Broadcast Room — Kuoh Academy
Inside the broadcast room, aside from Grayfia, Sona Shitori and her vice president, Tsubaki Shinra, were also present.
Tsubaki adjusted her glasses, concern flickering in her eyes.
"President, do you really think Rias stands a chance here? No matter how you look at it, the power difference is just too big."
Sona sighed softly, her expression calm but heavy.
"She doesn't have a choice anymore. Rias has been pushed into a corner—there's no way out but forward."
Tsubaki nodded reluctantly.
"Rias-senpai's servants are all quite talented. That Ryuichi alone takes up two Knight pieces, so he must be impressive… but the numbers don't lie. She's still at a massive disadvantage—no Pawns at all, and only one Bishop and one Rook…"
She adjusted her glasses again, her tone analytical.
"If Riser's eight Pawns manage to invade her base and all promote to Queens, the battle would end instantly."
Sona folded her arms, gazing at the glowing projection that displayed the ongoing Rating Game.
"We can't underestimate Rias. Let's see how far her command ability can take her…"
But as her eyes swept across the magic screen, Sona suddenly froze. Her expression shifted sharply, and she pushed herself up from the table in shock.
"Wait—what is that!?"
Tsubaki turned her gaze to the screen as well, and her eyes widened.
"What's going on!? Why are there two Ryuichis!?"
Their disbelief was echoed across every faction watching the match in the Underworld. Every observer squinted at the projection, eyes fixed on Ryuichi.
Alternate Space — Old School Building
Ryuichi had just begun to grasp what they meant by a "replica of Kuoh Academy" when, suddenly, another version of himself separated right out of his body.
Even he was momentarily stunned.
The sensation was strange—like he'd just gained an entirely independent duplicate of himself. But what truly shocked him was that both were the real him. No illusion, no copy—just two complete versions of Ryuichi.
"What's happening…?" Asia rubbed her eyes, staring at the two identical Ryuichis as if she couldn't trust her vision.
Akeno tilted her head, intrigued, while Koneko simply blinked, expression unreadable.
Only Rias's eyes narrowed with deep thought.
"Could this be… because of his dual classification?"
Ryuichi quietly examined his own state and realized something astounding—his strength hadn't diminished at all. In fact, it had effectively doubled.
A small, amused smile tugged at his lips.
"Well… I think I just uncovered something incredible."
Rias's eyes lit up, excitement flickering across her face.
"Ryuichi's piece combination is Knight plus Pawn. I always suspected there was something extraordinary about that… but this—this is beyond anything I imagined!"
Akeno's eyes widened as understanding dawned.
"Because Ryuichi holds two ranks, but the Rating Game separates classifications… that means the system manifested two versions of him—one registered as a Knight, the other as a Pawn!?"
"There's no precedent for this," Rias said breathlessly, "but it's the most reasonable explanation!"
Her face broke into a delighted grin—this was a game-changing revelation.
Ryuichi chuckled lightly. "And I think that's not all…"
He clenched his fists, feeling the energy surging through both bodies simultaneously. A slow, confident smirk spread across his face.
"Even though my roles are split, both of my bodies can still use the powers of both ranks… including my Sacred Gear."
The room went silent for a heartbeat—then everyone's eyes widened.
Rias gasped. "So… that means either version of you can use the Knight's speed and the Pawn's Promotion?"
Ryuichi nodded slightly.
"That's… that's completely overpowered!" Rias couldn't help but exclaim.
Akeno giggled behind her hand. "Ara ara~ this really is something special."
Asia clapped her hands in excitement. "That's amazing, Ryuichi-san!"
Koneko simply murmured, "Cheat-level…"
Back in the broadcast room, Sona slowly sank back into her seat, her face filled with disbelief.
"Unbelievable… Rias actually had a Pawn all along? And not just that—he's a Devil with dual pieces?"
Tsubaki's mouth fell open. "So that means… when Ryuichi reincarnated, she used two Knight pieces and eight Pawn pieces on the same person!?"
Both of them were utterly stunned.
Meanwhile, the high-ranking nobles and devils watching from the Underworld were equally speechless.
Rias had kept Ryuichi's status completely secret—everyone thought she simply hadn't found a suitable Pawn yet. Even her own brother, Sirzechs Lucifer, the Demon King himself, hadn't been informed.
And now, in the middle of an official Rating Game, the truth was laid bare for all to see. Not only did she have a Pawn, but that Pawn was also a Knight—her ultimate hidden trump card.
The revelation caused a ripple of shock across the entire observing realm.
"Grayfia," came a calm, commanding voice through telepathic transmission.
"Yes, Lord Sirzechs?"
"During the match, ensure that Ryuichi comes to no harm. Protect him if necessary. Do not let any 'accidents' occur."
Sirzechs Lucifer, one of the Four Great Satans, gave his order immediately.
While it was true that Rating Games automatically teleported out any participants who suffered fatal injuries, there had been exceptions in the past—rare cases where the battle grew too intense and someone actually died.
Ryuichi's existence was an unprecedented anomaly. Naturally, Sirzechs couldn't ignore it.
"Alright then," Rias said, her voice steady and eyes sharp with renewed determination. "Let's start planning our tactics. Ryuichi, I'll coordinate the overall command. Tell me your original plan so I can adjust to support it."
Ryuichi smiled faintly and tapped his finger on the map of Kuoh Academy spread out before them.
"My initial plan was simple: you hold the line while I break through, promote, and execute a decapitation strike on Riser himself. It's the only realistic way for a weaker team to beat a stronger one. But that would have put immense pressure on everyone."
He leaned back slightly, his expression confident.
"Now, though, things have changed. With two of me, we can adapt—make things much easier. The new core of the strategy is this—we'll switch the battlefield."
Rias blinked. "Switch the battlefield?"
Ryuichi nodded.
"Exactly. I'll need you and Asia to engage Riser's Queen. You don't need to defeat her—just hold her off."
Everyone froze.
Akeno frowned slightly. "Wait, you want Rias to fight Riser's Queen? She's the King—she shouldn't be on the front lines!"
That was supposed to be Akeno's job.
"And Ryuichi," Rias interjected, "if Riser's eight Pawns break into our base, they'll all promote into Queens! We can't afford to leave it undefended."
"You're right," Ryuichi agreed calmly. Then he smiled. "That's why before we switch positions, we'll take out those eight Pawns first—with everyone's help."
Everyone fell silent.
It was simple logic: if the Pawns were eliminated, the base didn't need defending. Even if they handed the enemy the location, Riser wouldn't be able to do anything with it.
Ryuichi's plan was—without a doubt—a bold game of strategic misdirection, a Tian Ji horse race in devil form.
The question was—could it really be that easy?