An irresistible heart and will

Chapter 14 - Ascending dragon locks horn with the invincible youth devil P2

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

[Ddraig speaking]

{Albion speaking}

<<Past wielders speaking>>

("Flashback dialogue")

["Announcer/commentator speaking"]

"Powers"

...

["Ladies and gentlemen! The rating game of the century is about to commence! It is Sairaorg Bael vs Rias Gremory!" From the east side, we have Sairaorg Bael's peerage stationed, and on the west side, we have Rias Gremory's peerage side stationed.] 

"YEEEEEEAAAAH!" 

Roars of delight reverberated, as the resounding cheers and exuberant shouts reached a crescendo. The mighty Dome quaked with utmost intensity, ready to witness an extraordinary battle between two talented peerages. 

"Everyone, before this game begins, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for everything you have done for me. It is always an honour and pleasure to fight alongside each of you. Please don't worry about the outcome of this game; instead, stay focused and fight with determination." Rias Gremory broke the ice and tried to boost the morale of her team. She looked at all her servants attentively, except for Issei, as she felt guilty for hurting him.

The same can be said about all of them. They were more concerned about their cherished team member and pawn - no... He is not the pawn of the team; he is the heart of the team. With courage and grace, he would take a stand, uniting all with a wave of his hand. 

Issei Hyoudou was the pulse that kept them alive, inspiring greatness, and helping them thrive. 

"We will win. This is no ordinary rating game; I have a statement to prove," Issei said, radiating confidently. His sharp, greenish-brown eyes instilled a ray of hope in the Orc members. 

"Senpai..."

"We will give it our best shot!"

"We feel confident already because you're back."

Koenko, Akeno and Asia replied with tears of joy. 

Before more can be said, a giant hologram of a man appeared in the middle of the stadium. ["Bonjour everybody! I, Naud Gamigin, will have the honour of being your broadcaster of this match."]

Naud Gamigin was a handsome man with sky-blue hair and a grey-trimmed beard. He originated from the house of Gagimin of the former 72 pillars.

["The arbiter for this game will be Rudiger Rosenkreutz!"]

A magic circle appeared in the air. Rudiger was a handsome man, who appeared to be in his mid-20s, with silver hair and green eyes. 

The crowd, particularly women blushed seeing him.

"Rudiger Rosenkreutz..." Koneko muttered. "Buhco is he that reincarnated devil and--"

"Yes," Rias instantly answered Koneko's query.  "He was a former human and he currently ranked 7th. To think someone like him is the arbiter of this game."

"Unbelievable, it perfectly illustrates how much fame this game has attracted." Kiba also acknowledged.

"But why not Grafiya-san?" Issei added his input. "I mean in all the games we have participated in, she was the arbiter."

"The Maous will not approve Grafiya-san because she holds connections from the Gremory side," Akeno responded sheepishly. "Grafiya-san is the spouse and Queen of Sirzechs-sama. Furthermore, she was also our part-time mentor."