Author: I am not good with names.
Blanc: He also doesn't know when he'll get to the next chapter, so please forgive him for this folly.
Author: Next chapter is the end of the first arc. Perhaps some questions you have will be answered... when I get around to it.
Blanc: If you will, please leave some reviews.
Author: Now, let's start this chapter!
1st Dawn: New Dawn
Life 6: Rescue the Damsel in Distress
Issei had come back safe and sound – well, mostly. Issei had been attacked by a so-called "Stray Exorcist" as told to us by Rias-sempai, and Asia did find out that Issei was a Devil. However, she treated him with kindness, and had tried to protect him.
Stray Exorcists are basically the same as Stray Devils, only they were more-or-less, kicked out of the Church, or left on their own, or whatever. And then these Exorcists go to the Fallen Angels, beings that were kicked out of Heaven, though they still hold the power of light, the power to eliminate Devils. Which means that they probably have the same objective; to kill Devils.
However, even after being explained to about all of this, Issei still wanted to save Asia. I had to commend him for that. However, it was impossible, as said by Rias-sempai.
But I didn't think so.
As long as Issei feels the need to save Asia… then he will do so. That is the kind of person he is. And I will help him, even if it's just the two of us. I certainly will not abandon a friend as he fights, even if I'm a bit scared. However, I have courage. That much I know. I will help him, even if my body is shivering in fright.
o-DxD-o
It was after school, pretty late in the day.
Issei, who had skipped school for today, had arrived in the club room, as if he was in a hurry. I, who had nothing better to do, was hanging around the club, in hopes that Issei would arrive, and when he did, I was going to ask what he was doing all day.
However, without noticing me, he went straight to Rias-sempai. He then started to explain what had happened. How he had met Asia again, how he met the Fallen Angel Raynare – who was Amano Yuuma – how he wanted to rescue Asia, and about the supposed ritual that they were going to do.
However, Rias-sempai slapped him with a serious expression on her face.
"How many times do I have to repeat myself? No is no! I can't allow you to save that nun." Her voice was cold, but logical. Why save the enemy? Rias-sempai did not want to get involved, and when Issei tried to convince her, she had slapped him.
However, Issei did not give up.
"Then I will go by myself! I'm worried about the ritual thing Raynare had mentioned! The Fallen Angels are doing something from behind the scenes. There's no guarantee of Asia's safety."
Just as Rias-sempai was going to say something, I spoke up.
"If you will not let Ise go, then I'll go." Her eyes traveled from the brown-haired teen, over towards me, widening in surprise. She faltered in what she was going to say, and so I forcefully pushed forward with the conversation. "Since I'm unrelated to you, then there should be no problems. Even if I storm the Church to rescue Asia, it will be seen as a human-being rescuing another human-being. There will be no political clash between the Fallen and the Devils."
"But-but!" Issei frowned, but failed to really say anything. I get what he was trying to say. He didn't want me going alone. If I did, then there was the possibility that I could die. I was very aware of this fact.
Rias-sempai sighed. "I can't really stop you if that is your decision. You are not part of the Gremory household, and as you have said, even if you storm the Church, there will be no political backlash against the Devils, that could incite a war between us and the Fallen, or even the Angels. However, Issei. You will not be-"
In that moment, Akeno-sempai entered the room, and came over to the crimson haired heiress. She whispered something into her ear, to which she made a serious face at. She then looked between all the occupants of the room, and cleared her throat.
"I've got an urgent thing to do now. Akeno and I will be out for a bit."
"Buchou, wait! I haven't finished-" Even now, Issei is still trying to persuade her to let him go.
However, Rias-sempai put a finger onto his lips, stopping him from talking. "Issei, there are a couple of things that I need to tell you first. First, is that you believe a Pawn to be the weakest piece, correct? However, that's a big misunderstanding. The ability of the Pawn is Promotion, and using this, you can change your power once reaching your opponent's base. They can change to any piece, besides from the King. Though at your current level, you won't be able to change into the Queen."
"Yes, that's what I was told…" Issei frowned, trying to wrap his brain around why Rias-sempai was telling him this again. However, as Rias-sempai continued to talk, my eyes widened. She was offhandedly giving him permission to go to the Church.
She was reminding him of the power of the Pawn, which can use Promotion in an enemy's base. She told him that the Church was enemy territory. Meaning, that if he goes there, he can use Promotion… she gave him her permission. I covered my mouth so nobody could see the smile growing on my face.
Looks like I won't be going alone after all. I'll have to thank the red haired Devil later.
When she finished speaking, she and Akeno-sempai teleports to some other place through the magic circle on the floor.
The only ones left, were Ise, Kiba, Koneko, and of course, me.
Taking a deep breath, Ise turned towards me.
"You know I won't be letting you go on your own. Do you even remember where the Church was?"
"Mostly?" I awkwardly chuckle. I looked towards Kiba and Koneko. "Are you two going to come with, or are you just gonna stay here?"
"Of course. I'm going too." Kiba answered, a smile on his face. Issei turned towards the blonde Knight, surprise evident on his face. "If I let the two of you go by yourself, then you'll still die. Even with Sacred Gears and Promotion, at your current level, you can't take down a group of Exorcists and Fallen Angels with just the two of you. I commend your determination, but it is still reckless. But even so… Maybe I'm just as reckless since I want to help?"
Issei clearly wasn't expecting something like that. For Kiba to help him, even though he doesn't even know Asia.
"…I'm going as well." Issei turned his eyes towards Koneko, again surprised. Though it shouldn't be much of a surprise at this point. "I feel uneasy with just the three of you going."
"I'm touched! Your words have clearly moved me, Koneko-chan!" Issei shouted, wiping his eyes with his arm.
"Huh? But I'm going as well…?" Kiba asked, putting on a sad smile. Though I could tell there was a hint of amusement in his tone, so he had to be faking being sad. I simply smiled and shook my head. Issei chuckled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head. He then looked between the three of us, and smiled.
"Really, thank you…" he mumbled, but we all heard him. "Then, like this, let's go for a rescue mission with the four of us! Wait for us, Asia!"
o-DxD-o
The sky was dark, and it was the time that the street lamps would start to turn on. However, there was hardly any light where we were, hiding within the shrubbery, watching the Church.
Since Devils' could see in the dark, Issei, Koneko, and Kiba were fine. However, there was a difference between me and them. I… was not a Devil. And therefore, I could not see that well in the dark. Perhaps I should've Reincarnated into a Devil? Well, that's that, this is this. I already know that my Sacred Gear can create light through its flames, so I should be relatively fine.
The four of us examined the Church, looking for any sort of trap. Nobody was at the front guarding it, however, there were Exorcists all over the place. We've just managed to sneak past them. If we were to enter the Church, fighting will surely break out, and draw in the Exorcists.
We can't go Solid Snaking forever. We don't even have the trademark box!
"There is definitely a Fallen Angel inside." Kiba suddenly spoke up.
"Definitely." I agreed.
"Then what should we do?" Issei asked, looking between the two of us. However, it was not us, but Koneko, who answered.
"…Just go in." The three of us looked at her with blank looks.
"That will just attract the guards from outside. Then we'll be caught in a pincer, with forces in front and behind us." I eventually spoke, pinching the bridge of my nose. Koneko was smart. But she wasn't… tactical.
"Then, what do you propose we do?" Kiba asked me.
"…Hmm." I hummed in thought. Our goal was inside the Church, most likely in some secret room, or basement. But, besides from that, there were guards outside. If we were to attack the Church, we'd have to be silent. But that's impossible if a fight breaks out, which it definitely will. I don't want us to get sandwiched in between two enemy forces, so what was the best plan of action? "One of us… will get the attention of the guards outside, and lead them away. The rest, will go into the Church, and rescue Asia."
"It's a good plan, however, whoever is playing distraction might have to fight a Fallen Angel or two, or they could get overwhelmed by Exorcists…" Kiba cupped his chin as he said this, thinking about the plan, how it can work, and who was best suited for it. "Wait, you aren't…"
"Exactly." I nodded to Kiba's deduction.
"What?" Issei titled his head in confusion.
"Noe is planning on distracting the Exorcists outside the Church."
"What?" Issei nearly shouted, but he managed to control his voice. "But you're just a human! You can die! Besides, you-"
"My Sacred Gear controls fire, and it's pretty strong too." I interrupted him. "I've been training quite a bit recently, so I should be fine. Besides, you can't really fight someone at risk of getting burned, right?" I smirked.
"But…" Issei muttered. He looked at Kiba, who shook his head. Then his gaze turned towards Koneko.
"…It's fine." She spoke, agreeing with my plan. "But… don't die." She said this looking at me. I smiled in reply.
"Then, let's get started." Kiba spoke up, slapping a hand down on my shoulder. "Go around towards the right, and make a big explosion with your flame. Once the fighting gets started, we'll sneak towards the Church and enter."
"Got it." I stood up and started stepping away. However, before I got that far, I looked back. "Thank you." I said back to the three as I started to move away again. I didn't hear their reply, if there was one.
This was a dangerous move. I could seriously end up dying. However, I was willing to risk my all for someone I had only just met… How crazy can I be? Chuckling slightly, I walked out into an open area.
"This seems to be as good an area as any… Then, let's start the light show! [Abyss Nova]!" I shouted, summoning my Sacred Gear. The pendant gently landed on my chest, on top of my usual outfit, with a soft thump, and puff of flames.
The name was, albeit strange, cool sounding. It had appeared in my mind after I had used it, and it had stuck. Though if I think about it for too long, I start to get embarrassed, as if the name had been created by a chuunibyou.
Now then… Let's get this party started!
Gathering orange gold flame into my right and left hand, I raised both hands above my hand, and then with a grin, I slammed the hands down against the ground.
The flames exploded upon contact, though it didn't bother me at all. The flames rose up into the air, like a column, and a large bang was heard. With that, I'm sure everyone in the vicinity heard and saw that. Now, I just have to wait for them to come to me…
Letting my arms be covered in flame, it didn't take long for the first Exorcist to appear from the trees.
"There he is!" the man yelled, alerting the other Exorcists in the area. I can see why he did that. There was no guarantee that I would be in the same area. Props to you. You win… some flames to the face!
Pulling my fist back, I punched forward, sending out a torrent of flames towards the Exorcist. The man's eyes widened in shock, and he opened his mouth to scream, but the flames reached him first. As they dissipated, his face was burnt, and some of his clothing was still on fire. He quickly fell to the ground, unconscious.
However, defeating one guy wasn't much of an accomplishment. I had to defeat a whole slew of Exorcists.
"Now then… who's next?"
o-DxD-o
Issei POV
With Koneko kicking down the door to the Church, we entered and ran forward. There's no going back from this point. The only thing left, is to head straight on in!
With Noe watching our back, we were free to rampage inside the Church to find Asia.
Inside the Church, there was an altar in the far back, with long chairs, pews, set up between the altar and the door, with a walkway leading up to the altar from the entrance. The sanctuary looked pretty ordinary, though a bit rundown. The candle lights and interior lamps lit the room up. The statue of the person on the cross had its head broken off, with the chunks lying down near the altar. It was pretty creepy.
Then the echo of clapping went through the sanctuary. A familiar face walked out from behind the pillar, and I instantly become disgusted at seeing him.
"Meeting!" His exaggerated voice boomed. "Reunion!" I scowled at hearing his voice, and seeing the look on his face. "So emotional~!"
It was the white haired bastard Priest who had called himself Freed. A Stray Exorcist. His smile was as weird as always.
"Well, let me tell you what; I've never met the same Devil twice before! You know, since I'm super strong, I cut Devils into pieces when I first meet them! Once I see them, I cut them up on the spot! I kiss the corpse and say goodbye! That's how I used to live, and it was really, really good! But, ever since you guys ruined my style, I'm so lost! A lost sheep! That's definitely not good~. It's not good to interfere with my lifestyle! That's why~! You guys piss me off! I hope you die! Actually, just die! You trashy Devils!"
After showing his joy and sadness, he is now in a rage. Taking out his gun and sword, he took a few steps towards us.
"You guys came to rescue Asia-tan, right? Hahaha! Devil-samas are big hearted bitches for coming to rescue a little whore like that who would even heal shitty Devils! Well, just being entranced to a Shitty Devil should make that sister die!"
Clicking my tongue, I shouted out towards the Priest. "Shut up, ya damn bastard! Where is Asia!?"
I didn't expect his answer.
"Well, there is a hidden staircase underneath that altar. From there you can go to the place where they are doing the ritual. There are no other doors down there, so you can't possibly get lost!"
The guy spilled the beans about the location of the hidden basement by pointing towards the altar. I questioned his sanity, before I remembered who he was.
"Sacred Gear!" I shouted, throwing out my left arm. Synchronized with my shout and movement, a red gauntlet appears on my left arm. Kiba draws the sword at his side, right from the sheath, and Koneko picks up a pew that is several times bigger than her, and throws it at Freed with a small and cute voice!
"Get smashed."
Wait, hold on up! What!? What did I just witness?
Okay. I'll just stop questioning things.
The Super Girl threw the pew at the Priest, but as it sailed towards him, he did a small dance, and then cut the chair in half with his blade of light. The chair separated and hit the ground past him to his sides.
"There." At the sound, Kiba disappeared.
Suddenly, sparks resulted between Kiba's sword and the Priest's blade of light. Though the sword was like a light saber, it was definitely solid.
"Hmm! Hmm! Such a pain! Just die already, you piece of shit!" Freed complained, trying to push Kiba away from their deadlock.
Raising his gun, Freed shot at Kiba, but he easily dodged, even with the short distance between them. Without missing a beat, Kiba rushed back in, and slashed back at Freed, who quickly blocked with his own weapon.
I had to admit it: The Priest was strong, because he could fight on par with a Devil like Kiba.
As they crossed blades, Freed would shoot at Kiba with his gun, but Kiba would then dodge near effortlessly. It was difficult to catch Kiba's movements with my own eyes, but the Priest can.
"Impressive. You are quite strong." Kiba remarks.
"Ahaha!" Freed laughs as his pointed the gun at Kiba's head. As he shot, Kiba bent backwards, dodging the bullet, and then came back up and blocked a swing of the Priest's sword. "You too! Definitely a Knight, huh!? Not even a single blind spot! This is great, great! Yes, yes, this is what I'm talking about. Lately, I haven't had an awesome battle like this! I was about to cry because of it! Yes, yes~! I'm going to kill you and enjoy every moment of it!"
"Then maybe I should be a bit more serious then." With that, he slashed at Freed once again, but was blocked.
"What, what? Is that all you got, shitty Devil!? Being serious, that is everything you have!?"
"Watch this." With a low pitched voice, Kiba said this.
With it, some kind of black aura came out of his sword, and started to cover the blade.
Darkness.
If I had to describe it, it would be with that one word.
The darkness covers the sword, or rather, it was taking on the shape of the sword. The dark sword that was clashing against the Priest's blade of light started to expand and is devouring the blade of light.
"Wha-what the Hell is this!?" He seemed to confuse, and so, Kiba explained.
"Holy Eraser. A dark sword that devours light."
"Y-you're a Sacred Gear possessor!?" Freed screamed, slight fear in his voice.
Wait, Kiba also has a Sacred Gear!? I mean, the dark sword looks so awesome!
I quickly cursed Kiba's name. So, good looking guys get good looking weapons as well. I was very disappointed, especially at how my Sacred Gear is just a useless gauntlet…
The Priest's blade of light was quickly devoured by the darkness of Kiba's sword, and as this happened, I saw my chance. Taking off in a sprint, I activated the power of my Sacred Gear. It may have just been a useless gauntlet, but I had found out what its power was earlier! It was to boost my own power!
[Boost!]
A sound resonated out from the jewel of the gauntlet and power flows through my body. As I approached the bastard Priest, he turned towards me.
"I keep telling you! You're just so annoying!" He aimed his gun at me, but before he could fire, I activated my next ability as a Pawn.
"Promotion, Rook!"
The Priest pressed down against the trigger, and a bullet of light was shot from the gun, however, as the bullet hit against me, the light didn't pierce me.
"Gah!? Promotion – You're a Pawn!?"
Yeah, I'm a Pawn. Just a crappy little Pawn! But you know what? I'm the crappy little Pawn who is going to bash you into next week!
Before the Priest had a chance to get away, Kiba kicked him from behind, knocking him closer to me. Just as he caught his balance, I threw out my left fist, hitting the Priest in the face.
Because I was using the powers of a Rook, I had higher defense and strength. And because of that-!
The Priest was thrown back and up into the air. When he hit the ground, he laid there for a few moments, blood flowing out of his mouth. He slowly starts to get up, as he spits out blood. His right cheek was swollen.
Even though I did that much damage, I still wasn't at the same level as Koneko. Wait… Looking closely, I noticed that the handle of his sword was smashed up. Did he use it as a shield just before getting punched by me?
"…Psh." He spat out blood. "Oh man, not only did I get punched by a shitty Devil, but now he's sneering at me… Don't fuck with me, ya damn shitty Devil! Don't fuck with me!"
He howled.
"Don't fuck with me! You piece of shiiiit! A mere Devil-kun shouldn't act cocky with meeee! I'll kill you! Definitely! I'll definitely kill you! I'm going to cut you into pieces! YOU DAMN SHITTY DEVIL!"
He dropped the handle he was holding, and slipped his hand into his coat, taking out a second one. Just like the first one, light appears from the handle.
However, he had a problem. There were three of us, and one of him. We surrounded him from all sides. And as the seconds tick by, he quickly notices his disadvantage. He clicks his tongue, but then smirks, as if it's funny.
"Wow, wow. Is this what you call a crisis? Hmm, for me, getting killed by a Devil is a big ol' no-no. So I feel like retreating! It's a shame that I can't kill you fucks, but hey, I also don't want to die!"
The Priest dug around in one of his pockets, and takes out something small and round. He holds it up for all of us to see, and then throws it down to the ground, causing a light to blind us.
I cursed underneath my breath. It was a smokescreen!?
When my eyes readjust, I looked around the room, but the Priest was gone.
He had escaped. But even though he escaped, it just meant that there was nobody to get between us and Asia. We can now stop wasting time and save her!
The three of us nod towards each other, and run towards the altar, intending on breaking it, and heading down into the secret basement.
o-DxD-o
Noe POV
I ducked underneath the light beam. I then raised my body, and punched up, smashing my left fist into the Exorcist's jaw. A moment later, there was an explosion as the flames blasted up at his body, throwing him back and away from me, burns covering his face and chest.
I then spun around on my left heel and kicked out, stopping another light beam from hitting me. The flames surrounding my foot protected me from damage, and then with a short shout, I pushed back with my foot, causing the flames to attack the Exorcist, causing him to scream and drop his lightsaber-like weapon.
I don't really know what they're called, so I'm just calling them that, since they look so similar to them. I mean, they're just handles, which shoot out a beam of light like a sword! Lightsaber! Someone was a fan of Star Wars for sure.
Looking around me, I counted the number of Exorcists still standing up. Eighteen. The number had been rising for the last three minutes, but now it was starting to fall down. Meaning, all of the outside guards are now fighting me, or unconscious. In a regular fight, I would've been beaten to death already. But possessing a Sacred Gear turns the table completely. With that thought in mind…
It's time to make a big attack!
Letting the flames surround my legs, I used them to blast me up into the air, leaving a trail of fire after me. I started to revolve a bunch of flames around my right fist as I rose up into the air. With a grin on my face, I slowly started to fall back down to the earth.
"Eat this!" I shouted, slamming my fist into the earth. It had hurt a bit, but the end result is what matters, no?
As my flaming fist collided against the ground, the flames collected around it were forced away, and like a tidal wave, it crashed into the Exorcists around me, and into the trees, leaving them on fire or burnt as the flames were pushed away by other flames.
Only four Exorcists remained standing, though just barely. They had used some others as shields, letting them take the brunt of the attack, though parts of their clothing and skin were still tinged from the flame.
I'd commend them, if they weren't dicks.
"Firefly!" I shouted, creating five tiny light green fireballs before my palms, ten in total. Inside each ball, was a soft, ethereal white glow. With four remaining, I blasted the attack towards them. Three managed to dodge, while one was struck in the chest. However, either way, they're done for!
As the flames made contact with the ground around them, the light green flames started to collapse upon itself, and when the white glow within peeks out and the air touches it- bang!
Upon making contact with the ground, this is what happens, and it results in an explosion. Though it wasn't very big, it was concentrated to the point that it could still do some good damage. Plus, it was a nice AOE attack, and what can go wrong with that? Then again, I'd dare say my regular attacks are AOE, so… Well, it was the first attack I came up with that wasn't just throwing my flames around willy-nilly.
I was, however, looking for a way to remotely detonate the flame, but so far, I haven't had any luck…
"Wow~! So powerful." A familiar voice said from above me. My smile disappeared and I looked up, glaring at the Fallen Angel that had nearly killed me. She was wearing the same outfit, and her hair was styled the same. She was sitting on a tree branch, looking down on me with a sneer. "I can tell. Nobody here is dead. Quite amazing to already be at such a high level~!"
"Crazy blonde bitch." I say in greeting. She frowned at the name, until realization lit up her face.
"Oh, yes. I didn't tell you what my beautiful name is yet, eh corpse? It's Mittelt~!" She raised her right hand, and placed her index and middle fingers on either side of her right eye, in a v-like shape. It would've been cute, if I wasn't done by the person who had tried to kill me… though she was still cute.
But, like she had said, I didn't kill any of the Exorcists here, or at least tried not to. But…
"Let me promise you one thing… Mittelt… I will kill you."
"Ooh~! Scary, scary~!" She laughed. After a moment passed, she jumped off the branch and landed about five meters from me.
"Noël Beniko." I told her. She looked confused. "My name."
"Ooh!" She breathed, smiling. "Then, Noël~." She smiled, and blew me a kiss. "Die~!"
Faster than I could react, she had created a pink light spear and had thrown it towards me. Widening my eyes from surprise, I only barely managed to force the flames around me to swirl around before me, creating a circular wall. The light spear stabbed into the middle of the shield of flames. I quickly remembered how the spear had exploded last time, and jumped back.
When it didn't explode, I dispelled the flames and drew them back to my side, letting them wrap themselves around my arms. The spear disappeared a moment later as it hit the ground.
Mittelt was gone. I looked left and right, but she wasn't there. I hardly believed she had the capability to travel underneath the ground, so that only leaves up!
Looking up, I saw Mittelt dive bombing me with another light spear clutched in her hands, a wicked smile plastered on her face.
As she neared, I punched forward, letting the flames cover my right fist. The flaming fist and light spear met, and in a blinding flash of light, there was an explosion.
Mittelt was pushed back, but with her wings, she was hardly thrown back, as she madly started to flap her wings, trying to force herself to stop. It worked. As for me, who was on the ground, I was pushed back and thrown through a tree. When my back hit the third tree, my body only cracked the bark and I fell to the ground, landing on my butt. Groaning, I stared at my right arm. A thin gash of blood marked the spot from the third knuckle to nearly the elbow, from where the light spear had to have cut through my body before exploding. I clicked my tongue and gritted my teeth in pain. I could still move the arm, so I was mostly okay. But the pain was immense! I let my right hand fall to the ground, as I looked back towards Mittelt.
"Hahaha!" Mittelt laughed, flying gently towards me, creating a new light spear in her hand. "It seems as if you are outmatched~!"
"Not yet." I spat out some blood. "You just haven't seen my full power yet."
She hummed and jeered. "Oh look, I'm quaking in my boots~! You're so scary~!" Flapping her black wings, she charged forward, and I grinned.
Fire is awesome, you know that, right?
As Mittelt neared me, a column of flame jetted up from the ground. Looking down, she could only watch the flame as it rose up, and consumed her.
From the ground, where my right hand was placed, the ground was lit up slightly. As Mittelt was wasting time laughing and talking, I was sending fire into the ground. When she finally decided to attack, I simply directed the flame to be positioned between the two of us. And then – boom!
Grinning, I stood up, watching the column of flames. Hopefully that will put her down, but, I had a feeling that things won't be so simple…
Mittelt bursts out from the flame, burns decorating the right side of her face, the back of her left hand and her right wrist. Her clothes were burnt in several places, and there were a few rips in them, showcasing burn marks on the right side of her stomach, right leg just below the knee, and left shoulder.
"You… You…" She clenched her teeth together, and I could even feel the anger radiating off from her. The column of flames died down from behind her, revealing the moon behind her. The image seared itself into my mind as she finished her declaration. "I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!" She screamed, making a disgusting face, and charged down at me, a light spear forming in her hand again.
For a moment, I was scared stiff. Fear shot through my body, and I couldn't move. As Mittelt approached me, my mind switched from being a scared little bitch, to Flight or Fight mode. And it picked Fight.
I jumped lightly back, and let my feet hit the tree I had landed against earlier. I then blasted off from it with flame, letting the tree catch fire from behind me. The two of us charged the other, with no thought towards our own safety.
Covering my hands in flame, I backhanded the tip of the spear with my left, knocking it to the side, just barely nicking my left shoulder, and punched her in the face with my right. She shot off towards my left from the impact, flame still clinging to her face.
"Firefly!" I shouted, throwing my hands forward, launching small balls of flame towards Mittelt.
As Mittelt hit the ground, the fireballs reached her, exploding shortly after coming into contact with the ground.
However, Mittelt appeared from the top of the explosion, spinning around in midair as flames clung to the tips of her wings and feet. A scowl was on her face, until she saw me. Then it changed to a murderous gaze.
Creating a light spear, she threw it at me like an Olympian athlete, only it definitely traveled faster than any athlete could ever hope to throw a javelin.
I covered my right fist in flame, and punched forward, launching the fire forward in a fist shape. The flames met the spear, and exploded upon impact. A moment later, Mittelt appeared from the explosion, and my eyes widened in surprise. I did not expect that.
Whilst still in the air, a light spear pierced through the right side of my chest, and I coughed up blood. Mittelt had a grin on her face as she twisted the spear around in the wound.
I quickly grabbed her left arm and grimaced from the pain as I tried to laugh. She looked at me in confusion, until realization dawned on her face.
My flames do not burn me.
And she was within my grasp.
"BURN BITCH!"
I let the flames cascade down my arms and over my hands, just so they can cling unto Mittelt's left arm. Flames covered it, and she screamed in pain as her left sleeve was completely burned away, and her flesh burned. I could even smell the burnt flesh. Which, while disgusting, oddly sent feelings of joy through me.
She let go of her spear, and used her right hand to punch me in the face, trying to force me to let go. I didn't. She punched again. She broke my nose. She punched me again, giving me a black eye. We finally hit the ground. We rolled against it a few times, before she managed to ball herself up, and kick me in the chest with both feet, knocking me off her, and breaking a rib or two from the impact.
I coughed up blood as I rolled against the burnt dirt, and quickly got up onto my feet as the blonde haired girl grabbed my neck with both hands, forcing me back down to the ground. A savage look was in her eyes as she began to choke the life out of me.
Choking, I brought up my right foot and pressed it against the left side of her body, just underneath her breast. She smiled at seeing my futile attempt at pushing her off me.
That was before she remembered that I had a Sacred Gear that commanded fire. She seems to keep forgetting that, isn't she?
I pushed forward with my leg, and blasted her off of me with some good ol' fashioned fire. She went sailing through the air, the front of her dress largely in tatters and burnt off. When she hit the ground, there was a loud thud.
I looked over to where she had landed, and saw that she wasn't moving.
'Is she dead?' I thought to myself, struggling to get up. Blood oozed out of a cut on my head, and I felt very light headed. Must be from the head wound and blood lost, I reasoned. I breathed deeply as I held a hand to my stab wound. I watched Mittelt for any sign of movement.
She twitched. She was alive.
At that moment, my Sacred Gear dissipated.
"Dammit…" I breathed out, underneath my breath. I struggled to force myself to stand up, and when I managed it, I stumbled forward, and fell down to my hands and knees.
Looking up, I watched Mittelt get up slowly, burns covering the entirety of her left arm, and the left side of her chest. Her right eye was closed as blood fell down over it.
Unfurling her wings, Mittelt started to slowly fly upwards.
She looked down at me. Hate filled her eyes. Gritting her teeth, she floated there for a moment before shouting at me.
"I will be leaving… but… I will be back! And… I will kill you, you bastard!" Shouting that, she turned around, and flied furiously away.
I watched her disappear into the night sky for a few moments, before falling face first into the burnt ground. I could hardly move my body after a fight that intense. My vision was blurry, and I felt cold, though my chest felt oddly warm.
'Am I… going… to die?' I thought to myself, coughing up some blood.
I didn't want to die like this. Without accomplishing anything important.
But there was nothing I could do.
I lied there, against the cold ground, my body cold, but oddly warm. I felt a strange pulse within my chest, but I was too battered and bruised to really notice or remember it.
My eyelids started to grow heavy as I stared forward from my lying position. From where I was, I could just barely see the silhouette of the Church.
Did Issei save Asia?
I hope he did…
As I thought this, a blurry foot appeared in my vision. I tried to look up, but found that I could hardly do that. I heard someone say something, but I couldn't understand their words. My mind couldn't process it.
I lied there, hardly thinking.
I heard more words, and then whoever was speaking to me lowered their body so that I could see them. I saw a face, but… it wasn't one that I even remotely recognized.
All I remembered, was a golden eye.
And then I passed out.
o-DxD-o
Issei POV
The three of us descended the staircase underneath the altar in relative silence. The lights above flickered on and off every few moments, but it didn't bother us.
As we walked on, we passed by doors to our sides, but there were no deviations. It was a straight passage. Suddenly, Koneko pointed forward.
"Possibly at the end of this passage…" She spoke in her usual monotone.
I see. Nodding to her words, I sped up the pace. Asia was just up ahead. Don't worry. I'll be there soon to rescue you! As we continued down the path, we came upon a big door.
"This it?" I muttered to myself, staring up at the door.
"Probably." Kiba answered, looking the door up and down, possibly for weak points. "I'm sure there are groups of Exorcists and Fallen Angels inside. Are you ready?" Koneko nodded, and I followed suite.
"Okay. Then we'll open the door-"
Just as I was saying that to Kiba, the door opened by itself. While making a loud noise, the inside of the ritual place soon becomes visible.
Crowds of Exorcists were made visible, and at the far end of the room, were two familiar faces.
"Welcome, Devils." The Fallen Angel, Raynare, shouted from the far end of the room.
A blonde haired girl was attached to a cross besides Raynare. It was her; Asia.
"Asia!" I screamed towards the girl, who, at hearing her name, looked up slowly, her eyes slightly dull.
"…Ise-san?" She spoke up after a few moments, and though her voice was low, my superhuman ears – thanks to becoming a Devil – managed to hear her words.
"Yeah! I've come to save you! So just wait right there for just a moment!" As I shout this, I smile towards Asia, and a tear manages to escape her eye.
"This is a touching reunion and all, but you're too late." Raynare said, standing between us and Asia. "The ritual is now finished!"
"What!?" I exclaimed with surprise. What did she mean by finished?
Suddenly, Asia's body started to glow green. Her eyes opened wide, and she screamed horribly. She looked as if she was in great pain.
"Asia!" I shouted towards her, but she didn't respond. I start to run forward towards her, but the Priests quickly moved to intercept me.
"We won't let you interfere!"
"Devil scum! We'll destroy you!"
"Die, you shitty Devils!"
"Move you bastards!" I shouted right back at them. "I don't have the time to bother with you lot!"
Just then, there was a big sound. When I looked over to my side, Koneko had punched one of the Priests away. The Priest she had punched – had flown through the air, and into the wall.
"…Please don't touch me." Koneko muttered to herself, though the surrounding Priest's took a step back at her words, slightly intimidated by the tiny, yet strong, girl.
Kiba drew the sword he used earlier against Freed and pointed it at the Priest's on my other side.
"Looks like I'll have to go full throttle from the beginning. I really do hate Priests. If there are this many, then I won't have to worry about holding back!" Eyes becoming sharp, he looked around at the surrounding Priest's. Even I got the chills from him.
At the same time, a light comes out of Asia's body, which Raynare quickly grabs.
"This is it!" She shouted, holding up the light for all the see, as if she's holding up a baby Simba. "This is the power that I have craved for such a long time! A Sacred Gear! With this, I will be loved! I will be unstoppable!" With an expression of pure ecstasy, Raynare hugs the light. As she did this, the bright light envelops the room for just a moment. When the light disappears, Raynare was emitting green colored light from her body.
Laughing, Raynare grins sadistically. "Ahahaha! I finally have it, this supreme power! With this, I can become a supreme Fallen Angel! With this, I can payback all those who were looking down on me!"
However, I paid no heed to her words, and merely ran straight towards Asia, as if she wasn't even there. Seeing me start to move once more, the Priests moved to stop me, but Kiba and Koneko quickly got in their way.
Koneko was the first to start. As a Priest neared me from the left, she appeared out of nowhere, and uppercut him into the ceiling. She then leapt forward, and gave a spinning kick into the side of another Priest's head, throwing him into a group of Exorcists.
On my other side, Kiba entered a very short duel with an Exorcist. Blocking his first strike, Kiba quickly devoured the light of his sword, and then delivered a slash across his chest, and kicked him away. Then, thrusting his sword to his side, he stabbed another through the chest.
As a Priest tried to attack Kiba from behind, Koneko kicked off the ground, and slammed her heels into his back, knocking him straight into the ground, and even burying him in it. Kiba, noticing a Priest going after Koneko, spun around and jumped over the much shorter girl, and slashed down at the Exorcist.
The combination of these two were remarkable. While they mainly dealt with their side of opponents, when they saw the other in trouble, even if it wasn't much, they immediately went to help the other. It was fantastic.
"Thanks you two!" I called out to them. Kiba sent me a smile, while Koneko nodded. Looking back ahead, I looked over at Asia. She looked lifeless. Clicking my tongue, I cursed underneath my breath.
No, she should still be okay! Please let her be okay!
As I neared the girl, I gave a quick glance at Raynare. She wasn't really paying much attention.
Turning back to Asia, I undid the cuffs on her hands and legs, and held her in my arms.
"…I-Ise-san…" She muttered, eyes fluttering open. She was okay! But… for how long?
"Asia, I came to take you back." I said quickly, a nervous smile on my face.
"…Yes." She said after a few moments, a tired smile on her face.
Her voice was small, and very weak. But, but… she should still be fine, right? She won't just… Just, die, right?
"It's futile." A voice suddenly cut in. Looking over towards it, I saw Raynare smirking as if she is rejecting my thoughts once again. "Possessors whose Sacred Gear is taken away from their body will die. That girl is going to die. No if's and's or but's. Her fate has already been sealed."
"-!" My voice gets caught in my throat. I stumbled around with my words for a moment, before a look of anger and worry enters my eyes. "Then give the Sacred Gear back!" I shouted these words at her, but she just laughs.
"There's no way I'd just willingly give it back! You know, I even deceived my superiors to get my hands on this? Why would I just give it back, after all the trouble I went through just to get it in the first place? I'll kill all of you and erase all of the evidence. You can be with her in death, you know~?"
"…Shit." I muttered, looking down at Asia. Gritting my teeth, I tried to come up with a way to save this girl, but… nothing came to mind. Looking back at Raynare, I glared at her. "You are nowhere close to the Yuuma-chan that I remember."
Hearing that, she laughs again.
"Yeah, it was pretty fun. The time I dated you." She nods as if recalling a great memory.
"…You were my first girlfriend."
"Yes, watching it was very cute. It's kind of fun to play around with guys who have no experience with a woman, you know? So it was very entertaining to watch you take me all around, buy me lunch, and even that little gift thing."
I gritted my teeth in anger. I lowered my head so that my hair covered my eyes.
"…I was serious about taking care of you. I was serious about the date."
"Ah, yes, you did take wonderful care of me. When I was in trouble, you managed to take care of it right away and made sure that I didn't get hurt. But did you know that I did all of that on purpose? Because it was funny to see your face when you were in a panic, over trying to make sure the date was successful. Truly adorable."
"…I made sure that I planned out our first date very carefully. To make sure it would be a great date. A lot of time and effort went into the planning… I even got advice from my friend…"
Raynare laughed. "Yeah! It was very ordinary! Your friend must have some bad advice! Because of that, I was very bored!"
"…Yuuma-chan."
"Ufufu, I chose that name so I can kill you at dawn. Wonderful, isn't it? Right, Ise-kun?"
In that moment, my rage went past its limit. I looked up, and stared straight into Raynare's eyes, as if I could see through them and into her soul. I then shouted, with all my anger, at her.
"RAYNAREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
"AHAHAHA! I don't want a rotten brat like you calling me by my name, you damn trash of a Devil!" She shouts with a sneer.
I held so much hatred inside of me, directed at Raynare, that I felt as if my soul was turning black. I don't know who is more of a scum than her in this moment. She is truly the one who is fitting to be called a Devil.
"Hyoudou-kun!" Kiba shouted over towards me. I looked over towards him, surprised. "Our formation is at a disadvantage while protecting that girl! Hurry and leave with her! We'll make a pathway for you!"
He says this as he cuts down a Priest.
He was right. There were still a great number of Priests left, so if I keep idling on by here, we'll eventually get overwhelmed.
I glared at Raynare, and then turned around and ran. With Asia in my arms, I hurried away from the Fallen Angel.
"Koneko-chan, we'll make an escape path!" Kiba shouted towards the small girl.
"…Affirmative." She responded simply.
The two then started to take down the Priests who were in my way, leaving an open pathway for me.
"Kiba, Koneko-chan!" I shouted back at the two, as they hold off the group of Exorcists.
"You go ahead! We'll handle this crowd!" Kiba shouted back, dodging a slash, and stabbing his sword into the Exorcist's shoulder.
"…Please go quickly." Koneko responded, jumping over an Exorcist, and kicking him in the back of the head.
"But!"
"Just go!"
Clicking my tongue, I turned away from the two. I didn't want to leave my allies in such a situation. But, I had to rely on them. My senior Devils, to take care of this situation for me, you truly have my thanks. There is no way they'll just die in a place like this!
"Kiba! Koneko-chan! When I get back, just call me 'Ise'! Definitely! We are comrades now, so don't show any hesitation!"
Saying this, I ran on. I hurried back through the passageway we had come through, and up the stairs.
o-DxD-o
I hurried up the stairs holding onto the body of Asia and came out into the area we had fought Freed in. However, there was something wrong with Asia. Her face was pretty pale, and she was actually a bit cold. I laid her down on one of the pews.
"Just wait a bit longer Asia! You'll be free soon. You'll be able to have a lot of fun from now on! Just… hold on! Please!" Asia sent me a small smile at my spoken words. Reaching up with her right hand, she took my left in it. I could hardly feel any strength or warmth from her hand.
"…I was happy…" She started with a weak voice. "I had a friend… even for a short while..." She smiles even though she's in pain. "…If I were to be born once again, will you become my friend once more?" She questions me with a slight tilt of her head.
"Wh-what are you saying!? Don't say something like that! Let's go somewhere to have fun! I'll drag you around even if you don't want to! We'll go do karaoke! Game Centre! Bowling! Even fishing! And to other places! We'll even go over to Noe's place! I haven't been there, but apparently it's pretty spacious, so I'm sure there are a lot of things we could do over there! Oh, right! He also makes some good sweets. He gave me one… and it was… really good…"
I couldn't stop the tears from forming in my eyes, or from slipping out and running down my cheeks. I'm supposed to be talking to her with a smile, but I couldn't stop crying.
I know it.
I already know it.
This girl before me is dying.
She is going to die.
Even so, I still wanted to deny it.
That this has to all just be some kind of a sick joke.
"We are friends!" I told her resolutely. "Always!" I promised her. "Yeah, that's right! I'll even introduce you to Motohama and Matsuda. Though they're a bit perverted, they're both good guys! They'll definitely become your friends! We will have fun together! We'll have fun until we can!"
"…If I was born in this country… and went to the same school as you…"
"Let's go!" I suddenly interrupted. "Come to our school! You'll love it there! Everyone is really nice!"
Asia's hand pats my cheek, stopping my words.
"…You even cry for someone worthless like me… Now I can…" Her hand drops from patting my cheek, falling down to her side slowly.
"…Thank you…" She whispers her final words, passing away with her eyes opened slightly, and with a beautiful smile.
In that moment, I could only stare at her unmoving body. Though I only knew her shortly, I had grown to really like her. She was…
I lost my strength. I simply stood there looking down at her face, as my tears travel down my face, unstopping.
'Why?' I questioned myself. 'Why did this girl have to die?'
She was a good girl. She was a kind girl who would heal anyone injured. When she healed that boy in the park. When she healed the wounds I had suffered from Freed, and then by Raynare, before she was taken away.
How come no one wanted to become her friend? How come I was never by her side when she needed me the most?
"Hey, God!?" I shouted looking up. "You are there right, God!? Devils and Angels exist, so you also exist as well, right, God!? You were watching, right!? You were watching all of this, the entire time, right!?"
I didn't know who would answer me. And I didn't really care. But I just wanted to scream towards the ceiling, the Heavens, screaming out, to try to save Asia, in my own futile way.
"Please don't take this girl away! Please! I beg of you! She hasn't done anything wrong! She just wanted a friend! I will be her friend forever! So please! Please, I beg of you; I want this girl to smile forever! God!"
Even though I screamed towards Heaven, no one answers me back.
"Did this happen because I turned into a Devil!? Did you abandon her because I'm a Devil and her friend?"
I bite down against my teeth with regret.
I have no power. I didn't have any power at all. If I had more power as a Devil… Would I have been able to save her? If I had the power to at least save Asia… Even if I regret it now, she will never smile again.
As I lamented this fact, a familiar voice spoke up.
"What's this, a Devil is repenting in a place like this? Or were you wishing for something? How odd."
The voice I heard – was Raynare's. When I turned around, there was a Fallen Angel smirking down at me. I clamped down against my teeth, and my vision turned red slightly from the anger welling up inside of me.
"Look at this." She pressed her left hand against her right forearm. "This is the wound that I had received from the Knight boy while I was coming here."
A shallow green light appeared around the wound, and it quickly healed.
"Look. Wonderful, isn't it? I can heal any kind of wound. To us Fallen Angels, who lost the Divine protection of God, that child's Sacred Gear was a wonderful present."
Hey.
That light belongs to Asia, not you…
Why are you using it?
Are Kiba and Koneko-chan safe? I start to wonder, even as Raynare continued her monologue.
"My status will rise since I will be a Fallen Angel that can heal Fallen Angels. I could be of help to the great Azazel-sama and Shemhaza-sama! There is nothing more wonderful than this! Aaah, Azazel-sama… My power is all for you…"
"Like I care." I cut in, a blank look on my face. I glared at Raynare with all of my hatred. She flinched slightly from the strong glare, before going back to her usual smirk. "I don't care about that. Fallen Angels, God, and Devils… Those things had nothing to do with this girl."
"No, it clearly did. She was a chosen human that possessed a Sacred Gear. She was tied to the Supernatural world the moment she was born."
"…Even so. She could have lived quietly. She could have lived normally!"
"She couldn't. Those with irregular Sacred Gears would be left out of the world and groups. Because they possess a powerful ability. Because they have a different power than others. You know humans hate those things, right? Even though it's a wonderful power like this. They truly abhor it. Something that they don't understand, and never will… they truly hate it."
"…Then I would have protected Asia, as her friend!"
"Ahahahaha!" She laughed at my words. "That's impossible. Because she died! That girl is dead; you know? A corpse. It's not the matter of whether you protect her or not, or whether you can do so. You couldn't protect her, and that's why she is dead right there! You couldn't protect her then, and you definitely can't protect her now! You really are a weird boy! It's totally amusing!"
"…I know. That's why I can't forgive you. And myself-!"
I can't forgive everything. I couldn't forgive myself who couldn't save Asia. I couldn't forgive Raynare for killing Asia. I couldn't forgive my own weakness.
And then, Buchou's words suddenly came back into my mind.
Desire.
Sacred Gears are driven by the power of desire. And it also determines the power for it as well.
"Give her back." I muttered, clenching my teeth and hands.
Even though you are a Devil, your will to desire hasn't been lost. The stronger you desire, the stronger your Sacred Gear will respond to you.
"GIVE ASIA BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!" I screamed out against the world, and a bright green light exploded around my left arm.
[Dragon Booster!]
The Sacred Gear on my left arm activates, as if it had responded to my shout. The jewel in the gauntlet makes a bright shine, nearly blinding me and Raynare in the process.
Mysterious markings appear across the gauntlet at that time. At the same time, power flows through into my body. From my left arm equipped with this Sacred Gear, to my whole body. I went ahead while having my body overflow with power.
I thrust my fist towards the Fallen Angel in front of me who is still smirking, even in this situation. However, Raynare easily dodges it.
"I will explain it so even a dummy like you can understand!"
I turned around towards her at hearing these words, and lunged for her. However, she easily jumped over me, dodging my attack.
"It's a simple power difference. Let's say I have a power of 1000. And you have a power of 1. You can't shorten the gap between us no matter what. Even with the ability of that Sacred Gear, the power doubled is only 2! It's futile! How can you win against me? Ahahahaha!"
She laughs, as if it's incredibly funny. But it wasn't. Not to me.
[Boost!]
Another sound from the jewel. A loud thump of my heart is heard, and I felt a change well up from within my body. The power – something to beat down the enemy in front of me is increasing.
"Uoooooooo!" Sending out a war cry, I charged Raynare once more. Whilst concentrating my overflowing power into my fist, I promote to a Rook.
"Heh, did your power increase a little bit? Still, it's not enough!"
My attack is dodged again.
In the next moment, light starts to gather around Raynare's hand, and it forms a spear.
"I put a lot of power into it, so you should enjoy it while it lasts!" Pulling her hand back, she threw the spear of light at me. I was unable to dodge her attack.
The spear of light turned into two, and it pierced both of my legs at the same time. It went deep into my thighs, and out of the other side. Even with the defense of a Rook, I still wasn't able to defend against it. I screamed from the pain I was experiencing, but I didn't fall.
Even from pain like this, I will not fall onto my knees!
I grab onto the spears, and though it burns, with a pained groan, I try to pull the spears loose from my legs. Seeing this, Raynare laughs.
"A Devil trying to pull that spear out is foolish! To Devils, light is an intense poison. Just touching it will make you burn. That is the ultimate pain that Devils can taste! For a Low-class Devil like you, it's-"
"Nugaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Screaming this out, a scream that is hard to describe in words besides from 'being brutal' and 'painful sounding', I use more strength to pull the spears out of my legs. Even though it hurts. Even though my hands are burning, and smoke is coming off of them. I don't let go. Ever so slightly, the spears start to slide out.
Even though I'm about to lose consciousness because of the pain, I do not give up. The reason is simple.
"This! That girl! This is nothing compared to what Asia went through!" With a jerk of my hands, I successfully pull out the two spears from my legs, whilst tears and drool slides down my face. It hurts. Though it hurts, it was nothing. This pain! It was nothing that Asia experienced!
As the spears disappear from hitting the ground, blood pours out of my wounds. Even though I took the spears out, the pain was still there.
[Boost!]
Even if I was pierced by the spear and had stopped my attack, the gauntlet on my left arm continues to make a sound.
It really does hurt, doesn't it? I'm crying a lot, and I have a lot of drool coming out of my mouth. It hurts, but I couldn't really give up…
As I think this, my legs twitch, and I fall backwards and onto my butt. I don't even have the strength left to stand up. Aren't I in a bad condition?
"…Quiet remarkable. A Low-class Devil pulling out the spear of light made by a Fallen Angel. However, it's futile! My light may not be flashy, but it has a high killing ability against Devils. The density of the light is strong, in other words. So strong that it is used as the blade of light Priests uses. Getting hurt even once will be hard to heal, even for a Mid-class Devil. For a Low-class Devil like you, this is the limit. Fufufu. You can't look down on the damage caused by the power of light, you know? Especially my light."
Like always, she is talking about something that I don't really understand, nor care to.
"The light will circulate around your body, and cause damage to your entire body. If you are late at healing it, you will die slowly."
I don't care about what she is saying, so I start to tune her words out. What she is saying, doesn't matter. I'm alive right now, so I can still do something.
But. If I don't get healed soon, I will most likely die.
I can't just sit here. But I don't have any strength left in my legs. Dammit…
Is this the end for me? I looked over towards Asia. A girl who is sleeping peacefully. I'm sorry for being noisy… Yeah, I'm all right. I'm seriously fine.
I'm pretty strongly built for a mere pervert. As I think of this, I start to have weird thoughts.
"At times like this, aren't we supposed to pray to God?" I mutter underneath my breath without realizing it. Raynare, hearing these words, is obviously confused. Before she could say anything, I continue. "But God is no good. He didn't listen to me before, and he didn't even help a good girl like Asia at all. He's really a useless God."
"I wonder what you're trying to say. Did you finally break from the pain?" I ignored her words.
"Then, who is next? Obviously, it is him. Maou-sama, will you listen to my pleas? You exist, right? Are you listening to me? I'm also a Devil, so will you hear my wish?"
"Yep, he's totally lost it. This boy is talking to himself in a place like this." Raynare comments off to the side, but she lets me continue talking to myself.
"I'm going to bash this shitty Fallen Angel in front of me, so please make sure no one interferes. I seriously don't want anyone interfering with this, okay? I don't need any help. I will do it myself; for Asia. My legs are fine, so I'll get up on my own, so you don't need to help me up. So, please, make it a good one on one fight. My anger is so high that I think I can just handle this pain… Just one hit is enough… Please let me hit her, at least once…"
Once I finish saying these words, I feel a strange warmth course throughout my body, and strength starts to build up. I can move.
Though I have lost the sensation in my legs, and just moving it slightly will send a thundering amount of pain throughout my body. But, I can still move. I stand up.
My body, which hasn't stopped shaking, from the anger or pain, no one can tell. Even so, I stand up with no help. It hurts, but I still do it. My whole body hurts with a righteous fury that would kill a normal person. However, I take it. I ignore the pain. My anger is greater than it. My will is greater than it.
All I have to do, is to endure it until I hit her.
Raynare gasps in surprise. "I-impossible! Your body isn't in any condition to move, because of the light-"
I approach Raynare slowly, who still wears a shocked expression on her face. My hair blocks my eyes from view, though she can clearly see my clenched fists and teeth.
"Hey, Ex-girlfriend." I say mockingly. "I've been through a lot because of you." From when you asked me out… to our date… to you killing me… even up to this moment… I remember it all. Images pass through my mind, and I remember every detail of every moment you were around. Be it as Amano Yuuma, or as Raynare. I remember it, and it helps fuel my anger.
"How can a Low-class Devil like you be able to stand up with those wounds!? You shouldn't be able to endure it!"
"Yeah, it hurts." I reply as calmly as I could. "It really hurts. I'm even close to losing my consciousness. But you know what? My hatred towards you is so great that I can endure this and more." I glare right at Raynare without even blinking.
I already know it. My next hit will be my last blow. If I use it, I will fall down. That's why, I have to finish it with my next hit. I can't look away from my target.
"Hey, my Sacred Gear." I muttered. "You still have the power to punch this thing in front of me, right? Then let's finish it."
[Explosion!]
The sound from the jewel made just now sounded especially strong, like the roar of an enraged Dragon. The jewel shines even brighter. Such a bright light. It's dazzling. But unlike the light of a Fallen Angel, this light didn't damage me, but it instead gives me peace.
With a warmth spreading throughout my body, I take a step forward. I cough up some blood, and blood spurt out of my wounds. It hurts, even now. But, even now, my gauntlet is flowing power into me. When I was against Raynare at evening, I was scared of the power difference between us.
My instinct as a Devil grasped hold of the overwhelming power difference between us, and my body didn't stop shaking because of it. This time, I thought that I could never beat her.
But it's different now.
The power I'm receiving from the gauntlet is immense. It was as if I had the power to slay a God right now.
However, this power won't last forever. It was a one-time only event.
I clench my left fist so hard, that I felt blood trickle between my fingers. I didn't know much about fighting, but just a single punch will do. Even if it's a terrible punch, a punch is a punch, and with this much power backing it up, even Raynare will be defeated. My target is just before me. And I'm definitely going to hit her.
"…L-lies!" Raynare suddenly shouts, taking a step back. Her body was shaking; just like mine when we had fought earlier. She was afraid. "This is just a lie! I am the Fallen Angel that has attained the ultimate healing power! I turned into a superior being by obtaining this [Twilight Healing]! I received the right to be loved by Azazel-sama and Shemhaza-sama! I would never lose to some low-life like you!"
Once more, she grasps a spear of light in both of her hands.
However, before she could lunge it towards me, I knock it away with the side of my fist. It disappeared easily.
Seeing me easily swat away her sear with ease, Raynare's face pales.
"N-No!" Flapping her black wings, she was about to fly away. She turned around, and with another flap, her feet leave the ground. But before she could get a foot away from the ground, I grab her shoulder and pull her back down and towards me. I pulled the shoulder towards me, and spun her around so she could see me, so that we could look into each other's eyes.
"I won't let you get away." I growl at her.
"I-I'm superior-!" She tries to reason, but I interrupt her, having enough of her bullshit.
"Blow away, you shitty FALLEN ANGEL!"
Pulling back my left fist, my gauntlet released all of its energy, all of the strength gathered in my left arm – I concentrated it into my fist. I then used that fist to punch towards Raynare, right into the middle of her face.
There was a sickening crunching sound as my fist dug into her face. With even more strength, I pushed my fist even further into her.
As if time was resuming, Raynare went flying backwards from the punch, and through the wall, making a very loud noise. The wall broke apart, leaving a big hole in it.
"Serves you right." I say, smiling from the very bottom of my heart. Those were my true feelings. That punch felt incredibly good…
But soon, tears are falling down from my eyes. Even though I defeated Raynare like I said, there is something that will never change. Something that I can never hope to even begin to change.
"…Asia." I muttered, hanging my head down low.
She will never smile ever again.