Bound by Infinity

Chapter 27

Rias and I floated before Riser and his peerage, amused smirks plastered across our faces.

"So, Riser, you've finally come out to play," I said, my tone laced with mockery.

"Or is it that you've come to surrender?" Rias chimed in, her grin widening.

"I do not care that you are the sister of Sirzechs-sama! I will not allow you to disrespect the house of Phoenix!" Riser roared, flames erupting from his body in an angry torrent.

"Oh, so a fight it is, then. Very well," I began, as silver energy radiated from me, flooding the school grounds with an overwhelming aura. It swirled like a storm, commanding awe and dread in equal measure.

"But first," Rias continued, red energy pouring out of her like a river of destruction, "I hope you don't mind if we get rid of the fodder."

Riser and his peerage looked around, their confident expressions faltering. "W-what is this?"

"I," I started, my voice echoing ominously through the energy field.

Riser's eyes darted between us as panic began to seep into his features.

"Am," Rias continued, her energy crackling with destructive intent.

Before they could react, I spoke, my voice dropping like a hammer, "The all range."

"Atomic," Rias and I finished in unison, our voices blending into a harbinger of annihilation.

A blinding flash of red and silver light consumed the schoolyard, followed by an explosion so massive it drowned out all sound. The ground shook violently, and a colossal pillar of energy shot into the sky, painting the horizon in apocalyptic hues.

When the light faded and the dust settled, the school was gone. Reduced to a crater of unimaginable depth and size, the only thing left untouched was the table where Akeno and the others casually sat, sipping tea.

As for Riser's peerage...

"[Riser Phoenix-sama's eight [Pawns], two [Rooks], two [Knights], and two [Bishops] retire!]" Grayfia's calm voice declared, the announcement echoing over the battlefield.

"Thank you for the confirmation, Grayfia," I muttered, knowing full well she wouldn't respond.

"Looks like we forgot about Ravel," Rias remarked casually.

"Ah, right. Whoops. At least it was quick," I replied, my gaze drifting toward Riser and Yubelluna.

"Fair point," Rias said, shrugging.

As if on cue, a pillar of flames erupted from the crater, cutting through the smoke. Rising from the destruction were Riser and Yubelluna, unharmed but visibly shaken.

"So, Riser," I began, my tone darkening.

"Are you ready?" Rias asked, her voice dripping with menace.

"For whatever happens next," we said in perfect harmony, our voices like the tolling of a bell.

"Do you think you scare me?!" Riser roared, his flames flaring wildly. "I'm Riser Phoenix! I am immortal, and I will not be defeated by you!"

With Issei and the Others

"He probably shouldn't have said that," Issei muttered, shaking his head.

"You think?" Koneko replied, her tone as dry as ever.

"Now, now, let's not mock a dead man's downfall," Akeno said with a sadistic smile.

"He's so dead," Index added, her voice uncharacteristically cold.

"If not dead, he's going to wish he was after this," Kiba said, his tone laced with pity.

"I almost feel sorry for him... almost," Koneko remarked.

Back to Rias and Kouki

Rias and I chuckled softly, the sound building until it erupted into dark, sinister laughter that echoed across the battlefield.

"You truly believe that your immortality will save you, don't you?" I asked, my voice dripping with condescension.

"If so, then we have some news for you," Rias added, her eyes glowing ominously.

"Because in this fight, your immortality means nothing," we said together, our words cutting deeper than any blade.

"As a sign of goodwill, you and your Queen get one shot," I said, raising a hand. "If you so much as singe our outfits, we'll forfeit, and you win. We won't dodge or defend."

"You think I need your pity?!" Riser snarled, flames licking around his body.

"We don't care what you think," Rias retorted coldly. "Do with our goodwill what you must."

Growling in anger, Riser turned to Yubelluna, who nodded silently.

With a roar, Riser summoned a massive firebird, its wings spanning the sky as it screeched with fiery rage. At the same time, Yubelluna conjured an enormous sphere of explosive magic, crackling with deadly energy.

"Die!" Riser bellowed, unleashing their combined attack.

As the attacks raced toward us, Rias and I exchanged a casual glance.

"A phoenix. How original," I said dryly.

"Did you expect anything better?" Rias asked with a smirk.

"Not really. Shall we?"

"Let's."

Rias extended a finger toward Yubelluna's attack. A small black orb formed, its surface devouring light as an orangish-gold ring flickered around it—a black hole.

Meanwhile, I raised my hand, allowing Riser's firebird to approach. When it was mere inches from my palm, I spoke.

"Devour, Azathoth."

A wave of black energy burst forth, consuming the firebird in an instant. Simultaneously, Rias's black hole absorbed Yubelluna's attack with the same ease.

We turned back to face Riser and Yubelluna, their expressions frozen in disbelief.

"My turn," we said, our voices calm yet terrifying.

In a flash, we vanished, reappearing before them. Before they could react, our fists slammed into their chests, sending them hurtling through the air like ragdolls.

The fight began with a thunderous impact as Rias and I launched Riser and Yubelluna into the air with synchronized strikes. The two devils crashed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of debris. Before they could react, we were already moving.

Rias raised her hand, and spheres of crimson Power of Destruction materialized around her. With a flick of her wrist, the spheres launched at Yubelluna, who desperately tried to summon a shield of flames. But it was futile. The spheres shredded through her defense like paper, the destructive energy engulfing her in bursts of crimson light.

Yubelluna barely managed to teleport away, reappearing several feet back, gasping and singed. Her face twisted in disbelief. "What... what kind of power is this?!"

Meanwhile, I faced Riser with a calm, almost bored expression. Swinging the Crucifix, in scythe mode, I conjured a vortex of primordial elements around the weapon. Fire, lightning, and ice swirled together, forming a storm that crackled with chaotic energy. Riser roared defiantly, summoning a massive phoenix made of flames to charge at me.

I sighed, holding out my hand. "Devour." The primordial storm surged forward, devouring the phoenix entirely before it could even graze me. Riser's eyes widened in terror.

"Impossible!" he screamed.

I moved faster than he could track, appearing behind him in a blur. The scythe came down, its blade glowing with a fusion of light and darkness. Riser barely managed to block with a flaming barrier, but the force of the strike sent him crashing back into the crater.

Rias, meanwhile, descended gracefully toward Yubelluna, her crimson aura radiating like a star. She extended her hand, forming a massive sphere of destruction. Yubelluna threw everything she had—explosives, flames, even her most potent spells—but Rias's sphere absorbed them all, growing larger and more menacing.

"Is this all the so-called 'Bomb Queen' can muster?" Rias asked coldly. Her voice dripped with disdain as the sphere launched forward, engulfing Yubelluna in a wave of annihilation. When the energy faded, Yubelluna lay unconscious, her body battered and smoking.

Riser, seeing his queen fall, screamed in rage. He surged forward, his body engulfed in flames, throwing punch after punch at me. I didn't move, letting his strikes land harmlessly against an invisible barrier of swirling elements.

"You call this an attack?" I asked, catching his flaming fist with my hand. With a flex of my fingers, I extinguished the flames entirely. Riser gasped, stumbling back in shock.

"Let me show you true power," I said, raising the Crucifix. A torrent of lightning and fire erupted from the blade, slamming into Riser with unrelenting force. He was thrown back, his cries of pain echoing through the battlefield.

With Sona

Sona watched the massacre unfold, her expression unreadable. Riser, for all his bravado, was being utterly humiliated. He couldn't even touch Kouki. Meanwhile, Rias wasn't even breaking a sweat against Yubelluna.

"Is this the gap between us?" she murmured to herself, clenching her fists. "No. I can't let this discourage me. I'll work harder. I will achieve my goals."

With Grayfia

Grayfia observed the one-sided fight, her eyes narrowing. Ten days ago, Rias had been in a panic over this Rating Game. Now, it wasn't even a contest—it was a slaughter.

"What are you two truly capable of?" she wondered aloud, a flicker of unease crossing her usually stoic face.

Back to Kouki

Rias and I floated above a battered Riser and Yubelluna, their bodies regenerating sluggishly.

"Is this all that Riser Phoenix is capable of?" I asked, my voice tinged with mockery.

"I will not lose to you!" Riser shouted, staggering to his feet, flames flickering weakly around him.

"Still struggling?" I said as black energy began to seep from my body, swirling ominously.

"Very well," Rias said, her multicolored aura flaring to life.

"It's time to end this."

Riser's eyes widened in horror as pillars of energy erupted from us—black and multicolored, swirling with unimaginable power. When the light faded, we stood transformed.

My once-brown hair was now a light-absorbing black with an orange-gold accent, a black hole halo resting behind my head. My eyes were darker than the void, my suit seemingly forged from the abyss itself. Black hole-like wings spread menacingly from my back.

Rias's crimson hair had become a swirling galaxy of stars. Her golden eyes shone like suns, and a miniature universe floated behind her. Her dress shimmered with the colors of creation, and her wings radiated the beauty and destruction of countless worlds.

"So," we said, our voices harmonizing with an eerie calm, "shall we begin round two?"

Chapter 27: End