hair, made her eyes shine. She was beautiful. And she was looking at him with something that might have been hope.
"You're my aunt," he said quietly.
"I'm also your friend. If you'll let me be."
"Devils don't do friendship. We do alliances."
"Then let's be allies who care about each other. Is that so bad?" He was quiet. Then: "No. It's not bad." Her smile could have lit up the entire city.
"Good. Now come on. We should sleep. Training starts early tomorrow, and I have a feeling you're going to make us suffer."
"That's the plan."
"Evil teacher."
"Effective teacher."
They went inside together. And somewhere in the darkness, Khione's mist whispered:
"You're changing, little king."
"I'm not."
"You're smiling more. Caring more. Becoming more... alive."
"That's a problem."
"Is it? Or is it exactly what you needed?" Caelan didn't answer. But deep down, in a place he refused to acknowledge, he knew the entity was right.
He was changing. And he wasn't sure if that was terrifying or wonderful.
Terrified.