Disclaimer: Just in case nobody realized I don't own nor do I claim ownership of Highschool DxD, all characters and worlds belong to their real world respective owners. I'm just having some fun, that's all.
Warning sexual content disclaimer: All characters and actions are above 18+
Highschool DxD: The Cursed King of Kuoh
S1 Ch 28: Let The Games Begin
Sukuna's subjugation ritual began with a bang.
The moment Sukuna waved his hand forward, the swarm of monstrous rabbits shrieked and surged toward him like a tidal wave of fur, claws, and glowing red eyes.
Hundreds upon hundreds of them flooded across the clearing, trampling over one another in their single desire to tear him apart while Max Elephant roared from behind them loud enough to shake the surrounding forest.
The sound alone made the trees tremble.
Sukuna grinned. "Come on!"
The ground exploded beneath his feet as he launched himself upward into the air. Dirt and shattered stone burst outward while the swarm collided where he'd been standing a fraction of a second earlier, claws and horns tearing apart empty earth.
Sukuna flipped gracefully overhead while flicking out his hands.
"Dismantle."
Invisible slashes screamed through the air.
The front line of rabbits exploded apart instantly. Bodies were bisected cleanly down the middle while blood sprayed across the clearing in violent arcs. Some lost limbs entirely while others were carved into chunks before collapsing lifelessly into the dirt.
Or at least—they should have.
Sukuna's grin faltered slightly as the severed pieces twitched, then began to move.
A rabbit cut cleanly in half suddenly regenerated both missing portions, turning one creature into two. Another split into four after multiple cuts regenerated simultaneously. Limbs regrew and bodies reconstructed themselves.
In seconds, the swarm had multiplied instead of diminished.
Sukuna clicked his tongue.
"…That's annoying."
Below him, the sea of glowing red eyes only grew larger, while the Max Elephant roared. The monstrous mammoth-like shikigami raised its massive trunk toward the sky before unleashing a torrent of water powerful enough to split the clearing apart.
The blast shot toward Sukuna like a compressed river.
He twisted midair, narrowly avoiding it.
The water beam tore through the forest inside the barrier instead, obliterating trees instantly while steam exploded upward from the impact zone. Entire sections of the mountain vanished beneath the pressure.
"That all you got?!" Sukuna shouted while flipping backward through the air.
The creature's hollow eyes glowed brighter as the massive stream suddenly compressed inward. Instead of broad blasts, dozens of hyper-condensed water shots erupted from its trunk like railgun rounds.
The difference in pressure was immediately apparent, making his eyes sharpen slightly.
"Oh?"
The attacks screamed through the air with terrifying penetration power, carving straight through everything they touched. Trees exploded into splinters while boulders shattered apart instantly beneath the concentrated force.
Sukuna hit the ground running.
His body blurred left and right as he skidded through the battlefield, backflipping and twisting to avoid the concentrated shots ripping through the clearing around him. One blast narrowly missed his head. Another sliced past his thigh close enough for him to feel the heat and pressure against his skin.
Then—a water shot pierced directly through his right shoulder.
Blood sprayed from the wound as he slid to a stop. The attack had punched cleanly through his collarbone, leaving a fist-sized hole straight through his body.
The wound immediately began regenerating until the hole vanished.
"Better," he complimented with a smirk to the Shikigami.
He activated Reinforcement technique and built up curse energy into his legs before kicking off the ground launching himself towards the giant elephant which immediately unleashed another barrage of compressed water shots.
But this time Sukuna weaved through them now with frightening precision. He dashed left and right, each time narrowly avoiding attacks that carved through the earth behind him.
Just as he was about to close the distance something landed on his back.
Sukuna glanced over his shoulder mid-sprint, locking eyes with one of the rabbits clinging to his back.
"…Huh?"
Then suddenly the Shikigami's body began glowing brighter and brighter. His eyes suddenly widened.
"Oh shit—" He shouted as the rabbit exploded.
The blast detonated directly against Sukuna's back, launching him violently across the clearing. Dirt and debris erupted everywhere while part of his sleeveless shirt burned away completely.
He rolled several times before skidding to a stop against cracked earth.
"…Tch."
Before he could stand Max Elephant roared again.
The gigantic shikigami reared onto its hind legs before slamming both front feet down into the ground. The impact unleashed a giant shockwave.
The earth itself split apart beneath the force as the pressure wave blasted across the clearing and smashed into Sukuna head-on. His body flew backward like a rag doll before crashing against Ura's barrier hard enough to make the construct shake violently.
As he tried to get his bearings the shikigami rabbits swarmed him.
Hundreds of them flooded over his body in a screaming tidal wave of claws and horns. They piled atop one another relentlessly, burying Sukuna beneath a mountain of twitching fur and glowing red eyes.
Then every single one of them started to glow brighter and brighter, before detonating all at once.
The explosion swallowed the clearing.
Fire and cursed energy erupted upward in a massive mushroom cloud powerful enough to shake the surrounding mountains while nearby trees bent violently beneath the shockwave. The barrier groaned from the pressure while the earth cratered inward beneath the blast.
Ura's eyes widened. "Master!"
o-O-o
Back at the Gremory mansion the entire building trembled from the explosion.
Inside the estate, bedroom doors flew open as everyone rushed into the hallways in confusion.
"What was that?!" Asia yelped while clutching the edge of her oversized pajama shirt.
Kiba looked sharply toward the mountains while another distant tremor rolled through the estate.
Rias emerged from another hallway wearing her sheer purple nightgown while holding herself against the wall for balance.
Akeno followed shortly afterward in a dark mature nightie nearly as revealing, though unlike the others she looked more curious than frightened.
"It came from the forest," Kiba said.
Rias frowned. "I couldn't find Sukuna or Ura earlier…"
Everyone went still.
Then another explosion echoed faintly from the mountains making Akeno sighed softly.
"…Of course he's doing something insane."
Kiba immediately grabbed a jacket from nearby.
"We should go."
Nobody argued with him because knowing Sukuna whatever he was doing probably could get him killed.
The group quickly rushed outside, the cold mountain air hitting them immediately as they sprinted toward the distant disturbances in the forest.
o-O-o
Back inside the barrier, the smoke finally began clearing.
The center of the clearing had been obliterated, the earth itself had caved inward from the force of the explosion while fire still burned across scattered patches of ruined trees.
At the center of the crater—Sukuna knelt on one knee.
His shirt was gone completely, while his pants were partially burned and shredded while blood dripped steadily onto the ruined ground beneath him.
But more importantly his right arm was missing entirely from the bicep down, along with half of his face. Exposed muscle and bone steamed visibly in the cold night air while blood poured from the horrific injuries.
Ura's composure finally cracked.
"MASTER!"
She immediately stepped forward, fans already unfolding in her hands but Sukuna stopped her.
"Don't." His voice stopping her cold. "Stand down."
Ura froze visibly. "But your injuries—"
"Stand down." he said more sternly, making it clear it was an order.
Her jaw tightened but she obeyed and lowered her fans.
Inside the crater, Sukuna slowly rose back to his feet. Reverse Curse Technique surged through his body again.
He rolled his neck and slowly cracked it, the sound echoed through the ruined clearing.
He took several deep breaths before smiling again.
"My turn." His hands slammed against the ground. "Cleave."
The earth split apart instantly.
A massive spiderweb of cutting force erupted outward beneath the battlefield, carving enormous trenches through the clearing like a violent earthquake. The sudden destruction unbalanced both shikigami.
Max Elephant staggered sideways while the rabbits lost footing across the collapsing terrain.
Immediately he shot forward through the ruined battlefield before either summon could recover, dodging through the chaotic rabbit swarm while sprinting directly toward Max Elephant again.
The giant shikigami unleashed another barrage of compressed water shots immediately, but he avoided them all.
He twisted through one beam, slid beneath another, and then kicked off the collapsing earth to avoid a third before accelerating even faster toward the towering creature.
Max Elephant raised its foot again preparing another shockwave stomp. But this time Sukuna jumped before impact. The earth exploding beneath him as the shockwave passed harmlessly below.
Midair his grin widened before he kicked off the air itself, the move surprising even Ura.
His body blurred forward impossibly fast as he closed the remaining distance instantly. Making the elephant shikigami swing one of its massive tusks at him out of desperation.
He tilted his body sideways letting the tusk pass by him and as it did his hand flicked out.
"Cleave."
The elephant's truck bisected and fell down to the ground.
Blood erupted from the severed appendage while the monstrous shikigami released a deafening howl of pain that shook the entire forest.
He didn't stop moving.
He seized the creature's remaining tusk and swung around it like a gymnast before landing directly atop the elephant's massive back. Then he slammed both palms down.
Hundreds of cleaves erupted simultaneously inside the creature's body, making blood spew out everywhere.
Cuts ripped through muscle, organs, and bone from the inside out while blood poured from the elephant's eyes, ears, mouth, and wounds in massive streams.
The gigantic shikigami staggered violently and then collapsed making the earth shake. Moments later, its body dissolved into shadows and sank into Sukuna's own.
Sukuna breathed heavily, then grinned.
"One down."
Behind him—the rabbits screamed.
The remaining swarm flooded toward him again like a living tidal wave, multiplying continuously every time his slashes cut through them.
Sukuna's grin faded slightly. "Oh…Right."
He launched several more dismantles through the swarm. Which only made it worse as the horde of mutant bunnies continued to grow larger.
The entire battlefield became a sea of glowing red eyes and twitching horns rushing toward him from every direction.
Then Sukuna realized.
"…They need to die all at once."
He exhaled slowly before he jumped.
Midair, he unleashed four massive cleaves downward in rapid succession. The attacks carved enormous trenches into the battlefield, corralling the entire rabbit swarm into one confined square surrounded by the collapsing earth.
He landed heavily staggering slightly as his breathing became noticeably rougher now.
He'd used too many large-scale techniques and too much cursed energy. He needed to end this fight quickly.
Sukuna slowly raised one hand.
"…Open." Flames suddenly erupted from his fist.
It ignited with terrifying intensity while cursed energy twisted violently around the heat. Even the surrounding air distorted from the sheer temperature.
Then he pressed both palms together making the flames compress and condense.His cursed energy poured continuously into the technique while the fire slowly began taking shape between his hands forming a bow.
He gripped it with his left hand while his right pulled back a burning arrow constructed entirely from condensed cursed energy and fire.
The air screamed and even Ura's eyes widened.
"…Master…"
He held the string back as he poured every last drop of his cursed energy into the technique.
Then—he released it.
The arrow vanished and the world exploded. The divine flame tore through the battlefield like divine judgment itself.
The rabbits disappeared entirely beneath the inferno before they could even scream. Then the trees were vaporized and stone melted. The explosion swallowed everything in its path while the barrier itself began cracking violently beneath the pressure.
Ura's expression changed as she strained against the inferno.
"…No."
She reinforced the barrier desperately, but the flame kept expanding. Cracks began to spread faster and faster across the cube faster until the barrier shattered.
"MASTER!"
Ura was forced to teleport away an instant before the explosion consumed the clearing completely.
o-O-o
Far away, Rias and the others sprinted through the forest toward the disturbance, then the shockwave hit them.
The divine flame's pressure blasted through the mountains like a hurricane, knocking everyone off their feet instantly while nearby trees bent violently from the force.
Asia screamed.
Kiba slammed into the dirt shoulder-first while Rias barely managed to shield herself before dust and debris swallowed the forest around them.
The tremor rolled all the way back toward the mansion.
For several seconds nobody could see anything, and then slowly the dust began settling.
Rias coughed while pushing herself upright.
"Everyone okay?!"
"I-I'm okay!" Asia shouted weakly.
Kiba got up to his feet.
"What the hell was that?!"
Akeno stared toward the distant smoke plume rising into the sky.
"…Nothing good."
The group continued forward and when they finally arrived at the clearing they stopped dead in their tracks.
The forest was gone.
An enormous smoking crater stretched across the mountainside where trees and rocks had once stood. Everything inside the blast radius had been reduced to ash.
At the center of the devastation—Ura sat quietly on a piece of broken stone with Sukuna's unconscious head resting in her lap.
The attendant looked exhausted herself while the remains of shattered barriers flickered faintly around the crater edges.
Rias slowly stepped forward.
"…What happened here?"
Ura gently brushed a strand of hair away from Sukuna's face before answering calmly.
"My master was training," she paused. "And he overdid it again."
The others stared across the annihilated landscape around them. The burned trees, the melted earth, and the lingering heat radiating from the crater.
A single thought crossed all their minds at once.
What kind of training destroys a mountain?
o-O-o
The remaining days of training passed quickly after Sukuna's subjugation ritual, maybe too quickly.
Before anyone realized it, the ten-day preparation period had reached its end, and the atmosphere surrounding the Gremory peerage had changed completely from when they first arrived at the mountain estate.
And not just physically but mentally as well.
The group that originally arrived at the mansion had looked like a collection of talented but inexperienced young devils. But now they were much more focused and driven.
Akeno's lightning had become noticeably more lethal beneath Ura's brutal instruction. The attacks she once fired wildly now struck with terrifying precision and efficiency, each bolt concentrated tighter than before. Their training sessions had become a spectacle by themselves.
"Again," Ura ordered coldly.
Akeno stood in the middle of the field breathing heavily while electricity danced violently around her fingers. Sweat rolled down her neck beneath the hot afternoon sun as she unleashed another concentrated bolt toward a distant stone target.
This time, instead of exploding wildly the lightning pierced clean through the boulder. The rock cracked apart a second later before collapsing into rubble.
Akeno blinked with surprise at first then smiled proudly.
"My my. Look at that."
Ura remained unimpressed.
"You're still wasting energy."
Akeno's eye twitched.
"Must you ruin every accomplishment I have?"
"Yes."
Despite the constant bickering, though, the improvement was undeniable.
As for Kiba, he had changed perhaps the most mentally.
The knight stood alone in the training field one evening, sweat dripping from his jaw while dozens of broken practice swords littered the ground around him. His breathing came hard as he concentrated intensely on Sukuna's earlier advice.
"Perhaps you could be more creative than making one appear in your hand."
At first he didn't understand what he meant, but after some reflection it suddenly clicked.
A glowing magic circle appeared beside him making a sword emerge from thin air. Kiba's eyes widened, but he stayed focused as he made another appear. Sweat poured down his face from the immense concentration required just to maintain them.
"Interesting," Sukuna had muttered while watching lazily from nearby with his hands in his pockets.
Kiba gritted his teeth before thrusting his hand forward.
Using magic he sent the floating swords flying forward.
Shooting across the field like arrows and buried themselves into distant targets hard enough to explode chunks of wood outward.
Kiba stared with disbelief.
"I…I did it."
His excitement lasted exactly three seconds.
"Only two?" Sukuna asked flatly.
Kiba's eye twitched.
"I literally just learned how to do this."
"Hm."
The knight frowned.
"That's all you have to say?"
He shrugged lazily.
"You might not be completely useless after all."
Kiba looked simultaneously irritated and weirdly pleased by the compliment.
Sukuna nodded toward the floating swords.
"Don't focus on the number yet. Eventually you'll be shooting swords everywhere like Gilgamesh."
Kiba blinked.
"…Like who?"
Sukuna paused, then waved dismissively.
"Doesn't matter."
Kiba just stared at him with clear suspicion but kept his mouth shut for the time being.
Meanwhile, Koneko and Asia had progressed the furthest overall.
Koneko especially had evolved tremendously after finally breaking through her mental barrier. Under Sukuna's direct guidance, the young rook learned how to stabilize her transformed state completely while integrating senjutsu into her combat style.
The first time she successfully used a senjutsu-enhanced healing technique on herself, even Rias looked stunned.
Blue-black energy flowed calmly through Koneko's palms while cuts along her arm stitched themselves back together beneath everyone's eyes.
Koneko herself stared silently at her healed skin.
"…I did it."
Sukuna snorted from nearby.
"Obviously."
The small rook glanced toward him, and for once he genuinely praised her.
"Good work, kitten."
Koneko froze slightly at the words.
A faint blush immediately spread across her cheeks while her cat ears twitched instinctively atop her head. From then on, her confidence only continued to grow.
Asia's growth had been just as dramatic, but in a completely different way.
The former nun still lacked combat experience, but her mastery over Twilight Healing and barrier magic had risen to an entirely new level beneath Rias' training.
Where before she struggled to maintain a basic shield for several seconds, she could now summon layered barriers durable enough to withstand heavy attacks for prolonged periods.Even Sukuna had to admit they were "decent."
Coming from him, that practically counted as applause.
Rias herself improved as well, though not without difficulty.
After nearly a full day of pestering and negotiations, she somehow managed to convince Ura to help train her in controlling her Power of Destruction more efficiently.
The training had been merciless.
"Again," Ura said coldly.
Rias gritted her teeth and unleashed another sphere of crimson destruction magic. This time, instead of exploding wildly, the energy compressed tighter into a smaller concentrated shape.
Ura nodded faintly.
"Better."
Rias exhaled heavily.
"Finally…"
"Your biggest issue," Ura continued calmly, "is laziness."
Rias nearly choked.
"Excuse me?"
"You rely too heavily on natural talent and status instead of hard work and discipline."
Rias' eye twitched.
"That's incredibly insulting."
"And accurate."
"…Tch."
The worst part?
Rias privately knew she wasn't entirely wrong.
Since coming to the human world, she had become complacent. Her Power of Destruction was strong, but it was nowhere near the overwhelming level of her older brother.
That realization bothered her more than she wanted to admit.
And so the ten days passed without another beat, until finally the day of the rating game had finally arrived.
o-O-o
The Occult Research Club room felt strangely quiet that morning. Not the usually peaceful friendly atmosphere that made Sukuna want to hurl some times. It was more tense as everyone felt on edge.
Everyone prepared for the coming battle in their own way.
Kiba stood near one side of the room inspecting his preferred sword carefully before sliding it back into its sheath with practiced ease. Koneko adjusted her fingerless combat gloves silently while maintaining her smaller child form to conserve energy for the match ahead.
Asia checked and rechecked the magical seals on her barriers nervously while muttering quiet prayers beneath her breath that continued to cause her headaches every time she called out to God.
Meanwhile, Rias and Akeno sat together drinking tea. Or at least pretending to, neither one of them looked particularly relaxed.
Only Sukuna seemed completely unbothered.
He lay sprawled across one of the sofas with one arm hanging off the side while openly dozing beneath the setting sunlight that was pouring in through the windows.
Then the clubroom doors opened making everyone look up.
Sona entered alongside her queen Tsubaki.
The student council president immediately noticed the difference, sensing the new atmosphere surrounding the ORC members.
Even the way Kiba stood now reminded her less of an amateur reincarnated devil and more of a genuine knight prepared for battle.
Then her eyes drifted toward the sleeping Sukuna, and somehow she instinctively knew he was responsible.
Sona adjusted her glasses calmly.
"My apologies," she said politely. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Rias smiled faintly.
"Not at all."
Unfortunately her voice woke Sukuna up. One crimson eye cracked open lazily before he tilted his head toward the doorway.
"…Bob-cut?" Sona's eyebrow twitched at the moniker. "What are you doing here?"
Rias immediately covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing. To Sona's credit, however, she somehow maintained composure.
Barely.
"There will be a live broadcast for the Rating Game," she explained stiffly. "Certain individuals in the Underworld have expressed interest in watching."
He groaned dramatically.
"That sounds awful."
Sona ignored him.
"I came to assist with preparations."
Sukuna slowly sat upright before staring at her thoughtfully.
"…You voluntarily woke up early to do paperwork?"
A dangerous vein appeared faintly on Sona's forehead.
"How fucking lame you need to get a social life."
Tsubaki looked ready to throw him through a wall.
Still somehow maintaining control, Sona adjusted her glasses again.
"It is also your first Rating Game," she said calmly. "Naturally, I wished to observe."
Rias smiled warmly toward her friend.
"We'll try to make it entertaining for you."
Sona returned the smile slightly.
"I expect nothing less."
Then Sukuna couldn't resist ruining the moment.
"Careful," he muttered lazily. "Bob-cut's getting sentimental. Next thing you know she'll start smiling voluntarily."
Rias burst into laughter, while Akeno giggled into her tea.
Sona's glasses cracked slightly as Tsubaki inhaled sharply through her nose like someone seconds away from committing homicide.
Sukuna looked genuinely fascinated.
"Wow. Your eye twitches every time I talk. That can't be healthy."
"Sukuna," Rias warned through laughter.
"What? I'm concerned for her wellbeing."
"That is a concern. Imagine going through life looking that serious all the time." Sukuna leaned back against the couch dramatically. "Does she have hobbies? Does she even know what joy is? Has anyone checked?"
Sona closed her eyes slowly.
"I deeply regret coming here."
"There it is," Sukuna pointed immediately. "That's the face. The 'I have thirty-seven spreadsheets due tomorrow' face."
Even Kiba had to look away to hide his smile at that one.
At that exact moment—a giant crimson teleportation circle appeared in the center of the room.
Magic flooded the clubroom instantly as Grayfia materialized elegantly within shimmering blue particles, her maid uniform immaculate as always.
Grayfia glanced calmly across the assembled peerage.
"It is nearly time."
Rias straightened slightly.
"We're ready."
Grayfia gave a small nod.
"In several moments, the teleportation circle will transport both teams to the battlefield."
Sukuna frowned slightly.
"…Battlefield?" He looked around. "We're not fighting here?"
Akeno smiled softly.
"No, Sukuna. Rating Games take place inside specially constructed alternate dimensions."
"To prevent destruction and human casualties," Rias added.
Sukuna looked visibly unimpressed.
"…How boring."
Grayfia's eyes narrowed slightly, and Sona looked just as upset.
"You truly place no value on human life whatsoever," she said flatly.
Sukuna shrugged lazily.
"Cockroaches die everyday, who cares if a few more happen to be stepped on."
Tsubaki and her king visibly bristled, while the ORC simply sighed. By this point, they'd mostly grown used to his nonsense.
Sukuna then stood up lazily from the sofa before stretching once, before shadows crawled up from the floor and swallowed his body for a moment.
When the shadows retracted his outfit had completely changed.
Now, Sukuna now wore his signature white sleeveless martial arts gi with matching pants, and a black haori flowing over his shoulders.
Grayfia and the others studied him for a moment, before Sona turned to leave.
"…Good luck, Rias."
Rias smiled.
"Thanks Sona."
Naturally Sukuna got one final jab in.
"Later, bob-cut."
Sona stopped walking, and slowly looked over her shoulder at him.
"…If you lose immediately, I may actually celebrate."
He grinned.
"Oh wow. She does have emotions," he said to the others as if he made some great discovery.
Rias laughed so hard she nearly spilled her tea. Grayfia however ignored the interaction entirely.
"One final thing," she said calmly. "Lord Lucifer himself will be observing the match."
Rias immediately stiffened.
"…My brother is watching?"
The irritation in her voice was obvious, but Sukuna instantly perked up.
"The King of Devils?" His grin widened sharply. "Now that sounds interesting."
The maid studied him for a moment, before continuing.
"The teleportation will begin shortly."
Then the crimson circle beneath them brightened as Magic surged through the room. It continued to build until—the world vanished.
o-O-o
The teleportation felt strange. One moment they stood inside the ORC room, then the next they were standing in an empty version of Kuoh Academy beneath an artificial sky.
The campus stretched endlessly around them in eerie silence while magical barriers shimmered faintly in the distance.
Sukuna looked around slowly.
"…Huh."
Grayfia floated above the battlefield elegantly while her voice echoed across the artificial dimension.
"Welcome to the battlefield for the Rating Game between Rias Gremory and Riser Phoenix."
Her voice carried throughout the entire space.
"This alternate dimension has been specially constructed to replicate Kuoh Academy while preventing collateral damage to the human world."
As she explained the rules, Sukuna only half listened. His crimson eyes wandered across the battlefield instead. The empty buildings, the long streets, and the open combat zones.
This place was practically begging to be destroyed.
Grayfia eventually finished her explanation while both teams prepared themselves.
Kiba rested one hand against his sword, Koneko adjusted her gloves, lightning flickered in Akeno's fingers, while the nun swallowed nervously.
Rias however inhaled slowly while trying to calm her heartbeat. Sukuna on the other hand started to smile. A slow crooked grin spread across his face while cursed energy curled faintly around his body.
His eyes practically gleamed with expectation.
"Finally," he thought. "Let the games begin."
A/N: If you like this story and what to read ahead chapters 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 and 37 are already available for Patrons.
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