I'm not writing the aftermath from all factions, only the important factions in this story or will play a role in the next arc. I might write one more chapter exclusively for Xenovia and Haruka's interaction since this only cover the factions. I really need to get moving on the other stories though.
Chapter 9: Aftermath
-Two days later, Takamagahara-
Setsuna is confused. Why his mother asked his family along with Issei to come while also bringing along the former devils? Amaterasu rarely summons him and even then they will only talk in private unless it is something official. If it was, she would've notified him or at least give him a rough idea of what she wants. If it is about wanting to meet her son and his family, Issei and the former devils wouldn't be included.
"So why did you summon us in front of the whole Takamagahara, mother?"
Setsuna asked, genuinely curious since this has never happened before. Setsuna note that there are lots of gods sharing his confusion.
"…recently, we have received news that Sirzechs Lucifer, the Crimson Satan, was killed in battle."
Setsuna only raised an eyebrow while the gods, Mizore, and the former devils let out audible gasps. Issei who doesn't know how big this is just look confused. He knew what Lucifer's name means but the real weigh of the situation is lost to him.
"Are you sure? For someone like Lucifer to get himself killed, only a large scale war against a full mythological faction or Shiva could do that and even then everyone would've known in an instant or at least heard some rumors as it would be a very large event."
"I am not joking about this, Setsuna."
Amaterasu's tone is definitely serious. But some are still skeptical as Sirzechs Lucifer is much too powerful to be taken out without anyone hearing about the battle.
"The news came from two sources, the Celts and Heaven. The battle happened in Scotland, specifically on the old Mcadder land."
Hearing that, Setsuna began to have a sinking feeling. Now it doesn't sound so farfetched. Setsuna cross his fingers in his mind, hoping that it is wrong.
"The witness to this battle was Dulio Gesualdo, the strongest exorcist. The Scottish highland was leveled and he witnessed Sirzechs Lucifer almost obliterating Great Britain. But he was then killed in an instant by an unknown woman who bears immense power. But before that, he was fighting against a very well known former exorcist, Shidou Haruka."
Setsuna and Mizore internally groaned. They knew Haruka's secret and yes, Sirzechs' demise doesn't sound so strange now. Issei and the former devils could only blink a few times before gaping.
"S-S-Shidou Haruka!"
"The former exorcist?!"
There are murmurs among everyone present and of course everyone knew who Shidou Haruka is. But only Mizore and Setsuna doesn't look so surprised.
'You've reached a new level of luck, Haruka.'
The two of them thought simultaneously. From Godslayer to Demonslayer, really he is something else.
One of the gods, Takemikazuchi, spoke.
"Wasn't he the one who slay Balor almost two years ago?"
"Correct, the very same Shidou Haruka. He had been staying in this land for the last three years while occasionally leaving for a number of weeks."
"Why are we not informed that such a dangerous individual is here in Japan?"
"Because he is Japanese and never had he shown power outside of what we know about him."
The gods began talking about the matter while Setsuna's group left. Amaterasu who noticed this approach her son.
"Why are you leaving?"
"If it is about Haruka, then there is nothing new that you could tell me."
"…I see, you were there when he killed Balor. So you knew of his power?"
"He is no threat to us as in the sense, he is a friend of mine. His goal is only to protect humanity. Out of all the mythological factions, Shinto got along with our human population best. We have nothing to wory about from him."
"I see. Are you sure of this?"
"As sure as I can be, which is very. He is a friend."
Amaterasu watch as her son leaves. If what he said is right, then the Shinto faction really has nothing to worry about concerning him.
When they got back to the Seimei mansion, Shirone and Yuuto fell to the couch looking mortified. Sirzechs Lucifer was the strongest devil ever. To hear that the exorcist they fought (?) could actually fight him and have someone strong enough to kill him, they really didn't know what they got themselves into back then.
"Don't be so down. It's not like it matters to you anymore. Both of you are no longer devils."
Setsuna told them as he drop wet towel on their head.
"Setsuna-san, I might sound stupid since everybody back there seems to know but who is Sirzechs Lucifer? I know he is some bigshot of the devils but who exactly is he?"
Issei asked. Now that he think of it, Issei is still quite new to the supernatural world. It's understandable that he doesn't know.
"Hmm… take a seat, Issei-kun. I guess I have to enlighten you a little bit about the situation."
As Issei too a seat beside Shirone, Setsuna sat on the couch opposite to the three and began explaining.
"First of all, you do know that the supernatural world is vast and very dangerous, right?"
Issei nodded.
"We also rank the power level of all supernatural beings in the world with dragons frequently appearing on top. Counting Ddraig and Albion in their prime, There are five dragons in total in the top ten strongest in the world but with the two Heavenly Dragons sealed, Great Red, Ophis, and Crom Cruach are the three dragons there and they are very dangerous. Now, the more powerful you are, the more influence you have in the supernatural world simply because nobody wants to piss you off. I myself am in the middle three digits while mother is ranked seven. Sirzechs Lucifer is the 5th strongest being in the whole world just below Shiva and Indra."
"Rank… five? That's a super final boss level enemy!"
"Right. So you see, this is why it is so shocking. The top ten are absolute monsters. Now imagine what happens when there is an unranked famed exorcist who quit the church killing someone like Sirzechs Lucifer, King of the Devils and the strongest Devil in existence."
"Uhh… what?"
"Chaos, especially since Haruka is an unaffiliated human. Humans are considered the weakest race. There are some who are powerful but even Longinus wielders had never once defeated a god. Now Haruka is a pure human without supernatural blood like me. A pure human who not long ago killed the god Balor and now killed the 5th strongest being in the supernatural world. Everyone would either want to recruit him or kill him. Plus with his status as a former exorcist, Heaven will be taking some heat from the Devils. That one I need to confirm though. There's a possibility that they won't push Heaven to do something since Haruka is a stray but that remains to be seen."
"So…"
"…Haruka is now the most wanted human in the whole supernatural world… and the Devils will definitely want his head. A war is even possible. Politically, this is a huge clusterfuck. Haruka had just destroyed the power balance of the world, especially since he is human."
Issei couldn't get everything that Setsuna said. To be honest, he doesn't quite get the significance of the situation. But if there is one thing he understands is that Haruka is in trouble, a very big trouble.
-Sixth Heaven-
The atmosphere in the meeting room had never been so tense eversince the demise of their Father.
Heaven had received the news faster than any other faction apart from Celts. The opinion between the four Great Seraphs about this matter differs. Uriel had never been so gleeful since the Great War. Raphael kept his judgement neutral, Gabriel is worried and Michael is not at all happy.
Uriel, the warrior that he is, still resents the Devils for what happen in the Great War. Hearing one of Heaven's greatest threat's demise in the hand of an exorcist, a former one maybe, made his day much brighter. Ohh he knew the name Shidou Haruka alright. He was a vicious one. Vicious and cold towards the Devils, he like him. And although not much of a plus in his book, prioritize the safety of humanity. If father were still alive, he would've made him an angel and assign him as a protector of humanity. It was quite a powerful blow to the Church for Uriel even if the others don't know it when Shidou Haruka quit.
Gabriel and Michael though are distraught, especially Michael. He, Sirzechs, and Azazel had been planning to make a chance to sign a peace treaty between the three factions. Now with Sirzechs gone that plan will most likely fail.
But what hurts most is the name Shidou Haruka. Michael knew that name very well. A very talented and powerful exorcist with strong faith. Michael always felt uneasy when he watches him. It's like his loyalty never lies with them even if he is devoted to God.
It is as if he knew that they are not actually following God's order.
Michael never did manage to confirm if he knew that secret but he won't be surprised if he did.
And then there was the incident he made when he quit. Assassinating corrupt church members and then disappearing completely from detection. Michael saw the last look he gave Vatican when he escaped.
Total disappointment.
That is why he who was there at that time did not give chase. It is because he allowed atrocities like the Holy Sword Project to continue. He knew if Father was still with them he would be disappointed.
"Is there anything from the Devils?"
Raphael asked.
"The Underworld demands information about Shidou Haruka. I told them that what we know is outdated information that they can find anywhere."
Uriel replied.
"How did they react to that?"
"Obviously they are outraged but I don't care. They can rage all they want. We really don't know anything about him other than when he was an active exorcist anyway."
"You did not mention what Dulio saw?"
"No. Is there any need?"
Michael groaned. Uriel knew that the devils will hunt Shidou Haruka and he also knew that they will die, with or without proper information. Giving them nothing means Haruka will have an easier time to kill anyone getting near him. Uriel is indirectly helping Haruka… or the more appropriate words, using him.
-Khaos Brigade-
"Have you heard the latest news?"
Cao Cao began the Hero faction's impromptu meeting after he got the news of Lucifer's demise.
"Sirzechs Lucifer was killed, yeah, I've heard."
"We've all heard the news, Cao Cao. But I assume that you have the details."
Cao Cao nodded. He then throws a file onto the table where the core member of the Hero faction gathers. Everyone look at the file with intrigue. How can they not? They have at least heard of the person in question at least once although almost none of them have ever encountered him.
Almost
Those who knew him personally gasped.
"Haruka-kun."
"Shidou…"
Jeanne and Siegfried, one is a former exorcist and the other a wandering swordsman.
"Shidou Haruka. As you know, the Church declared him a stray three years ago when he assassinated several high-ranking members of the Church. We found out that those he assassinated are corrupt members and some are involved with illegal experiments like the Holy Sword project."
Hearing the name of that project made Jeanne disgusted. Like Haruka, she lost all her faith in the Church then. In fact, the very reason she joined Khaos Brigade's Hero faction is Haruka himself. He opened her eyes, show her that the Church is not all good.
"We have tried to locate him, to recruit him for a long time but he remains elusive. Last we heard of him was during the Fairy Tale incident where our spy saw him kill Balor when he manifested."
"…You're joking right?"
One of the members asked in disbelief.
"Nowhere in history had a human managed to defeat a god, even Longinus user."
"There is actually. But this made him the second human to do so."
This time it was Georg, one of the Hero faction's Longinus wielder, who answered.
"It is not a known fact but Scathatch gained her immortality by killing some gods. The specifics are lost in time but Scathatch was a normal, although a very powerful human before then. Shidou Haruka is now the second human to accomplish that feat."
Cao Cao turned to Jeanne.
"You have worked with him before, right?"
Jeanne nodded."
"Siegfried had encountered him too but I believe I know him best among everyone here."
"Then what can you tell us about him?"
Everyone around the meeting table fixed their gaze on the former exorcist.
"…Outside of the battlefield, he looks normal, as normal as an exorcist can be. He always complains about being a trouble magnet since trouble seems to follow him. He is one of the friendliest exorcist you can find."
"Well… that's informative and all but it's not really relevant. It just means that he is easily approachable."
"Easily approachable? I don't think so. Haruka is generally nice and patient. But if he disagrees with you, his blade will do the talking. He has this look in his eyes that sometimes makes you feel like he's looking into your soul. And for those he deems as enemies, none of them live if they are in his range. Haruka is messy when he kills with his sacred gear. He could control swords, 36 swords all at the same time to strike his enemies from multiple angles. Fighting him is like fighting multiple people at once. His swords are extremely fast and more durable than my balance breaker… when he is still in basic form."
"…that's frightening. So he had mastered his sacred gear to that degree. A powerful ranged fighter then."
Siegfried shook his head at the conclusion one member made.
"Wrong. If you think he is a ranged fighter then you are wrong."
Jeanne nodded.
"His fighting style usually starts with his flying blades. But if an enemy manage to survive him 'playing around' then he takes it up a notch. See the japanese sword that he carries around?"
Everyone take a closer look at Haruka's photo and indeed they see a Japanese sword attached to his hip.
"A holy sword?"
A random member guessed. Jeanne shook her head.
"It is not the sword as much as it is his skill. As you know, he has Blade Blacksmith like me and his swords are superior. But never once did he use it for close range. That is because he uses the Japanese sword when he personally fights… and he is a monster with it."
"…how powerful is he?"
"Swordsmanship alone, he is the undisputable best in the Church. That is already counting the likes of Griselda Quarta and Vasco Strada."
Then Cao Cao asked.
"He is definitely powerful. So Jeanne, do you think we can recruit him?"
Jeanne stayed silent for a while as she thinks.
"Possibly. If there is anything I can say with 100% assurance is that he values humanity greatly. The main problem is actually finding him."
-?-
Shidou Haruka groaned as he opens his eyes. His body is hurting all over the place.
"Ugh. Eterna, did you get the number of the truck that hits me?"
[If you can make a joke like that then you're fine.]
"No seriously, my body is hurting all over."
[Don't worry, it's just the aftereffect of healing you. Do you know how many muscles were torn and don't make me mention organ failure and various internal bleeding. Like I said, no matter what precautions we take, no body could become my vessel for an extended period of time. You're lucky you didn't implode.]
When Eterna mentioned the possibility of implosion, Haruka truly thank God that he didn't die. It is truly a miracle that he hadn't died yet.
Haruka got up. He blinked twice and then look around. It is… a room, a very large room that belongs to a western mansion.
[It's Valerie.]
The mention of that familiar name made everything clicked.
[Oh and we're in the land of shadow. You've been unconscious for one and a half month.]
"…Eeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Shinto is more or less neutral. Michael is troubled while Uriel looks like Christmas came early for him. Khaos Brigade wants him. Ohh and even though I didn't include it, Ophis knew. As fellow Infinities, it is obvious that she knew.
And Haruka ended up in Scathach's land. There's not much to say here though. Scathach will appear in the next chapter ohh and Haruka is not an immortal because he is a godslayer. This ain't no Campione.
Jeanne worked with Haruka before. I have a few ideas concerning Jeanne and I wonder... how will Xenovia deal with a rival in both sword and love?
Now for the revs.
Vulkhanos: Good idea. I don't have a hobby of making someone a widow or an orphan.
.vendicatore: But I so want to make him a one-armed badass. I'm still considering.
DdraigTrueEmperor9: Rather than going easy, Haruka only level the playing field. He did fight with all his humanly skill against Xenovia. Otherwise, he wouldn't have drawn his sword in the first place. Only against Xenovia will he make it somewhat fair. As for the arm matter, I'm still thinking. As for Issei, he will have a harem and he is only semi-pervert here due to some changes. Setsuna is actually married to two people. I just haven't introduced his second wife and those that fell for him but haven't married him yet.
PizzaSpinner: Revenge maybe? I don't know. It's work in progress.
Dragon slayer 41: No automail. Probably Azazel's mechanical arm but like I said before, I'm still thinking.
raketsou: Even I think that their relationship is complicated. They are partners, friend, lovers (haven't confessed yet), rivals, student and teacher, and maybe some other. They love each other but will fight each other seriously due to acknowledging each other as warriors. It's really complicated. But they do love each other shown by Haruka wanting to keep her safe and Xenovia wanting him to return to her to the point that they battle each other... which I admit is somewhat strange. It's just the dynamic of their relationship.
