Broken Rules

by Arrixam

So God won some war and is now purging all supernatural monsters across the globe. Okay. And my best friend is the Devil who turned Kuoh into some refugee camp for them. Fine. But why do I have to be in the middle of their fight! I was just a regular guy minding my own business. It all started the day I finally got a girlfriend...

11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

United we Stand,

Together we Triumph!

I, Azazel, was hoping to never be in this position.

Where the hell was that damn Dalang? He clearly isn't here if he's not summoning those Sentinels of his. I thought he couldn't leave the city. But, hey, he's not called Satan without a reason. I can only guess he found some loophole in Falbium's orders and managed to sneak out. Just great. Of all days to play hooky…

"Shemhazai," I sighed.

Man. What the hell? Today was such a nice day too. I managed to finish all that crappy paperwork, got to sleep in, and finally found the time to work on my research. I was on the verge of making another breakthrough!

But then the alarms triggered.

Emergency action was taken. I took command of the Fallen stationed in the city. Those that were too weak were to get the civs to safety. Those that could were to fight.

I had really hoped I didn't have to be the one to do this. One of the other leaders could have done this instead. But, no, this new God has that sort of twisted sense of humor. He put me in this position because it would make a great story. I respect the man for his theatrics; it's just annoying beyond reason when I'm being used as a stage ornament.

"Hello, Azazel," he replied to me with a cold fashion.

Damn. How I needed a drink right now.

This guy floating in front of me… he was once my best friend. He was there when I was still in Heaven serving the original God. We were both in the research facility since birth. We had the same ideas. The guy was the first to Fall with me.

We both fought in the Great War against Angels and Devils. This guy even got a Devil wife in secret.

But then this new God showed up and changed everything.

After that, it was Shemhazai who helped the new God sack the Grigori Institute. He killed his fellow brothers and sisters. He betrayed me.

I don't blame him. He did it to secure the safety of his wife. But, seriously, what kind of sick joke is that? He's barred from loving her because she's a Devil. He returned to being an Angel (along with a good hundred other Fallen when given the offer) and can't return to his wife. To do so would mean to Fall again.

But, this new God isn't as merciful as the old one. Those Angels that Fall don't Fall. They simply burn up.

"Do you want me to take him?" Vali asked at my side. His Devil wings and some magic were having him keep up with me while we fought together.

I shook my head, "No. This is something I need to take responsibility for."

"Azazel talking about responsibility," sneered the Archangel beside Shemhazai. "Why do I not believe you?"

"I know, I know," I groaned while rubbing a hand through my hair. "I didn't believe myself after I said those words. Sounded better in my head, Jophiel."

Jophiel, the Archangel of Wisdom, is one of those damn pretty-boys who could get with any girl without having to try. Even the pure-minded Angels who I couldn't trick— convince, couldn't convince— had the hots for him. But that's what happens when you're the Beauty of God, I suppose. I remember trying to tempt him to Fall with us but he politely declined.

…By running to Dad and telling on us.

He was always a rat.

Now look at him. He's disgusting. He changed his appearance to look as close to the new God as possible. This guy has no shame at all or pride.

Forget the women and booze. I would have Fallen anyways just to get away from guys like him.

"Then if it's alright," Vali gradually glided away to give me space, "I'm going to take on that guy. He looks pretty strong."

"I shouldn't have to tell you to not take him too lightly," I said to him.

Vali only gave me a confident smirk. His eyes, though, blazed with a hunger I had tried and failed to calm. This guy only cared about fighting the strongest of opponents. But he wasn't rash about it. He knew his limits and knew when he was outmatched. He also knew how to be cautious and crafty. This guy could take me on by himself as he was now.

"You…" Jophiel's face contorted into a deeper sneer. It did some wicked things to his beautiful looks. "I sense the signature of the Accuser coursing through your veins. Who are you, Devil?"

"My name is Vali Lucifer," he replied with a cool tone. But all of us could feel his energy spike. He was ready for a fight.

Jophiel's eyes turned into draconian slits, "Lucifer. Then I strike down the serpent and the last of his kin!"

From his robes he produced a scroll and a series of bell chimes. Words of power echoed through his voice as he incanted the language of the Heavens. The bell was used as a medium to translate those words into the physical world while the scroll recorded his words into text. Together, they formed something really devastating.

Meteors flew sideways out of his scroll. They burned white and blue and moved faster than a bullet. Vali only had an instant to raise a shield. He did, and it was beautiful.

Vali, you brat. You've been holding back on me in our sparring matches. Since when could you combine Nordic runes with Taoist charms into your Devilry? What a monster you are.

"For what it's worth…" Shemhazai regained my attention. "I am sorry, old friend. I have my orders."

"You know I can't hate you for it," I sighed while those two maniacs went at it in the background. "But even if it's you, I will stop you. I'm protecting more than the Grigori now."

"…How is she?"

"…She misses you. She never remarried."

Something stirred in his eyes. I could see it. I could feel it. I've known this guy forever. There's no way I could have missed something like that.

But it was gone as quick as it came, hidden behind steel determination.

In a fair fight, Shemhazai would have been my equal. If we fought like this, our battle would have torn apart the entirety of the city. I'm supposed to be protecting it, not add on to the destruction.

I suppose there's no helping it.

"…What is that?" he asked.

I pulled out a golden dagger with a crystal gem at the pummel. I could feel the power coursing through it that rivaled my own. This was the power of a Dragon.

"When you stormed the Grigori Institution, there were a number of things you couldn't claim," I wacked the thing a few times in my palm. The Dragon within was starting to wake up. "That included some of the research on Sacred Gears. How long has it been since that happened? How long have we been hiding from Heaven? Seven hundred years now? That's quite a lot of time to advance my research."

"Then, it is complete?" Shemhazai's eyes narrowed. I had peaked his intellectual curiosity at least. "It will not work, even if it is you. The dome has been shattered. All of Satan's magic has failed. And God's system will not grant you—"

"Do not call him God!" I roared. "That spoiled brat is nothing compared to the Almighty Father! Our Father would not have put us against each other like this!"

"You remember the Great War differently," he said.

I see there is no sense in talking any further. Even if we have the same ideals and sense of duty, we are on two sides of the same board. No matter what he thought, he was going to be my enemy. No matter what, one of us was going to die. Either I kill him or he betrays Heaven and kills himself… or he kills me.

I don't want to do this. I really don't. But… I am the Governor of the Grigori. No, I am one of the leaders of Kuoh. Satan is my boss, after all. Everything under his care is also my responsibility.

What I held in my hand was an artificial Sacred Gear. No matter how much I tweaked it, it was still going to be registered as a Sacred Gear. God's system still applied to it. Only pure-humans can use Sacred Gears, meaning Reincarnated Devils lose access to them. Even I wouldn't be able to use it.

…On normal circumstances.

"Balance… Break!"

Light glowed from the jewel. Power filled through me as the pact made with the Dragon Fafnir pulling his end of our bargain. We made a deal a while back. He was, in a sense, my familiar and something I had to pay repeatedly for. In exchange for a grand treasure, he allowed me to store him into this artificial Sacred Gear and borrow his power.

Black and gold armor covered me from head to toe. In my hands was a golden spear made out of the scales of Fafnir.

This was the result of my research after studying the Sacred Gears of the One True God. It was as if a Sacred Gear had been imbedded onto me by my Father. Shemhazai is still right, however. I wouldn't be able to use this power normally.

But to break the system God had created? That was called a Balance Breaker. It broke through the natural order and imposed its own rules into the system.

"…Magnificent," Shemhazai whispered in awe.

It was the last bit of comradery I would receive from him. In his hands sprouted a pair of golden swords. I had never seen them before. He certainly didn't have them when he was a Fallen Angel. I can only assume he gained them after he returned to being an Angel. A reward for betraying his brothers.

We went at another. He, as quick as lightning, flew around with his twin swords coming at every fatal position. But I am the Strength of God! I am war itself! No matter what tactic you use against me, Shemhazai, you were never able to beat me. Submit me all you want but never defeat me. I know all your moves just as you know mine.

But with the power of Fafnir, things aren't the same anymore.

The Down Fall Dragon Spear, the makeshift Sacred Gear, spun in my hands. It parried everything he threw at me. I could keep up with him! His speed was nothing compared to my own and my technique outmatched his! Shemhazai, war against other factions had made you strong. Yes. But you've been on the winning team for too long.

You don't know what it's like being on the losing side. We bare our fangs when cornered. We adapt through our struggles. To lose doesn't simply mean dishonor like in the old days. To lose would mean our deaths. This is nothing like the Great War.

Shemhazai, I'm sorry.

My spear found its opening. Our blows shook the sky and the sparks of our blades caused destruction around us. But the exchange was quick. The prongs of my spear slid forward, jamming into his lower abdomen when his blades were barely touching my neck.

He could have killed me then. We both would have died.

But… in the end, he was still my friend. He didn't have the strength to carry out his orders.

My heart ached when I drew the spear out of him. Blood poured out. He retched forward, dismissing his blades into motes of light and grabbed onto his wound.

"Tell her…" he wheezed.

"…She died a long time ago, friend," I said. I didn't have the heart to lie to him.

His affair had been discovered. His wife had been beaten to death by her own people. True, this new God didn't kill her. But he didn't save her either.

It was then I saw the light of his eyes go out. Not because of his wounds. But because he had given up. He didn't have the will to go on.

Our eyes met just as he started to fall. We were still friends to the end.

But we were still enemies. I didn't catch him when his body fell out of the sky and struck the ground down below. My eyes never left him. I remained where I was until the very end.

My battle was over. But what about Vali…?

Ah, Vali was really struggling. For all his potential with the arcane, he was facing against his better. Jophiel was the Heaven's equivalent to our Beelzebub. His magic wasn't really so much magic as it was the reworking of reality. Vali was on the defensive as he threw up various types of shields to counter against kinetic, conceptual, and spiritual spells.

"So you used it after all?" he still had the bravado to smirk at me. "If you did that then I guess there's no point in keeping this a secret any further."

He flew around a series of pursuing meteors and white lightning. Another magic shield had him ricocheting off the air to dodge ethereal arrows. He hurled magic bullets towards Jophiel not to hurt him (Jophiels defenses were too strong to get through) but to hinder his visibility slightly.

He flew high up into the sky and drew on his power.

"Balance Break!"

[Vanishing Dragon Balance Breaker! Scale Mail!]

White and blue light flashed, covering Vali. He was the first star appearing after the setting sun. He was high enough for everyone to see him. Some of the conflict around us stopped to gaze up at him.

Like me, Vali was decked in the armor of a Dragon. His was white with sapphire gems embedded in him. Energy wings blazed at his back.

"Heathen!" hissed Jophiel. His true colors were showing as his immaculate beauty was starting to produce scales and green skin. "Blasphemer! What evil have you conjured to spit in the name of God?! Why do you, Devil, possess one of his sacred treasures?!"

"It was your God who gave me the Divine Dividing," Vali remarked. You could hear the confidence ooze out of him. "But from what I've heard, he's got a seriously twisted sense of humor. I wouldn't put it past him if he had this all planned out."

Jophiel rang his chime. It began to ring into a song.

Tongues of flame surrounded him, began to dance to the song, and came together. The flame changed color. No, it was more like they lost their color and changed into something entirely new. These were not the flames belonging to the mortal realms. These were the flames of the first light. The flames that brought life and order from the darkness.

Jophiel reached out, took a hold of the flame, and hurled it at Vali like a spear.

[Half Dimension!]

Vali's wings lit up as one of the Divine Dividing's techniques activated. The Divine Dividing was the opposite of the Boosted Gear. Instead of doubling one's potential at intervals, it would half a target's and absorb that half onto the vessel. With the Half Dimension technique, it could divide reality itself repeatedly.

The flames of life were halved to the point where they could no longer sustain themselves. They blinked out before they could make it halfway to Vali.

Jophiel's eyes widened right before Vali flashed. He was nothing but a stream of light as he slipped into the speed of light to appear in front of Jophiel. His gauntlet grabbed onto Jophiel's face and brought him out of the sky. They flew down until Vali slammed him onto the street below.

It wasn't over.

[Divide!]

Now that he had touched Jophiel at last, the Divine Dividing's main function kicked in. It would bleed Jophiel dry until he didn't have the energy to stand back up.

[Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide!]

Jophiel stood with defiance. His white feathered wings were tearing as he began to transform. They were becoming leathery and jagged. He bared his canines, which were elongating to become fangs. His eyes were turning from azure blue to a swamp green. His smooth skin was hardening.

This was the true face of Jophiel.

"Spawn of Lucifer… God is on my side! He wills for your death and I shall deliver this in His name!"

"Don't count on it. I plan on killing him myself."

Jophiel's eyes blazed with a fury no mortal could reach. Nothing but malice remained in him.

It was his fall. He gave up his defense in exchange for offense. He whirled his chime around and conjured black wisps. He was no longer trying to be as righteous as he was calling upon the wrath of the damned. He was using the souls of the defeated from this battle for his own doing!

I wasn't the only one outraged by this. The souls he called upon didn't agree with it as well.

The black wisps became skulls that gnawed at him. His spell had backfired.

Vali stepped in, bringing his fist across his face. Jophiel went flying and crashed into what was once a department store. The skulls pursued after him, bent on their vengeance.

Vali's wings glowed. He took in the energy he stole from Jophiel for himself. A large glyph appeared in front of him with a series of runes and symbols perfectly calculated for maximum efficiency. Anyone from the Magic Association would have gawked at it. Not just for the amount of genius it displayed. But also for the amount of destruction it could unleash.

The department store was rendered to nothing but ash as his spell razed it. Jophiel's screams could be heard until his signature dropped from the face of the earth. He was gone.

"It's not over yet, Vali," I said to him as I glided down. "There are still plenty of them around here."

"I know," he assured with a nod. "They saw me. Looks like my trump card is exposed. I'm going downtown to join the main fight. A lot of Archangels and Seraphim are there. What will you—"

He paused as his head swiveled around. The way he was looking at… It was towards the Academy.

I looked that way as well, extending my will and my senses there. There was something… wrong. I felt the divine energies of a Seraph at the Academy. But the guards there would be able to dispatch something like that at least. There was also something else there. Something raw and primal. Something that was hate incarnate.

[Ddraig…] whispered the echoing voice of Albion, the Dragon within the Divine Dividing.

0-0-0

I, Rossweisse, am out of shape.

Physically, I am as fit as can be. A strong body supports a strong mind and vice versa. But… because of my most recent duties as a teacher and my financial problems, I haven't been able to catch up on my magical studies. Because of it, I've been slacking off. I still remember my fundamentals and some of the more complex algorithms. However, I am not at the peak I once was. I am not the Valkyrie I once was.

I should have known I needed to get back on my feet. Ever since I had been done in by those trio of Fallen Angels sent by Azazel I should have gotten back into my studies. I did try. The confrontation against Kokabiel should have cemented it.

Instead, I spent most of my time worrying about Artemis. No, I was worrying about Godking Dalang. I owe him more than just my life. I would have given up on living if he hadn't been there when Odin fell against God. I was supposed to support Odin, but I couldn't stand up against God and it was the All Father who suffered for it with his life.

I did everything I could to please him. I wanted to serve him. I wanted to repay him for everything he's given me. I was only upset he had kept his identity a secret from me. As a person, I greatly respect him. He has a good heart and a strong will… despite his poor and self-destructive habits.

It was because I was trying to convince him to have me follow him was I unprepared.

It was Sunday. There were three bargain sales on this day! I was determined to get to each of them after I had just received my paycheck this month. No more instant ramen!

I was on my way home with all sorts of goods when the attack began.

"Do you Angels have no honor?!" I shouted and casted another bout of wind blades and fire missiles.

It had been going on like this for some time. I used my magic to transform into my Valkyrie armor while I confronted the few Angels that had made it this far out. I wasn't the only one as a few Fallen, Devils, and Youkai joined me in pushing them back. Even a fellow Valkyrie and a stray magician had met with us.

We weren't the sort of bunch who could manage in the front lines. The leaders were doing that by fighting the Archangels and Seraphim. I was a teacher and it was my duty to reach the Academy and defend those behind its wall. It was also my duty to find any civilians, treat them if needed, and direct them to the Academy. We all worked together to manage. We lost some… but that didn't shirk us from our responsibilities.

Things changed completely when we had gained the attention of Seraphim.

They were the most beautiful creatures I have ever seen. And by that… I do mean they are too beautiful. I do not even feel jealous as a woman by them. They are too unreal with their porcelain skin, their glass eyes, and their geometric bodies. They were more like mannequins sculpted in likeness to gods of beauty.

They also glowed like neon. Their skin, their blood vessels, their eyes, their hair, and their clothes all glowed brightly. It looked almost radioactive. And their six wings weren't truly wings. They were fumes of energy burning out of their backs.

However, they were just as dangerous as they were beautiful. Too dangerous. Every Seraph was equal to a twelve-winged Angel, just only one tier away from an Archangel.

There were three of them together.

"There is no honor in the hunt," one of them said. His face was frozen in a blank expression just like a mannequin.

"There is only the sport," the female of the group, frozen in a gentle smile, said in her monotone voice.

The third said nothing. His face was frozen in a scowl. He raised his hand to meet with my spells. An invisible wall blocked my attacks. He did not need to conjure any sigil or invoke words of power. He merely created it through his will alone.

And with his will, he waved his hand and unleashed raw power onto us. Shields were erected but they were not enough. The ground tore apart as our shields shattered. Mine felt like the hammer of Thor, the Mjornir, had slammed down on it. Something within me broke. White pain seared through me.

There was another pain when my head hit something hard. The ground. That attack from the Seraph had thrown me back.

"Get up, Valkyrie!" shouted the Devil in our group. He had a deep gash across his brow and he was clutching his arm. "We need you!"

Yes. As a Valkyrie I was the closest to divinity. I was, essentially, our strongest player. That also took into consideration my decline in magical strength. We were nothing more than a ragtag bunch of misfits forced to come together. No. This group was comprised of civilians who were forced to fight to protect their loved ones.

As a Valkyrie and as Odin's bodyguard, I was the only one in the group with the experience of warfare. I was the leader of the group. I had the responsibility to see them to safety.

"Go! I'll cover you!" I shouted even when my head was ringing. I bit the pain back and got up to my knees. Magic coursed through me as magic circles spun around me. I could not think straight and couldn't try to weave them into any element or shape. I launched nothing but raw magic bullets at the Seraphim.

…My attack bounced off of the same invisible wall as before.

"She means to sacrifice herself," cackled the female Seraph. She raised her hand and snapped a finger.

I felt… something slip past me. I couldn't see what it was. It felt so cold it shook my soul. It overtook the pain in my head and brought me to clarity.

People screamed as blood covered my vision. The same Devil who called for me was cut down by an invisible blade. The only way to see it was to see the way his blood wrapped around it as it fazed through him. He wasn't the only one.

More than half of our group was cut down in a second. They didn't see it coming. It was more like multiple blades went through them simultaneously.

All the while, the woman was looking at me with her gentle smile. She looked at me with the eyes of one who found an adorable kitten, wanting to take it home and spoil it.

I felt absolute dread when looking into those eyes.

Dread… and hate.

I've seen such eyes before. God had similar eyes. When he confronted Odin with me at his side, God looked at me with appraising eyes. He wanted to take me home, cover me in a warm blanket, and spoil me. He wanted to love me.

…And ravish me. The hunger wasn't missed in his eyes.

Those were the eyes this woman had for me. But not to ravish me. She wanted to torture me. Hence why she was cutting down those around me instead of opposing me.

"Stop it!" I shouted.

Magic coursed through me once more. But not to attack. Odin, please forgive me.

A magic circle came at my side. I reached out for it, slipped my hand through the dimension it had opened, and grabbed a hold of the divine instrument of unlimited power. I pulled it out, exposing it to the physical world since the time of Ragnarok. Its golden edge hummed with the power of the All Father it once loved and all the monsters it had slain throughout their adventures.

"Gungir!" sang the woman. Her eyes flashed with praise, as did the other Seraphim. "It's Gungir! Take her alive! Father will love us when we deliver them both!"

Gungri, the spear of Odin. It was his spear and none others. I was not worthy of using it. I could feel it fighting against me. It will not serve me as its new master and it hurt just to hold it. Nor had I ever planned on using it. At the Battle of Ragnarok, I took the spear and hid it from the world. I was willing to take this to the grave so Heaven will never get their hands on it.

…Which is why… please, forgive me for using it like this. It may fall into the enemy hands. But I do not have a means to protect all of us.

Gungir's hymn changed. It will not serve me. But it shall support me for this one effort.

I raised the spear and conjured magic circles at my heels. I launched forward at them with the support of the wind. Gungir glowed in my hands. I could feel it resonate through me. It was familiar with the signatures of those in front of us and was craving for revenge. It wanted the blood of those who helped kill its former master.

Gungir tore through the invisible wall. But it was still a wall. My body buckled against the pressure and nearly doubled over. It felt like I slammed into a truck heading straight towards me, no, it felt like I jumped right into an explosion. A burst of energy shot back at me for breaking it. But I stood strong and continued my charge.

The Seraphim's eyes widened slightly. They moved away.

But Gungir's special ability kicked in. It is the spear that never misses!

It was as though time had slowed down around me. But still I could move as I normally could. Gungir guided me towards my first target. I could feel it pulling my arms in a thrust as its edge met against the stony flesh of the scowling Seraph. His skin! It was harder than the barrier of his will! What is the point of such a defensive spell if their body is harder?!

Gungir slid into his ribs through his robes. He did not bleed red like the regular Angels. He did not even bleed. Golden dust burst out of his wound.

It burned like acid when it touched me. Searing pain worse than fire had me screaming. My mind went numb and my vision blurred. Gungir fumbled out of my grip.

I was on my knees when next I knew. The golden dust that had reached onto my hands and arms had turned my skin black.

M-My hands! I couldn't feel my hands! I can't move my fingers!

"That's one way of getting it…" commented the bland Seraph.

The wounded Seraph pulled Gungir out of his waist. The gaping wound was already healing itself. He wasn't even debilitated by the injury. He clutched Gungir in his hand.

N-No. No, no, no!

They have Gungir! No! I can't let them have it! And those I'm trying to save haven't gotten away yet!

As though reading my thoughts, the female Seraph's eyes flickered behind me. Her eyes flashed with delight as she raised her hand and pressed her fingers together for another spell.

Her eyes widened as she blinked out of existence. There was only a flash of light and she teleported away.

Where she once stood was a young man with black hair in a school uniform. It didn't belong to the Academy. Wait. I recognize this uniform! It belonged to the Institute! What's more, he wore Ancient Chinese armor below his waist.

And… that spear in his hand. It was beautiful. The tip was split in half, opening up with a golden blaze burning out of the staff. It was so much like the Excalibur of Altoryrigius. Except… it glowed with a wondrous light.

It was the True Longinus! Then, that meant, this young man must be Cao Cao!

"Three more here!" he shouted over his shoulder. He spun his lance around and leapt forward. He did not care about the other two flanking him. His attention was locked on the woman fleeing.

The two Seraphim couldn't support her. In the next instant, a giant dragon made out of silver swords appeared out of the alleyway and tackled the scowling Seraph. He batted the construct aside with a palm thrust… but then was blindsided as a black missile struck the side of his head.

The last Seraph went to support. He did not get far as black creatures of abnormal and close to eldritch proportions came out of the shadows. They leapt on him and bit into him. They could do no more than tear at his armor and robes as he threw them off him.

"Can you stand?" someone said to her.

The one who spoke was a blonde boy with several draconian arms sprouting out of his back. Including his own normal ones, there were a total of six arms. And each one held swords brimming with undesirable power. Wonderful, beautiful, immaculate power. But undesirable as even I could feel its taint. These could only belong to demonic and cursed weapons.

She recognized him. This was one of the students from the Institution that had played against Artemis in the baseball game!

"I'm fine," she assured and tried to stand up. Her head ached and the lack of strength in her arms had her losing her balance when she tried to catch herself. She ended up falling back to her knees.

"Georg!" he called out over his shoulder. "Get these people out of here! This one too!"

"You people never seem to realize how difficult it is repeating the same thing at this scale," another boy grumbled. He had a robe and glasses. "Don't bother. I'm already working on it."

Mist crept at his feet and began to spread out. It started to reach over the wounded until they were completely covered. When the mist retracted, they were gone.

"Wait," I called out. "I cannot leave! That one has Lord Odin's spear!"

I could not point. I could only jerk my head towards the Seraph battling against the silver dragon and the large young(?) man with spikes protruding out of him. The Seraph was using Gungir against them both. The dragon was having difficulty repairing its bladed hide while cuts were starting to appear on the large boy.

"Siegfried! We need help with this one!" shouted a young girl from up on the rooftops. She was waving a rapier around. It took me an instant to realize she was the one controlling the dragon. "Arthur's helping Leonardo and Cao Cao ran off on his own. You're the only one not doing anything!"

Siegfried, the boy at her side, clicked his tongue. "It's seriously something if Jeanne swallows her pride like that. Stay here then. We can't let Heaven get an artifact like that. Heracles! Fall back! Support me while I lead the front!"

He went to join his comrades. The larger boy, Heracles, moved away from the Seraph while the dragon took his attention away. Siegfried charged through with all six of his swords ready. He twisted his body and spun around to get at the Seraph.

The Seraph slammed a fist into the front of the dragon. A great force propelled the construct away from it while he raised his other hand to create a shield. The cursed weapons sank into the invisible wall with the stench of ozone hitting me. He was burning through his defenses!

The Seraph retracted, spun, and brought Gungir around in a slash. Siegfried brought his swords back to shield himself. They glowed black and red as soon as they touched Gungir.

Amazing! Those weapons combined were able to negate Gungir's ability. No, it was the combined efforts of his weapons plus Gungir's unwillingness with the Seraph that saved Siegfried.

The Seraph's scowl deepened but he did not pry away. He pressed on, spinning Gungir around in a flurry of moves that kept Siegfried on his toes. Siegfried was doing remarkable with coordinating six weapons at once. And it was the only thing keeping him alive. The Seraph's strikes were as powerful as they were swift. Every blow took two arms to deflect and there wasn't enough time for the Hero to produce a counter.

…Until he leapt back, using the last swing to push him away.

"Now!" he yelled.

A series of black missiles flew over his shoulders, being thrown out of Heracles' fists from behind. Gungir deflected them. Two of them detonated on contact but the other threw went askew. They blew up the surroundings and broke down the walls of homes.

I could only pray there was no one hiding in there.

The dragon came next, having recovered from the previous exchange. It opened its maw and unleashed a stream of white light. The Seraph did not try to dodge it.

"That's not working, Jeanne!" Heracles shouted. "That hasn't worked five times! What makes you think it'd work this time?!"

"Shut up, muscles for brains!" she barked back. "It's not supposed to hurt him!"

I didn't understand until Siegfried leapt back into the fray. The Seraph didn't see him in time as he began to swing at him. The Seraph brought a hand up and Gungir. Four blades were deflected and blocked by his own methods. But two other swords managed to get through. He lunged two arms forward, stabbing two cursed weapons into the Seraph.

A spray of gold dust erupted. One from his chest and the other out of his shoulder. His face did not change from any sort of pain.

The lack of pain was what allowed him to close the distance and reach a hand out to Siegfried. A blast of golden light exploded out of his palm and threw Siegfried back.

Even if I could not use my arms, I can still use magic! I casted an inertia dampening spell and caught him within the center of the circle.

Half of his face was ruined. It was scorched black.

It didn't stop him from getting back up, however. His eyes blazed as he used two of his swords as a crutch. He spat out blood, wiped it off with his sleeve, and took a deep breath.

Meanwhile, the Seraph launched another stream of light out of his hand. It pierced through the sword dragon and began to cut it up into several chunks. Jeanne above was shouting something. At the same time, Heracles unleashed another barrage of explosive pikes. All of which were diverted by a barrier that made the missiles fly elsewhere.

"We're getting nowhere with this…" Siegfried growled. "We're too tired. There's too many of these damn things…"

That boy Heracles had mentioned something about this being their sixth Seraph. Had this group gone through so many skirmishes? It looked like so. They were covered in blood and soot. But I hadn't thought of it as that's what most of us looked like after the first strike.

"You are a Valkyrie, aren't you?" he questioned.

He fiddled with something in his hand. One of the swords was planted into the ground while his fingers held a crimson injector he pulled out of his pocket. He held it with a nervousness.

"I am," I nodded.

He nodded back and gave me a grim smile. "I am the Reincarnated Hero, Siegfried. Valkyrie, I need you to witness me."

Without saying another word, he put the injector to his neck and set the contents into his blood. He grimaced and released a short gasp. Without looking back at me, he picked up his sword and started to take steps forward.

His veins pulsed where he injected its contents. His body began to warp and spasm seconds after. His clothing tore apart as his body began to transform. He stopped resembling a human as his body expanded to five times its size and bulk. He became a monster with several arms, still wielding each and every one of his cursed weapons.

The beast that was once Siegfried charged forward. He moved faster than when he was human. His arms swung his swords around at the Seraph.

It was then did both Heracles and Jeanne pull back. Heracles folded his arms while Jeanne sheathed her rapier and drew back her dragon.

The Seraph did not react to Siegfried's appearance. Or, at least, he did well to hide his emotions. He paused only to examine Siegfried's new form, raised Gungir, and chose to engage once again.

They clashed. Blasts of white energy and a shimmering Gungir met against all six cursed weapons plus the claws and fangs Siegfried had protruded. His comrades had left it to him to finish off the Seraph. He was alone. At this point, they would only get in the way as their battle was rendered to nothing more than a primal frenzy. There was no finesse or grace to their fighting. It was all about who could hit the other harder.

Gashes appeared across Siegfried. But, at the same time, he was delivering similar blows to the Seraph. What's more, the Seraph's wounds weren't healing! Golden dust continued to sprinkle out and the wounds weren't shutting. His white skin was turning black.

It was by property of the demonic weapons. They were undoing his divine protections!

In a roar of carnivorous triumph, Siegfried delivered the final blow. The black broadsword on his once normal right hand had found an opening.

It decapitated the Seraph.

The two human Heroes held up their hands. Even I threw up a shield because I knew what was going to come next.

A Seraph does not merely die gracefully. Their bodies do not collapse or disperse into the aether.

They explode.

I watched as Siegfried jammed all of his blades into the ground, wrapped his arms around the Seraph, and clutched him tight.

The blast sent debris flying everywhere. They slammed into my shield… as well as what remained of Siegfried.

The only things remaining of the battle was Gungir and the six cursed weapons of Siegfried.

Siegfried… I have borne witness to your feats. I have heard your name and will remember it well. Yours was truly the feats worthy of a Hero. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten. I, Rossweisse, shall offer you a prayer and deliver your soul to Valhalla for—

"Mediocre!" shouted Heracles.

W-W-W-What?! What sort of comrade are you to criticize the sacrifice of your teammate?!

"I've secured the area," the boy named Georg approached me just as Heracles did. "Everyone wounded or hiding has been extracted to the Institution. You, Valkyrie, can you stand?"

I could this time. But my arms hung limply at my side. Georg examined my arms briefly before looking up and fixing his glasses.

"Ours has been dealt with," a new voice came. Another boy from the baseball game. I believe he was the vice-president. And following behind him was the dull, silent boy. "Where is Siegfried?"

"Dead," said Jeanne when she made it to the group. "Got himself blown up in the end. Hey you, Valkyrie, this is yours, right?"

In her hands was Gungir. I'd have accepted it but I could not lift my arms. I could only bow my head and thank her from the bottom of my heart.

"Lift your head, Valkyrie," said another voice. It was the wielder of the True Longinus, Cao Cao. Though his uniform was ruffled and his face covered in small burns and cuts, he stood tall and strong. "You are always in the company of the Doll Maker. Where is Artemis?"

…That was such a question I would love to have answered myself. Where was the Godking? Where was his army of Djinn that could be summoned at any instance? If he were truly here, he would have been able to repel Heaven. I have seen his power and his resources. Even God himself was forced to retreat when he arrived at the Battle of Ragnarok.

"I don't know," I answered honestly.

My answer made Cao Cao's lips twitch. "Is that so? The Ouroboros could not sense him either in the city. I had thought he was merely cloaking himself. Jeanne, you're the most tired of the group. You and Heracles escort her to the Institution."

"I think we should all go," stated the vice-president. "Cao Cao, consider the condition of the team. We're exhausted. We lost Siegfried because we haven't fully recovered against Camael and Oriphiel. If we press any further we won't survive the next confrontation."

"Then you may go," he said. He tightened the grip around the True Longinus. "You may go and defend the station if you must. I will continue and kill as many as I can. The role of the Hero, Arthur, is not to protect others. That will not solve the threat.

"A Hero's role is to slay the monsters that threaten humanity. It is why I aim to kill God. Will any of you join me or will I venture on my own?"

"…You're a damn fool who will get yourself killed," groaned Arthur. But he stepped back.

It was the silent boy who raised his hand. The one who conjured the black creatures. He was volunteering to continue.

"There would be more people out there," stated Georg next. "And someone has to pull you out if it starts to get too hot. The three of us should be more than enough."

Cao Cao smiled broadly. His eyes turned back to me. "Valkyrie. What is your name? I am the Reincarnated Hero Cao Cao, wielder of the True Longinus, the Spear of Power."

"I am Rossweisse," I said simply. "Thank you for coming to my aid and saving those in need. I will offer you my prayers, Hero."

His eyes flickered at the mention of my name. He recognized it but didn't say anything.

"We move," he ordered and shifted the grip on his spear for running. "We cannot waste any more time here. Georg. Leonardo. Are you ready?"

"…As I'll ever be," drolled Georg.

Leonardo didn't say anything. Nor did he make a gesture to say he was ready.

…Nor did he blink.

The three of them took off running up the road. Cao Cao was at the lead, running slightly faster than the other two, who were struggling to keep up.

The rest of us took a moment to collect ourselves before running due east. We were heading towards Kuoh Institution. They said it was the safest place as it was being watched by the Ouroboros, the Dragon God of Infinity, Ophis. No Angel, Seraph, or Archangel would dare to cross through the gates there.

That was their way of telling me the Ouroboros was not willing to engage Heaven. Ophis was squatting at the Institution and only going as far as to defend his territory. Nothing more.

0-0-0

I, Kunou, am scared.

Mama told me to be brave. She told me she will protect me. She told me to stay hidden and to not come out until she returns.

But I am scared. I'm so scared I can't move. My body was tucked into a small ball while my hands covered my ears. No matter how hard I pressed, I could still hear the noises. I can still hear all the loud noises.

Mama and I were just out spending time together. We always do on Sundays. Sometimes we'll surprise Onii-chan where he worked and order delicious deserts from him. Then we'd make fun of his work and the sort of things he'd go through for some money.

But Onii-chan wasn't there when we arrived. We still had some cake anyways. And I wanted to stay anyways to see the hourly dance with the maids… even if Onii-chan wasn't in it. It's always funny to see him in it dressed like that.

The windows outside went dark. Mama went stiff and quickly rose from her seat. I've never seen her like that before. It scared me.

That was when the Angels attacked. There was a lot of light, a loud noise that hurt my ears, and the windows next to us shattering with glass flying towards us. Mama grabbed me and pulled me in close to her. We were still sent to the floor. It hurt so much.

Mama made sure I was all right. She then told me to hide behind the counter and to not move no matter what. I listened to Mama even when I didn't want her to leave me.

But it's been so long since Mama went out of the building. I was getting more scared as time passed on. The loud noises kept coming and the ground and building kept shaking. I can still hear people screaming even when I was the only one left in here.

Mama would never abandon me. But… What if… What if Mama can't come back? What if she got hurt? I know Mama is strong, one of the strongest even! It was why she was the matriarch of all Youkai. She was a Kyuubi, who was on par to the gods.

But this was Heaven. And I learned God had killed the gods we worshipped. I learned he took Mama prisoner and it was thanks to Onii-chan was she freed.

I don't know how long it's been. But I'm alone and scared. I want Mama to come back! I can't stay here any longer. What if Mama is hurt?!

I crawled out of my hiding spot even when she told me not to. The café was in ruins. There was glass everywhere, tables were upturned and torn apart, and the people…

I shut my eyes. My body was shaking. I couldn't look at the customers and maids. A lot of them I knew by name because we come here all the time. Some of them even gave me extra sweets and complimented how much I looked like Mama.

Tears streaked down my face as I made my way outside. I had to find Mama. I had to! I can't be alone any longer.

"Is that one yours, Yasaka?" a voice echoed on the street.

There was Mama! She was in her Kyuubi form with her golden fur and nine tails. But there was also blood staining her fur. She looked hurt. Mama, no!

Across of her stood a man with twelve wings with a sword and shield in each hand. T-That! That was an Angel! With twelve wings? He's the strongest of his kind!

"Kunou!" Mama gasped in her mystical voice. Her tails stiffened as she lowered her head back at the Angel. "Your fight is with me, Sariel! Leave her out of this!"

"My fight is with all of your kind," the Angel, Sariel, said back to Mama in a mean voice. His eyes went towards mine. "How revolting. Sunlight courses through her veins. She resembles her father too much."

"You will not touch her!" Mama shrieked and lunged at the Angel.

She was fast! She was like a golden blur as she snapped her jaws at the Angel and swiped her tails. I saw fire, lightning, wind, and aether being used against the Angel. But the Angel was just as fast and able to keep up with Mama. He used his shield to block whatever she threw at him and his sword to swipe at her when she tried to bite him.

"Where was this before?!" he bellowed. "Is this a mother's wrath? You were not fighting as strongly until that girl arrived! Do not think I do not see through your ploy, Yasaka! I know you are trying to get me away from the girl! And there lies your weakness!"

His shield started to glow. In the next exchange, he used his sword while he threw his shield aside.

No. He didn't throw it aside. He threw it straight towards me.

"KUNOU!"

Mama moved. She threw herself off of the Angel and moved towards the shield coming my way. Her body came between us; the shield was blocked by her tails being brought around. There was a shockwave that pushed Mama back and knocked me down.

Mama yelped.

I… I saw the Angel bring his sword into her side. When he pulled it out, there was Mama's blood running down its edge. He put his boot on Mama's side and kicked her away.

Mama transformed back into her human form. Her skin was white while her hands were clutching at her waist. There was so much blood seeping through her fingers.

"M… Mama…?"

"Kunou…" Mama's voice was quiet and shaking. "R-Run… Please…"

That was when she fell. Her legs gave out under her and her body hit the floor. Blood started to pool around her.

Mama didn't move. She wasn't breathing either.

"Mama…?" I whispered. "Mama? Mama? Mama? Mama?! Mama?! MAMA?!"

I went to her and tried to shake her to get up. She wouldn't. No matter how much I shook her or how much I called out to her.

"Mama, please get up! Kunou will be a good girl! I'll listen to Mama for real this time! I'll hide like you told me to! I'll eat my veggies and be nicer to Onii-chan! Please get up! Please! PLEASE!"

Nothing. Mama didn't get up.

I screamed for Mama when the Angel came and pulled me away. He had his fingers gripping my hair at the scalp and dragging me away from Mama. I screamed at him for me to go back to her. I didn't want to leave Mama! She's not… that! Mama is just resting to get better!

"Be silent," Sariel snarled. "God has granted you mercy. He has willed you to live. I will bring you to Him."

0-0-0

I Am.

I must apologize to you as soon as I can, Dalang. I did not mean for it to come to this. And you must think of me a coward if you believe I have deceived you. It was never my intentions to draw you away from your Citadel like this. I spoke true when I stated I was to launch a strike against Vishnu and his myriad of avatars. I was prepared for it and was craving for another one of our bouts.

But then something happened. A betrayal. It wasn't necessarily one as my own system hadn't captured the perpetrators just yet. Several centuries of nothing going wrong too. Or maybe it was because I looked away from the system thinking it was perfect were they able to find the loopholes around it. I will need to correct this error when I am able.

"Have you found them?" I asked.

"None of your legionaries have spotted Michael and Gabriel, My Lord," Metatron answered promptly. "It is only a matter of time."

I nodded, folded my hands onto my lap, and leaned against my throne. We were secure high over the city where none else could reach us. Not that any of these pagans would be willing to if they could. I would strike them down before they could make it halfway.

Michael and Gabriel. They were the ones who betrayed me and the reason why I am here in Satan's Citadel. They took something very precious from me. I cannot fight at my greatest for the Promised Time against Dalang without it.

They must have taken it while I had slipped into the Citadel.

Crafty. I must respect them for being able to get this far without Falling. They were deliberately disobeying me and going as far as to reach Satan's Citadel too. Even with his shield blocking my wonders from reaching my subjects, the Icarus program was more of an installation placed within each and every individual Angel. My Seraphim will never betray me, so there was no point in placing something like that in them. But the Angels of the former God? That was a different matter.

How had they managed to not burn up is beyond me. I am more curious than scorned at the moment. But as time presses on and if I do not have my treasure back before the Promised Time, I may obliterate the world before our final confrontation.

"My Lord, we have found Azu'Kurano," Metatron stated. "She is—"

"I know," I cut him off with a lax wave of my hand. "I also know she has yet to learn her lesson. I will have her remain in Kuoh longer. Even if the city is nothing but cinders by the end of this and Issei Hyoudou is killed. Leave her be."

Metatron saluted and returned to his post.

My senses caught something. Down towards the direction of the Academy.

"Altoryrigius is in trouble," I stated. "Go and assist him."

Metatron saluted and vanished. There was a reason why I would send my most powerful of Angels down to rescue Altoryrigius. Had it been another Saint, a single Seraphim would have sufficed. But if there was something that could threaten Altoryrigius? That threat cannot be taken lightly. Metatron was his guardian, after all.

There was more to it. Altoryrigius meant far more to me than a mere Champion.

"Hmph," I couldn't resist the irony of the word. Champion. In the time before the Age of the Kings, the Champion system of Ilyvander brought forth beings from another realm into ours. That was because the former Rulers could not find a means to support their world any further. They had to reach out for help. The system was designed so the World would not reject them or deploy Guardians to expel or even eradicate them.

He is called the Champion of Heaven for more than just a simple publicity stunt. Do give me more credit than that, Dalang. You should expect better of me by this point.

I know what I am, Ouroboros. I know I am not the Ruler of the World. But I am its God.

And with Altoryrigius, I will be both the Ruler and God.

This world is mine. I will not give it up.

My head turned down back onto the Earth. I frowned. An irregularity was occurring. It was something I knew existed but hadn't expected it to appear on the other side. My mortal servants with their Sacred Gears could access this under dire circumstances. This Balance Breaker.

But to see it in the hands of the enemy? Such a feat cannot be tolerated.

It was not Azazel or his ward that stirred me to rise out of my seat. No. It was the mockery flying through the air and removing my legion. He was fast, gliding through wings made of cosmic energy.

Those wings… I've seen such before. They are one of the marks granted by the Dra'cueri Queen. It is much the same kind as my Gift of Tongue. It would appear this one is the Gift of Flight.

It is not impossible. One of the Primordial Lawmakers could have entered this world and lost in some bout. In my time as God, I have seen at least two beings on this planet wield such Gifts before this one.

I rose from my seat and parted the clouds from under. I donned my helm and let the godsair course through my mask. I breathed it in, letting it fill me with the prayers and worship of my followers. It invigorated me with power unmatched by even Dalang!

I descended from my throne and immerged into the physical realm. All things stopped when I came down to their level. My Angels and Seraphim started to sing in praise. I could feel the amount of fear and hatred creating negative godsair from the pagans. I drank them in; they knew not how much stronger they were making me.

My timing, it would seem, was perfect. Infuriating, as I wanted to raze this crimson jester to nothingness, but it was still perfect.

A portal had been opened. Sunlight poured through as a tall figure donning white armor stepped through. In his chest was a Sun Sphere. In his hand was the sword, Solstice, the First and Last Sun. And at his back was its sheath, Equinox, the Midnight Sun.

"Welcome back, Dalang."

0-0-0

I, Serafall, am running up a hill.

Or was the saying 'running up a slope'? I can't recall right now. Usually I'm pretty spot on about these things.

What I mean to say is… I'm fighting against something I didn't want to see ever again.

The entire street was covered in ice and water. The buildings around us had been crumbled apart. No one was coming to help me because the amount of destruction we were tossing around was too much. It was just going to be me and Uriel.

I had to stand strong. I was a leader. I am a Lord of Darkness. I am the Leviathan!

And standing right in front of me was my jailer after God first attacked the Devils.

It was Uriel who watched over us in God's harem. He was the one who made sure none of us schemed against God, even with all the conditions God placed on us to make it impossible in the first place. It was he who punished us when we didn't cooperate.

It was Uriel who left just as deep of a scar as God did.

Nothing but rage and frustration filled me as we fought. I hated this man almost as much as I hate God. I wanted this man dead no matter what.

But… he was my jailer for nearly seven hundred years. I didn't get my freedom until Artemis came to this world. I didn't get the chance for closure. I never recovered.

My hands continued to shake as I fought against Uriel. My mind was focused on our battle. But my soul still ached as it remembered every torment he put me through.

Artemis, I do understand how you feel. I'm the only one who can. That's why I fought with the other Devil Kings for your sake.

That's why I turned the other way when you said you were going to be away. I believed in you when you said you were going to protect this city. I believed you! Despite everything you put me through and your vendetta against the Devils, I believed you!

Because I didn't tell Falbium or Sirzechs, we were caught by surprise. Heaven struck with all its might and we hardly have a means of defending our selves. It took half an hour for a competent retaliation strike to gather. By that point, the leaders were already fighting against other Archangels and Seraphim. Too many people had died since then.

"I see now," Uriel said with his glowing eyes. Those eyes that could peer into the soul and read every one of my sins. Nothing could be hidden by those eyes. Every dark intent could be seen by him. Even so much as thinking about doing something wrong against God can't be hidden by him. He was violating me with those eyes.

"Stay out of my head!" I screamed and threw everything at him. The terrain changed once again as a blizzard enveloped us.

He swung his flaming sword and split the blizzard. He turned it into a thick, humid mist. It would have boiled my skin if I were anything weaker.

"Attempted rape," Uriel clicked his tongue. His eyes closed with disappointment. "To one declared a Saint, at that. Serafall, you know I cannot excuse this transgression."

"As if you were going to let me live anyways!" I spat.

We had another exchange. Ice met fire. The area changed again.

"You were one of Father's favorites," Uriel said with snide. "He mentioned you when He returned from Heaven after seeing you. He hasn't been that happy since Satan emerged. I think I'll bring you back to Him instead."

My blood turned cold. I froze where I stood. My body became petrified as the mere mentioning of returning to Him shook me. My mind flashed the countless memories of the nights He called for me.

"N-No… I'm not going back there. I c-can't go back there! I won't let you take me! I'd rather die than go back there!"

Uriel gave me a sad look as if he could sympathize with me. "If that is what you wish. So be it. Father also made mention of… her. If you will not come back, Serafall, perhaps your sister could replace you?"

The blood drained from my face. My heart tightened at my chest.

Sona… No! I won't let that happen! I will not let Sona be subjected to the same torture I went through!

"I will kill you if you or Peter touch my sister."

Uriel did not blink.

"…Blasphemy has been added to the list. So be it."

He raised his sword. Its flames lit up the street as he put more power into it than the previous times. That's right. He had been holding back only to capture me. Now he was going to put everything he had into killing me. And then… he was going to go to the Academy and take Sona.

"I will stop you!" I shouted. I couldn't freeze up like this. Bravery ran through me. Here was my closure! I was going to pummel him until he was dead! "I will beat you even if it kills me!"

"…If that is what you wish," he said and brought his sword down.

Flames consumed the entirety of the street. The ice I created with my Devilry did not melt and steam. It simply dispersed. A wave of fire was coming at me.

I threw my hands forward and created a magic circle with ten rings. Each ring contained a separate algorithm of spells overlapping another. When combined together, it amplified each and every one of them to new levels. There was a reason why I am the Leviathan and not the Strongest Queen, Grayfia!

A wave of ice met against his wave of fire. The two forces clashed against the other. Neither one refusing to back down. It was like a game of tug-of-war. The first one to slip up would be dead.

…Or the stronger one triumphs.

I was losing! The flames were coming closer! He was overpowering me?!

I didn't have the chance to throw up a shield. His flames crashed down on me. His flames were so hot I could not feel their searing heat eat away at me.

…No. That's not right. His flames… they weren't even touching me. I couldn't feel them because they couldn't burn me. But… why?

The flames dispersed.

Uriel's eyes flashed to something behind me. His eyes glowed… and then widened to the point of threatening to pop out.

"Fucking hell, Sera," a stranger said to me. He was a young man only a few inches taller than me with a pair of red and blue eyes and a deep scowl on his face. His eyes were also glowing. "Don't say some famous last words if you can't back them up."

"M… M… M… Mmmmm!" Uriel's lips twitched. His jaw had become locked, unable to open to say what he wanted. His grip on his sword tightened to the point it was grinding. His whole body was shaking with his face turning red.

"MURDERER!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer, murderer, murderer, murderer, murderer, murderer, murderermurderermurderermurderermurderermurderermurderermurderermurderer!"

This… This reaction… I've never seen or heard of him reacting this strongly to someone before. Even I, who is sin in living flesh, never gained anything more than a sneer.

The stranger didn't say anything. His scowl only deepened.

"MURDERER!" Uriel screamed again and raised his sword. Flames danced around his blade once more and he channeled his power through it.

"Shut the fuck up already," snarled the stranger. He raised his hand and directed it at the flaming sword. Both his eyes turned red and glowed bright enough to give his face a shadow.

The flames of Uriel's sword ignited. No, more like they exploded as if gasoline— holy gasoline had been thrown over it. But the eruption had been contained. The flames spun in a sphere around Uriel's body. He was screaming.

But not in pain. Uriel was still screaming about the stranger being a murderer. Even when his body was being consumed by his own flames.

"He's all yours," the stranger said and dropped his hand.

"Mur…der…mmm…" Uriel mumbled as he fell to his knees. His eyes never looked away from the stranger even when he was in agonizing pain. His armor was disintegrated and his flesh was burnt a charcoal black.

I looked at the stranger, who crossed his arms and shrugged, and then back at Uriel.

…This was my chance. It was not the finale I wanted. But… this was my opportunity to do what I always wanted.

"S… Seraffffff…?" sputtered Uriel as our eyes met. He looked so lost. So confused. Whatever he saw in the stranger had robbed him of his sanity. His eyes were crossed and constantly blinking when his head turned my way.

I did not pity him.

I shuddered when I put a blade of ice through his chest, right into his heart. His body jerked naturally, and blood escaped his lips. He mumbled something until the light faded from his eyes and he fell sideways.

Uriel was dead. God's Angel of Retribution was dead.

I laughed. It was only a short chuckle at first. Some sweet relief. But then it grew louder and started to shake me entirely. I was laughing. No, I was probably screaming more than I was laughing.

It felt like a weight had been casted off my shoulders.

The stranger was there to catch me when I fell. Rather, he scooped me up into his arms and carried me like a princess. His scowl was still present, but his eyes had softened.

"Fuck…" he cursed. "What the hell? What in the world could you have gone through to make you worse than my Serafall?"

His Serafall? It didn't sound possessive. It sounded more like…

There was a roar above our heads before I could finish that thought. It was loud enough to catch both our attentions.

And after that… the sky was split in half. A portal into the higher planes opened up. The one who came out of it was—

"Oh my God…" the stranger said with a dry voice. His scowl had deepened so far as to leave his eyes half-lidded. "It's Peter Fucking Zylor. What the fuck is he doing here?"

…He knew God by his real name?!

"Um… Who are you?" I asked. "And could you let me down? I'm not that tired."

"No, because I never get to do this in my world," he rejected the idea and held me a little tighter. "My name is Chase. Hey, wanna see something cool?"

His eyes glowed again. The hand under my thighs had one finger pointed towards the sky.

The air became electric as he called upon power that dwarfed my own.

0-0-0

I, Tiamat, am furious.

These Angels have not learned their lesson. Have they forgotten what happened the last time they treaded on my territory? Or do they not care on how many of their ilk I have slaughtered on my own?

I am more than a Dragon. I am the Chaos Karma Dragon. I am a Dragon God! I am the last Dragon King and I was the strongest out of all of them. Even Ddraig and Albion were wary of my wrath when they were corporeal.

Angels, Archangels, Seraphim. It does not matter who or what they are, of what breed, or how powerful they are. Those who gain my wrath will not leave unscathed. I am the thing that made up the primordial chaos. I am the everlasting storm that constantly stamped out all of life. I am the Mother of Dragons and Queen of the Storm.

But my power wanes.

I have slaughtered many Angels since the first strike. I have waged against a half dozen Seraphim and came out victorious. And I had slain the Archangel Raphael. But my wounds have accumulated after every bout. They hinder my movements and weaken my strength. And still more Angels come for me.

I will die in this battle. I will fall. But I shall not go quietly. I shall take as many of them with me. I will not be captured like the last time! You will not tame me, God! I will throw myself into the flames and drag you down with me if I must!

"Tia-nee, anymore and you're seriously going to die."

That voice… Impossible.

Sempai was in the Academy. I could feel his power even from this far off. But that voice reaching my ears. It was the same as my beloved Sempai's!

He floated on ethereal wings and with the crimson armor in semblance to Ddraig. His power was like a storm in itself contained in a tiny vessel. This was no mere mortal with a human body. I was sensing the full power of Ddraig coursing through him. No, I must say this was Ddraig.

Ddraig… but not Sempai.

"You are not Sempai," I hissed and drew my head back to snap at this imposter.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" he threw his arms up and flickered back in an instant. "I'm not here to fight you! I'm here to help! I'm telling you to stop because you're bleeding everywhere. Rest, Tia-nee. I'll take over from here."

How strange. He called me his elder sister. He spoke in the same voice as Sempai and even had his power. It was as though Ddraig was reincarnated into this humanoid vessel.

But he was not Sempai!

He let loose a roar. It was the roar of a Dragon. It sent a shockwave throughout the city that rattled what buildings remained standing. All had heard it.

What came next was his power. A storm of crimson energy burst forth out of his body. His armor became alive as the gauntlets and grieves became claws, his helm became a skull with fangs, extra arms protruded out of his side, and a set of metallic wings sprouted parallel to his ethereal ones.

This! This was the Boosted Gear's Juggernaut Drive! But there was no hate singing out of him. Nor was there the incantation or the corruption of the previous vessels. This was the full might of Ddraig unleashed onto the physical world!

[Promotion: Bishop Juggernaut Overdrive!]

He changed shape once more. Those metallic wings folded over and turned into a power cell with gears and fans. A pair of cannons extended out of his shoulders. And the spare arms became two sets of weaponry. The left one became a thin barrel while the other became a turret.

He unleashed the turret into the open sky.

Not a shot was missed nor did any of them stray in friendly fire. Every shot was a tiny red orb but contained deadly force at every impact. Every Angel fired upon was robbed of their life no matter how strong they were. A Seraphim was only killed if they were struck in the head; otherwise they were left crippled. Still, they were rendered unable to fight.

"Heathen!" screamed one Seraph. He became a streak like a falling star as he came at the young man.

He aimed the long barrel at him and fired. It did not send out a small explosion or a crimson orb like she expected. Instead, it gave a popping noise.

And the Seraph was no more. He simply vanished as a hole appeared in his chest and was erased from existence. There was no explosion after his death.

The young man continued to shoot fire into the skies with the turret while erasing the Seraphim he could not strike down normally. In a span of seconds had he cleared out over a third of Heaven in what had taken the entire Citadel over an hour to push back.

[Promotion: Knight Juggernaut Overdrive!]

His form changed once more. The weapons retracted and instead became spikes. His armor compressed until it was tight against his body.

"Stay here," he demanded in a strong voice. "I mean it."

He was nothing more than a red blur as those energy wings sent him flying faster than could be perceived, even to my eyes. All I could see were the series of Angels being torn apart wherever this blur seemed to flicker back in existence.

I was right then. This was not Sempai.

But while this young man had been… showboating, Sempai was in danger. I could feel his anguish. I could feel his presence start to fade and the hate from his predecessors start to rise up.

Something had happened from the Academy. Sempai was hurting.

Something had made him call upon the Juggernaut Drive.

0-0-0

I, Hyoudou Issei, am thriving.

My heart is pumping. Adrenaline is going through me because of raw emotion and because I know I will die if I fuck this up. Unreal power is going through me and jarring my senses. I'm feeling a rush as if I had just achieved the impossible. I'm talking about unlocking the hidden harem route to an eroge when it wasn't supposed to exist!

I'm pissed off beyond reason. Why? Because today went to shit and beyond. Today was the greatest day of my life. I managed to finally get Asia to smile like she used to. No. I have to say I've never seen her this happy before.

I'm pissed off because Heaven decided to rain on our day.

They killed everyone around us. We barely managed to survive and were forced to ditch others who were helping us.

And then there's this guy. This dick-bag, Altry. He came into the school, killed off everyone who got in his way, and continued to kill everyone he met. Fuck! He even killed one of the girls who was in Saji's harem!

I can't forgive him for that.

Ddraig had told me that I wasn't strong enough to fight Altry, or any of those Seraphim things. But he said there was a way I could. Of course, it came at a price. He said he would consume one of my arms to let me borrow some of his power.

When Asia confessed her love (even if it was shared with Saji), I knew what I had to do. I couldn't half-ass things. I made the deal with Ddraig.

No matter what, I was going to beat Altry into the ground and make him pay for what he's done.

[One!]

Saji and I both activated our one Gear at the same time. My heart raced further as time started to slow down around me. My body was going through overdrive as it was burning a lot more energy to push me harder. The pain I felt before still throbbed, but it was a lot more manageable this time.

[Partner, you'll be burning through your time twice as fast with this,] Ddraig said.

"Just worry about repairing my armor, Ddraig!" I shouted back.

Altry was serious when he said he had a way of getting past Avalon's defenses. I've been having at him for only a few seconds and he's been able to land a few hits himself. I had a pretty good guard as he hacked off chunks of my plating. Nothing had managed to get through just yet.

I felt a tug. It was from Saji. I could feel his heartbeat even from this distance. I could feel his intentions as if I had fought with the guy all my life. Was it because he and I have been in death battles together before? Or was it because we were both in love with the same girl, who also loved us?

[No, it's from these Gears,] Ddraig replied. [You and he are resonating with another. Both your goals are the same. I can feel Vritra through your connection.]

So that's what's going on. Then I'm going to follow that instinct and follow Saji's lead!

It was a switch tactic. I slammed my fists into the ground and made a cloud of dirt explode upwards. I could still see Altry's clothing glowing through it. He didn't shirk away as the dirt hit against an invisible layer covering him. He didn't back down and continued his assault.

I leapt back. Right under me came Saji.

"Burn, Altoryrigius!" Saji roared and brought his hands together. The strings surrounding us snapped away from the posts and benches around the field. They came towards Altry and glowed a dark purple color.

Black flames sprouted out of them. There were dozens of strings enclosing around Altry's space.

Altry leapt back, landed on one foot, and kept his momentum by spinning. Avalon started to glow as he took a swipe at the strings. Avalon was able to cut right through them.

"I have you now!" Saji called. He pulled his hand back, tugging on a string that was at the ground.

One of his silk strings sprouted out of the ground and snapped up like a whip. It cracked against Avalon and wrapped itself around the blade. The blade glowed and Altry jerked to pull it free. But the pause to break free gave Saji more than enough time to shoot out more string to reinforce the binding.

"Dragon Shot!"

I threw my fist forward as I swiveled around Saji. I spent those few seconds Boosting my power as high as I could. The red orb of draconian energy was a dark red by the time I finished. I sent it forward, creating a wave of red energy that tore apart the ground as it made its way to Altry.

Altry put his hand up and chose to confront the beam rather than getting out of the way. It struck him and pushed him back. I saw several marks on his clothing break as if they had been overloaded. That must have been it as he put his all into defense.

He shouted as he pushed his hand upwards. My attack was diverted up towards the sky.

"Is your want to defeat me so strong you'd abandon your own?" his voice was searing with anger.

He was talking about the people behind him. We had a lot of open space to fight, but if he had chosen to dodge then my attack would have killed those in the distance. Those were the refuges who came here seeking shelter from the battle. But a lot of them were too wounded to move, dying, or had been killed by Altry.

"No, I just had a feeling you wouldn't move," Saji cursed. "You have too much pride and honor in your wacky sense of duty. Besides, I believe in Ise. I know he wouldn't have caught others in the crossfire."

He's right. I could have manipulated the wave to travel away from them. Hell, if I put a lot of effort into it, I could have made it come back to Altry. But I do mean a lot of effort.

"You will need more than that to defeat me, Genshirou, Hyoudou!"

Altry came at us. His body was tucked low as he sprinted faster than what should have been humanly possible. Those emblems on his clothes must be amplifying all of his stats.

I went to meet him. I was the vanguard while Saji was my support. That was the sort of team we've become. Even that douchebag Philips-san said it was a good idea.

I exchanged blows with Altry. I was able to deflect Avalon while the Boosted Gear continuously doubled my stats. Power like never before continued to course through me. It felt like the power of the sun itself was running through my veins!

I don't know if it was because of Philips' Pawn Piece or Ddraig's Overboost. Or both. Either way, I was finally a match for Altry.

Together with Saji? We could take him.

I enjoyed being able to bring my fist around and landing a blow across that bishonen face.

Even though I put enough effort into that to create a shockwave and make the ground rattle, all it did was make Altry turn his head. He stood his ground and brought Avalon around for a counter blow. It felt like a hammer slammed into my arms as its edge burned hot. I was sent skidding backwards.

Geez! This guy is fast and strong! Even amped up like this with Ddraig's power and a Gear he's still able to do this much on his own!

Shit. I overestimated myself. If I had three minutes to beat him before… combined with a Gear, I only have a minute and a half. Saji has a lot less time than I do. If he only had two and a quarter minutes then that means…

…Um…

N-Not enough time!

Saji felt what I was thinking. While I was fighting one on one against Altry, he was busy at working creating a net around us. He was altering the playing field to make sure we were boxed in. Neither one of us could get in or out and it limited Altry's movements.

…He also set the box on fire. Black flames surrounded us.

Saji… I get why you did it but… please spare me if I get slammed into one of those walls.

He wasn't done yet! I felt the tug again and moved into position. I closed the distance between Altry and I, trying to tackle him with my shoulder. Altry saw it coming and rolled out of the way. I ran right past him.

But while he was dodging, a pillar of flames was traveling across the ground coming right at him!

A few pages fluttered out of his sleeve and burnt up. He threw his palm forward as if reaching out to Saji's flames.

White fire came out of Altry's palms this time. They met against Saji's. As if they were alive, both white and black flames danced around the other, trying to get at each other's throats.

In the end, they canceled each other out.

Altry never stopped moving. He got off his knees and charged right for Saji.

"Bring it!" Saji roared and slammed his fists together. He tucked his body down low and readied himself for Altry's attack.

But I felt the fear coursing through Saji. He had his body reinforced with the Rook Piece but he also knew he wasn't invincible. Altry probably had a way of getting through that added defense.

I wasn't going to leave my mate behind! Jetstream pulsed out of my back and propelled me forward. I rushed after Altry. Saji and I were going to attack him between!

Burning strings were thrown. Altry dodged.

I caught them. The flames did not burn me because Saji didn't allow it. I didn't understand his plan but I went along with it. Saji pulled on the strings in my hand while the jets at my back pushed me forward. I was coming at Altry faster than before!

[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!]

Altry wasn't stupid to fall for such a cartoonish trick. We had tried similar tactics in our duel and those failed horrendously. Of course we knew this one wouldn't work.

He spun around and pointed Avalon right at me while planting his feet into the ground. I only had a split second to twist my body. Searing heat met against my waist as his blade carved through my armor and sent a gash through my hip. It should have hurt, but I was pumping with so much adrenaline I didn't feel a thing. I also kept flying forward.

Normally, in a cartoon, this would be the point where our strategy failed and I would slam into Saji for forgetting our positions. Except, I always knew Saji was there just as much as he knew about me. This was all part of our strategy.

Saji clasped my arm as I flew right past him. He spun on his heels, threw his body back, and used the velocity of my flight to send me back straight at Altry without losing speed.

"Dragon Shot!" I roared and fired as soon as Saji let me go.

Altry's eyes widened as red light consumed him.

That's not all. I never lost momentum. So while he was blasted to kingdom come, I continued to sail through.

I twisted my body around and brought my leg up. I felt the satisfying resistance that was Altry. He put Avalon up between us even when he was being scorched inside the blast of my Dragon Shot. I sent him flying straight into the burning wall of Saji's net.

"I have you now!" Saji cheered as he grabbed a set of strings in his claws.

The piece of webbing against Altry retracted. Saji pulled on it and manipulated the weaving to wrap around him, concealing him into a burning cocoon.

It didn't last a second. A blast of light blinded us as a powerful burst slammed against us. It pushed us back slightly.

The cocoon was split apart as Altry liberated himself. Avalon was vibrating strongly in his grip. There were less of those marks on his clothes now. They must have burnt out in order to protect him.

[Partner, you can't waste any more time like this,] Ddraig said. [Vritra's vessel is almost out. You won't be able to fight this guy without him.]

Shit! That much time had already gone by? No, it was more like our time was cut in half. We had even less time than we thought now that both of us were using Gears.

"Ise! Rush him!" shouted Saji. "I have your back!"

Saji stepped up to get to the frontlines with me. We came at Altry from both sides; I moved at his left while Saji went around at his right. Black flames were sprouting at his hands as those weird tentacle things at his back were starting to glow with a vicious light. Meanwhile, Ddraig activated the Boost ability multiple times.

Altry pulled out more pages out of his sleeves. There were at least ten of them this time as they burnt up. Wind cycled around Avalon. I've seen this technique before but only in anime. It was like Saber's Hammer of the Wind King!

"Now!" Saji shouted and brought his hands forward. String and flame were shot out of his fingertips.

"Dragon Shot!" I roared and punched ahead. Another crimson blast was hurled forward.

Altry's arms lit up at those marks moved away from his vest and onto his sleeves. The wind kicked up as he swung his blade down hard against the ground.

Both Saji and my attacks were knocked aside. The cage he created was split in half as the wind tore apart everything in its path. A giant gash was made into the field as the wind continued to travel towards us.

"I don't think so!" Saji roared as he slammed his palms against the ground.

Flames gushed out and consumed the field in front of us. They blocked the crazy wind about to tear us apart. Nice save Saji! You totally saved our asses in that one!

"Go!" he shouted next.

I kicked forward, leaping through the flames he created. They didn't touch me as Saji willed them to let me pass. I felt the conflict between Altry's holy wind and Saji's cursed flames while I traversed through them. It felt like I was going to fall apart simply going between them. But I bit back the tension and pushed forward.

[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!]

In the time it took, Altry was barely lifting his sword back up. His eyes met mine and narrowed. He readied himself as I broke through the two storms and came at him.

"Dragon Shot!" I fired another orb at him.

Avalon deflected it, but not without pushing him back. He was struggling now as most of those marks were gone. I managed to get a few more burned out of him.

But that's not all!

"Have another!"

I only used half of my strength in that one! Here's another Dragon Shot Altoryrigius!

Man. It took me this long to finally get his name right.

I twisted my body, using the momentum of my first punch to keep me moving. My other fist came around and launched the second Dragon Shot right after the first one.

Altry bared his teeth and forced his body to lean forward. He didn't have the time to make another defense. It was more of a natural reaction. He was flinching as my Dragon Shot made it home.

The blast hit him straight on. I heard the fucker scream in pain this time.

We managed to get him! We managed to get through his damn protections and make him feel pain.

There was a burst of air as the cloud of dirt was spread out around Altry. He wasn't hurt. Dammit! That damn invincibility by Avalon protected him! But I also managed to burn out a large amount of those marks. All that remained were the ones on his sleeves and on his pants. His vest and shirt were in ruins as…

…Eh?

W-Wait a minute! His shirt was torn to shreds and barely hanging on at his shoulders. His chest was exposed. But… what the hell is going on?!

He didn't have the hard chest of a man like I thought he had. No. He had the slim waist and the curved mounds of… a girl. B-Boobs! Altry had boobs!

"Altoryrigius…" Saji whispered in a low voice behind me. "You're a woman."

Altry glared at us with a hard expression. He— She raised Avalon again and said…

"Does that change anything?"

Ah… No. She's right. Simply knowing this guy was really a bishojou doesn't change anything. She still killed a lot of people and needed to answer for it. She was still our enemy.

[You'll never be able to win so long as that sword is activated,] Ddraig explained. [It negates all harm. It is the ultimate shield. There's only two ways of defeating it. Either make him draw out Excalibur and pray you managed to kill him while he kills you. Or… Partner, how much are you willing to sacrifice for this fight?]

Ddraig, Altry is a girl now. I'll get mixed feelings if you still call her a guy.

"Everything," I answered without hesitation.

[…That's a good resolve. Foolish and destructive, but good. Then I will take your other arm and give you the power to use this technique. You're not strong enough to use it normally. You'll only get once chance also. Do not miss.]

I felt the gravity of his words.

"Let's do it. Saji! Create an opening for me!"

"I'm on it!" he was already moving before I finished my words. "Ise, hurry up! I'm almost up! We only have a few seconds left!"

This was it then. This was going to be our last attempt. Our time was precious. If I lost Saji's support then I don't think I'd be able to take on Altry by myself. His techniques were crazy and his strength and speed was unreal. He would have mopped the floor with me and gotten through my armor hadn't Saji had my back. It was our teamwork that got us this far.

Ddraig started to Boost me repeatedly. But I didn't charge forward. I stayed back while Saji took the front this time.

He rushed at Altry with his voice bellowing in a war cry. It was a frightening sight as black flames danced around him with him shouting for bloody murder.

Those tentacles at his back whipped around. They lashed forward at Altry, who deflected them with Avalon and a defense mystery with his hand. He was still nimble with how he was able to also dance around those attacks. And he was still strong with how he was able to disperse the flames Saji sent at him.

Now I rushed forward. Jets pulsed out of my back and pushed me forward.

Saji took a hit for me. He went forward and took a blow from Avalon. But he wasn't down! He managed to get some of his strings attached around the blade. He leapt back despite the deep gash running from his shoulder all the way down to his waist. My buddy was hurt badly. But he was going this far for victory.

Altry tried to pry the blade free. But he needed the instant to focus his will to break the strings and get rid of Vritra's cursed flames.

I only needed a second to leap over Saji and give it my all.

[Two!]

I felt time slow even further. But I kept accelerating. My heart was thundering away at this point. Pain flared through me as if every nerve in my body was going out of whack. It made me coil on reflex. But I couldn't afford to waste this precious time. I don't care if I'm falling apart!

I also felt Ddraig eat at my other arm. Now both my arms were surrendered to the Dragon within me. That's fine. I'll pay this price!

"Penetration!" I screamed and threw my fist forward. What I fired was so much like a Dragon Shot. But instead of an orb or a beam, it was a lance of dark crimson energy so sharp and narrow I knew it could pierce through everything. This was Ddraig's ultimate technique. This is what made him one of the two Heavenly Dragons!

As soon as I released it… the armor crumbled apart. Dispelling that much energy all at once had brought my time down to zero even when I had plenty of seconds remaining. It also reset my Gears.

I watched as Altry broke free from Saji's strings. He brought Avalon up to deflect my oncoming attack as his blade glowed almost white with how much energy he was putting through it.

The blade broke in half as my crimson lance went straight through it.

…And it tore a hole through his chest.

His eyes were wide with shock. He stared up at me as I started to fall from my leap.

Both our bodies hit the floor at the same time.

The only difference? I was the one who got back up.

"We… We did it…" I gasped. My body was drenched with sweat and it soaked through to my clothes. I felt so drained of energy even when I had the high rush of triumph. My body was shaking and every part of me felt sore beyond belief. My head was also ringing.

I really wanted to lie down and go to sleep. And puke. I kinda wouldn't care at this point if I did both. But there was nothing in my stomach and I was still too wired from the fight to rest.

When all this wears off… the crash is going to be horrendous.

"We did," Saji agreed. His armor turned into dust. He looked just as bad as I did. Nah, he looked worse. He was also drenched in sweat, his eyes were blood shot with dark circles around them, and there was a lot of blood on his shirt from where Altry had cut him. He was also breathing hard as if he couldn't catch his breath.

Both of us sagged and leaned against the other as reality sort of imploded around us.

"Ise! Saji!" cried Asia. She looked as worried as can be as she ran up to us.

We all fell over as she wrapped her arms around us and tackled us to the floor. We were both so tired even someone as small as Asia was able to knock us out.

"I was so worried I couldn't move!" she cried out to us.

"It's alright, Asia," I said to her. "We're alright."

"Yeah…" Saji lifted a shaking arm and let his hand rest on her head. He only had the strength to move his thumb in an attempted head-pat. "We're good. Instead of worrying about us, you should use your Sacred Gear to treat the others. Don't worry. This is just a scratch."

He offered her a cheeky grin. He calls it a scratch but that's something pretty deep, Saji. As soon as the adrenaline wears off, you're going to be in a lot of pain.

Asia sat up and wiped her face with her hands. She beamed a beautiful smile at us and nodded.

"They defeated the Champion of Heaven," we heard someone whisper in awe.

"Lord Altoryrigius was defeated?!" came another. I think that was Gremory-sempai.

"The Champion of Heaven is dead!" cheered someone else. That person was met with another set of cheers.

"Hyoudou and Genshirou slayed the Champion of Heaven!"

"Heaven's strongest has fallen!"

"Treat their wounds! We cannot lose them!"

"Someone go and spread the word! Tell the leaders the Champion of Heaven is—"

What came next felt like nothing compared to what Altry threw at us. I only saw a streak of white fly across the sky and land at the center of the track field.

There was a detonation. My body was lifted off the ground as I was consumed in absolute white. All my senses were lost.

[…

[…nr…

[P…r…

[Pa…t…

[Par…

[P…ner!

[Partner! Dammit kid, get up!]

I gasped as if I hadn't been breathing for some time. And maybe I hadn't been. I regretted it as I immediately fell into a coughing fit. I couldn't breathe as something filled my lungs. Tears clouded my vision until whatever was in my lungs was spat out.

Blood. I spat out blood.

I had thought using those Gears had been agonizing. I was wrong. Horribly wrong. Everything about me hurt. My face felt like it was on fire. I couldn't see out of my left eye. My insides felt charred and it hurt to breathe. My heart hurt with unbearable burns every time it thumped.

It was as if the weight of the planet itself was on my back. That's how hard it was for me to get up. All I could do was up on my elbows.

All around me was destruction. The field was torn to shreds with a giant crater at the center and pockmarks spread around it. The school building nearby had half of it torn down. And the gymnasium was nothing more than a pile of rocks.

"Filthy, disgusting vermin."

Walking through the field of death was a figure that didn't belong. He was untouched by the death and destruction. Six wings of golden energy blazed out of his back. He was dressed in gold and red armor with a floral crown around his temples and a halo over his head. In his hand was a golden spear longer than he was tall.

He was walking around stabbing that spear into the ground. But wherever he poked, someone screamed.

"H-Hey…" I groaned. It took every effort for me to get up. My right leg gave out and I stumbled down. I had to use most of my left leg to keep me up. And it throbbed with pain. "W-What are you doing?"

"Saint Hyoudou," the figure eyed me dispassionately. He kept moving through the field, finding his next target— a whimpering man who was trying to crawl away— and stabbed into him. All without looking away from me. "Sunlight fills you I see. You chose poorly."

Sunlight…? Was he talking about the Pawn Piece from Philips? This guy knew what was inside me?

"Metatron…" I heard someone growl. It was Gremory-sempai. She was covered in blood and limping. But she was able to stand and glare at him in defiance. Black energy slithered around her arm. "What are you doing here?"

"Your stupidity precedes you," the guy, Metatron, slowly turned his attention towards Gremory-sempai. "You are a Devil, are you not? Use your wits. Why else would I be here other than to serve God and fulfill His command?"

"Hey!" I heard Saji bark. A wad of string fired out of his Sacred Gear and attached itself to Metatron's arm. It glowed as it began to drain his energy. "I don't care who you are. Do you really think you should be spending time on us small fry? All your friends out there are dying while you're wasting away here."

Geez, Saji. You look as beat up as I am. You're panting even though you're using your Sacred Gear. Yet, you're still using that brain of yours to get us through this.

"Saint Genshirou," Metatron turned his head to look over his shoulder. "Be silent."

He waved his hand as easily as he would shoo a fly away.

Something slammed across of Saji and sent him flying. His body was rocketed backwards and slammed through the remains of the school building.

"Saji!" I cried.

And Asia. Asia! She was still fine! She was bleeding but she was fine! She was alive!

"Oh, if it isn't the Holy Maiden…"

My heart lurched as Metatron's eyes looked at Asia.

Gremory took this moment to fire black energy at his back. It didn't even make it halfway as Metatron waved his hand again in the same way he flung Saji away.

Gremory gasped as the same invisible force dispelled her attack and reached her. It didn't blow her away though. When it knocked her back, it tore her to shreds. Blood gushed out of her chest and face as she fell back.

"Rias!" a series of voices shouted. They sounded like they belonged to the Occult Research Club.

I couldn't look their way. I couldn't tell if Gremory-sempai lived or not. I limped as fast as I could towards Metatron as he took his time approaching Asia. And Asia stood there frozen in place. Her hands were clutched to her chest as her eyes widened.

"R-Run…" I croaked. "Asia… Get out of there. Get away from him! Just run!"

He reached her before she could.

He grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off the ground. She gasped, kicked her legs around with her hands clutching against his wrist. His grip was absolute.

I moved faster. But in my haste it made me stumble to the floor. Dammit! No! I can't trip over nothing like this! I have to get to Asia!

"I see…" Metatron said softly. "You also chose… poorly."

Asia gasped one last time.

Metatron slid the tip of his spear through her chest and gave it a twist.

Her Twilight Healing glowed. But it did nothing as he didn't remove the spear. Her blood dripped down its staff. Blood spat through her lips as she tried to breathe.

Her body went still. Her arms fell to her side as all expression on her face went stiff.

Metatron let her drop.

…And then put his spear through her once more.

No.

No.

No.

No!

No! No! No!

NO!

He didn't just… To Asia… Asia can't be… No!

Something within me broke. It felt like I was bleeding on the inside. I felt my heart give out and I couldn't breathe. The world around me was going dark.

I was seeing nothing but red.

Rage and hate filled me. Rage and hate. Rage and hate. Rage and hate. Rage and hate and rage and hate and rage and hate and rage and hate and rage and hate and rage and hate!

Murder! I wanted to murder this fuck! I was going to murder this fuck!

Asia! How can you kill Asia like that?! How can you look at her in the eyes and kill her as if it was nothing?!

Rage! Hate! Murder!

I screamed. There was no more pain. There was only…

Power.

I was rushing at Metatron. My body obeyed my commands. My leg could not stop me. My soreness could not stop me. Nothing could stop me!

"I'LL KILL YOU!" I screamed.

No. I roared. The thing that came out of my voice was something inhuman.

We who are about to awaken…