Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD or its characters. It belongs to Ichiei Ishibumi
Chapter 12: Kokabiel the star of God.
In the end, Issei was scolded rather badly for his misdemeanor(Which Issei thought was totally unfair). Still, at least he didn't manage to get it as bad as Saiji, who had to endure a thousand spankings from his master.
Issei was now walking around possible hiding places for the priest and the former archbishop. He still hadn't found them yet. He had already went to the park, the abandoned church, the biggest hotels in town. Hell, he had even tried the places where laylines converged, becoming magical hotspots that practically saturated the area around it in magic. No cigar. Still, he never really expected to find them in the mall anyway. Too trashy.
He was now standing on top of the highest point in the town, overlooking the whole place, nothing obstructing his vision. It actually brought back memories, not all of them good.
Even in this vast distance, the figure was unmistakable. With the long purple hair, the fine silks he wore, the pristine white scarf around his neck, he was unquestionably a high-class member of the Red Roses, one of the greatest opposers of School.
For that, he had to die. School had to send a message after all. They had an image to uphold. They were not to be trifled with.
The eight-year old grabbed the small recurve bow at his feet and nocked the arrow, drawing the string back with ease.
687 meters. That was the distance the arrow needed to cross to hit it's target
He adjusted his aim, compensating for gravity, wind resistance and of course, the movement of the target itself.
He released.
The arrow sailed through, arcing through the air and fell down, avoiding the trees obstructing him and catching him right in the middle of his neck.
The target staggered around from the force of it's strike. He saw his guards run around in a panic, some of them desperately trying to revive the royal, unconscious from both shock and rapid blood loss. The others were in high alert, searching every possible place for his assassin.
The boy turned his back on the scramble behind him. He needn't bother. The target was already dead, they just don't know it.
An explosion suddenly rocked the city, disrupting Issei's balance.
"What the hell? He murmured, looking for the cause and saw that it came from the place where Kuoh High was situated.
He narrowed his eyes and focused harder. There, it was faint and not much more than a speck, but distance wasn't enough to deter him.
He saw a face, pale and red-eyed staring at him.
"Are you another one of those devils in this town?" A cold but amused voice said from behind him.
Issei, not batting an eye, replied blandly. "Yeah I am. And what can I do for you today Morningstar? Would you like a cup of coffee? Maybe a doggy bag to go?"
He was a young-looking man with cruel, narrow eyes and an arrogant expression on his face. His body was also opaque, proving that this wasn't his real body, but rather, a projection.
"Hmm. As if you could do something even remotely useful for me. No, I'm here to tell you of my challenge."
Kokabiel it seemed, didn't quite get the concept of sarcasm.
"And what is that?" Issei asked. He didn't feel any kind of killing intent from Kokabiel, only radiating waves of contempt that showed just how little he thought of him.
"Thirty minutes. In thirty minutes, I will release my true power and destroy this pitiful little school of yours." The Fallen had a cocky smirk on his face, which, in Issei's opinion, looked like gravity sucked all of his features in towards his nose.
"Why?"
"To start a war of course!" Kokabiel raised his arms and spread open his wings, revealing the 10 pitch black appendages for the world to see. "The world is too boring! Azazel is too weak! He sits in the Grigori doing nothing but experimenting on Sacred Gears! It's disgusting! It's an insult to all the Fallen Angel's that fell for him! He needs to take responsibility and finish the war that they died for! That they bled for! And seeing as he has no such interests, then I will do it myself! I will kill the sisters of the Maous, and I will spark the Second Great War! I will prove once and for all that us Fallen are the most powerful race there is!" Kokabiel roared. "And I will start with this town here. It's a good place for a battlefield don't you think?" He smirked.
"Holy shit, did someone order a ham?" Issei muttered to the side.
A blast of smoke suddenly suddenly surged upwards from the direction of Kuoh high, with a dome-shaped something containing most of the damage inside of it.
"Ah, and so it begins. So, what will you do little devil? Will you run to stay alive? Or will you help those devils and die? Do not disappoint me."
With a single, powerful flap of his 10 wings, he was gone, the phantasm that was his spirit disappearing into air. Suddenly that black speck made a lot of sense.
So that's where he was. Issei cursed himself for his stupidity. In his eagerness to look for the Fallen, he had overlooked the obvious place to look for. The one place where the leylines converged and where it was at it's most powerful, the school itself.
"Ah shit. Better run before they get all the good parts." Issei stood up and summoned his gauntlets, staring at the black speck in the sky that was the Morningstar. Well, it would be quite rude to make him wait.
Issei took a single step forwards and off into the edge of the building.
He saw his reflection on the panes of glass, a calm expression on his face. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, they glowed with power.
"Like hell angel of the stars. Like hell I'm letting you destroy this town."
()()()()()()()()()
Rias glared up at Kokabiel, pure hate in her eyes as she stared up at the casually sitting Fallen Angel above them.
"Is Sirzechs going, or is it Serafall?" The Fallen calmly mused, not even feeling threatened from any of them below him.
"I'm sorry, but we're going here in places of the Maou-sama's. I'm sure that-"
BOOOOOOM!
Kokabiel didn't even stand from his chair, instead lazily flicking his arms to create his weapon.
"Sorry, but I'm not interested in you at all. Ah well, I guess I could just kill you and show your body to your brother. That should be enough to start a war. Hell, I'll even kill that other devil outside this circle. Now that's something the Maous can't ignore."
Beside the grounds, the ruined remains of the gym smoldered from it's place where the impact of his spear of light had destroyed it.
"Since you insist on opposing me, I guess I'll just bring in my pets to fight you. It would be rude to just ignore you of course." Kokabiel snapped his fingers and from the bottom of his ornate throne, fire erupted.
It fell down into the ground, impacting it like a meteor crashing into the earth. From the burned crater, fire and magic began to snake and weave around in a complicated pattern, laying down a complex summoning circle into the ground.
A pillar of fire roared to life, harsh and savage roars coming from the beast silhouetted inside the construction of fire, and when it cleared, revealed the terrifying creature hidden within.
It was huge, towering over all of them. It had thick, powerful legs, each with it's own set of claws sharp enough to rend steel. It had three heads, each of them with a mouthful of teeth, each of them jagged and looked like it could easily shred apart flesh from bone. And as if it wasn't intimidating enough, each of it's mouth was salivating lava.
It stood back, all it's weight put on it's two hind legs and threw it's head back to release a deafening roar.
Rias and the others shielded themselves from it, careful not to let the lava touch them.
Rias raised her arm and launched an orb of destruction into it.
The orb flied through the air, aimed straight between it's middle head's eyes.
The dog, and it was only a dog in name, reared back in fury and surprise, shaking it's whole body as it dealt with the sudden damage.
ROAR!
The beast let out an unearthly howl, and glared straight at Rias who met it's gaze coolly.
It's middle head was gone, nothing remaining there other than a useless pile of meat flopping down, the whole of it completely destroyed.
Rias expected a lot of things from Kokabiel. She expected him to be furious at her for damaging his pet. She expected him to blast her for her insolence. She even expected him to be unimpressed.
She didn't expect him to throw his head back, laughing in what seems to be honest delight. "HAHAHAH! Rias of Gremory, when I saw that you were the one to oppose me, I would assume that you would disappoint me, but this? Hahaha! I did not expect this! Not at all! To think that you damaged Cerberus himself! And to do it so easily in so young an age. I have no doubt that you would reach Maou-level if you had time!" Kokabiel calmed down a bit, putting his arms on the armrest and laying down his cheek on it. "Ah, but that is something you don't have isn't it? In one hour, you'll be dead, along with everyone else in this miserable little town. Ah well, as a sign of respect, I'll let you deal with another of my pets." He snapped his fingers and another beam of light and fire smashed into the ground, this one bigger than it's predecessor.
When the flames cleared, it revealed two of Cerberus' twins, each looking just as pissed as the other.
A huge shadow fell across the Gremory heir. She looked up to behold the first Cerberus, the biggest of the three. She saw that it's claws were digging deep into the ground and that it's saliva of lava was dripping down to the ground in rivulets of dangerous liquids.
"Akeno, Koneko can I ask you to take care of them? Don't worry, I won't take long with mine." Rias said calmly, facing the monstrosity bearing down on her.
"Yes buchou." Akeno licked her lips, eyeing the monster that she was supposed to distract, sparks jumping between her fingers.
"...Yes." Koneko cracked her knuckles, a faint yellow aura surrounding it.
Rias held her arms to the side and the distinctive black and crimson energy ran up it's length, the aura of power exuding a heavy atmosphere.
"I won't let you destroy this town."
()()()()()()()()()
Kokabiel sat atop his throne in the air, staring curiously at the devils fighting his pets below him.
Strange, he did not expect the Gremory heir to be this... tenacious.
He had expected for her to be easily overwhelmed by Cerberus, nevermind three! And yet, against all expectations, they weren't just holding them back, they were also winning!
"Hahahaha! So they're stronger than I gave them credit for, that's good. I was afraid that I was going to watch a rather boring show." Kokabiel stroke his chin with a long, bony finger. "Hmmmm, this might be a good time to test those soldiers that they sent."
He snapped his finger and another summoning circle appeared right in front of him.
12 figures appeared, all of them clad in armor from head to toe. They cut quite an imposing figure, with their 9-foot tall frame, their curved demon's horns that sprouted from the sides of their helms, their huge, steel broadswords held firmly in their spiked gauntlets.
"Yes, you would do quite nicely wouldn't you?" Kokabiel looked down once again at the devils below, and to his delight, saw that one of the three guard dogs of Hell was actually taken down!
"Fight them, but don't kill them. I want to see what they're capable of doing."
The knights nodded before turning to jump down, prepared to do the duty of their master.
()()()()()()()()()
Rias narrowed her eyes as the Cerberus in front of her finally brought down.
It was tough, tougher than she expected.
It had taken nearly a fifth of her magical reserves before it had finally taken enough damage to succumb to it's wounds. Two of it's head was completely destroyed, with the left one heavily damaged by the battle. It was missing an eye, the upper-left part of it's head and it's mouth was nearly stripped clean, baring those fangs of his to the world.
"Take this!" A flash of lightning came down from the heavens, striking cleanly at the body of the huge dog. It's muscles tensed from the shock, clawing at the ground from the pain. When the storm passed, the dog shook it's head and threw it's head back, roaring in rage.
"...Down." Koneko struck the beast a mighty blow, the aura quickly running down the length of her arm and into the head of Cerberus. Bone and muscle crunched under the impact, the beast marking the ground with it's body. The nekoshou raised her arms, prepared to deliver the final blow when the right head snapped to it's side, catching Koneko's body in it's fangs. It threw her up into the air, eyes glinting triumphantly as it beheld it's prey.
Schink
The head only had enough time to widen it's eyes in wonder before it slid off it's neck, cut cleanly in pieces and turning into dust blown by the air.
"I came here to help you guys." Xenovia said, slashing her Excalibur Destruction through the air as she looked around the battlefield. "After all, it would be unsightly if someone like me doesn't go through with her word." She frowned. "Where is that knight of yours, Kiba was it?"
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
The twelve sounds of something heavy falling down effectively ended any possible conversation before it even started.
In seemingly-choreographed unison, they stood up and uncrossed their arms, their right hands reaching across their waists to draw their huge swords and the other reaching behind them to strap a shield to their forearms, displaying their emblem carved into it for the world to see, emblem carved into it, black snake encircling a triangle with a sun in the middle, glowing eerily in the flames of battle.
They entered a tense standoff, neither side willing to show the other what advantage they had.
The first to break the silence was the remaining Cerberus.
It roared loudly, a howl full of hate and anger. It leveled it's eyes not on the President, not on the Knight, but at the lone figure sitting far to the left.
Asia gave a squeak of terror as those burning red eyes glared straight at her.
Cerberus crouched low, before bounding forward, running through the entire distance between them in a second.
Time seemed to slow down for the devils.
"Asia!" Rias screamed, a little too late to reach her, instead opting to launch a sphere of destruction into the hound. Just as it left her hand, something obstructed it's path. One of those knights had been thrown by it's brother's and held it's shield across him as his body took in the brunt of the damage. It fell down, shield destroyed but mission fulfilled. Rias desperately summoned another one of her spheres while at her side Akeno charged her arms with lightning.
For a moment it seemed hopeless, Asia standing stock still as she faced the oncoming hound of Hell , paralyzed by fear as she could do nothing more than stare Death itself in the face.
"Sword Birth!"
Swords of all shapes and sizes burst through, tip-first from the ground. It hit the soft underside of the dog's belly, ripping through the skin and straight into it's innards. The force of the swords actually lifted it off from the ground, momentarily suspending it's form in the air before gravity took over and sent him skidding a few meters away from the two.
"Yuuto!" Rias said, voice nearly breaking from joy and relief that Asia wasn't dead.
"Hello buchou, I'm sorry that I ran away." Kiba smiled at all of them, sword in hand as he finally got into the fight in time.
A burst of light appeared from the middle of the field, where the four Excaliburs were gathered for a ritual.
"It's complete." Balba Galilei announced.
Even as they watched, the light began to spread around the grounds, creeping through the whole school. Every devil in the school instinctively shied away, hiding from the burning properties of light.
"The four Excaliburs are going to become one."
As he said, the light began to fade, seeming to be sucked inside the circle, forming a vaguely sword-shaped creation. When it was finally gone, it revealed the Excalibur, which was made from four of it's original shards.
"Freed!" Kokabiel snapped.
"What is it boss?" Freed, who had been hidden until just now, appeared from the woods of the school.
"Take that Excalibur from the circle and use it. I want to see just how it would manage to match up against devils."
"You got it!" Freed gleefully skipped to the sword and pulled it free, doing a little jig with it and even using it as an air guitar.
"Knight of Gremory." Xenovia said tersely. "If our deal is still valid, then I say that we destroy that Excalibur together."
"Are you sure?"
"It won't be a problem if it's destroyed as long as the core in it still remains. As it is right now, wielded by that man, then it is only a sword of heresy, not a sword of holiness. "
Balba Galilei, who had been eavesdropping, laughed outloud. "Destroy the Excaliburs? Ha! Don't make me laugh. That sword is the creation of years of practice, my life's work. To even think that that sword would be destroyed is impossible."
Kiba focused right on Balba's face. "Balba Galilei, I am the survivor of the Holy Sword Project."
"Oh?" The former Archbishop raised an eyebrow. "Really? To think that I'd meet that person in here of all things. Fufufufu." He began to walk in a small circle, gesturing to himself. "You know, I've always liked holy swords. They even come into my dreams sometimes. So when I found out that there was an Excalibur in my Church, I became excited. I began to look forward to the day where I would wield it, where I will become one of those heroes I've heard so much about. But then I found out that I couldn't. I could not even touch the sword. I despaired. So I looked for a way around it. So I began to experiment. Just what was it than let someone use a sword like Excalibur. After years, I finally completed it. And it was all thanks to you and the others."
"Complete? What are you talking about? You disposed of us after you found out that the project was a failure."
Galilei chuckled. "Oh no. No no, it wasn't a failure at all. See, I found out that there was something essential to wielding swords like that. Something inside a person. It needed an element. Most people had these, but I didn't know just how much was needed to make it happen. So i thought, what better way is there to make sure you have enough than to gather enough of them?"
"You bastard! That's what the Church puts inside when the holy sword wielders are given the blessing!" Xenovia all but roared, glaring hatefully at Galilei.
"That's right." He said calmly. He reached inside of his sleeve and took out an orb glowing with power. "This was the result. This was the reason that the holy-sword wielders are so powerful right now. Heh, even the Angels which made me the criminal used my research."
Kiba was stunned speechless. His voice and eyes were cold as he stared at Galilei. "You killed my comrades to take out that element?"
"That's right. In fact this orb is actually one of the first ones I had. I took this from the bodies of your comrades. It's quite powerful you know? It's the best product I ever made actually."
"HAHAHA! That's right! It felt sooooooo good when it was going inside me you know? Ahhh, but other people died when they tried it. I really a special hahahah!"
"You killed my comrades and stuck it into that bastard of a priest?" Kiba's voice surpassed anger and straight into wrath. "How many lives have you taken, how many people you've killed just for this sick experiment of yours?"
"If you're that hung up on this then take it." Galilei said carelessly, tossing the orb towards Kiba who caught it respectfully, carefully. "I don't need it anyway. I already have a way to mass produce those. With that, I can easily raise an army and start a war against the Vatican."
"Everyone..." Kiba muttered, putting his head close against the cool, glass orb.
Then, it started. The orb began to pulse gently, almost like a heartbeat. Like began to appear, comforting and caring. It began to take form, turning into human shaped lights of all gender.
"Everyone..." Kiba muttered. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for leaving you guys, for being the only one that survived. Is it alright for me to live like this?"
[Don't worry about us. You are alive. That is all we need.]
Kiba was looking around with tears in his eye. He closed them and began to sing.
[We were no good alone.]
[We didn't have enough elements to wield the holy swords. But.]
[It will be okay if we are together.]
As the song began to pick up, the spirits talked to Kiba.
[You have to accept the holy-sword.]
[It's not scary.]
[Even if God is watching.]
[Our hearts are always…]
[ONE.]
"Everyone, I'll always remember this." He kept his eyes closed even as they faded into him, converging around him and disappearing. He reached to the side and formed the sword made from his and his comrade's will.
"Sword of the Betrayer."
()()()()()()()()()
Kokabiel sat languidly on his throne as he watched the drama unfold beneath him. Truly, this day was full of surprises. He never expected the Gremory Heir to be this skilled, he didn't expect to see Barakiel's daughter with her and almost as good, and he didn't expect to see the birth of a Balance Breaker all at the same time. He smirked.
Suddenly, he looked away, alarmed about something in the distance.
It smelled of power.
It smelled of blood.
It smelled of steel.
It smelled of fire and of ice.
And finally, it smelled of regret.
He closed his eyes and projected his consciousness to the place where he felt that presence.
He came upon a young boy, on top of the highest point in the city, staring at everything and nothing.
"Are you another one of those devils in this town?" He asked.
The boy didn't even twitch, replying almost lazily. "Yeah I am. And what can I do for you today Morningstar? Would you like a cup of coffee? Maybe a doggy bag to go?"
Interesting. He not only sensed his presence, but also knew of him as well. And that cheek of his was a little amusing. Still, it wouldn't do good to let him feel his delight. "Hmm. As if you could do something even remotely useful for me. No, I'm here to tell you of my challenge."
Yes, better to sound intimidating than happy.
"And what is that?"
Really, he didn't even seem to care that he was talking to him.
"Thirty minutes. In thirty minutes, I will release my true power and destroy this pitiful little school of yours." He issued his challenge to him, all but demanding him to come. This wasn't a boy, Kokabiel realized as he stood in front of him. No, this was a warrior, a killer. He would be far more entertaining than that Gremory or her peerage.
"Why?"
That question struck a chord with him. Why was he doing this? For a moment, Kokabiel actually felt something stir inside of him. He ruthlessly squashed it down.
"To start a war of course!" Kokabiel raised his arms and spread open his wings, revealing the 10 pitch black appendages for the world to see. "The world is too boring! Azazel is too weak! He sits in the Grigori doing nothing but experimenting on Sacred Gears! It's disgusting! It's an insult to all the Fallen Angel's that fell for him! He needs to take responsibility and finish the war that they died for! That they bled for! And seeing as he has no such interests, then I will do it myself! I will kill the sisters of the Maous, and I will spark the Second Great War! I will prove once and for all that us Fallen are the most powerful race there is!" Kokabiel roared. "And I will start with this town here. It's a good place for a battlefield don't you think?"
Even as he said it, he felt a small part of him oppose that thought. Wasn't the War enough? Wasn't all the death of his friends, his brothers in all but blood enough to ask for peace?
No, he needed to avenge them. He needed to let those Angels and Devils pay. He would make them bleed buckets for every drop that his friends spilled. He would cut off their arms for every wound they suffered. He will kill ten for every fallen they take.
He was the Morningstar after all.
()()()()()()()()()
Kiba cut down the whip that was Excalibur easily. The aura that was usually harmful to devils was being extinguished everytime it touched his blade.
"What the hell kind of sword is that!?" Freed yelled as he pulled back the whip and turned it to sword form to block a downward cut from Kiba. "Hax! I call Hax! There's no fucking way that you're not cheating!"
"That Excalibur cannot win against my own blade." Kiba watched as the sword vibrated, utilizing the ability of Excalibur Rapidly to it's full extent. Easy.
Kiba blocked each and every blow aimed at him, dancing around Freed that was becoming more and more panicked with each strike that failed to hit.
"Hit hit hit damn you! You're supposed to be the strongest fucking sword there is right? Ah fuck it. YAH!" The blade disappeared, like mist in the morning.
Kiba's eyes narrowed. If he couldn't see that blade, then just look at what Freed was aiming for.
Clang!
The swords clashed and sparked as he parried Excalibur with ease.
"Saint Peter. Saint Basil the Great. Saint Denis. Holy-mother Mary. Please hear my voice." Xenovia prayed. Space began to distort in front of her. She reached out and pulled something from inside it. It was a sword, a beautiful sword locked by chains.
"In the names of the saints whom reside within this blade, I will release it. Durandal!" The bindings snapped, releasing the blade and revealing it in all it's glory.
"Durandal!?" Even Kokabiel was shocked, leaning forward in his chair to look at it closely, determining if it was the real deal.
"You're not the wielder of Excalibur?"
"No, I was the one chosen by this blade. I was only asked to wield the Excalibur as they had no one else capable of doing it."
"Impossible!" Galilei shrieked. "There's no way that the research could let someone wield a blade like that!"
"Of course. Even in the Vatican, they haven't made someone who can wield Durandal artificially."
"How?"
"I'm a natural born wielder."
Freed and Galilei began to back away, not liking this unexpected chain of events.
Durandal is a sword that ravages beyond what people can imagine. It cuts anything and everything that it touches. It's actually quite hard to use. Even I have trouble with it. Thanks to you, I can actually use it to see which is stronger, Excalibur or Durandal? Here I go!"
"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE! THIS IS JUST BULLSHIT!" Freed yelled as he tried to meet her head on with his Excalibur.
SNAP!
In a single strike, Excalibur itself snapped in two.
"How disappointing. It didn't even last a second against my Durandal."
"Ah fuck! Excalibur is snapped in two! What would happen if that happened to me! Oh shit, I don't want to be cut in two! That would suck!" Freed suddenly gasped. "If I get cut in two then that mean I'll die! I DON'T WANT TO DIE YET!"
"There!" Kiba charged forward, Holy-Demonic sword ready to attack.
"Ah!" Freed remembered that the battle wasn't over and raised his broken Excalibur to defend himself.
BAAAKIIIN!
Excalibur shattered into pieces.
()()()()()()()()()
Kokabiel laughed. He laughed as he hadn't for a long time.
Was there no end to surprises this day?
To think that a natural-born wielder of Durandal just happened to come by the day he decided to reignite the Great War!
"It's beautiful." He spoke, standing up from his chair in order to float down into the ground. "To think that there was so much fight in you, even after all that happened."
"What are you talking about?" Rias asked, tense as she beheld one of the leaders of the Fallen.
"I'm surprised." He strode forward purposefully. "I'm surprise to see that even after losing the masters you serve, you devils and followers of God can still fight like this."
"What?" Xenovia's voice was edged with steel. "What are you saying you cur!"
"Oh that's right! I forgot!" He laughed again. "I forgot that no one decided to tell the lower guys! Then I'll tell you. In the Great War, not only did four of the Satans die, but also God Himself."
The grounds grew silent as they tried to process that information.
"Lies... tha-that's a lie..." Xenovia whispered, hands hanging limp at her sides, refusing to believe what the Fallen was saying. She looked defeated, broken.
"God doe- He doesn't exist? Then..." Asia was also full of disbelief. She was shaking her head as she denied the fact that God was dead. She dropped bonelessly to the ground.
"From now on, I will start the war! I will show your heads to the Maous! Maybe then they'll take my declaration seriously. I'll show them the might of the Fallen!"
Kokabiel suddenly turned, looking over his shoulder uneasily at the 12 knights standing stiffly at attention. They stared at him impassively, their emblem's gleaming almost seemed malicious in the shadows being cast.
"K-knights, kill them." He said, a small stutter in his voice as a drop sweat poured down from his temple.
Kiba raised his sword, as the knights began to surround them. Beside him, Xenovia was still in a state of shock, unmindful of the world around her. Rias started things off by creating a beam of pure destruction and swung it into two of the suits of armor.
They raised their shields and crouched behind it, weathering the storm bravely. It didn't work as well as they expected. The ray of destruction pierced through them and straight into their bodies, destroying it easily.
Akeno followed suite, coating her arms with lightning and launching herself towards them. Her hand pierced through the metal easily and crushed it's core.
Koneko simply walked up to one and punched it straight in it's face. The helmet crumpled like a tin can.
"Useless!" Kokabiel roared. He raised his arms and summoned a lance of lightning. He swept it across and destroyed all of the remaining knights. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted them. I knew that they were useless. Incompetent fools those humans. The only ones I can trust are the Fallen Angels, no one else."
He looked angry and yet, almost seemed scared and paranoid.
"I'll just kill you myself then." He created a spear the size of a small building and threw it at them.
Rias ran forward, putting herself between the spear and her peerage. "No! I will not let you kill them!" She raised her hands above her head, and her magic circle appeared. It grew quickly, Rias pumping every bit of her power into it. She glared at Kokabiel defiantly and launched it forward.
The two clashed in the middle, pushing each other back before gaining the advantage.
Kokabiel smirk grew, gaining back some semblance of confidence as the clash began to be too much. "Enough of this!" The spear of light suddenly grew, almost effortlessly consuming Rias' own power.
Akeno and Koneko leapt to action, using their strengths in order to deflect the beam straight into the air.
"I've grown tired of this." Kokabiel said, his eyes darting all over the place. "I'll finish this right now."
He created another spear, this time bigger and brighter than the previous one. "I need to have words with those incompetent little fucks."
He leaned back to throw it and Rias despaired as she saw it, sure that there was nothing else she or her peerage could do.
Light covered their vision.
()()()()()()()()()
Issei arrived just in time to see what looked like a truck made of light hurtling towards his fellow peerage members.
He dropped down in front of it and met it head on, one arm extended.
The force of it's impact pushed him hard. He dug his legs down, feeling the ground giving way. He narrowed his eyes and closed his arms around the spear of light. He finally found the proper handhold and thrust it upwards, redirecting the force away from them.
It's passing actually caused the wind to rise, kicking up dust and tearing trees up from it's foundation.
"Issei." Rias said, relieved that her pawn was still alive and there to help them.
Issei ignored her, instead focusing on the biggest threat there. "Kokabiel."
"Ahhhh, and so he arrives. You have chosen to stay I see."
"This town is under my protection. Leave and I will spare you."
Kokabiel rose an eyebrow. "And just who are you that you decide that my life is in your hands?"
"I am Issei Hyoudou, the Red Dragon Emperor."
His eyes widened in understanding. Then he laughed. He threw his head back and let loose a great laugh that echoed in the the field. "HAHAHAHAHA! Fate is truly out to please me tonight! The Sekiryuutei himself appearing before me! Very well, the let's see who will win, me or you!" Kokabiel actually forgot about his reason for going there in the first place, so excited was he at the prospect of fighting someone he thought as worthy.
"I guess I have no choice but to go all out when I'm going against one of the Watchers."
"Ddraig, unseal."
'Unburnt, Unbent, Unbroken.'
[Boost!]
"Kokabiel, for trying to kill my friends."
The 'III' in his gauntlets lost two digits, a lone 'I' remaining there.
"Then I'll have to beat your ass to the fucking curb."
Almost instantly, the pressure coming off from Issei gained weight, the very air around him thickening.
"Balance Breaker."
Issei's form was covered by red light, burning bright enough that everyone had to cover their eyes.
When it cleared, the dust settling they saw finally saw his Balance Breaker, which was released for the first time in years.
()()()()()()()()()
Kokabiel was thrumming in anticipation, everything else forgotten as he let himself get lost in the blood lust.
He floated in the air eagerly, trying to see past the dust and dirt into his opponent.
He only saw a red blur.
He barely manage to see that before he forced his body to move according to his senses which screamed 'DANGER!' He only had time to move his head to the side before a fist occupied the space it was in just seconds ago.
He came face-to-face to a helmeted figure, sleek and aerodynamic. The moments ticked by, absurdly long for a single second.
The moment was broken.
He turned in the air and lashed out with it's armored feet, catching Kokabiel right in his upper ribs.
He barely managed to reinforce his sides before he was violently rocked away, hitting the side of the Main School Building.
"Hahahah! More Sekiryuutei, you've got to have more than that!" Kokabiel climbed out from the ruins and flapped his wings, shedding away the dust clinging to it. "More, more I'm still not satisfied!" He held his hands out to the side and a sword formed, three feet of burning light appearing as a blade.
Grinning with a savage delight, he threw himself into battle, getting lost in the thrill of battle.
()()()()()()()()()
Issei narrowed his eyes behind the helmet.
His Balance Breaker was something he didn't want to use, but better to be safe than to be dead.
He was facing Kokabiel, one of the leaders of the Fallen Angel, fourth of the Watchers and a survivor of the Great War, the bloodiest conflict there was between the Three Factions. He was not to be taken lightly.
He reached out and closed his covered hands against the sword that aimed to skewer his stomach. He quickly pulled it back and hoped to unbalance Kokbaiel. The Fallen simply let the sword go and used the momentary opening to turn his hips in the opposite direction and put the force of it behind his punch. Issei answered quickly and grabbed the fist, throwing it to the side and holding his hand in front of Kokabiel's chest.
"Ignis Draconi."
An explosion of fire ignited in his palm, tearing straight into Kokabiel.
The Fallen barely managed to duck underneath it, tucking his wings close to him in order to make as little a target as possible. He didn't expect for his face to be introduced to a crimson-clad knee. It hit him right in his nose, throwing his head back from the force. He saw the sky covered by hexagonal glass before something covered it. Curious, it almost looked like a foot.
It hit him between the eyes and flung him back to the ground.
Turned out, it WAS a foot, and damn it hurt like fuck.
()()()()()()()()()
Kokabiel shook his head to clear away the ringing inside it. Okay, so the Sekiryuutei was strong as well as skilled. At any other day, this would have made Kokabiel giddy with excitement, but not this time. This time-
"You're holding back."
For all the skill he had shown and damage and wounds he had inflicted, the Sekiryuutei was still holding back.
"You don't have an ounce of killing intent of you." Angered, he fought back against the red-clad figure. He swung his weapons with a dangerous vigor, sparks clashing against the armor.
Yes, there was no killing intent put into any of his attacks. That was why he had a hard time fighting the Sekiryuutei. He was used to kill or be killed battles, where a single move could end the lives of the combatants. This wasn't anything like that. The Sekiryuutei was holding back, and Kokabiel felt a spark of anger and indignation inside him. How dare he? How dare he not fight at his peak. He was the Morningstar dammit! He killed thousands of people, had created mountains from the bodies of devils and angels alike! How dare this man not even face him as a true killer would! His eyes flicked to the tired group of devils laying to the side. Yes, they would make perfect targets. They would no doubt make the Dragon take him seriously.
The two of them locked blows, gauntlet against sword, when he saw the perfect opportunity.
The blonde nun was healing her friends, all of them too tired to put up any sufficient resistant. Perfect.
With one hand straining against his sword, he raised the other, forming a spear with it.
The dragon kicked off and put some distance between them.
"This is for not taking me seriously!" Roaring he turned and threw it at the devils uninvolved.
The Sekiryuutei didn't even bat an eye.
Instinctively, he abandoned the fight and flew towards his peerage, going to put himself between them and the spear.
He held fast, taking on the brunt of the impact.
Kokabiel's eye gleamed. With a flap of his wings, he appeared behind Issei, swinging his sword at his neck.
Issei reached up with his unoccupied hand and grabbed the Fallen's wrist, stopping it cold.
"Not enough!" Kokabiel yelled, wings flashing at Issei's helm, razor sharp feathers aimed to pierce through his eyes.
He turned around, the spear of light at his back and Kokabiel in front of him. He used his left hand and grabbed the two tips of the wings perfectly, not even a second off. He struggled against the weapons in his hands, seeking to overpower his grip and kill him. He glared at Kokabiel behind his helm, gritting his teeth in a struggle for life.
"Up." Kokabiel smirked.
Issei looked up, just in time to see the magical circle above him form before releasing an astronomical amount of energy down into him, smiting him with the fury of the Fallen.
()()()()()()()()()
Issei staggered to his feet as chips and parts of his armor fell off to the ground. Damn did that hurt. He held his stomach and felt something tough but tender underneath his fingers. Cauterized wounds, Issei recognized. The moment the sword of light hit him, it had burned at the same time it cut, instantly sealing his wounds shut. He reached up and touched his temple where a single line marred his temple.
He cursed himself.
Careless.
He was too careless and stupid and had underestimated Kokabiel to a degree. He had never actually fought a Fallen at this level and it was an eye opening as well as humbling experience. His strength was like a mountain, vast and unmovable. He was easily one of the strongest foes Issei had ever faced.
He stumbled forward and fell to his knees. Or, Issei thought numbly, he was just getting soft. He had lost the fortitude needed to kill a sentient being, the will to claw his way to victory.
"Is this all Sekiryuutei?" Kokabiel thundered. "Is this all that you are willing to give? If so then you are a big disappointment." He turned towards Rias and the others. "Or do I need to give you incentive to fight more fiercely?"
Issei's blood froze.
Hell no.
That was the one thing he wouldn't allow.
His body moved without permission, his right hand reaching out to the side, and closed around something.
A spear appeared, blood red and razor sharp. It's head was barbed, cruel and vindictive. It positively howled in bloodlust, eager to kill, to maim and to spill the lifeblood of those who dare faced it's wrath.
Issei answered it's desires.
He reached out to it, bypassing it and going to it's core. He felt it respond to him eagerly, pulling him in, empowering him, granting him the savage primality needed to tear apart it's enemies.
He felt it reach out to him, going to his soul and anchoring itself in it, sinking down it's roots into his being.
He welcomed it.
Issei looked up and glared at Kokabiel with his eyes.
His eyes had changed.
It turned from orange, burning with warmth and power into a cold blue, icy and unforgiving. The eyes of a killer.
Frost flowed out from his mouth as he spoke.
"La mort in arriva in ali veloci(1)."
()()()()()()()()()
Kokabiel nearly died within the first few seconds after he issued that threat.
One moment he was floating in the air, looking down upon his beaten-down foe, the next, he had to throw himself to the side lest he get blown apart by the glowing crimson missile hurtling towards him.
He barely managed to reorient himself when he saw something charge toward him and had to duck underneath. He just manage to turn around to see a spear being thrust from behind in order to occupy the space his head was just barely a millisecond ago. He only saw something approaching his head, a red-clad foot approaching his chest at full speed before he caught it in both hands. Issei twisted in his grip, kicking off his hands and shoved his spear into his face. Kokabiel threw himself off desperately, seeing the weapon approach him, his senses slowing down his perception of time as he moved his head inch by agonizing inch.
The spear nicked his cheek, easily cutting through the steel-like skin of the Fallen Angel.
He hissed in pain, before flying away from his opponent.
He reached out to touch his wound and it came away bloody.
Kokabiel shivered. That was the nearest he had come to death since the Great War.
He glanced up to see what changed in his opponent, for him to drastically improve so much.
His armor had lost most of it's pieces, now only leaving the gauntlets that covered his hands until the elbows as well as the leg pieces that reached mid thigh, showing off his black jacket underneath. He carried himself differently, not as a warrior, but as a hunter. A predator. A killer.
Kokabiel felt the game change.
He wasn't fighting a child, but he was up against a true opponent.
Kokabiel grinned. He was going to truly enjoy this.
He charged forward, desperate to get lost in the high of battle, wanting for his blood to sing in euphoric pain and pleasure.
()()()()()()()()()
Issei narrowed his eyes as he took in everything about his opponents.
His moves, his attacks and defenses, his minute twitches and boisterous gestures, anything that can be used to take the advantage and plunge his spear into his heart.
Issei drew back and let his prey take the field, dodging and dancing around his blows.
Too wild, too uncontrolled. Too easy.
Issei ducked underneath an overhead slash meant to slice him in two from shoulder to hip and struck him right in the thigh. Kokabiel screamed in pain from the latest addition of the numerous wounds he now bore.
They had been fighting for less than 5 minutes and already, the Fallen was weakening.
Issei tilted his head.
Time to finish things off.
He decided to end things once and for all.
"Gae Bolg."
()()()()()()()()()
Kokabiel barely even heard the words through the haze of pain.
He was wounded, that much was obvious, but what he didn't know was why it was so serious.
He was a Fallen, one of the greatest and his ten wings matched that title. His body was at it's peak. His skin was stronger than steel, his muscles allowed him to exert ridiculous force, and his body has it's healing potential upped that any major wound he had should have faded within the first few minutes.
But it didn't work that way.
His wounds from that damnable spear hadn't let up and simply continued weeping it's tears. Even now, he felt himself weakening as his lifeblood flowed out from him and dripping down into the ground.
"Gae Bolg."
Destiny itself was rewritten. Fate was changed. The Laws of Causality was reversed so that 'The Spear was thrust so the Heart must be pierced transformed' became 'The Heart was pierced so the Lance must have been thrust.'
Kokabiel's self-preservation instincts kicked in, roaring at him to defend himself.
He saw the spearhead aimed towards his heart.
He kicked off the ground and into the air.
The spear bent 90 degrees and continued it's flight as if nothing had happened. Kokabiel's eyes widened. He crossed his arms and wings in front of him in a futile move to guard himself.
The cursed spear pierced right through his limbs and right into his heart.
Fate had already been rewritten.
()()()()()()()()()
Issei put his spear at his side as he stepped toward the fallen (no pun intended) opponent.
He was still alive.
His last moves had secured his life, if only barely.
Issei nudged him over to his side, laying him down on his back. His hands and wings had huge gaping holes in them where the spear had entered him. Kokabiel glared at him, defiant even at the moment of his death, proud and unwilling to beg for mercy.
He stared down at him with cold eyes.
He was a worthy opponent, Issei acknowledged. A fellow predator, a killer of the highest order and a powerful warrior in his own right. He had lost. They had fought a battle for life and death and Issei had come out on top, and now, it was time to reap the spoils.
He raised his spear, blood red tip gleaming in the flames, eagerly waiting for the moment when he would carve out the heart of his opponent. It sang as it descended, bloodlust rampantly flowing out from it, almost shivering in anticipation.
Kokabiel closed his eyes, accepting his fate. 'My friends, I'm sorry. I have failed to avenge you. Will you wait for me when I come to you?'
Just as the tip touched his chest, a hand closed around the hilt.
Issei's blue eyes snapped upwards, prepared to fight the one who had interrupted his task. He met golden eyes, set in a white helmet. The form was white and blue overlapping into a sharp, armored being with blue gems inlaid in it's chest, arms and legs. There were spikes set on it's shoulders, golden and sharp.
It was nearly identical to his own Balance Breaker.
His grip on the spear faltered, his eyes returned to it's light brown and his remaining armor shed itself, falling down to the ground before disappearing into his gauntlet where the seals were reset.
"Vali." He spoke, meeting the Lucifer for the first time in years.
"Rival." The white-clad figure nodded at him, still gripping the spear. "What are you doing with this? Didn't you once swear that you would never use it again?"
"Swear-" He glanced at the sear he clutched in his hand. He swallowed hard. "Y-yeah. Yeah I did."
"Why?"
"I-" He looked around the devastated field, he looked at the destroyed buildings and he looked at his friends huddled around the grounds, most of them unconscious from the pressure and bloodlust emitted during his fight. "I-" He had no answer to that. "What are you doing here?" He asked, directing the conversation somewhere less uncomfortable.
"I'm here to take Kokabiel." So saying, he leaned down and slung the now unconscious Fallen on his shoulder. "Azazel wants him back to answer for his crimes. He acted against his orders and is now being judged."
"I see."
[Oi white one, are you ignoring me?]
{Hm, as if i would do something as childish as that.}
[Our owner's met once again, but refuse to fight huh?]
{Don't be complacent. It's our destiny to fight, over and over again. Just because they aren't any hostility between the two doesn't mean that we are at peace, got it?}
[Yeah, yeah. I hear you. Good luck. Try to keep your owner alive until the next time we meet okay?]
{Yeah right. It's you who should be keeping yours alive. After all...}
[...Yeah.]
Vali nodded as the conversation between the two faded. He let the armor go, leaving only the pale blue wings on his back. "Farewell Rival. Until we meet again." He took to the air, bringing the ten-winged fallen with him.
"Oi Vali!" Issei yelled at him.
"Yeah?" Vali turned around, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Ophis. Is- is she okay?"
Vali carefully looked his rival over. He nodded. "Yeah. Yeah she is. Don't worry, I'm sure that you'll meet her again sooner or later." He flew off, shattering the dome constructed above the school.
Shaking his head, Issei approached the Occult Research Club.
()()()()()()()()()
Rias stared at her pawn as he slowly walked towards them.
She cursed herself for her uselessness. Her pawn was out there, fighting for all of their lives against one of the leaders of the Fallen and where was she? Huddled in a corner and barely having enough energy for a barrier to keep their blasts from killing her peerage (And Xenovia). She should have been with him, helping him and taking on the Fallen. It was her responsibility as a King dammit!
"Issei." She whispered as he finally drew near. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." He brushed away her concerns. "How are they? Are they hurt?"
"N-no. They just ran out of energy. All of them. Your fight really took out a lot of them."
Issei winced. He didn't mean to put out that much, though to be fair, he didn't really expect Gae Bolg to make an appearance. "Yeah, sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?" Rias asked.
"It's because of me that you're all like this. If I hadn't been so late then we could have avoided all of this."
Rias shook her head. "No. You came and that's all that matters. You came when we needed you and you saved us all. That's the only important thing."
"Ughh..." A sound interrupted them. They looked around and saw that most of them were all stirring awake. Off the side, Xenovia now stood, staring at the sky, Durandal still clutched in her hand.
"Buchou?"
Rias turned and smiled at her knight. "Hello Yuuto. I'm glad that you're okay."
"Buchou." Kiba swallowed. "I'm sorry for my selfishness. I'm sorry for running away. Even though you saved me, I still betrayed you. How can I-"
Rias smiled and hugged Kiba close. "Don't worry. You've returned to us and that's more than enough."
Kiba nodded, feeling a lump on his throat. Finally, he managed. "Buchou… I will promise you once again. I, Kiba Yuuto, will protect you and my comrades for the rest of my life as the [Knight] of your peerage."
"Ufufufu. Thank you. I'll remember that promise of yours okay?"
Akeno, Asia and Koneko smiled at the prodigal Knight, who was lost and now returned, welcoming him with open arms.
"Now Yuuto." Rias raised her hand and it glowed with her signature power. "As punishment for acting so selfishly and worrying all of us, I have to give you a thousand spankings."
Issei roared in laughter.
()()()()()()()()()
Issei crossed his arms behind his head as he walked to the clubroom with Asia.
"Hey, Asia, are you alright?"
She smiled at him, confused. "Why shouldn't I be Issei-san."
"Well." Issei scratched his cheek. "You're still a Catholic even though you're a devil right?"
"Uhn" She nodded.
"Well, um." Issei gestured vaguely with his hands. "God is, you know..."
"Dead?" She smiled. Issei nodded. "Well, um, how do I say this. Even though God is dead, I still believe in Him. I still believe that He loved all of his children and gave his best to love us even after his dead. That's why I will still be a Catholic."
"You really are so innocent. Don't ever change Asia." Issei smiled and reached out to pat her head. Asia closed her eyes in content. "Ah, we're here." He opened the door. "Buchou, I'm her-"
"Hey." Xenovia raised her hands and greeted him nonchalantly. Issei closed the door and stared at it.
"Issei-san? What's wrong?"
"Are you sure that God's dead? 'Cause now I'm sure that he's just screwing with me." He asked to no one in particular. "Okay, let's try that again." He opened the door once again and entered the room.
"That was rude." Xenovia huffed. "Just because you saw me you left the room."
"Okay, I'm pretty sure this isn't a hallucination because there's no way my brain would make up something like this." Issei sighed. "So let me ask: What are you doing here Xenovia?"
She stood up and a pair of black wings appeared on her back."God is dead. That fact changed my view of the world and I turned into a devil as a symbol of a journey to self-discovery."
Issei sweatdropped. 'Is- is becoming a devil really the way to do it? Weren't you a firm Catholic before all of this?' Still, he understood her if only a little bit. Finding out that everything you believed and fought for was a lie could really inspire one to do crazy things. In Xenovia's case, becoming a devil.
"Besides, I still haven't paid my life debt to you, and I figured that being by your side is the easiest way to do it. As such, I have become the knight of Rias Gremory."
Rias was enjoying this, trying to hide her smile by drinking from her cup. Akeno didn't even bother, openly chuckling at their antics.
"Okay, why not?" Issei muttered. "Where's Irina?"
"She returned to the Churches in order to bring back the 5 Excalibur fragments, along with the corpse of Balba Galilei."
Issei blinked. "Galilei's dead? How?"
Kiba spoke up from his place in the couch. "Issei-kun, Balba Galilei was killed by the knights that Kokabiel brought with him. In truth, I also didn't notice it until late."
"I see. But was it okay to give back Excalibur? Actually, why do you still have Durandal? Didn't you turn back from the Church and all?"
"The Excalibur belongs to them, so I'm obligated to return it. Unlike Excalibur, Durandal is a special weapon that can only be wielded by me. In fact, when I mentioned that God was dead, they treated me as an outsider for knowing the truth. They hate heretics and outsiders, just like Asia Argento. Irina was lucky like that. She never found out the truth. She was disappointed in me though, for being a devil. I think that we may become enemies the next time we meet."
"The Church contacted the Maous you know?" Buchou said. "They said that they want to apologize and clear things up for the problems caused by Balba Galilei. The incident was even brought to the Angels and the Fallen. Azazel stated that the theft of the Excaliburs was done by Kokabiel and the rest had nothing to do with it. That's why he was put into the Cocytus as punishment. In fact, the three leaders are planning to have a meeting to discuss something that Azazel wants to talk about."
'Azazel? One of the guys who helped me against the Chaos Brigade?'
"We were all invited to the meeting." Akeno informed.
"Ah crap." Issei said.
"Asia Argento, I'm sorry." Xenovia suddenly said out of the blue. "Because God is dead, then he couldn't have helped you. Hit me as hard as you want."
"EHHH! No! I don't want to do something like that. Xenovia-san, I actually enjoy being a devil. I'm happy because of the people around me." Her eyes flickered over to an oblivious Issei.
"A heretic huh? Me, who was an admired holy sword wielder, was cast out by the church. I understand now how you feel." Her eyes became sad for only a moment before she recomposed herself. "Ah, I'll be leaving now. I still have much to do before I transfer to this school."
"Xenovia-san! Wo-would you like to, to join me sometimes?"
Xenovia tilted her head. "Sure. Would you mind taking me around the school?"
Asia brightened up. "Of course!"
()()()()()()()()()
"Issei-kun!" Issei snapped awake from his nap and looked around blearily, eyes landing on Kiba who was right in front of his desk.
"Huh? Kiba, dahell you doin'?" He still wasn't wide awake.
"Issei-kun, for what you did to me, I wanted to give you my gratitude." Kiba stated, voice firm as he bowed to him.
"What the beast did to Kiba-kun?"
"Kiba-kun and Issei? No!"
"WHY!?"
Issei looked around as the girls began to furiously whisper among each other, looking between him and Kiba. He shook his hand. "N-no. It's okay. After all, that's what friends do for each other right?"
"But you helped me out of my problems. Even though I caused so much trouble for you, you still helped me."
"Buchou and the others already forgave you didn't they? It doesn't matter anymore."
"...Issei-kun."
'Why are your eyes getting teary!? You're scaring me!"
"Y-yeah?"
Kiba smiled at him and put both of his hands on Issei's shoulder. The dragon resisted the urge to pull Kiba off himself and run to the house to scrub himself down.
"Thank you for everything."
The rumors of the two being gay for each other increased so much that there was actually a doujin about the two.
600 yen a copy.
A.N.
(1) Death comes in swift wings
Ahhhh, damn this was a hard chapter to write. I've had a lot of trouble with this, especially Kokabiel. I didn't exactly know how to write him considering canon didn't do much to portray him other than a war maniac. I'm getting more and more trapped and I don't know how to get myself off this. Damn, I need to branch out from canon more.
As for Issei did I make him seem too weak? When I wrote this, my idea was to make Issei seemed held back by his morality. Just hope that I managed to do just that.
Did I manage to keep all of them in character? I mean, Xenovia, Asia, Akeno, Rias and Vali.
Well, review please, hope to see what you think about this chapter. Too boring? Too short? Too bad? Too fast-paced? Tell me your thoughts in the comment section.
P.S.
Damn, 10.5K words. That's a new record. For this story anyway.