The Gremory estate buzzed with renewed energy.
Carriages had arrived that morning from the Sitri domain, bringing with them Sona Shitori and her peerage — calm, formal, disciplined as ever. Their arrival wasn't unusual. Over the past year, Sona and Rias had agreed to regular mock battles between their growing peerages to encourage growth and camaraderie.
But today felt different.
Because today, Serafall Leviathan had come along.
Gasper's POV
From his usual spot on the upper balcony of the estate's private arena, Gasper watched the new arrivals filter in.
Sona walked at the front — composed, serious — her glasses catching the gentle light of the Underworld's false sun. Behind her, her peerage followed in formation. Familiar faces by now.
Tsubaki, graceful and sharp-eyed.
Momo, Reya, Tomoe, and Tsubasa — solid, skilled, disciplined.
He recognized their quiet smiles as they exchanged greetings with Rias and her team. But there was no mistaking the undercurrent in the air.
This wasn't just a social call.
Serafall spun in dramatically behind them, twirling in a blue magical dress that defied both gravity and fashion logic. She landed beside her sister and instantly wrapped her arms around Sona.
"Sona-chaaaaan! You didn't tell me you were growing your hair out again!"
"I told you twice," Sona replied with a sigh. "You just don't listen."
"I listen with my heart!" Serafall said, then turned and struck a pose when she noticed Sirzechs approaching.
"Oh~! Lucifer-samaaa~!"
Sirzechs gave her a tired smile. "It's good to see you again, Serafall. Thank you for accompanying your sister."
"Of course!" she beamed. "Gotta make sure nobody bullies her. Especially not your scary little sister and her hell-trained murder-children."
Rias, nearby, only smiled sweetly. "We're not scary. We're focused."
Minutes Later – The Training Arena
The miniature Rating Game field had been summoned within the estate grounds. A contained, magical battlefield, sectioned into zones with floating terrain cubes, limited barriers, and illusion-projecting wardstones.
Rias stood at the center with her team — Akeno, Kiba, Koneko, and Gasper.
Across from them stood Sona's peerage in a perfect line.
The atmosphere crackled with anticipation.
They've come a long way, Gasper thought, glancing around at his teammates.
Akeno adjusted her gloves, her eyes half-lidded, already smirking.
Koneko was silent, bouncing once on the balls of her feet.
Kiba stood tall, calm and ready, blade already humming faintly.
And Rias — she was radiant. Composed. She wore her command with ease now.
We were equals once, Gasper thought. But not anymore.
"Begin."
The match started instantly.
Sona's team moved with military precision. Tsubaki and Tomoe broke left, shielding Reya as she began chanting a wide-area mist field. Tsubasa launched upward, raining down wind blades to control the center zone.
Rias's voice rang out sharply.
"Koneko, pressure flank! Kiba, split center and bait their rook! Akeno, suppress the left zone! Gasper, support me with defense barriers!"
Right, Gasper thought, already casting.
His hands moved, forming quick layers of silver-violet energy. Barriers shimmered in front of Rias and Akeno as Tsubasa's attack landed. One cracked slightly but held.
Akeno lifted her hand, and lightning surged from her fingertips.
It twisted mid-air, arcing unnaturally, guided to avoid Sona's counter-barrier and instead strike behind it, where Reya stood.
Perfect targeting.
Reya cried out and staggered, her mist spell disrupted.
Koneko charged the left zone with blinding speed. She ducked low, flipped off a boulder, and landed a crushing palm on Tomoe's shoulder, knocking her off her feet.
Meanwhile, Kiba engaged Tsubaki, their swords clashing in rapid succession — steel and light dancing in flashes.
But it wasn't the individual moves that impressed Gasper.
It was the coordination.
Rias didn't just order.
She predicted.
She orchestrated.
We used to fight like individual stars. Now we're a constellation, Gasper thought, lips twitching into a smile.
He poured more energy into the defensive matrix as Tsubasa shifted targets and tried to flank Rias. But Rias had already turned.
"Gasper, drop rear shield. Fire tunnel. Now!"
He dismissed the barrier instantly and activated his secondary spell — a concentrated fire line that traced along the edge of the terrain, cutting off Tsubasa's escape path.
Akeno's lightning followed seconds later, trapping her in a two-pronged assault.
Tsubasa withdrew — scorched, cornered.
Tsubaki broke rank to help, but that exposed Reya again.
Kiba vanished from Tsubaki's sight and reappeared with a flicker — illusory footwork.
One clean, controlled strike knocked Reya out of the field.
One by one, the Sitri team fell.
Not without effort.
Not without skill.
But Rias's peerage had grown too fast, too far.
They didn't just follow commands. They anticipated them.
They didn't attack for glory. They moved as one.
Even Gasper, once the weakest, had become a tactical lynchpin — his magic weaving defense and offense in perfect rhythm with his team.
When the final bell rang and Sona's team stood defeated, there was no mocking. No arrogance.
Just silence.
And then, polite applause from the sidelines.
Sona stepped forward, adjusting her glasses.
"That was… decisive."
Rias nodded. "You pushed us harder than last time."
"Which is why I'm concerned," Sona said calmly. "Your peerage has advanced at a pace far beyond normal projections."
Grayfia — who had been watching silently near the back — gave the faintest smile.
Gasper felt the corner of his lips rise, too.
Of course we have, he thought. We were made for this.
But his smile faded as he looked at Rias again — sweat on her brow, light in her eyes.
She had come so far.
Not just a leader now — a commander.
A queen in the making.
And that meant he needed to be more than just a support.
He needed to be indispensable.
My time will come, he thought, stepping back from the field.
Soon, I'll stop watching. And start leading.
End of Chapter 6
Give me some ideas.