At Isabella's signal, Karlamine pounced with her sword at the ready to finish the pinned Rossweisse. The Valkyrie semi broke free of Isabella's grip but was still unable to stand as her legs were still being held down by the enemy Rook. Rossweisse punched Isabella in the head several times, but her grip remained firm. Karlamine's blade drew ever closer and was now only a mere several inches from her.
Thinking quickly, she adjusted her body so she would dodge the blade only slightly, but it deflected off of her breast plate and pierced Isabella's shoulder. The Rook yelped in shock and pain and quickly let go of Rossweisse's legs.
Karlamine was sent tumbling again as she took a solid shoulder barge from a Scale Mail clad Haru. The Red Dragon Emperor floated off the ground and looked down at the enemy Pieces. He felt absolutely hardcore at this point, but he still remained grounded in the game. However, he still wasn't used to the power drain required to fuel his Scale Mail, so he was feeling a little light headed too.
"Great, now we're outnumbered." Karlamine said through gritted teeth as she stood. She and Isabella were both feeling tired and beaten, but they couldn't afford to just give up, especially in the faces of Rating Game noobs.
"You might as well stop fighting now. We've got you on the ropes, and Rias is gonna kick Riser's ass. So do yourselves a favour and retire already." Haru said challengingly. However, he'd noticed the menacing smirks the two had. "Hey, what are you smirking at?"
"Oh nothing, just that your Knight friend has a bad case of explosions." Isabella said cruelly. Haru snapped his view to Kiba just a moment before an explosion swallowed him from the spot he stood. A cold laugh came from above them, revealing Yubelluna, healed and re-energised for battle.
"One of Lady Rias' Knights, retired."
Haru had enough of Yubelluna taking out his friends one by one. First Koneko, then Akeno, and now Kiba. He wouldn't let her get Rossweisse or get back to Riser. He was gonna eliminate her himself.
Just then while he was distracted, Karlamine and Isabella jumped Rossweisse, making her drop her sword as the Rook wrapped her arms under Rossweisse's and locked her fingers together behind the Valkyrie's neck. Karlamine stabbed her sword through the armour on Rossweisse's foot and into the ground, rooting her to the spot.
Haru saw Yubelluna powering up another explosion spell to unleash on Rossweisse, who was being attacked and rooted by Karlamine and Isabella. He flew at Yubelluna and grabbed her staff, making another spot on the track field explode as he knocked it in another direction.
Rossweisse snapped out of her surprise and viciously slammed the back of her head into Isabella's nose, but the enemy Rook wouldn't give in. With a burst of strength, the Valkyrie shook Isabella's grip loose and added another headbutt for good measure. She tore Karlamine's sword from her foot and turned with her sword arm extended, cutting through Isabella and eliminating her.
She then turned again and Karlamine was barely given time to register what had happened before she too became a burst of blue light as her own sword cut through her torso diagonally.
"One of Lord Riser's Rooks, and one Knight, retired."
The sword faded from the Valkyrie's grip and she felt drained. She looked at Haru battling Yubelluna above her and she knew Haru was struggling. He was tanking explosion after explosion, soaking up as much damage as the Bomb Queen could dish out. But his armour was beginning to fall apart with cracks splitting the plates in intricate webs of deterioration.
Then, his armour faded away segment by segment. Panic struck Haru as his only defence against Yubelluna's explosive power was gone. As he fell through the air, he saw the Bomb Queen's smile widen as she prepared another attack.
That's it. I'm done for. I'm sorry Rias, I screwed up again. Haru thought morosely as he plummeted towards the ground. Suddenly he felt a strong grip on his arm and he was swung through the air. He managed to catch a glimpse of who threw him and saw Rossweisse take the brunt of a devastating explosion from Yubelluna.
Moments before, Rossweisse had only a split second to react as she felt Yubelluna's energy spike once more to finish Haru off. So she did the only thing she could at the time, and that was to take the blow herself. She knew in her state she wouldn't be much help against Riser, but she knew Haru could get his Queen promotion when in Riser's base.
Sorry I couldn't stick this one out Ruto, but duty dictates. She thought before springing into action. She unfolded her wings and surged towards Haru, catching him by the arm and swinging him towards the enemy base. She then felt the scorching heat and brutal force of Yubelluna's attack hit her in the back. She was out for the count, but not totally for nothing.
"One of Rias' Rooks, retired." a tightness was in Grayfia's voice in that announcement. Ruto was stood totally still as he processed that. Rossweisse was down, and now all Rias had left was a weakened Pawn, a Bishop and a magically drained and limited Rogue Piece.
He took off in a sprint, not even caring at that moment whether Siris was behind him or not. Fury coursed through his veins, and whether or not it was a good idea, he was going to pay Riser back for all of the shit he'd put them through.
Ruto, calm down! It's not like you to get so emotional. Think logically dammit! Albion chastised, trying to stem the flow of Ruto's rage.
No, fuck that! I'm sick to death of this speech deficient ass hole making a mockery of us! Ruto replied with a dangerous edge in his voice. Suddenly Ruto could taste the metallic tang of blood. A stabbing pain welled in his chest and he fell to a knee, his hand on the wall for support. He coughed hoarsely, blood splatting across the bottom of the wall and on the floor.
Your reserves are exhausted. Seriously, what do you expect to do, huh? Angrily flail at him? You've tried your best Ruto, that's all you could have done. Albion tried to comfort him, but being who he was, it wasn't good enough.
No, it's not over til it's over. My plan has crumbled, yes. But we haven't lost yet. Ruto retorted defiantly.
Albion huffed angrily. She was growing weary of his constant self-destructive tendencies in battle.
Look, summoning the Brahmastra was the last straw. That alone should have taken you out. Then going ahead and using more mana only made it worse. You can probably feel it but your body is cannibalising itself again. If you keep going, your body is going to wither away trying to make more mana.
Ruto knew she was right, and he was feeling a little lighter than usual. But his mission was to stop Riser from making Rias' life a living hell, and there was no way he was going to let it happen while he could do something about it.
A fierce explosion rocked the building from the roof. Plaster and pain crumbled from the ceiling. Ruto stood, knowing time was short. He coughed again and spat out more blood. Time was short indeed. He felt an arm loop around his shoulders and his arm over someone else's shoulders.
He looked to his left to see Siris giving him a confident smile. She gave him a nod, which he returned and she helped him along the corridor. They found a window that led out onto the roof of the school building and climbed out. Ruto heard what sounded like words mixed in with sobbing. He came away from Siris and rushed up the sloping tiled roof, only to find Rias pressed against Riser, begging him to stop beating Haru, who looked up at the spectacle with glassy eyes as blood flowed freely from his nose and mouth.
"I forfeit! Just stop hurting him!" Rias cried tearfully. Ruto gritted his teeth in anger and charged.
"Don't you fucking dare Gremory!" he jumped at the surprised Phenex King and crashed into him with a kinetically strenghtened drop kick to the face. He tumbled down the other side of the sloped roof and rolled to a stop. He stood and glared up at Ruto.
"So, you finally come to fight Riser, after leaving others to do the work? How lowly of you." he scoffed.
"You know, I'm done with you Riser. You're an ass hole, you're a moron, and even more so you're just the biggest piece of shit." Ruto taunted bitingly.
Rias looked at Ruto, glad he'd arrived but still deemed the effort totally hopeless. "There's no point anymore Ruto. We've lost. Please, don't drag this out any longer." she pleaded, fresh tears staining her face.
"Yes, listen to her. Riser has won this match, as he always does. Now stand down little human. You have no place in the affairs of noble Devils." Riser chided with a smirk. Ruto simply flipped him off.
"Fuck you and your nobility." he growled. He didn't want to admit it, but they had indeed lost. But he was stubborn, and wouldn't lose willingly if he was still conscious. He slid down the roof and met Riser with a mean uppercut, effectively doing nothing to Riser in his weakened state.
"Your tenacity is commendable. But it can only go so far before becoming stupidity." he said darkly before grabbing Ruto's outstretched arm and pulled him in, kneeing him in the gut. Blood flew from Ruto's mouth and he fell to the ground cursing under his breath.
He kicked the downed magician in the ribs and stomped on his chest. "No amount of magic will fell Riser, and no Dragon Emperors will defeat me either. Check Mate." He met Siris' gaze and grinned. It had all come full circle.
Haru could muster no strength and in the end all he could ask was "Why?"
"Lady Rias' resignation is recognised. Lord Riser Phenex is the winner of this game." Grayphia, despite all of her professionalism, couldn't get the sound of disappointment past Ruto, even in his battered and bloodied state.
I'll fuck you up for this Riser. You can count on that. Ruto swore. His vision blurred and his consciousness finally slipped away.