Highschool DxD Hiro

Part VIII

"A marriage!?" Issei exclaimed at the table as I nodded slowly, feeling utter defeat. "We have to do something about this damn it! We can't just let Rias be taken away!"
Issei slammed his hands on the table as Koneko joined us, "what's up with you two? You're acting more angsty then a teen at an emo gift shop."
"Rias is being taken away.. Via a marriage..."
Koneko could feel the defeat in my voice, she was the one suggested the date idea to me.
"There has to be a way to stop it!" Issei exclaimed as he slammed his fist against the table again, so much for being subtle about this.
"There is."
Akeno said as she joined our little group, "how exactly?" I asked as she stood beside Koneko, "a Rating Game?"
"A Rating game?"
Akeno nodded when Issei and I questioned what a Rating Game was.
"It's like a battle, our household versus their household, but there's a slight problem..." Akeno said as she looked at me, "you won't be able to participate."
"What? Why?!"
"Because while you're integral to our household, and a member of our family, you haven't died and Rias hasn't made you one of her servants yet, a Rating Game is a battle between the households evil pieces." Akeno said as I clenched my fists, was there really nothing I could do? It was Asia all over again...

Twenty minutes later we were at the club, when Rias' father appeared, along with that man.. Riser Phenex, if douchebag was a person, it would be Riser, his shit eating grin, the way he talked which made him sound oh so special to his own ego, he was like Issei, if Issei had turned out a lot worse. "So this is your newest servant Rias?" Riser said as he pointed at me, Rias shaking her head slowly, "he hasn't died yet so I can't make him a servant."
"Aww, that's too bad, I was kind of looking forward to humiliating this little shit."
Even the way he talked, he was trying to put me down, "get fucked you roasted chicken!" Issei shouted, making fun of the fact that Riser was like a phoenix, but hearing Riser get called a roasted chicken caused a laugh to escape me, "roasted chicken..." I snickered a little which agitated Riser, then he saw Rias, a smirk creeping across his face as he approached her, roughly grabbing her breast which provoked a sound from her, Issei and I feeling resentment towards this douche,
"Rating Game!"
Issei shouted as Rias looked shocked, "we challenge you to a Rating Game for Rias' freedom"
Akeno added, trying to make the energy in the room more calm, Riser smirked and laughed that pompous laugh of his, "I accept your challenge, in ten days the Rating game will commence, here are my conditions, if I win than Rias has to accept my marriage, and if you win, then Rias is freed from her marriage." Everyone nodded to agree to it and the race was on, everyone needed to train, including me.. Even though I wasn't a part of the Rating Game.

Those ten days went by extremely quick and before we knew it the Rating Game had began, I watched as Rias' pieces did battle with Riser's pieces. It was a well fought battle but Riser had won, the energy growing dark as Rias had disappeared with Riser to commence the wedding in a few days.

"There has to be something I can do...!" I mumbled as now I was the one who slammed my hand against the table, my emotions were all over the place, I was feeling angry, upset, useless... Pathetic... The more I thought about my emotions, the more depressed I became.
"Oi Hiro!" I heard a voice call out as I lifted my head from the table, it was Merith, cheery as ever.
"What's the matter with you? You look down in the dumps." Merith said as I nodded slowly, "someone I care about very deeply is about to be married to someone awful..." I mumbled as Merith sat down beside me, patting my head as I looked at her in confusion. "Well looky here my handsome scarred boi, you can overrule a devil's marriage by declaring to challenge the groom in a one on one battle, winner, gets the bride!"
"How did you know I was talking about a devil's marriage?"
"Well that's easy! You hang around that Gremory girl and it's quite obvious that she is a devil, I know about her engagement with Riser Phenex, just make sure you challenge him on the day of the wedding."
"What for?"
"So it's super dramatic and stuff!"
Merith said as I nodded, hugging her tightly, "thank you.. So much..." I mumbled as Merith's face turned a deep shade of red, her hand going down my shirt and feeling one of my scars, a small bit of drool hanging from her mouth as she then pulled away.