Disclaimer: I do not own High School DxD nor do I own Devil May Cry. In any case, DMC5 is heavily hinted by Hideaki Itsuno, but if that's true, I'm pretty sure that can only become a reality if DMC4:SE is a big success. Either way, my fingers are crossed. In other news, DxD Volume 20 has been announced and will be released this month. More specifically two weeks!
Mission 3: PART 2
"Seriously, I'm never around whenever the good stuffs happen," Dante remarked as he approached a certain table. The place that Issei had requested for a meeting is a diner, one which Dante had frequented himself during his early days in Oddville, so it wasn't surprising when one of the waitress immediately came to him with a strawberry sundae. Giving a quick 'thank you', he continued, "I mean, come on, man. I'm begging you, save some good things for me to see? I'll give you ¥300."
"Uhm… sorry?" Issei said, unsure.
"But then again, the things that happen when you're around tend to be really fun anyways, so I guess I should thank you for that," he amended.
"Uhm… you're welcome?"
"Don't mention it." The hunter looked around at the occupants at the table. There's the loli girl Koneko, who was nibbling on her ice cream and staring at his own, Issei and Asia, who were smiling and waving cheerfully at him respectively. Gestures he returned graciously. And of course Kiba, who was drinking a cup of coffee he had just ordered.
"He is your 'so-called' ace?" And there's the two unfamiliar people in cloaks seating among them. One of them most likely Japanese and the other European. Shout in the dark, Italian? The latter continued, "He doesn't look like he can amount to much."
Her summary of him would have been insulting if it weren't for the speck of food still around her lips, possibly from a previous lunch. He decided to ignore that jab. "So… you two. You're the exorcists the pretty boy was talking about?" The blue haired girl stiffly nodded, while the twin-tailed girl nodded cheerily, waving at him with both hands. Dante suddenly lets out a dreary sigh, "And like that, my expectation plummets."
The former scowled, "I don't know who you are, but you will do well not underestimate us."
"Hakuna your tatas, girly. I was jokin'," Dante made himself comfortable, pulling a chair from a nearby table up to the meeting area. "I was just expecting a young priest and an old priest, with you two bein' exorcists and all that, drivin' Pazuzu away from innocent little girls since 1973."
"Pazuzu?" the twin-tailed girl tilted her head in genuine confusion.
"You… you don't watch a lot of movies, do you?"
"The Church has a very strict guideline on which movies are allowed to be seen, and the utmost limit is PG-13," she elaborated and pouted slightly. "It's very dissatisfying for the moviegoers among us that admire R-rated movies."
"I can let you watch The Exorcist anytime, if you'd like. Netflix is your best friend in that regard." She smiled gratefully at the offer and gave him thanks. "So on to business. Dante, freelancing mercenary and boss of Yorozuya Dante, named after yours truly," he introduced himself.
"…Xenovia, wielder of Excalibur Destruction," the bluenette introduced herself, nodding sharply.
"Hi there! Shidou Irina, wielder of Excalibur Mimic," the twin-tailed girl followed up.
"So an Italian and a Japanese, huh?" he noted. "So where's the German one?"
"He is currently on hold at the moment," Xenovia replied and studied him curiously. "How did you know our own ace was German?"
"I guessed. If he had been here, I could have been given the chance to call you guys the Axis of Holiness. But alas," he gave an exaggerated sigh. Most of the devils snorted at the quip. Irina seemed confused at the joke, while Xenovia…
"That, is not funny. The Holocaust and World War II marked a very controversial period for the three Churches," she remarked with a frown. "And the Templar has more businesses to attend to than us. If however, the situation turns out to be more than we can handle, he'll be sent out to take over. Until then, it's just us two."
"Fancy," he replied in turn. This is gonna be interesting. Azazel had mentioned a 'Templar' back before, but never elaborated further into it. "Anyways, I hear that the One Sword to Rule Them All was taken from its sanctified safe or something and is in this city as we speak. Am I right to think that?"
"You mean Excalibur?"
"No, because there's a lot of swords out there that certify that you can rule over England. So yeah, Excalibur," Dante snarked in confirmation. "Speaking of which, why is it that there isn't a larger task force sent out to retrieve it? I thought that with something so important like Excalibur, people would be more inclined to get it back."
Irine spoke up, "That's the whole point. We don't want to start another Great War, do we? If we had sent the Church's finest warriors, the devils in the territory would be on edge and frictions between the two are enough sparks to light it again. Not to mention, the two siblings of two Maou's currently reside here."
"And because of that, the Church sent only two girls with aforementioned sharp, pointy metal sticks of holiness who haven't even reached the age of consent. How very logical," Dante finished. Irina pouted at being interrupted, but nodded. Xenovia frowned at his subtle remark against her own abilities and bit her lips.
"…The age of consent in Japan is 13," Koneko corrected offhandedly.
"Really. That just means I spent the last one and a half year in Japan without the knowledge that I could hit on prepubescent girls legally. Big shocker," he shrugged nonchalantly. "Am I correct so far?"
"That's the summary of it," Issei affirmed with a serious face. Dante was slightly impressed that the kid was taking this matter seriously. "Kiba probably told you already, but he left the peerage to search for the Excalibur's and destroy them. I offered to help him kick the ass of the person responsible for everything that happend to him before he left. And it turns out that Irina-chan and Xenovia know the person responsible for Kiba's hatred."
"Yes," Xenovia nodded and asked, "Are you aware of the Holy Sword Project?"
"No. But from the looks of it, we don't have a lot of time for a long and gritty story, so let's keep it concise. Like, 10 words or less."
She nodded again, "The man responsible is Valper Galilei. He's charged with heresy."
"And on what account?"
"The senseless murder of children who didn't meet his standards."
"So… he's an asshole."
"That is a vulgar way of saying it, but yes."
"And Kokabiel is apparently at the helm of this fiasco," Dante breathed and leaned back. An excited smirk gleamed its way onto his face. "I bit off more than I thought when I accepted this shtick."
"You seem knowledgeable about this incident," Xenovia remarked, her face suspicious.
"When one of your employer is the Governor of the Fallen Angels, of course it's expected," he casually replied. He didn't bother reacting to the shock everyone, who had stood up abruptly from the table sans Kiba and Asia, adorned when he revealed that tidbit.
"Oh, grow up. He's still a bastard one way or another. A fun bastard, but a bastard regardless."
"Er, Redgrave-san," Issei seemed cautious as he began to sit back down from the unexpected shock. "Are you on our side, or the fallen angel's?"
"Yes." His smart reply didn't seem satisfactory, so he relented, "Me, myself, and I. I think I established that fact already a while back. Plus, Kiba here enlisted my help, so relax. I'm on your side."
Everyone turned to Kiba, who nodded in confirmation.
"…So what did Azazel need your help for?" Irina turned to ask, more curious than cautious.
"If it helps, one of them was helping him search for his porn magazines." He held back a laugh at everyone's conflicted expression. "But is that really important right now?"
"…No. It isn't," she reluctantly agreed.
"So the Governor of the Fallen Angel is a hopeless pervert," Koneko quipped, sitting back down after recovering from her own shock. "So just like Ise-senpai."
"That hurts, Koneko-chan!"
"As funny as this convo is goin', let's get back on topic," Dante called out. "Did Rias or Sona approve of this plan?" Suddenly, Issei didn't look as serious and appeared more guilty than initially. "…You didn't tell them anything."
He sighed once more. "So why aren't they in the circle?"
"Well…" the wielder of Boosted Gear laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head, "Buchou may have forbid us from helping Irina-chan and Xenovia-san and to keep away from the Excalibur affair altogether," He saw Dante's questioning gaze, and his expression hardened. "But Irina-chan is my friend. She asked me to help her out, and friends don't leave each other hanging no matter what!"
There was a stunned silence at his declaration. "Ise-kun," Irina beamed at the brunette, clasping her hands together. Dante figured that there was more to the smile, and mentally cheered on for Issei. He turned to Asia and Koneko.
"I know Kiba's motive already, so what about you two?"
"U-umm, I will follow Ise-kun wherever he goes," Asia fidgeted shyly and pressed her fingers together, but looked up with eyes as fierce as a kitten to a ball of yarn. "So I will do my best to help! Don't worry, Dante-sama!"
He didn't have time to wonder about the '-sama' at the end of his name, as Koneko followed up, "Someone has to keep them out of trouble."
His lips curled upward. "You know, my respect for you guys just quadrupled."
They smiled at his statement. "So you will help us, Redgrave-san?"
Dante took a deep breath. "I think I got the gist. Your plan is to storm off and fight a bunch of people with a ragtag bunch of people like this, to either retrieve or destroy some Excalibur bits, and with no knowledge of who the enemies are and what they're capable of?"
"Yes!" No hesitation. Did he even listen to him?
"As much as it pains me to admit it, yes. That is the general plan." Xenovia followed up after a slight cringe. "For all we know, we could run into people of the highest calibur. Frankly, if it were just me and Irina, it would be tantamount to a suicide mission."
Dante sighed again. "And you're aware that Rias will be upset by this, followed by the princess exacting on you whatever diabolical punishments they have in Hell, as well as bitch about my participation, right?"
Issei gulped at the mention of a punishment, but in the end steeled himself. "Yeah!"
"…Yeah, I can't wait to see how you screw this one up."
"Wait, what do you mean by that?"
"It means yeah, I'm in," Dante hastily corrected himself. Whew, close call. "So where are we going, and how are we going in?"
[Abandoned Sanctuary]
(nighttime)
They all met up at a sanctuary, located on the edge of the forest of Kuoh.
It appeared Gothic in nature, and was covered almost entirely with aging vines and surrounded with dead weed. The exterior was neglected to the point the seeming marble walls had cracked and graffiti adorned almost every portion the outside had to offer. Only a few stained glass windows depicting scenes from the Bible were intact, while the others were either gone or shattered. Overall, it looked entirely out of place in a city population-deficient in Christians.
There was one time Dante visited this place. It had been a job to sniff out the culprit that was responsible for the disappearance of men, women, and children alike who came to inspect this area, whether it was out of curiosity, to scale out the church, or for sport and adventure. Two police officers had disappeared since the investigation started, and he had been called to help out, the excuse being they didn't want to lose more men. He smelled bullshit, for some reason.
After only a few seconds since entering the decrepit house of worship, he got his answer. It had been the work of a dem-, no a devil. Demons were bolder and would attack as many people as possible without tactics, without caring about being known as a whole. This particular one just resembled a demon, that's all.
…His first encounter with something resembling a demon in this world wasn't exactly the best. He had not known breast milk could be THAT corrosive.
He should call that devil a demon if not appearance-wise, then out of sheer principle. It made killing her all the more easier.
Even though he brutally bashed the devil into oblivion, he wasn't able to come up with a good excuse to hide the supernatural from the authorities, nor was he able to justify the mangled corpse he first-handedly made or even the bones with rotting flesh still attached to them. Suffice to say, he wasn't paid for his work and almost got imprisoned.
Ungrateful bastards.
"It looks abandoned," Issei was the first to comment as they approached it.
"What an astute observation, Ise-boyo. File that under 'shit we already know', yeah?" Dante remarked sarcastically. Issei flipped him off, making him chortle.
"I remember this place," Irina spoke, holding the cross around her neck gently. "My parents and I used to come here. Dad held sermons here, and I would be in the front seats praying with Mom. Good times." She became forlorn at the sight of neglect. "Time really does change everything. Now it's more a tourist spot or a den to hide in than a place of worship."
"Wait, aren't priests supposed to be, er-, celibate or something?" Issei wondered.
"That's the Catholic Church. Protestant priests can marry," Irina corrected him.
Finally they made it to the entrance. It was slightly open, as though tempting anyone to open it.
"It might be a problem to waltz right in," Kiba pointed out with a frown.
"Of course. The idols of the church," Irina spoke up again. "Don't worry. They were removed and distributed to other churched in the city, so it shouldn't be an issue."
"No, not that," the knight studied the door suspiciously. "It's going too smoothly. The thieves should have known that we're coming for them, yet none of them have done anything."
"It just means they are wholly unprepared for their comeuppance," Xenovia replied curtly. "But if your suspicion is on spot, then we have surprises of our own to counter with."
No one could comment on that veiled assurance. The group opened up the door and entered.
It looked just about the same as before, except the pews have finally been removed to reveal the chapel's dilapidated interior. Mold grew in abundance on the ceilings and its corner, and along the walls that weren't covered in burnished bronze plates. On those plate are elaborate idols, symbols, and pictures of apparently great significance, mirrored by the windows that were still intact above them. From the shattered ones, moonlight shone through and illuminated the eerie house, casting shadows on the few columns of granite that still remain standing.
He could still see some blood left over on the ruined carpet from his previous excursion, and couldn't help but think what the authorities did with the demon's body. Surely, they don't suspect about the supernatural, do they?
Then, light turned on and forced everyone to cover their eyes. They recovered and began to search for the culprit. All that attention soon focused on the priest who was casually sitting on the altar, a hanging leg kicking back and forth like a child.
"Hi there," the priest smiled creepily. "Mighty fine night for murder, don't you think?"
"Freed!" Issei snarled in recognition, Boosted Gear appearing on hand.
The addressed Freed kept his smile. "If it isn't dragon boy. Ise-kun, was it? Ah, and if it isn't Asia-chan as well!" The nun regarded him with wide eyes before hiding behind Issei's back. He sighed, "Oh, Asia. What will I do with you? But then again, you were an annoying, little dense slut, walking off to the devil's side like that."
The vulgarity that was flung casually out of his mouth took some of them by surprise, but it only reinforced their disgust for him.
"Who's this clown?" Dante gazed impassively at the priest.
"Freed Sellzen, remember? He was the insane one, the shitty priest with white hair, likes to stick his tongue out a lot…" Issei listed out the traits of said demented priest, while Dante stared on with a blank face. "…You dropped a chandelier on him."
"Ah, him. The obnoxious guy who tried to rip off my hairstyle," Dante clapped his fist in realization.
"I'm shocked. The cheating shithole that made me dance for him doesn't even remember me," Freed dramatically placed a hand over his chest with an expression of mock hurt.
"You give a bad name to all people with white hair, and you've got no style. How do you expect me to remember you?" Dante asked rhetorically.
Freed seemed taken aback for a moment, before he began to laugh. He jumped off the altar and began to walk towards the group. They all prepared themselves for the prospect of violence. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that it's been so long since I had to talk with a cockhole with a smart mouth. It's refreshing, actually. In fact, I think it just placed me in a good mood! That said," he gave a slasher smile. "Do you guys want to see something cool?!" the priest flourished his coat and brandished a sword.
Holy beyond measure is that sword in form. The steel glowed a sacred golden light almost as bright as the sun. The guard was uniquely shaped to resemble a cutlass's, but in place of the basket-shaped guard, an blade was in its place. Along its single-edged blade, esoteric glyphs were inscribed to ascertain that it is not made by ordinary hands, but by those who have traversed the territory of God.
"Ta-daaaah~! Meet Excalibur-chan! Excalibur-chan, meet these devils and nuns whose guts you'll be spilling soon!"
"Excalibur…" Kiba growled. The swords in his hands seemed to growl with their creator.
"You… fused the fragments?" Irina whispered nervously. Xenovia scowled balefully at the violation of the fragment's sanctity.
"Fused. Mated. Whatever helps you sleep at night," Freed corrected. "Which reminds me, hey, old man! You wanna come out now?" Footsteps came from above at the right of the altar, revealing an old man with gray hair that's balding on top. He has a thin moustache and is dressed in stately priest garbs, and were it not for the sinister leer in his eyes, he would have looked like any ordinary priest. "Ladies and gentlemen, Valper Galilei. He makes really good swords."
The priest smiled at the introduction. "Is that all you have to say, Freed?"
"You never gave me enough material, really," the white-haired priest replied. "But why does that matter? You've got yourself some fans who are just itching to see you."
"Oh, I have fans? How delightful," Valper smiled contemptuously down at the 'fans'. "Do you like it? It took many years of studying the holy swords themselves, and much time was sacrificed to formulate the process, but here it is. The fruit of my success. My Fused Excalibur."
Kiba's grip on his sword tightened dangerously.
"This is heresy," Xenovia growled, the cloth around Excalibur Destruction bursting to free the blade. "The Excalibur's were meant to rest in pieces! You have no right to being them altogether!"
"Swords are meant to be used, girly," the priest countered easily. Fanaticism seeped into the old man's tone as he began to articulate his pleasure, "Especially the holiest of swords, Excalibur. To not use it as it was intended is one of the Church's greatest folly. All I did was correct that mistake."
"As if taking the fragments for your own purpose was not enough. Just what are your intentions with a re-forged one, anyways?" Irina looked afraid to hear the answer.
"Oh, I was just thinking of taking it out for an enthusiastic walk through the woods. You know, have some alone time, bask in the clear air and take in the delightful sight of the full moon-what the hell do you think I'm going to use it for?" Valper tilted his head to one side and smiled maniacally. "I plan to help my master start a war. To do that, I'll start by bathing Excalibur in blood. Your blood. Then I'll move on to the Maou's siblings. I hear they value their little sisters so much that they'll wage war on Heaven without a thought if they catch the sight of their pretty little heads rolling on the floor. Perhaps I'll even package them up and put a little bow on it, just to be safe?"
Their disgust intensified at the former papist's murderous intent. Issei appeared enraged that the priest intended to do as such, a sentiment that was shared by Koneko and Kiba. Irina and Xenovia understood the implication and had already drawn their respective swords out. Dante did not enjoy the talk at all and was very close to simply shooting at the man to end it all… but couldn't because there was nothing to incapacitate the man without killing him.
"You're mad," Xenovia growled contemptuously.
"How did you know? But enough of that. I have been a most ungracious host. Freed, if you could, mm, keep them company?"
"Sweet! It's always nice to have company!" Freed placed himself in a stance. "So let's have more, yes?! Come out, boys and girls!"
They came out in droves from the shadows and distinguished themselves from the two priests. Instead of similar garbs that are worn by the two priests, they're clad in kevlar-like carapaces that encircled their forms like battle suits. Their helms were crafted in a way that only the mouth was visible, each of them set in a seeming frown, and if there were any way to tell each of them apart, it would be the weapons they held.
Each were unique in their own right; swords, axes, and lances with crackling sigils carved into each blade that roared for violence against the dark, pistols and crossbows with ammunitions blessed to purify the wicked, and copies of the Bible that were held firmly in hand as if to revile sin.
"Defectors of the Church," the blue-haired exorcist hissed, hefting her sword towards them. "How disgustingly predictable."
Irina scanned the ranks, "And of each class, too…"
"Class?" Dante remarked as he surveyed the increasing numbers in curiosity.
"Knights, Dragoons, and Aria's," she filled in while drawing out Excalibur Mimic. "In simple terms, they use close-combat weapons, ranged weapons, and the verses and prayers of the Bible respectively."
"That's bad, right?" Issei asked as he turned his eyes towards each of the imposing figures.
"Verily," Kiba scowled. Koneko furrowed her brows in agreement.
"The two chosen to wield the fragments of Excalibur," one of them spoke up. Said two directed their attention to the figure at the front. "You call us defectors, but do you truly know why we defected? The higher ups have not told you the real reason, have they? It's expected."
His voice was laced with bitterness, but it did not resemble jealousy one bit.
"No," Xenovia confirmed. "We were not told. But you have committed the greatest crime a warrior of the Church could ever commit: desertion," She directed her sword towards the man. "And we will end your wickedness before you fall any further. In the name of God."
The assumed leader did not flinch to the proclamation, but shook his head, "I would tell you why, but you will not believe me. You believe you are in the right, but once you learn of our plight, will you still have that same, naive thought?"
The sounds of paper flipping came, and various verses that Dante recognized from the Bible whispered through the air, causing the gathered devils to flinch and groan. Xenovia charged in with a battle cry and Destruction in hand, Irina following after as Mimic transformed into a katana.
The world had long exploded in combat.
…
(minutes in)
Each of them had once been some of the finest exorcists the Church had the honor of bearing, as stated by the two exorcists during their meeting earlier that day. And they proved it in the form the exorcists displayed. Utter disciplined and composed, they did not flinch at the sight of their comrades falling nor did they react to the wonton destruction they witnessed at the hands of their opponents.
The Aria's who had scattered throughout the chapel had been taken out swiftly, courtesy of Dante. Irina and Xenovia had their hands occupied, whether it be dodging the searing rounds of bullets and bolts heading their way or deflecting the blows of their enemies and retaliating, and couldn't assist. As opposed to the devils, who had suffered backlashes from the verses and quotes they frequently chanted, he was unaffected by the fatal mantras and promptly took them out with minimal resistance.
But the problem did not stop there.
Fearlessness and ferocity are the Knights defined. They charged in with seemingly reckless abandon, yet managed to act as a whole with loathsome efficiency. Their meticulous motions that were once married with pious determination now flared with anger coated with resentment, and it did nothing to mar their actions from being any more dangerous. Instead, it made them all the more deadly.
Dragoons took to the higher levels and gave firing support. Like their Knights brethren, they acted in tandem and without any dissonance. Instead of firing at their enemies, however, they chose to distract. Their aim was not to kill outright, but to give more options for their brethren to choose, but if the opportunity presented itself, they did not let it get away. And they were made apparent from the limited avenues their foes were forced to choose.
Kiba had almost been taken out, if not for Issei charging in and tackling the foe, in which the blond knight took advantage of to finish him off. Then more came, and they was forced to pivot and wheel around on heavy feet as blades crossed in all directions in thrusts and slashes. And just when one of them found a route to escape, a bullet or a bolt traversed towards the opening and force them back into the macabre flurry of accursed holy steel.
It was by sheer chance that Issei managed to escape the confines, and he was rewarded with more bolts and bullets. Boosted Gear repelled the dangerous projectiles and he began to pummel at the Knights that were trapping Kiba.
"Come on! Get your backs straight, cuntholes! Or better yet, keep them curved, like the sluts of the Church you are!" Freed taunted Xenovia and Irina. He had joined in the moment the Aria's had been taken out, and was ecstatic from the beginning to now. Irina and Xenovia had broken away to confront him, and though it was clear that though Freed was less skilled than the two, he made it up through his obscene taunts, erratic tendencies of moving gutlessly behind his Knights allies for them to counter or take the blow, and having the Dragoons cover for him.
"We have not given ourselves loosely to anyone!" Xenovia shouted as she thrusted Excalibur Destruction into the floor, causing the ground to crack and tremble. Freed laughed psychotically in the air and landed, continuing his insane onslaught. "God shall smite you, blasphemer, for your disparity against His teachings!"
"God has abandoned us a long time ago, stupid bitch!" He crouched from a slash that threatened to sever his upper body from his legs. "In fact, for you two it was only a few hours ago when you began consorting with devils. Devils! Enemies of the Church, and you gave yourselves to them like the harlots you are!"
"Shut up!" Xenovia roared and charged in with abandon, her slash overextended. The ground exploded, and Freed took that chance with a gleeful smile to strike at her openings without hesitation.
"Xenovia!" Irina quickly turned Mimic into a whip of intersecting strings that formed into a net and lashed it at Freed before he could get the chance to hit the bluenette, causing him to curse at being foiled and jump away. The strings managed to cut him, but not enough to put him out of the fight. She turned to her companion, her face grim and determined. "Don't take his bait! You should know that by now!"
"I know!" Her partner clenched her teeth and continued her destructive assault, dodging the ammunitions flying and deflecting the Fused Excalibur's edge simultaneously.
Koneko fared better than her fellow peerage members, as she weathered through the attacks sent her way with impunity and retaliated with severe prejudice. However, she had made it a task to protect Asia as the nun shot waves of green aura towards her allies behind a pillar, their wounds disappearing in the process.
The wounds soon reopened as killing blows made their ways, searing the flesh of the devils and opening the scores of cuts on the exorcists on their side.
Dante… looked like he was having fun. He had just dodged an overhead swing of a halberd and backhanded the exorcist at the jaw. Before the exorcists could drop, he proceeded to use the man as a battering ram with an excited cry, running and mowing down any that stood in his way like grass, before finally throwing the unfortunate man at a group that was attempting to surround Koneko and Asia. Sparing them a momentary glance, he took out Ebony and Ivory and shot at the rounds and bolts that had been flying towards them, then went on his merry way.
His twin pistol were not his only weapons, though. The weapons that laid scattered were left free to use, yet no one went to use them. For the devils, it was because the holiness that was bound to the deadly tools abhorred and rejected them to the point it scalded the skin upon physical contact, and for the humans, no one could use a blade that wasn't his or her own. Only their owner could use it with perfection, which they all strive for.
Yet he did so without any regards for all of that.
He pulled out a nearby broadsword and threw it at a lancer like a javelin, who barely dodged it and suffered a palm that found its way to his face and slammed his head into the pavement, shattering his helm in the process. Then he kicked up the now-unconscious lancer's spear and seamlessly wove it around him, clashing with the incoming whirl of swords, axes, and shots that tried to draw blood from him. He jumped high into the air, and found spikes of lances and halberds pointing up in an attempt to impale him. With a smirk, he jumped again, using a glyphic platform of demonic energy to help him onto a chandelier to his right; Sky Star, he calls it. Once he held himself securely, he sliced the chain holding the hanging mass, all while plummeting towards the ground at the surprised crowd.
"More of them!" Issei shouted. More Knights began to appear, but this time, they seemed to have adopted a new strategy. This time, all of them held spears and shield, and lined up into two lines that marched in perfect unison towards the battle, shields overlapped and lances propped to point in front. A phalanx, a wall crafted from spears. Used by the ancient Greeks, this tactic had led to the deaths of many soldiers in olden times.
But why is it being used now? Its usage is better suited on a battlefield rather than in a disclosed area.
"They're trying to surround and corner us!" Kiba realized. The Knights he had been fighting had become even more ruthless, their weapons swung in a way that forces the devils to jump back, right where the phalanx was closing in. Right where the spears that could spell their death were pointing.
"Then break their formation!" Dante stated the obvious, tossing the spear aside.
"How?!"
BOOST!
The answer came in the form of an orb of red destruction formed from Issei's crimson gauntlet. He reared back, left hand clenched into a fist.
"Dragon Shot!" Issei shouted as he punched the orb in the direction of the phalanx, destroying the formation entirely and incinerating the unfortunate ones who weren't able to dodge in time with demonic energy and knocking them out of the fight. The blast extended towards the wall, blasting a hole into it and clipping the leaves of any tree that happened to be in the trajectory.
Dante took a moment to wolf-whistle at the destruction… and crouched down to avoid a headshot from a Dragoon and repaid the attack with Ebony without turning towards his would-be assassin.
"I think that hole's the cue to leave, old man!" Freed said without any worry.
"Hmm. You're right. Take care of the problem, will you Freed?" Valper ordered and with one last merciless smile, he turned and walked away. Some of the Dragoons followed after as bodyguards.
"Wait!" Kiba escaped from his blade prison, but was stopped by Freed who appeared in front of him, tongue sticking and insane glint in eyes.
"Ah ah ah, blondy! Didn't your mother tell you not to leave the table without finishing your plate?"
"Out of my way!" Kiba swung, which Freed retaliated with his own. The two swords clashed for a moment before the devil's sword shattered from Excalibur's pressure.
"Hahahaha! Why so angry?!" Kiba growled at the taunt and tried to sway past the white-haired priest, but Freed didn't intend to let him, and began an overhead slash. His swing was thwarted and it changed targets, right towards Issei behind him. A loud clang resonated in the church, the holy steel meeting the draconic gauntlet. "Ah, Ise-kun. I think I really fell in love with you just now. Tell you what? How about we ditch this fight, go out and have a cup of tea or two, and then let me flay your skin from your bones, eviscerate you, spill your intestines, and strangle you with them? Aah~! The perfect date scenario!"
"Sorry, shitty priest! I don't swing that way!" Issei broke the stalemate and attempted to seize him, only to scratch the priest instead. "Kiba! What are you waiting for?! GO! Kick that guy's ass!"
He hesitated. His eyes wavered between his comrades and at the balcony where the man responsible for all that had happened to him. Asia placed her hands together in a prayer for him for good luck. Koneko nodded in urging. Irina smiled to cheer him on, despite her predicament. Xenovia simply nodded. Dante motioned to the door and zoned in on new targets.
"Damn it all!" he roared as he ran away from the scene of carnage towards the gate that followed the path the heretical bishop took. The marksmen shifted their firearms at him and fired, only for their marks to meet sparks among sparks and their intended target relatively intact.
Dante had shot all of them down before any of they could meet the devil knight. Maybe he should take those remaining Dragoon guys out as well. The kids are getting tired now and giving them more options will be good for them. Koneko's clothes are almost in shreds from the swarm of Knights, and if the multiple burn marks and scratches on her frame did not signify that she is tiring, he doesn't know what is. From what he could tell, Asia's ability can heal, but it can't restore fatigue. That explains the heavy panting from Issei, Asia, Koneko, Xenovia, and Irina.
Everyone is at their limits, but still, they keep fighting.
"Well, what a horrible way to die. Helping a friend with revenge and then having this happen," Issei spat, his back smashed to Dante's as they found themselves surrounded in a phalanx of lances and halberds. It seems that out of all of their foes, the two of them are deemed the most dangerous and must be taken care of.
"Sad thing is, the last thing I see won't be Buchou's bountiful boobs."
Dante snorted. This kid. Very close to death, and he's thinking about boobs to the end.
"You're just accepting it like that, Ise-boyo?"
"Do you see any way of escaping then?"
"How about jumping and flying? You devils can do that, right?"
"They can still stab me in the air, and I can't fly properly yet."
"Eh, sucks to be you then, you one-trick pony."
"Well, screw you too."
Their banter ended when a bullet almost struck Issei in the head. Almost, because Dante had smacked the Pawn's head down and shot back at the perpetrator in the shoulders. Immediately after, Dante grabbed hold of Issei and jumped as he had before, right towards the balcony where the marksmen made their boundary.
"Let's take these guys out quickly!" Issei realized Dante's unsaid plan. The crossbowmen holstered their weapon drew out the light swords from their armor pocket and charged at the two. Whatever Issei's training regime was, it paid off greatly. Unlike the humans who had nothing to enhanced their capabilities except for their discipline and determination, Issei has the innate boost in strength, speed, and endurance that all devils seem to have, and married with his own reasons to fight, it manifested in his martial endeavor.
Whenever the boy could, he dodged the lightsabers that swung his way. Whichever ones he couldn't, he used the Boosted Gear to block or parry, followed by a vicious counterattack. He lacked the harmony and flow that comes with street fighting, which seems to be his style of fighting, but he showed an adequate amount of experience to help him stay up to speed with his fellow peerage, namely Koneko and Kiba.
The hunter stayed behind and gave cover firing. Ebony and Ivory sang and fired torrid ACP rounds into the gunmen's pistols' barrels, promptly destroying them and allowing Issei to close in on them first, charging past the swords of light that had whirl his way.
Dante took care the ones that charged at himself. A haymaker into the first one's helm, crushing the front of the helm. A follow-up sweep at the leg that sent the second one to the floor and followed by a rising uppercut before he could hit the floor. Dodge a sword swing from the third, and elbow him from behind, smashing the armor that covered the back. The fourth shot him point blank in the stomach. He grabbed hold of the offending arm and smirked at her, who stared in shock at his nonchalance and received a hard headbutt on the cranium, sending her facefirst to the granite floor.
He checked Issei, who had just finished his part of the plan.
"Yes! We did it, Redgrave-san!" he cheered. Dante looked down and shook his head. He followed his line of sight
"Shit!" Issei couldn't have put it any better.
Koneko and Asia were getting cornered slowly but surely. They were completely surrounded this time, and the former had ushered the latter to stay behind her, an expression of defiance embedded on the white-haired girl's face.
Xenovia's immaculate form had been reduced to the most basic blocks and parries. She was visibly tiring, and Freed knew that. Her pursuit towards offense had forcibly shifted to an unwilling defense, something that did not suit the sword of Destruction in her hands. Irina had attempted to help her partner, but the Knights who stood in her path prevented her from doing so. Excalibur Mimic danced in graceful strokes, but they meant nothing if they can't even touch the targets who blocked, parried, and dodged them. She was forced to retreat each time a stroke threatened to amputate a limb or end her life.
"This is the end!" one of them yelled as he swung his battleaxe at Koneko, who didn't seem to have enough energy to move away. Instead, she braced to protect Asia.
"KONEKO-CHAN!" Issei and Asia cried.
A squelch was made. The axe fell loosely from the man's hands who appeared confused until he saw a demonic sword jutting out of his chest, right where his heart is. Behind him, Kiba stood, an expression of anger plastered.
"Kiba? Why are you-?"
"I changed my mind!" The sword slid out of the warrior, dead before he fell to the floor. "If revenge means that any of you die, then I don't need it anymore!"
Issei and Dante jumped from the balcony and landed in time to deflect the blows of Knights who moved to avenge their fallen comrade, forcing them to stumble back. With the group of misfits reunited, they began to back away as one.
"There's too many of them," Xenovia breathed out, keeping her sword trained on the closing exorcists despite her lethargy. If one looked closely, her suit was tattered around her stomach region and one of her arm trembled as she attempted to grip with it. "At this rate, we'll be overwhelmed before we even retrieve the swords. The best option now is to retreat before any of us lose our lives." There was no mistaking that. Then the most odd one out of the group made a proposal.
"Go after him."
The entire group turned to Dante, who smirked.
"You guys go after that old man Valber or Balpa or whatever. I'll hold them off. How about that?"
"But-" Irina started, but-
"Go."
"That's stupid! We can't leave you, you'll die!" Issei cried out, waving out a hand for emphasis.
"Look around you. There's nowhere left to go but forward. Besides, I'm more than capable enough."
"Friends don't leave friends!" he shouted. Dante's eyes widened, then he quickly grinned.
"Who ever said we were friends?" he challenged in a mild voice. Honey brown eyes met icy blue orbs sharply in a contest of will. "It's either go after your target and live a while longer to set things right, or stay and lose your life for nothing."
Issei moved to protest, but Irina took hold of him. "Issei-kun! We need to go after Valper!"
"Redgrave-san! Wait! He needs-" Issei struggled, but Irina and Koneko took hold of him.
"We need to move now, Issei-kun!"
"Are you saying that we should leave him, Irina-chan?!"
Her gaze softened. "I'm saying we shouldn't waste the chance he's giving us, Issei-kun."
"…He'll be okay," Koneko followed up.
Asia appeared conflicted, but finally decided, "Dante-sama will survive. He is too nice to die!"
Xenovia simply nodded. "Don't die on us, Dante."
Issei gritted his teeth in frustration, "Redgrave-san. If you die, I swear I will find a way to kick your ass beyond the grave!" He turned to sprint through the slowly closing gates, the others following after him.
Except one. Kiba marched to his side, purpose shining in his gray eyes.
"Let me stay with you."
Dante rose an eyebrow. "I told you to go already. What part of 'go' don't you understand?"
Kiba readied himself as two demon swords formed in his hands, "I am ashamed. I let my feelings for vengeance take over, when I should have stayed by my friends' side to fight with them. Also, this was never your problem. I dragged you into this mess without thinking about the consequences. That's why, I'll make up for those transgressions right here, right now. Let me help you."
The kid is really considering to lay his life down just like that? Because of a misgiving that his friends had already no doubt forgiven him for?
"Ha~ah," Dante sighed amusedly at the blond knight's intention. "You really are a work of art, Kiba." He placed a palm on the knight. "Unfortunately, I can't have a blond follow through with their stereotype of being stupid. Consider our business transaction formally cancelled."
"Wha-?"
He smiled happily, "You still have a lot to live for, kid. Cherish that fact."
Kiba did not have any time to react as Dante forcefully pushed, shooting him through the closing doorways. His expression closely resembled betrayal, he noted. The sound of shutting gates soon echoed the room.
"That's better. Now this is what I'm talking about," Dante smirked.
There is one thing about Dante that he definitely knew about himself; he is NOT a team player. Never had been, and most likely never will. Sure, he helped out in taking care of a problem with Lady, Trish, Nero, and most recently Lucia before, but that's only because he was the one doing anywhere half to most, if not all, of the dirty work. To be completely honest with himself, he worked better alone as a lone wolf rather than as a member of a collaboration on the practical field.
Now here he stands alone, gazing at the Knights pointing their weapons at him, to the Dragoons aiming at him from both at ground level and upstairs, at the bodies that laid sprawled across the floor, and finally to Freed Sellzen inching closer with the Fused Excalibur hanging on his shoulder like an axe made for executions.
Signs that he would be killed. Signs that Dante recognized and outright ignored.
"Well, aren't you just the definition of 'noble'?" Freed said with mock-solemnity. "Unfortunately, that's for naught, cuz your fellow shits are just running to their deaths! Even if we stay here and talk, old man Valper has his own plans! Hah, that fart is more insane than I am, if I think about it!"
He frowned. That doesn't bode well at all.
"Instead, you'll have to turn 'noble' into 'stupid', cuz you ain't gonna be so noble after we carve your corpse up and piss all over your rotting face! Who the hell is stupid enough to let that happen to themselves?!" Freed giggled fiendishly.
"Was that image even necessary?" one of the Knights muttered in disgust in the formation.
"He ain't human, and he definitely ain't an angel or a fallen, so he must be a devil! And devils are scums of the earth! No need for restraint against those fucktards!" Freed explained himself.
"You don't know that. For all you know, I could be a perverted outer-space alien. Or a white whale. Or even a unicorn," Despite being compromised, Dante found the time to snark, and paused. The first one is actually not far off the mark, considering his overall situation. The second one is just a bad memory that popped up in his mind. The third one, though… "God, that sounded wrong."
"It sounded lovely, actually," a woman perked among the remaining Dragoons at the second level.
"Thank you."
"Best I can do to put a dying demon at ease."
He looked up at the person who had just called him a demon, unsure if she's aware of what she just said. "That's the nicest thing I've heard all-"
"Back to Earth, bitches!" Freed interrupted, stabbing Excalibur on the ground. "So, any last words, cheating asshat? Preferably 10 words or less, cuz I ain't got all day for a confession from a shitty devil!"
He sighed. Then his expression turned grim, as if daring everyone to oppose him.
"One chance, all of you: leave. Otherwise, pray to God."
Each remaining Knights and Dragoons took the dare and did not move. Freed leered, a mock pondering expression on his face before it dissolved into a sadistic expression, accompanied with a deranged laughter, "Hehahaha, nah! Don't feel like talking to God when I can just slice your head off and shit down your throat!"
"Let's fix that attitude first, yeah?"
Dante crouched down into a stance, a fist clenched as he began pumping massive amounts of demonic power throughout his entire body, which all began to encompass at the centre of his body as he became visibly darker. The ground cracked under his feet, forcing the earth to tremble. The surrounding candles flickered off, as though all the light in the room got sucked into the twisted vortex that is building, and the overhead light above extinguished.
"What the? I know about earthquakes, but we weren't cutting the power off just yet. Eh, no matter," Freed commented airily before signaling the others to execute.
None of them wasted the opportunity presented to them. They knew whatever Dante was doing can potentially spell their fatality, and they moved to prevent it. The warriors leapt like rabid wolves, swords, axes or polearms trained on the open half-human, and the marksmen aimed at his vital areas with their crossbows and pistols. Each blessed metal weaved their way through Dante, whether it be slashing, thrusting, or smashing, splattering blood across the carpet and floor. Each projectiles, bolts and ammunitions, dug their way past the hunter who had given a vast opening and onto the ground, each drenched with blood to show that they had done their job. Eventually, the body that stood in a crouched stance became a bloody, emasculated standing mess, unrecognizable from what used to be what resembled a human being.
Their actions were all for naught.
Because he exploded.
A shockwave of pure power in the form of turbid, bloody smoke had been released from the end of the Son of Sparda's transformation. The Knights that had been too close shot back like mannequins, their forms immediately unconscious before they had hit the walls or ground. One by one, the others nearby fell as they took in the sight of that godless form. It was expected.
None can withstand its presence, let alone be within its vicinity.
Where Dante once stood, a demonized thing stood. Within the sickly horned helmet, hellfire flared through the white-hot eyeslits. Fang-like protrusions shot out from the elbows and shoulders, and the edges of the obsidian-like armor that encompassed the torso of the humanoid pulsed crimson lava-like cracks that adorned the entire upper body, each of them forming a web to meet the large, unholy fissure on its chest.
The Dragoons managed to stay conscious from the shockwave because of the distance, but did no more after. Like an acolyte of chaos, the hellish thing treaded forward and they fell like their brethrens, if not from the overwhelming pressure then from the newfound dread that was inspired upon them. The swordsmen dropped and fell with their extinguished blades, the gunslingers their defunct pistols, the crossbowmen their snapped crossbows, the axemen their cleft axes, and the lancers their tarnished polearms. Those unlucky enough to remain conscious throughout the ordeal fell to their knees and prostrated, their heads touching the ground unabashedly in righteous terror.
Soon, there were none standing except Freed, who was no longer sneering in delight.
"O, God. W-who… what the hell are you?" he rasped in fright.
Its march signified unbound brutality. Its steps demanded insufferable respect. Its stature commanded reverential horror. Now, it is moving towards the demented exorcist, each wrathful footstep leaving an imprint that oozed a dreadful signature that made his stomach churn in repulsion.
It looked wrong. It just looks so wrong.
You've Had Your Chance, Freed Sellzen.
The disembodied armor figure spoke in an inhumanly distorted voice, one that rightfully belongs to a monster… no, a demon. He needs to run. He needs to get away! His instincts are screaming at him to Run!Away!Fromthis!Thismonster!Thisdemon!
Butsomethingwon'tlethim!Hislegsdon'twannacooperate!He'slostcontrol!Hecan'traise-
Now Pray to Your Dead God.
His thoughts vanished at those words.
Freed had long dropped the Fused Excalibur, its blade digging effortlessly into the marble floor.
For This Demon Has No Mercy to Give to Its Prey.
He has finally realized the true meaning of terror.
(hallway)
"What's going on back there? First, there was yelling, now it's all quiet back there," Issei tried to turn back, but behind him, Irina slapped him to prevent it.
"Don't look back. Just keep going forward!" the generally cheerful exorcist seemed agitated by her decision, yet bulled forward.
"Che," Xenovia grunted at her injured left hand, where the thenar eminence is. "They managed to cut the base of my thumb. I can't grip my hand properly," Asia moved to heal her without preamble, which took the bluenette by surprise. When the nun finished, she spoke, "But… why would you heal me? I spoke wrong of you."
Asia smiled demurely at the baffled girl. "Why shouldn't I?"
Xenovia tried to reply, but nothing came. She quickly looked away in shame.
"Kiba! Where were you?" Issei said as the knight caught up with them.
"I tried to stay back. He pushed me through before I could help," Kiba gritted his teeth in distress.
"He'll be fine. He has to be," Issei stated to the knight and fisted his palm. "If he dies, I promise I'll kick his ass like there's no tomorrow!"
"…Likely he will," Koneko uttered besides Issei.
Soon, they saw the light from and they soon made it into the next room. What they saw next felt like they had walked into an execution room.
Firearms were aimed at them from all direction. The Dragoons stood atop the balconies, as though prepared for their enemies to arrive for some time now. "You are a stubborn and annoying bunch, you know?" Valper frowned down at the group, right in the middle of the group. "You had nothing to lose by walking away, yet you continue pursuing me."
Kiba hatefully glared up at the debauched papist. "Valper Galilei!" Swords upon swords were summoned at his call and launched as quickly as they were formed. They never made their mark, as they got shot down by the stationed Dragoons.
"Ah, yes. The one who had the most hateful glare I've ever seen. I wonder, do I know you? You seem familiar…" Valper studied him carefully, and visibly brightened. "Ah, yes. I remember. The survivor of the Holy Sword Project. To think I would meet one of my most successful experiment here in Japan! I feel blessed. You were one of my more potential-rich subject, you know? It was why the others were used as trial subjects we could implement the least flawed procedure on you. "
"…W-what?" Kiba barely registered anything else. "You killed my friends… because I was the best? So that I would be a success?"
"Save the best for last, yes?" Valper stated casually. "Compared to you, they had only meager amounts of light property compared to you. There was even one who didn't even have any! Such a shame. He was the first on the table. After all, trash should be disposed of first, yes?" He delivered it without any remorse.
Irina gasped, hands covering her mouth. "H-how could you…"
Asia, the least expected out of the group to be angered, glared heatedly up at the corrupted archbishop. "You… You are a very bad person!"
Valper did not flinch at the generally-kind nun's statement. "Now that is subjective, is it not? You call me bad, but to the ones who have benefitted from my experiments, I am a good person."
Kiba trembled, and his eyes flashed with utmost hostility. "You… I will kill you for what you have done to my friends."
"Will you now?" His smile was disgustingly assured. "You are only one of six others against over 50 Dragoons who are at a well-placed distance. What hope do you have to kill me besides a rain of blessed steel falling on you?"
"Shut it, fat priest!" Issei Boosted and shook his left fist towards the second floor. "I don't know about rain and all that, but I do know that you need one hell of an ass kicking!"
Valper chuckled amusedly at the brunette's statement. "You can try. But I won't guarantee your life being intact." Issei gritted his teeth helplessly. Valper raised a hand, "Well, enough talk. It's time to end this. It's truly a shame I couldn't get to finished my fully-revised procedure, but I have my orders. But as they say, 'all in good time.'"
"So you really live up to your name, Genocide Archbishop," someone drawled. Someone who wasn't part of the group standing at ground floor. "I was hoping for some reason to let you live, but you really let yourself go like that."
The Dragoons trained their crossbows on the newcomer. Dante didn't even bother to look at them. He didn't even appear to have a scratch on him, his uniform almost the same as it was before he entered the sanctuary only minutes earlier, and was carrying something like a sack of potatoes on a shoulder and Excalibur in the other hand. He soon gave the marksmen an unnerving smile, and the image of them having the upper hand was reduced to the bland notion of desperation.
He tossed the object on his shoulder body into the spotlight, revealing to be a body… to be more specific, Freed. A Freed that is twitching, mouth poised in silent screaming, his eyes sliding back so far that only his whites were seen, and an expression of utmost horror laden upon him.
Everyone stared with widened eyes at the twitching priest, then at Dante.
"I think I broke him," Dante continued leisurely, as if he had not just shattered a soul. "You can say I scared him to death. Ehh?"
There was a lingering silence at the joke he cracked.
"…Well, you guys are boring."
"Excalibur… the holiest of swords… wielded by a devil?!" Valper soon composed himself and snarled. "What farce is this?!"
"Another natural-born Holy Sword wielder?" Xenovia reasoned, staring inquisitively at Dante as he fiddled with a relic of utmost importance like it's a toy he found in a toy store. "Could it be that he is such a natural that holy swords cannot hurt him?"
Issei seemed to notice something off.
"Hey, doesn't the Excalibur look a little strange?"
That caught everyone's attention, and now that they focused on it, they found themselves… enraptured.
It crackled from its cracked pommel to tip with red lightning. Its once golden sheen had morphed into a sterling silver luster. Its guard had shrunken to a small tip the jutted out downward, making it essentially guard-less. The blade's edge had extended to the other side, making it double-edged, but what made it vastly different from its former self is the distinct insignia that resembled a wailing skull on both sides of the rain guard.
No longer did it hold its former greatness, however heretical the method of its recreation. No longer did it shine with majestic brilliance, but with an otherworldly radiance that captivates the eyes of those not yet baptized to its magnificence. It had become a beautiful, yet twisted effigy of its former self. If the people who had created Excalibur were people who had traversed God's territory, then Dante is effectively the man who came, saw, and conquered on a whim and left just as quickly.
Just like a one-night stand.
"You…" the twisted priest growled, his hands gripping into the railings as he stared in horror, "What did you do?! What have you done to my Fused Excalibur!?"
"Funny thing, actually. When I first held the sword, the… what's it called again… Excalibur tried to burn my hand. So I fed it some of my energy," He spun the newly-morphed Excalibur around fastidiously and flamboyantly, which glowed as it rotated. "Now it's mewling whenever I swing it around. Dunno how that happens, really."
"One does not simply pump raw power into the holiest of swords and expect to be able to wield it! That is impossible!" Valper hissed, panic riddled in his voice.
"Well, I just did. What're ya gonna about it? Come at me, old man!"
"Come out then! Show yourself!" He subtly signaled the Dragoons to aim and fire.
"…If you say so."
He stepped out. Just as in the previous chamber, the air began to tremble and the ceiling lights flickered on and off. The rubble around rose off the ground and dropped just as quick. The stationed exorcists collapsed. Just as before, the foreign miasma forced them down on their knees, threatening to eat away their consciousness like spilled ink on a blank canvas. Just as before, they fell before they were given a chance to comprehend what happened. Only a select few managed to retain their consciousness, but immediately they wished they had fainted.
Its presence lingers, even after minutes of its expulsion. And it manifested in a shadow that followed behind Dante.
Yet, none of the devils nor the two exorcists with them fell like the others had, nor did they notice what is so wrong about the demon hunter.
"Eh? Why are they all collapsing?" Irina looked around with caution and confusion.
Kiba didn't know what was happening, but drew the conclusion that Dante was involved with it. Koneko felt even more threatened than she ever was before, but managed to compose herself soon enough. Issei was more concerned that none of his friends fainted alongside the foe, and Asia held closer to Issei, but never did she take her wide eyes off of Dante, who was smiling like an angel.
"This power I'm feeling… is comparable, if not higher, to that of an Ultimate-class being, yet it doesn't necessarily feel overwhelming. What is this… why do I feel protected instead?" Xenovia noted, sharply studying her surroundings.
"W-Who are you?" Valper stammered with dread as he pointed as Dante. "Who are you to subjugate Excalibur to your will, and fell my men without acknowledging them?"
He bowed extravagantly. "Dante. Your everyday jack-of-all-trade… and occupational demon hunter," He placed a lot of emphasis on the word 'demon', and from the way almost everyone flinched greatly at the word, he did a great job. "Speaking of which," he swung the Excalibur at the pillars that stood below the floor Valper resided on, one powerful shockwave of red demonic power true to its mark. They collapsed and in turn, the floor above fell down along with the bishop who scrambled to stay atop to no avail.
"Demon hunter?" Xenovia studied him sharply. Irina looked like she was slightly worried, not knowing what to do with that new knowledge. "Why is a demon hunter here in Kuoh? How did the Church not know about your movement? Who sent you? Which institution did you come from? Are you devil or human?"
"I came here on a whim, I was hidden under the radar, no one, I'm self-taught, and one of them," he replied easily. White lies, most of them.
"Lies!" she cried out. "Demon hunters are easily the best of the best, the finest exorcists out there! There is no such thing as one who is self-taught!" She hesitated as thought after thought began to sprout out. "But it would explain how you managed to wield Excalibur… no, but something doesn't match up…"
"Eh? Wait, demons? Demon hunter? What's going on here?" Issei asked in confusion. Asia seemed equally confused as well. Kiba and Koneko looked apprehensive at first, but it soon passed when they realized just who the demon hunter was.
"Looks like I dug myself into a deeper hole by calling myself that," Dante remarked as if talking about the weather. "But is now really the time?"
Xenovia tried to continue the discussion, but a hoarse cough from the new rubble stopped her.
"…You're right. But this is not over yet. Also-"
"Don't worry. I'll return Excalibur later. Not like I'll keep her."
Nodding, Dante cupped his chin in mock thought as he approached the coughing priest. "Now what should we do with you? I had half a mind to pop a cap in your wrinkly ass, but that would ruin the entire point of this chase."
"W-wait! Spare my life! I did all of it with the best of intentions!"
"Yes, I'll spare you just like every other demon I've slain over the years," He denied Valper smoothly, making the man whimper. "So tell us, where's Kokabiel?"
"I-I don't know! He is always changing his location, and appears only when he feels it's necessary!"
"I see…" He turned to a livid Kiba, and secretly switched to his Doppelganger Style. Looking back at the priest, "If that's the case, then you don't mind if retribution is exacted, do you?" The priest's eyes bulged in horror, which Dante ignored as he began to walk around patting Ebony and Ivory on his shoulders, "'The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children.'"
He smiled sweetly down on the priest.
"Recite Ezekiel 25:17," He turned to the devils who had been watching with rapt attention. His eyes stated his message, 'You guys should cover your ears.'
Valper trembled, "'A-and I will carry out great v-vengeance on them and punish them in my furious wrath. T-then they will know that I am the Lord, when I take v-vengeance on them.'"
His smile showed teeth this time, in which Valper noticed the canines growing sharp. "An attribution to good ol' Ezekiel. Thank you for finishing the statement I'm making."
"D-don't do this… please-"
"So who's selfish and evil? Who's righteous? Who's the weak? Who's the shepherd?" he suddenly pressed the white gun to the man's forehead, who shrieked in fear briefly. An intake of breath was heard behind him. "That's right, papist. You are the evil one. If so, then I am the righteous man and Mr. Ivory here is the shepherd that was meant to guide the weak through the valley of darkness, the lost children you have picked from the streets and used for your selfish gains without remorse."
He smirked viciously. "It's fitting for a man of the robe to be punished by someone following the very book he once glorified, no?"
*BANG!*
The sound of an ammo round dropped to the floor, its impact echoing in the silent antechamber. He could hear the sound of water dripping to the floor, and it didn't take a genius to realize that Valper had lost control of his lower muscle control. The bishop slid down, his legs giving way.
"…But who will be the ones that will strike you down with great vengeance and furious anger, you who poisoned and destroyed his brothers? Certainly not me," He slowly holstered Ivory and backed away while looking at the hole his white gun had blasted. He had purposefully missed. "Run. Run with that pathetic life of yours."
He didn't need to repeat it again. With a horrified yell, Valper ran with robes stained by his internal wastes leaking from him. He gazed after the man. "Run with the life you do not deserve to live."
Soon, the terrified footsteps disappeared.
"…Why did you let him go?" Issei walked forward and asked uncertainly. "Not that I'm complaining. He deserved all that and more, but… Kiba still needed to kick that fat priest's ass."
"It was a trial, really. I hadn't tested it out before, but I know one thing for certain," He looked at Issei. "His eyes didn't change one bit. He didn't regret the choices he made at all."
He appeared shocked. "Then we should go after him!"
Dante turned around. "You know about Kiba's desire already, right?" Issei and Koneko stopped "The kid looked like he really needed something to vent his bottled anger out with."
He began to walk out of the church and waved, "Well, he got it now, and when that happens, I want front seat."
Asia looked around and asked a question that brought immediate attention, "Umm, where's Kiba-san, Irina-san, and Xenovia-san?"
Koneko looked around quickly, finally realizing that the three sword-users weren't around anymore, "…Not here."
Issei then realized what is going on, "Wait! I thought you don't kill mortals, Redgrave-san."
"You're right. I don't kill mortals," he turned to look at the exorcists that managed to stay conscious and were peering at him with fear. Then back to Issei. "But that doesn't necessarily mean I'll also stop others from killing mortals as well."
…
(outside)
"That damn brat…! I am evil? He is righteous? Ha!" Valper sneered as he attempted to wipe himself clean in the car. "What's done has been done. I will not let years of pain and suffering collecting such precious data go to waste because of the archaic views of the church!"
He is in a car, which was driving away from the church as fast as it could. There had only been two other exorcists who made the effort to escape with him, while all the others were either unconscious or paralyzed in fear and didn't have the courage to move from their spots, as if the moment they move, their life is forfeit. None of that mattered to him. All that mattered is that he is as far away from that… that boy.
All of his years of work. Gone! In the blink of an eye, his Excalibur was taken by a no-name demon hunter who didn't even dare to kill him! What farce is that?! Not only that, he has nothing to help him but the other defective products that he created as side projects to be used in conjunction with the Excalibur he would eventually recreate with all pieces.
…His only option is to kill them all. Nothing will stand in his way. He will have his vengeance on the Church for shutting his Holy Sword Project down after all his time, effort, and money were spent for nothing. And most of all,
"I will destroy you, filthy devils and exorcists. Mark my words-"
He heard a noise and paused. It had came from the roof of the car. It had came from the roof of the car and was now pressing against his shoulders. He looked at it and faintly recognized it as a blade. In his shoulders. Then-
"GAaAaAH!" Valper screamed in agony as he finally registered the pain, the tip almost grazing his heart. "W-what? How?!"
"Hi there!" Irina greeted from atop the car, her tone too cheerful for someone who had just stabbed a former man of the robe. "I hope you don't mind the extra company!"
"You! When did you-?!" Valper shook his head in panic. "Shake her off! No, don't swerve the car! Just kill her!" The exorcist in the passenger seat shifted his body out the window to aim his gun at the twin-tailed girl, but she had someone to back her up.
"Xenovia!" Irina called out, prompting the one beside her on top of the car to take action, kicking the mook's gun out of his hand. She then bashed the man with her sword like a golf club, shooting him out of the car wailing for his life.
"W-Why aren't you stopping?! Send her off the roof!" Valper cried out to the man behind the wheel.
The driver took his hat off and turned around. The twisted priest's face contorted with horror in realization that he is now looking at the very person who had threatened him a few minutes ago. He howled, "YOU!? HOW!?"
'Dante' smiled voraciously and replied, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."
"Haaaaah!" The blue-haired exorcist then jumped and rammed Excalibur Destruction into the right back tire, causing it to grind and forcing her to grip harder lest she wishes to let the plan fail.
"You insist on standing in my way, but you'll gain nothing from it! Why?! What do you want from me?!"
The clone simply smiled, so Irina decided to speak, "We're just helping our senpai settle a feud long overdue." She detached her sword from the corrupt bishop, causing blood to spurt out en masse and forcing him to scream in pain again. She jumped from the hood and rammed her own sword through the left back wheel. Together, the two exorcists used their respective swords to lift the car to an erect position, sliding it towards a figure that stood in its path.
Kiba Yuuto stood, a sheathed sword in hand and steel-grey eyes blazed with reprisal.
"But who will be the ones that will strike you down with great vengeance and furious anger, you who poisoned and destroyed his brothers?" Dante's cryptic, haunting words assaulted Valper like a furious flock of killer bees, and he lost his composure.
"No! Stop! I beg of you! I repent! Have mercy!" the priest begged, but to no avail. The doppelganger faded into black mist, cackling deliriously as the car approached.
The knight gripped his sword… and memories of the past flooded his mind.
Anastasia. The big sister of the group. She was so, so kind. He had believed she would become the best of all mother one day. Tyler. The little one who looked up to him. He had the brightest and most infectious smile out of everyone, and was certain to make anyone smile just by being near him. Erika. She had always been quiet, yet she was the most straight-laced one. Letitia. The clown who always had a joke in mind and never hesitated to make fun of anything, even himself and especially his feminine name.
Cristian. Alec. Malley. Kadan. Gilver. Mari. Keane. Orikasa. Tosca. Sasha. Kaminsky. Reuban. Keeley. And many others whom he had lived in that dainty barrack with. All of them died because he had been too powerless to save them. And because of that, above all else…
"I just wanted to live."
He could never forgive himself that day, for that selfish thought alone. He had ran from death while his friends died. And for what? Why hadn't any of them run with him? Fell with him? Crawl with him? And in the end, die with him?
Why didn't he die with them? Why did they die for him instead?
"From this day onward, you are Kiba Yuuto. Live on as my Knight!"
He remembered Rias standing before him on that cold, winter day, her hair the color of blood flowing with the wind as she declared her oath to him. He could never thank her enough for saving his life, despite the initial distrustful relationship he once had with her. He could never thank his teacher enough, for helping him learn to open himself up again.
He truly became Kiba Yuuto that day.
So…
"Why do I live? What is my purpose?"
The survivor's guilt still remains, but now, the answer came to him as clear as day. It had been so obvious, he felt like slapping himself out of shame. Yes, that is it. His friends are not so shallow as to tell him to avenge their deaths. No, they would have smiled at him, and told him to live on.
They had given their lives for him, so he could live. Live the life that they had dreamt of when they could leave the confines. The life that was denied to them. That is the conclusion he has made for himself.
"You still have a lot to live for, kid. Cherish it."
Live. Dante had told him those very words. Yes, live. He could hear them again. Their voices, their smiles, their faces. Live. He can see them. Live, they are saying with their kind smiles.
"Live."
That is why…
THAT IS WHY.
BALANCE BREAKER
…He will live for them, as himself.
Kiba gave out a wordless roar that threatened to reach the heavens, and swung down. Irina and Xenovia had leapt away as his blade made contact. Valper's scream of fear ceased. The car promptly split in half and drove past Rias Gremory's Knight, vertically bifurcated for the barest moment. Then it exploded, sending searing metal scattering about and flaming tires rolling away from ground zero.
It was an astounding sight. A conflagration that is sustained by the corpse of the wicked. Fire that would burn the entire night that marked the tombstone of a man who once held the lives of countless innocent orphans in his hands, who used their lives like rats for his own benefits, and who remorselessly discarded them when they were no longer useful.
Poetic justice, indeed.
One of the tires soon found its way to Dante, who lightly kicked it down to its side and strolled up to Kiba. "Nice sword. How do you feel now?"
Kiba didn't reply, only choosing to look at the new sword. In appearance, it looked like a bastard sword with an edge that extended to its guard and it coalesced with energy, both holy and demonic. It appeared harmonious, as the edges were now tint with silver and the ridge discolored to black with red infernal inscriptions in the center. Something said that it should have been immiscible, but there was a sort of serenity in the sword that overruled that thought.
"…This wasn't part of our deal."
"It wasn't," he agreed readily.
"Then I should file a complaint."
Dante laughed, "You can, but should you? You seem satisfied with the results."
The knight looked up in thought. Sprinkles had begun to fall, before it slowly evolved into rain. "I thought I would feel as if a weight had lifted off me, that the burden that had plagued me for so long would disappear just like that. But I don't feel any different." He turned to Dante and smiled ruefully. "I guess I'm just selfish like that."
The hunter gave a small chuckle. "Being selfish is fine. I know I was." He raised a hand to wave a goodbye. "Well, what happens now is completely up to you now. The contract was revoked, so you don't have to pay anything."
"Dante," the sword-user spoke up. "You… you would have done this even without getting paid, right? You still would have helped me with my problem?"
"…Man, I hate it when people figure me out. I must be getting soft lately." Dante scratched his head and turned back, smirking good-naturedly, "But then again, it's a good thing your problem was taken care of early. Here," he took something out of his pocket and tossed it at Kiba, "That fake priest had that on his person. I took it without him noticing while he was pissing his pants. I think it'll suit you. Think of it as the blessing of my gift of light."
He caught it and looked at it. A blue crystal that shone with brilliance. A crystal that brought him to tears as he stared deeply into it. "There were voices were calling out for you, weren't there?" He nodded and caressed it gently, bringing it to his face.
"Well, mission accomplished. Feel the freedom like no tomorrow, Kiba."
Kiba closed his eyes, tears that had been bottled over the decade finally opened and poured. For once, he seemed tranquil and at peace.
"…Ha. And to think I once said that devils never cry. I've been proven wrong the third time in this world," Dante folded his arms and turned his head to the new arrivals.
Issei, Asia, and Koneko had came late, but it mattered little to them. Once they saw the fire, Issei gave a loud 'Woot!' and wrapped an arm around Kiba's shoulder, Asia placed her hands together in a prayer at the blazing wreck before flinching in pain, and Koneko smiled thinly at Kiba before giving a huge hug, which he returned with emotion. Irina dusted herself and ran to join the cheering group, while Xenovia contented herself with adorning her robe back on and staying by the side to watch. Finally, Dante moved to return the Excalibur.
It was a complete victory.
Then a slow clap interrupted this moment.
"Well done, alliance of devils and humans," a lilting voice directed everyone's attention to the figure sitting leisurely on top of a utility pole.
Everyone tensed, caught off guard by the unwelcome guest. He wore a robe-like coat that couldn't have been made by human hands. He couldn't be human. The perfect pale skin, the raven tresses combed in a way that the bangs on his right side hung over his face, and the golden eyes only reinforces that fact. If none of that proved that he is not human, then the ten night black wings that sprouted from his back and hugged close to the man gave more credence.
But what stood out the most was his posture. It carried a melancholic air that suited his almost androgynous and aristocratic face, and reminded Dante of someone he once knew.
…Yes. He looked just like…
"I had considered and entertained the thought of Galilei failing in his task to survive this ordeal, and I was not disappointed at how it played out in the least. Well done."
He smiled benignly down at them.
"Well done, indeed."
In the rain, she sat, leaning on a gravestone. Her eyes stared down blankly, uncaring of the pellets bombarding her.
A/N: …I ain't got nothing to say. I couldn't resist the temptation of using Pulp Fiction. I actually read Ezekiel 25:17, then watched the movie over again. Along the way, I realized I liked Tarantino's rendition more, and that there was a kind of relation between it and Kiba's past. Which, I kind of modified to my liking… Meh, sue me. That was a lame excuse.
With that out of the way, happy 4th of July, fellow Americans! Celebrate Independence Day by blowing up a part of your beloved country (or your house, in the case of my brother) with fireworks, and/or shooting Roman candles at your friends, family, and enemies on the streets, like those guys in Chicago a month earlier! Be sure to cover yourself if so!
Review! Don't feel like writing something creative, so talk about whatever is satisfactory and dissatisfactory to your taste!
And… review again!
-DarkAkatsuk1