Issei, and they meet up with Kiba!

As Issei and Raymare ran, Grayfia's voice rang out, "Riser Peerage, 3 Pawns, retired."

Issei paused, and looked to Raynare. "Who did that, do you think?" he asked her.

"It was obviously either Kiba or Rias. Don't forget, she's guarding the territory to avoid Pawns promoting, so she's the more likely candidate, though it's not out of the question for the sword boy to have picked them off either," Raynare noted as they pressed themselves against the side of a building near the track and field.

Issei was about to peek around the corner, when they heard Kiba's voice from behind them in a hushed tone. "Actually, it was indeed me who did it," Kiba told them. They turned to face him. "They haven't been moving towards our territory at all," he whispered, bringing them into the building to talk under cover.

"Huh, that's odd. You'd think they'd try to Zerg rush it to get a couple extra Queens..." Raynare mused. "It's what I'd do in KFC's shoes..."

"Oi, that's my joke, Raynare," Issei told her flatly.

Before Raynare could argue that nobody could own jokes, Kiba cleared his throat. "From what I could tell, Riser seems to realize that we booby trapped the forest around our territory, and doesn't want to invest his Rooks into clearing the trees to disable most of the traps, especially because that would be conspicuous, and make the Pawns too easy to pick off with Prez's Power of Destruction. So instead, he's using them as sacrificial pieces to probe our weaknesses..." His face darkened as he said this, clearly despising the tactic.

"... that's a bit messed up, but it makes sense," Issei grimaced.

"By the way, where's Koneko? She was supposed to be with you two," Kiba then questioned.

"She... Kind of went back to tag team Riser's Queen with Akeno," Issei answered sheepishly.

"..." Kiba exhaled through his nose. "I suppose that's our best bet to remove Yubelluna at the moment, so I guess it falls to me to escort you both to get promoted. Let's win this," he nodded, extending a hand, which Issei took, and Raynare stood awkwardly to the side, finding herself envying the camaraderie. She was basically a guest party member in this whole thing...

"Right, shall we put on a show to sweep the ladies off their feet?" Issei grinned as he stood, cracking his knuckles.

"Sure thing," Kiba grinned, before a mischievous glint entered his eyes. "In that case, if we're putting on a show for the ladies, do you mind if I'm on top?" he asked Issei, making him splutter. Raynare immediately brought her hand to her mouth to cover her laugh... And her nosebleed as she imagined Issei in a yaoi situation.

"No way in hell, if anything, I'm the one on top!" Issei declared, before immediately flushing. "Wait, I don't even swing that way! How did we start talking about this!?" Kiba chuckled, before a woman's voice called from outside.

"Oi! You members of Rias's Peerage! Stop skulking about in there, and come out to face me directly!"