"Red-Headed Centipede"

Awakening

Rias POV:
I screamed Issei's name like it's the only word I knew. I was forced to watch as Riser brutally beat him down with nothing but his fist. The mere thought of him killing my beloved made me take action. I quickly got in his way and pushed him from Issei. I turned to look at Issei and all he could reply with was a blank stare of pain. I looked down and clenched my fist as I felt the shame on my back. How could the next household owner of the Gremory Family let her whole peerage down? I looked at Riser with tears in my eyes. "....I resign..." Riser gave me the look that clearly meant he couldn't believe what he heard. "W-What was that? Could you please repeat that?" He asked me, mocking me. "I surrender!" I yelled making him smile brightly. While he basked in his glory, I ran over to Issei and held him in my arms. "I'm sorry Prez....I let you down..." He apologized while breathing heavy. I could only cry my eyes out. "It's not your fault Issei...it's fine really...this was my decision.." He grabbed my shoulder with tight grip which caught me off-guard. "President...I can still--" Issei didn't get to finish his sentence before coughing out blood. I put my hand over his mouth. "Shh. You did your best. That's all I could ever asked for." He wiped my tears and smiled before he fell unconscious. Riser walked over and picked me up. "Let's go. We need to get you ready, my darling." He said while trying to nuzzle with me. I gagged loudly so he would hear it.

Issei POV:
I woke up back in my room. I looked around and saw that I was alone. "What happened?" I asked myself under my breath. A circle appeared in my room making me stand. "You participated in the Rating Game against Riser. Don't you remember?" Grayfiya asked me. I tried to think back to earlier. It was all a haze, but I do remember seeing it. I remember seeing Rias crying, I remember seeing my comrades falling one by one, and I could remember that bastard Riser's smile as he stood victorious. I could only begin to cry as I realized exactly what happened. "It's my fault. The reason she gave up was because of me! If I had just been stronger!!" I wiped my eyes. "Issei, no one is at fault. This was Lord Gremory's decision. Even her older brother was against it. What's important is that you did your best--" Grayfiya said before being interrupted by me. "MY BEST ISN'T ENOUGH!!...just thinking about what that Riser bastard is gonna do to her! I can't stand it! Rias doesn't deserve any of this bullshit!" I stood up. She laughed. "You're such a brave man. You wear your heart on your sleeve for everyone to see...here take this." She said while handing me a flyer. "What's this?" I asked her. "It's a transportation spell that will take you to the engagement party, but Sirzechs sent me here with a message. 'If you want to save my sister, you better be ready to fight.' " I clenched the flyer. "Fine, if it has to be that way, then I'll do it!"

About an hour passed and I appeared in front of the doors to the party. I took a moment to take a long deep breath. "(It's now or never Issei! You want to save her right! Then break open these doors!)" I kicked open the doors and just barley made it before they kissed. "Get your hands of my woman!!" I yelled at Riser while pointing my Boosted Gear at him. "What the hell!? What are you doing here!?" He asked baffled. "Does he have a death wish or something?" His sister Ravel asked to everyone. I charged towards them. "Give her back dammit!!" Riser pointed at me. "Seize him!!" Five guards appeared out of nowhere making me stop in my tracks. "Out of my way!!" I punched the one in front of me in the gut, sent my knee into the face on the guy to my left, kicked the guy on my left in the face, and punched behind me to take down the fourth one. "Wait, weren't there five?" I heard a lighting strike from behind me. I turned to see Akeno smile at me. "That was so hot. Go save Rias, we'll take over from here." I nodded and jumped onto the platform and grabbed Riser by his collar. "You, Me, one on one now!!" I said in his face. "Issei! Stop!" Rias tried to pull me off. "Now you two, let's not get ahead of ourselves." Sirzechs said while walking into the room. Riser stared shocked while I stood unfazed. "S-Sirzechs!? What are you doing here?" He smiled. "I had this planned out. You see after seeing how bad you preformed at the rating game, I felt like you deserved another chance. So I planned out a fight between a Dragon and The Phoenix." Riser rubbed his neck. "I'm fine with that." Rias got in front of me. "No! I will not let Issei fight!!" I grabbed her shoulder making her turn. "Please...let me do this.." I said to her with a solemn smile. She sighed and moved out of the way. "So? What say you Red Dragon? Do you accept?" Sirzechs asked me. "I've been ready."