Chapter 11: The Price of a Pawn's Protection
The silence of the woods was shattered by the sound of breaking bone.
By the time Issei and I reached the clearing, it was already over. Koneko was being enveloped in the teleportation light of a "Retired" piece. Yubelluna, the Queen of Phoenix, stood over the crater, her expression bored as she adjusted her lace bodice.
"Koneko!" Issei's voice was a raw, jagged edge of panic.
I grabbed his shoulder, my grip bruisingly tight. "She's gone, Issei. Focus. We are about to be cooked if you don't keep your head."
"Loss is inevitable now," Crom Cruach rumbled, his voice cold and devoid of comfort. "The Princess has lost her shield. Now, the wolves come for the rest of you."
Rage vs. Reality
Issei didn't listen. Seeing Koneko—the stoic girl he viewed as a little sister—removed from the game broke his restraint. "BOOST! BOOST! BOOST!" The Red Dragon Gauntlet screamed as Issei lunged at the Queen.
It was a suicide run. Yubelluna didn't even move. She simply raised a hand, gathering a massive sphere of purple demonic energy. "So much noise for a mere Pawn," she sighed.
She unleashed the blast.
I knew Issei couldn't take it. He was the trump card—the only one with the raw power to potentially harm a Phoenix. I couldn't let him collapse here.
I threw myself in front of him, crossing my arms as I channeled every drop of Draconic Barrier magic I had.
BOOM!
The impact felt like being hit by a high-speed train. I felt my ribs crack, and the heat of her magic seared through my blazer, melting the fabric into my skin. I took three direct, massive hits intended to erase Issei from the game.
"Motohama! Why?!" Issei yelled, catching me as I stumbled back, coughing up blood.
"Because you're... the one who has to punch that blonde prick," I wheezed, my vision swimming. "I'm the support... remember?"
The Commanding Heartbreak
Back at the base, the communication crystals were glowing a frantic red. Rias's voice came through, and for the first time, the "King" sounded terrified.
"Report! Koneko has been retired! Motohama, Issei, what is your status?!"
"Motohama is hurt bad, President!" Issei shouted into the crystal. "He took the hits for me!"
There was a pause. I could almost hear Rias's heart breaking. Her calm leadership was gone, replaced by a visible, desperate worry. "Retreat! That's an order! Both of you, get back to the base immediately!"
Issei hoisted me over his shoulder. For the first time, he didn't push the Boosted Gear beyond the safe limit—not because he couldn't, but because he was terrified that if he did, there would be no one left to carry me back.
The Phoenix Descends
As we reached the steps of the replica ORC building, the sky turned a sickening shade of gold.
Riser Phoenix materialized in the air above us. He wasn't even fighting. He was just there, his presence alone making the gravity feel ten times heavier. He looked down at us—two bloodied, broken Pawns—and didn't even bother to sneer. To him, we were already dead.
"Rias," he called out, his voice echoing through the dimension. "Your pieces are broken. Your hope is gone. Give up now, and I might let these two live as stable-boys."
Rias stepped out of the building, her face pale, her hair messy. She looked at me, lying on the ground as Asia frantically tried to heal my scorched chest. She looked at Issei, who was trembling with exhaustion.
"I... I can't let them suffer anymore," Rias whispered. I saw her hand go toward her chest—she was going to forfeit. She was going to sacrifice her pride and her entire future to save us.
I forced myself to sit up, pushing Asia's hands away. "Don't you dare, Mistress."
Rias froze. "Motohama, you're in no condition—"
"He's right," Issei snarled, standing up beside me, his gauntlet glowing a faint, defiant green. "We didn't come here to watch you give up. We came here to win."
I looked up at Riser, a bloody smirk on my face. "He hasn't changed a bit from the 'canon', has he?"
"What is this 'canon' you keep babbling about?" Crom Cruach's voice filled my head. "You're a mess, boy. Stand up. It's pathetic to see my host crawling in the dirt."
'Then help me, you lizard! Help me stand!'
"Hmph. Out of pity then. Just this once."
A surge of cold, dark energy flowed into my legs. It wasn't a power-up; it was just a temporary fix, like a shot of adrenaline to a dead man. I stood up, leaning heavily on Issei.
Rias looked at us—her two Pawns, battered and bleeding, but refusing to let her surrender. Her eyes filled with tears, but her resolve hardened. She didn't forfeit. Instead, she raised her hand, her Power of Destruction flickering with a new, desperate intensity.
"The game... isn't over yet," she declared.