[ Grayfia's Pov ]

  The room was silent, save for the faint hum of the magical screen projecting the Rating Game. Sirzechs stood beside me, his hands casually tucked into his pockets, though his crimson eyes were sharp, focused on the battle unfolding before us. I, on the other hand, stood with my arms crossed, my posture rigid, my expression as unreadable as ever. But inside, my mind was a storm of thoughts.

  The screen showed Kazuya, the human who had somehow managed to insert himself into our world. He moved with a precision that was almost unnerving, his every step deliberate, his every action calcuted. I watched as he eliminated four of Riser's peerage members in quick succession—whoosh, ssh, crack—the sounds of battle echoing faintly through the screen. Sirzechs let out a low chuckle, breaking the silence.

  "He's far more capable than I thought," he remarked, his tone ced with admiration. He tilted his head slightly, his crimson hair catching the light. "I didn't expect him to hold his own this well."

  I nodded, my gaze never leaving the screen. "He never compined during training," I said, my voice steady but with a hint of something I couldn't quite pce. Pride? Annoyance? Perhaps both. "Despite how harsh I was, he endured it all. He even brought me cakes as a token of gratitude."

  Sirzechs raised an eyebrow, a pyful smirk tugging at his lips. "Cakes, you say?" He leaned toward me slightly, his tone teasing. "I'm almost jealous. Perhaps I should strike a business deal with him after this."

  I didn't respond, my attention fully captured by the battle. The screen shifted, showing Koneko, Kiba, and Akeno being eliminated one after the other—thud, crash, boom—the sounds of their defeat reverberating through the room. My lips tightened. Rias was now alone, facing Riser atop a crumbling building, while Kazuya was surrounded by the remaining members of Riser's peerage. My mind raced, calcuting his next move. Surely, he would use the ice magic I had taught him. It was the only logical choice.

  But Kazuya had never been one for logic.

  Instead of summoning ice, he drew a dagger-like sword with a green hilt. My breath hitched as he split into seven identical figures, each moving with inhuman speed—swish, ssh, cng—the clones sshed through Riser's peerage members with ease, their movements a blur even to my trained eyes. My chest tightened as realization dawned on me—speed magic. He had been learning it alongside ice magic, and I hadn't even noticed.

  Sirzechs let out a low whistle, his surprise evident. "Did he ever mention this ability to you?" he asked, his tone light but probing.

  I shook my head, my voice clipped. "No. He only ever spoke of learning ice magic and a few other devil magics. This… this is something else entirely."

  Sirzechs chuckled, the sound warm and amused. "It seems he was pying us all along. He's far stronger than he let on."

  A flicker of annoyance sparked within me. All those hours I had spent training him, all the effort I had poured into teaching him ice magic—had it been for nothing? He hadn't even used it in the battle. Instead, he had relied on basic speed magic to enhance his movements. The thought irked me more than I cared to admit.

  On the screen, Kazuya finished off the st of Riser's peerage, leaving only the Phenex heir standing. Riser's taunts echoed through the battlefield, his voice dripping with arrogance. "You're strong, I'll give you that," he sneered, his golden eyes glinting with malice. "But you can't defeat me. No matter how many times you hit me, I'll just regenerate."

  Kazuya smirked, his confidence unwavering. "We'll see about that."

  The tension in the room was palpable as the two cshed—boom, crash, sizzle—their powers colliding in a spectacur dispy of fire and ice. Riser's fmes roared like a raging inferno, while Kazuya's ice surged forward in jagged, crystalline waves. The battlefield trembled under the force of their attacks, buildings crumbling and debris flying in all directions.

  Despite my frustration with Kazuya, I couldn't help but feel a pang of concern. Riser's regeneration was no small feat, and Kazuya was only human. Or so I had thought.

  Sirzechs leaned forward, his expression uncharacteristically serious. "This is getting intense," he murmured, his voice low. "Do you think he can pull it off?"

  I didn't answer immediately. My eyes were glued to the screen, watching as Kazuya dodged Riser's attacks with almost inhuman agility. He moved like a shadow, his movements fluid and precise. But Riser was relentless, his fmes growing hotter and more intense with each passing moment.

  Then, in a fsh, Kazuya disappeared. Riser's eyes widened as Kazuya reappeared behind him, delivering a powerful kick that sent the Phenex heir crashing into a nearby building—crash! The impact shattered the structure, sending debris flying in all directions. Riser emerged from the rubble, his body already healing, but Kazuya didn't give him a moment to recover.

  He pressed on, his attacks relentless. Each punch, each kick, each ssh of his sword was delivered with precision and power. Riser's fmes cshed with Kazuya's ice, the two forces colliding in a blinding explosion of light—boom! The battlefield was a chaotic mess of fire, ice, and destruction.

  "You're stronger than Rias," Riser admitted, his voice tinged with grudging respect. "But you can't defeat me. No matter how many times you hit me, I'll just regenerate."

  Kazuya smirked, his confidence unwavering. "We'll see about that."

  The two cshed one final time, their powers colliding in a blinding explosion of light. When the dust settled, Riser was gone, repced by a small blue marble resting in Kazuya's palm. The battlefield fell silent, the weight of what had just happened sinking in.

  Sirzechs and I exchanged a gnce, both of us momentarily speechless. The Rating Game had ended in a way neither of us could have predicted. Kazuya stood tall amidst the ruins, his expression calm, almost serene. Rias watched him from afar, her shock evident even through the screen.

  I uncrossed my arms, my mind racing. Kazuya had proven himself to be far more than just a human dabbling in devil magic. He was a force to be reckoned with, a wildcard who had defied all expectations. And yet, despite my initial frustration, I couldn't help but feel a flicker of pride. He had surpassed even my own teachings, carving his own path in a world that had once seemed so foreign to him.

  Sirzechs broke the silence, his voice light but tinged with amusement. "Well, Grayfia, it seems your student has outdone himself. I think it's time we had a proper conversation with him—about his abilities, his intentions, and perhaps those cakes he's so fond of making."

  I sighed, though a small smile tugged at my lips. "Indeed. It seems there's much more to Kazuya than meets the eye."

  As the screen faded to bck, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. Kazuya had proven himself in the Rating Game, but his true journey was far from over. And whether I liked it or not, I had a feeling he would continue to surprise us all.

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