The First Flame
I'm baaack! Happy May Day!
(ducks beneath weapons, food items and various appliances)
Uhh...I'm sorry?
Highschool DxD is mine, ALL MINE! HAHAHAHAH!... Not.
Chapter 14: Detonation III
A storm of light met forests of steel. Sparks bursts into the air like rain, coinciding with the harsh clangs of metal. Every now and then, the sound of collisions were marked by the shrieks of torn and crumpling metal, but they didn't have any effect on the rhythm of the fight.
Kiba fended off attacks from two Fallen Angels, one with four wings, the other with six, all the while avoiding magical assaults from Galilei's defenders. Such numbers were an obvious disadvantage, but luckily, any reinforcements were unlikely, considering the chaos outside the building. Kiba's current mood didn't help anyone either. All he wanted, all he needed, was Valper Galilei's head removed from his shoulders, and these obstacles only fueled his determination.
A trio of wind blades raced towards Kiba's back, but he never flinched. He willed his own blades to shatter, throwing the Fallen off-balance. Spinning on his heel, he summoned [Replenish Calm], using the oddly-shaped silver sword to nullify absorb the wind magic in a well-aimed slash. With the same movement, another sword appeared in his hand, just as [Replenish Calm] vanished.
This new sword was a blocky and wide two-handed broadsword. He slammed the tip into the earth, and almost immediately, a supersonic shock wave burst into a spherical dome, pushing back the Fallen Angels by a good ten meters. The wave was the work of another product of the versatility of, [Sword Birth]. The sword [Impact Release] had one simple but effective function, to release concussive force once it strikes another surface.
Kiba lunged for the six-winged Fallen, who had unfurled his wings to retreat, but not quickly enough. Kiba's blow wasn't fatal, but it did succeed in severing his enemy's right leg from the knee down. Ignoring the gush of blood and the roar pain, Kiba continued his assault.
His instincts warned him of danger, and he just barely dodged the furious attack. As it was, he wound up with a deep gouge in his upper arm, steaming due to the effects of holy energy. Already, he could feel it weakening his body. He reacted with a swing of [Holy Eraser], which was easily blocked. He leaped back, as the four-winged fallen came to the defense of his maimed comrade, who was currently trying to stem the blood flow.
The Fallen no longer had the advantage in numbers, now that he had to actively defend another vulnerability, but his frenzied slashes made up for that. Despite his best efforts, Kiba was pushed back, straight into the enemy's trap.
He placed one foot backwards, and a bright orange magic circle appeared on the ground. He sensed the rising heat straight away, but he only partially avoided the trap, ending up with a nasty burn mark on his left arm and the left side of his torso.
Kiba did not have any time to breathe, as the Fallen Angel continued to advance. His spear had changed its shape, becoming longer, skinnier and denser. The spear was thrust in a flash, the light piercing his right wrist, making him falter due to the extreme pain of the holy weapon. Kiba was pushed to his knees, and the spear driven further in.
Once again, he was stabbed in his left arm this time. He raised his head and saw the six-winged Fallen, using his wings to stay upright. Together they forced him to lean back on his knees, ensuring that he doesn't escape their grasp.
"Enough!" Galilei called out. "Not yet! Allow me to speak to the boy!"
Anyone could see tthe Fallen Angels physically struggling to obey Galilei. They wanted Kiba dead, here and now, and they had little patience for some old, human scientist's stupid experiments. But they eventually deferred to him. One of them grabbed iba by his blond locks and forced him to look up at Galilei.
"Kiba... why must you fixate on revenge? You dishonor your seniors who gave their lives for you to shine above them. Wouldn't a better tribute to their memory be to simply grow as strong as possible like they would have wanted? It was due to my guidance that you have reached this power, and I can help you reach heights you could have never imagined!"
"The only way... that you could help me get stronger, is when your death frees me from my burden."
Galilei clicked his tongue. "We could have done this civilly, Kiba. You have great potential. Your Sacred Gear means that you were born to wield swords, not to mention your surprising aptitude towards Holy Swords. Not to mention your inheritance from your predecessors. But no matter. You will still make a worthy contribution. [Sword Birth] will prove to be invaluable to our research. And your body will be studied as an example for future generations."
"I think I've heard enough."
The magicians did not even have time to be surprised. Dark crimson energy ran up their bodies like lethal, overwhelming vines of acid. The [Power of Destruction] corroded the magicians' flesh and bone until there was nothing but dust.
At the same time, the flooring beneath the two Fallen Angels restraining Kiba flashed red, before disappearing completely, only leaving a few wisps of dust. The sudden loss of a solid surface had them bewildered and falling halfway through the floor, stunned and vulnerable. The instability caused the spears in Kiba's arms to shift and him to groan in pain, but he shrugged it off.
Kiba threw his body backwards so he was in line with his captors. With a twist of his wrists with the nimbleness gained from hours of sword training, he succeeded in gripping the light spears piercing him, disregarding the smoke and stench of burning Devil flesh. Kiba roared and shoved the light spears through his assailants' chests. As soon as the spears shredded their hearts, they dissipated as their creators took their last breath.
Kiba raised his head, having already placed the dead enemies out of his mind. Standing in front of him, tall, regal and beautiful was his master, his King, her expression absolutely furious. It was the very image of a Devil come to collect a soul.
Galilei himself had cowered on his knees in the face of such wrath. However, Rias wasn't even looking at him at the moment. Of course not, he wasn't armed, he wasn't a prominent magician like Issei, he wasn't a threat. Something that wasn't worth her time. Something beneath her. Just another human.
Rias' gaze left him, and landed on the crouching priest struggling to fill his lungs with oxygen. "As for you... Haven't you wreaked enough havoc tonight?" With those words, the Gremory crest appeared on Valper Galilei's chest and pulsed strongly. Galilei fruitlessly attempted to remove the insignia of light, but he couldn't even attempt a counter measure. His eyes rolled up to the back of his skull, and he fell forward on his face.
Kiba stood up, a sword appearing in his shaky, blood-soaked hand, and started walking towards the unconscious Galilei, but a slender hand caught him by the shoulder.
"No, not today."
"Rias-buchou, please allow me to do this. You know how important this is to me." Kiba didn't try to break out of the weak hold, not because he didn't have the strength, but because he did not want to defy his master any more than he already had.
"Honestly, I couldn't care less about what's important to you. Because right now my priority here is the life of my Knight."
"But Ri-"
A sharp crack rang out, as Rias' palm struck Kiba's cheek. Ordinarily a blow like that would have been nothing. But given Kiba's weakened state and numerous injuries, as well as the sheer shock he felt, it was enough to bring him to his knees.
Rias knel next to him, and clutched him by the collar. "Look at me Kiba. Actually, no. Don't look at me, look at him." She forcefully turned his head, so he was staring at Galilei's prone form.
"See that, Kiba? That's the target of your revenge. The one you're trying to kill. A pathetic, drooling obsessive that could be defeated by a normal human. So what does that make you?"
"I've long since understood the irrationality of my vengeance. but it is not meant to be. This is my duty to my friends, buchou, to pay back the suffering they received." he argued.
"This is not fulfilling your obligation, this is your vendetta alone! It's clear to me now, that this hate has been growing ever since I found you and I have done nothing to stop it. And that is my fault, but I shall take responsibility for it, starting now."
As she spoke, another circle hovered over Galilei, one that Kiba recognized immediately. "No!" He lunged towards him, and Rias made no move to make him stop. She didn't have to. Kiba's sword buried itself in the floor as Galilei vanished. "He is mine to kill!"
"Rant and Rave as much as you want. But you will not be the one to slay Valper Galilei. You won't even be the one to decide whether he lives or dies. That is your punishment for defying me."
Kiba made to raise his sword, but Rias' glare stopped him. "Once you finish that action, Kiba, even I will not be able to forgive it."
Without saying anything more, Rias turned her back to him, walking out of the building.
This is a battle. People die in battles all the time. It doesn't make it right. It doesn't mean it's good. It just means it's necessary. This is a battle. People die in battles all the time. It doesn't...
The mantra was chanted again and again. Issei wasn't really sure it helped a bit. What did help was the fact that he didn't really have to look at any of his targets. I guess Avi will be coming around for another talk. He thought to himself, trying to keep his mood positive. That didn't work either.
Though, as horrible as it may sound, the aspect of this battle that depressed him the most, was not just the fact that he was killing again. But the fact that it was so easy. In terms of ability, anyway.
In his first bout with Fallen Angels, he had barely awakened his powers for a week, with little control over them. Now, after several weeks of practice, it was like an arcade game. Point and shoot. It was just that simple. And it really shouldn't be. But every time something approached him, whether it's an enemy or a projectile, he waved his hand, and it burned away. He didn't even have to take a step.
This was probably the first time Issei had realized something that he really should have weeks ago. This was the first time he really saw how high up he was in the food chain. He wasn't just strong, he was overwhelming. Previous situations never really showed him how far above the average soldier he was, but the constant series of victims made it painfully obvious.
And he wasn't the only one who noticed. On his side, the Devils were being covered by his fireballs, allowing them to press their advance. They attacked fearlessly, their paths cleared of eased up by his attacks. The enemy couldn't get organized and get any traction. Their failures were gradually demoralizing them, their movements becoming sloppier and slower a truly vicious cycle.
There were around a eighty Fallen Angels and other soldiers affiliated with them within the compound. About twenty had died or had become incapacitated during the initial attack. Another dozen or so stayed within to tend to the wounded and use defensive magics. That left fifty people able to fight against less than a dozen devils, two swordswomen and himself. The odds were in no way even. Towards the enemy, that is.
He stayed on the ground, not confident enough in his flight skills to attack from the air, moving around the perimeter of the battle and regularly repelling and sending in attacks.
"Issei!" A frantic call drew his attention to a waving hand. "Issei, please help!"
One quick burst of fire had him at Irina's side within seconds. Complicated flight might be beyond him, but a simple point and launch was well within his abilities. "What's wrong?" Stupid question, everything was wrong. He gave her a once over and she was not in prime condition, despite how well it was going for them. Her battle suit, (which really had him questioning the integrity of the Church) was littered with cuts, thankfully none of them too deep. Her face was covered in a sheen of sweat and fresh blod and she was panting heavily.
"You have to help Xenovia! She's gonna get herself killed!"
Issei scanned the battlefield and found the blue-haired swordswoman. She was one of the few people that didn't even need his support. She was tearing bloody swathes through the small battlefield, to the point where surrounding Fallen Angels were beginning to flee from her. "She seems to handling herself pretty well." he remarked.
"That's the problem! She shouldn't be using Durandal like this, it's too dangerous for her!"
I should have known that such a hax item would have a drawback. "What's wrong with it?"
"Xenovia hasn't completely mastered that sword yet, so Durandal still has a big influence on her. Durandal responds to the wishes and will of whoever wields it, and adjusts its powers accordingly. The trouble is, it doesn't care what its wielder is capable of or what she's ready for. Just what she wants. And after... after what Kokabiel said..."
"Then she's out for blood." Issei finished grimly. "She's a ticking time bomb, isn't she?" At Irina's solemn nod, he groaned. "What kind of damage can overuse due to her?"
"Worst-case scenario? She could die. Durandal would suck every bit of energy and leave her a shrivelled husk. And even if it doesn't she could rip apart her arms from the extreme strain. She'll never be able to use her arms again."
"Fan-fuck-tastic... What are we supposed to do about it?"
"We just have to get Durandal off of her."
"...And?"
Irina grimaced. "Durandal is picky. Not as much as the Excaliburs, but it is loyal to whoever it has chosen. It will only respond to Xenovia now. It won't allow itself to be taken without a fight."
Guys, you thinking what I'm thinking?
If it's anything like Excalibur Rapidly, I don't see why not. Seraphina responded. Now that we're ready for it, it should pose no danger at all.
"I'll take care of it." He said to Irina before charging into the fray, ignoring Irina's cry for an explanation. A quick burst of fire had him right over Xenovia. Several Fallen Angels made to attack him, but he barely looked at them before they were blasted back by a short burst of fire. He landed (more like crashed) less than two feet from Xenovia, just as she decapitated another magician.
He grabbed her arm before she could run off. Her glare was deadly, her eyes a dark yellow hue. She raised Durandal to strike down whoever dared to lay a hand on her. When she saw who had grabbed her, she stopped the swing, even though Issei was pretty sure she wanted to continue regardless of his status as an ally. "Release me this instant!"
Issei said nothing. He had to move fast. As it was, his remote attacks might be off the charts, but physically, he was still like a regular human. Xenovia could snap him like a twig at the first opportunity. He yanked the girl towards him and grabbed Durandal. He didn't manage to grab the hilt before Xenovia moved away, but he did clutch the over-sized blade.
"NO! GO AWAY! Heretic! Sinners! Blasphemers! Kill them all!"
Whether Xenovia screamed those words out loud or in her head, Issei would never know. But it wasn't his greatest concern. Her screams were accompanied by the screeching of metal and a wave of nausea that invaded his mind. Or to be more accurate, attempted to invade his mind.
He could feel the anger, the righteous fury exuding from the sword, and knew that all of it belonged to Xenovia's. In that moment, Issei fully understood Xenovia. She was loyal to a fault, serving with everything she had, and that unwavering loyalty has been threatened. She didn't even consider that Kokabiel was lying, her blind faith justifying her complete outrage. However, her absolute loyalty also meant that she would throw away her life to eliminate any perceived threat.
This wasn't really a completely sacrificial nature, so much as an inflated sense of obligation to her sovereign. It would not be unreasonable to call Xenovia a fanatic, if not for her capability to be civil to Devils and other parties not aligned with Church. But Kokabiel's audacious statements combined with Durandal's corrosive influence have resulted in this reckless crusade (in every sense of that word).
The tsunami of power was repelled with sheer willpower, but only just. Durandal was a malleable blade, following the mindset of destruction imposed upon it by Xenovia. The only way to strip it of its penchant for violence, was to reforge it according to the will of another.
You are mine, and now you will listen to me!
Xenovia stopped shouting, and collapsed against his shoulder, but was still thrashing in her unconscious state. Issei slid one of his arms around her to hold her up, as he clasped the still-glowing Durandal with the other hand. It seemed that the Holy Sword had relinquished its grip on Xenovia, but this psychic battle was only half-finished.
Durandal was trying to imprint itself on Issei, and failing. The sword of Roland, the Paladin of the Roman Emperor Charlemagne, said to be equal to the original Excalibur. The Holy Sword triumphed over 100,000 soldiers, and if not mastered, it had to be stored in a pocket dimension to protect its wielder and allies from its offensive powers.
It never stood a chance.
Issei didn't want to master Durandal, he didn't even want to touch it. Right now, he wanted to subjugate it, to contain, to shut it the hell up. The sacred creation of alchemy and magic was constrained by white flame. The semblance of sentience within the sword was assaulted by the collective force of humanity. It couldn't struggle anymore. Issei had forced it into complete dormancy. It no longer radiated light, or anything, really. It was smothered by white flames, covering it like an amorphous sheath.
Issei released a breath he didn't realise he was holding. He was griping Durandal with one hand, oddly having no trouble with its immense weight. Xenovia stopped struggling against him, completely limp and exhausted.
Hold on, how long have we been standing here? Surely someone must have seen the opportunity to attack them, standing in the middle of the battlefield and with one of them now incapacitated. So why was it so quiet...?
He looked around the battlefield and saw the answer. It wasn't as if Rias and Sona's peerages had completely wiped out the opposition, even with their advantage that would have been ludicrous. It wasn't as if they didn't try to attack them, he just didn't notice them.
Around him were the groaning and sobbing forms of Fallen Angels, with small remnants of flames licking their bodies. What the hell is this?
Call it an automatic mechanism. While you directed the imprisonment of Durandal, I oversaw the defense which targeted any hostile that came too close. replied Ulrich.
Awesome. But that still didn't explain the silence. He looked around and saw the Fallen Angels standing still as stone, a look on his face that took him a while to decipher. But he soon recognized for a familiar emotion. Fear.
They feared him.
He didn't know what to feel about that. He had spent the past few weeks being scared of them, but that was before he took out their brethren without a single glance in their direction. But what rattled even him was not the Fallen's reactions, but the reactions of the Devils.
Their reactions were not fearful, at least not to the same extent as the Fallen. They had already had some inkling as to his capabilites after all. What horrified him was their expressions of pain. The more durable ones, Rooks and Queens were clutching their heads, grimacing in pain, their skin steaming. The weaker ones were on their knees, burns visible on their skin
Oh, fuck... How could he have been so stupid? Durandal was a freaking Holy Sword, and he just made it go berserk. He'll have to be more careful right now. Both sides were stunned, the Fallen Angels from fright, the Devils from inflicted damage. That wouldn't last forever, he needed something decisive to finish this battle.
The strongest participants in this battle were Vali, Kokabiel and himself. With the other two preoccupied in a battle of their own, he was the most powerful being here by leagues, a status that he never thought would apply to him in any situation. he couldn't count on Vali to defeat Kokabiel on his own, so before that battle ended, no matter the outcome, this had to be brought to a conclusion. But there was probably someone better than him for something like this.
Sure enough, she took the hint and flew right above them.
"Fallen Angels!" Sona's authoritative voice rang across the battlefield. "You have been cajoled into fighting a losing battle. Kokabiel promised you glory on the battlefield, when all he's done is bring you to slaughter. Your main force has been defeated by two peerages, a couple of exorcists and one human mage." More than one of the Fallen winced, but there were those whose faces contorted in anger, but none spoke up.
"Your leader will soon be defeated by the White Dragon Emperor." As if to back up her point, the sky was briefly illuminated by blue and white light, followed by the sounds of several explosions.
"This is what became of you because of such a small force. Even if a miracle occurs and you are victorious, you will incur the wrath of the Three Biblical Factions. This uprising of yours was doomed to fail the moment it began. So I present to you two options."
"The first is to continue fighting, in which case we will not show mercy we will annihilate every single one of you as is our right.
"The second is that you surrender, then attempt to betray us and probably succeed in killing some of us in the process. Should that come to pass, you will be hunted down by Angels, Devils and even fellow Fallen Angels, who wish to put an end to the anarchists who stand in the way of peace between the factions." Now all of them grimaced. Issei flaring out his power didn't help their confidence.
"The third is obvious. Realize that you have no hope of actualizing your fantasies of another Great War, and completely surrender to a fair trial under the judgement of your own leader."
Issei thought that she was a bit too condescending, and would only aggravate them, which was the last thing they wanted at the moment. But Sona's method proved effective in further demoralizing the enemy troops.
Light weapons dispersed into motes of light. The Fallen Angels came to rest on the ground, their hands raised in surrender.
There was no cheering, no cries of victory. The mood was somber, despite the inherently positive nature of the situation. Sona hovered down next to Issei, a strained smirk on her face. "Congratulations, Hyoudou-san. We just prevented the Second Great War."
"Not yet." Issei looked up into the clouds, where the distant clashes between Vali and Kokabiel. "If Vali doesn't defeat Kokabiel soon..."
"I know what you're thinking, but you have to stay here. The Fallen Angels don't fear us, they fear you. Should Vali be killed in battle, Kokabiel would undoubtedly be wounded and then you can battle him to end it once and for all."
"I'm not worried about Vali." Issei said, and for some reason, he completely believed it.
As if a dragon would be killed so easily.
Vali was having a blast, literally and figuratively.
Kokabiel's lasers proved extremely difficult to avoid and deflect. If they were sustained, he could easily divide and absorb them upon impact, but they came in short bursts lasting for less than a millisecond, and the fire rate was constantly being altered so he couldn't master the timing with [Divine Dividing] to coincide with the moments of impact. As such, his armor had already broken in several places, but the damage was not at all worrying. (Not that Vali was the type to worry about injuries in the first place)
Dodging them was just as challenging, since they pretty much travelled at lightspeed and the only thing he had to go on with regards to direction was to wtch whichever one was pointing at him. Which could be all of them, or none of them, or some of them.
Not to mention that Kokabiel was still relentlessly attacking him, even while directing the, uh, spear drones (?) into performing complex aerobatics. Inwardly, Vali couldn't help but be impressed. Kokabiel was directly engaging him in melee combat while still utilizing the powers of the Fused Excalibur, all the while keeping the drones in motion. Kokabiel was not especially known for his cunning, but he was still an Angel with millennia of experience. His mind has only grown more powerful over the years.
Albion... we'll have to change our approach.
Vali's wings flared and released dozens of bluish-white orbs, larger versions of the particles [Divine Dividing] usually radiates. The orbs flew outwards in a spherical formation for about a meter, before they all changed direction and accelerated towards Kokabiel. Vali didn't really expect the incendiaries to do too much damage to his opponent, and they didn't, but they did give him some breathing room.
As soon as he fired, he flew, not towards the Fallen Angel, but towards one of his weapons. Despite their impressive maneuverability, Vali quickly caught up to one of the drones with ease and gripped it tight.
[DivideDivideDivideDivideDivide]
Vali felt the familiar rush of energy enter him, just before he crushed the construct of light. Vali continued to hunt down the modified spears, regaining lost energy for each one destroyed. Now it was Kokabiel's turn to adapt,. To make more spears would be simple, but wasteful now that Vali was set on absorbing them. Melee was dangerous as well, since one direct touch of [Divine Dividing] could wreak havoc on him.
Despite the inherent dangers, Kokabiel wasn't known for hesitating either, and chose to do battle directly, while keeping Vali at a distance with elongated spears. No one ever said Kokabiel played it safe.
The two of them clashed again and again, creating shockwaves among the clouds. Energy erupted between them, saturating the atmosphere with so much power it would have suffocated lesser beings in an instant.
Tales of epic battles lasting for hours, of legendary powers clashing endlessly, were complete idealizations of battles between highly skilled parties. perhaps a battle between two weak individuals would turn into a battle of attrition, but not so for Vali and Kokabiel.
Every strike had the power and control to constitute a killing blow. Their movements were very rapid, turning their match into brief races through the air interspersed with brief skirmishes that were so fast they could easily be mistaken for a single impact. Even with their massive stamina, a battle loaded with so much energy would last several minutes at the most. This kind of battle no longer depend on the level of strength. It all came down to whoever faltered first, whether in power, speed, skill or endurance. A single mistake can end it all.
Vali tripped up first, or at least he seemed to be. He had forced Kokabiel's arms to the side and kicked Kokabiel straight in the chest. He saw a false opening and flew towards Kokabiel, just as Kokabiel swung down his weapons.
[Half Dimension]
The light spear in Kokabiel's size halved in size, so it only scratched the edge of his armor plating. Fused Excalibur on the other hand, was not as receptive to [Divine Dividing]. Vali raised his hand, but Kokabiel wove past his defense and buried the sword into his shoulder. Vali's armor slowed the blade, but the blade was still embedded in his shoulder, causing him to grunt in pain.
Kokabiel used all of his strength to push on Fused Excalibur, attempting to cut Vali in half. The half-Devil forced himself to ignore the burning sensation in his shoulder, the holy energy leaching into his blood, and grabbed Kokabiel's forearms.
[DivideDivideDivideDivide]
Kokabiel could have driven the blade further, causing irreparable damage to a half-Devil like Vali, but his energy was being sucked out at an alarming rate. He made to move away, but Vali's grip tightened.
Vali flared his wings, glowing radiantly. He planted an armored leg in Kokabiel's chest and began to use his wings to retreat as fast as possible. The immense strain instantly broke Kokabiel's bones. Vali kept pulling, past Kokabiel's screams, intending to rip his arms clean off, all the while sapping his strength.
[You're absorbing energy way too fast.] Vali barely heard Albion's warning.
That's the point, partner.
[Divine Dividing] was extremely powerful on its own, being one of the Thirteen Longinus, with the capability to slay a god. But it could be overwhelmed. Like a flood crashing against a dam, Kokabiel's power surged through the Sacred Gear. Actually, a more accurate comparison for such a volatile force was probably magma threatening to burst from a volcano. Normally great care would be taken to manage this flow to prevent overwhelming the user. Not this time.
Vali continued the absorption, and made no attempt to mitigate the rate of the flow. The jewels on the [Scale Mail] began to flash alarmingly and the wings were now releasing a torrent of light particles, but Vali paid it no heed.
[You can't take anymore! I have to reset!]
Go right ahead!
The dam cracked, the volcano erupted. And when the restraining force just disappears, the energy doesn't just go away, it needs to go somewhere. Vali's armor shattered into nothingness as the Balance Breaker deactivated, and the energy being absorbed was immediately released. Violently.
The ensuing explosion blew the two apart, as the searing light enveloped them both. Vali was ready for it, though, and cocooned himself with the wings of [Divine Dividing], which had the added bonus of. Kokabiel was not as familiar with the operations of the Sacred Gear, and so had no such defense. His own power brutally turned against him, he couln't even scream as his entire body was scorched by intense rays, the shockwave blowing him back, simultaneously tearing his hands off due to Vali's grip. The Fused Excalibur fell through the clouds, still within the grip of Kokabiel's torn hand.
Both combatants fell from the sky, but neither of them were so weak willed that they were not able to withstand the pain. Vali himself had suffered third degree burns around his legs and back, which were not completely covered by his wings. The reckless use of his Sacred Gear has brought him near exhaustion. Although, objectively speaking, Kokabiel was worse off by a large margin.
The rebellious Fallen Angel had lost his weapon, along with both hands. His face was marred with burn marks that went as deep as bone, having carved off his left cheek. His wings were singed and rapidly losing feathers. Blood leaked out of what remained of his mouth, hinting at the devastating internal injuries. No amount of willpower or conviction could overturn one single fact.
Vali had won.
"Even if I die..." Kokabiel growled, his voice raspy and interrupted by blood filled coughs. "Even if I die here... there will be others... who will carry out this ambition. The Three Factions will fall."
"Perhaps." Vali conceded that point. "Probability-wise, it's likely that the Three Factions will implode once more...But not by your hand. It's been fun, but this pointless tantrum has failed, Kokabiel. Surrender now, and maybe you'll live and have a chance to try again in the far future."
Kokabiel was silent, save for his strained wheezing. Vali tensed when the remains of the Fallen Angel's wings flared out, his meagre reserves being brought to the surface. "Morior...Invictus"
Fast as light, Kokabiel dropped through the sky, plummeting faster than a comet.
It only took an instant for Vali to translate the Latin declaration, and another to realize that it was not a battle cry. It was his last words.
He's going for the heiresses!
Vali donned his [Scale Mail] once again, pushing the thrusters to the limit to catch up to Kokabiel. He wouln't make it, Kokabiel was travelling far faster than he thought possible, expending all of his energy in this last ditch attempt to kick start a war. Vali was halfway to ground level, following Kokabiel's trail, and he knew that the Fallen had reached the ground already. He was about to catch up when without warning, he lost him.
Kokabiel's presence could not be felt. Which to Vali, usually meant one thing only.
Now, Vali didn't really care whether or not the heiresses lived or died, but he was meant to capture Kokabiel alive if possible. And he knew that if Kokabiel were to engage him in battle in his current state, the chances of Vali completing that objective would be slim to none.
And... he was half-right.
He finally reached the ground, but oddly enough, Kokabiel was nowhere to be seen.
The Fallen Angel rebels and magicians were sitting on the scorched ground, a ring of fire serving to secure them in place. The Devils were huddled together to treat their wounds. The exorcists seem to be worse off, the brunette having the blue-haired one rest on her lap. Issei Hyoudou, the mysterious magician who he was sure was not just a magician, was standing with his arms crossed, looking straight at him as if he was expecting him.
"He's not dead." Was the first thing he said.
Vali didn't need clarification."Then where is he?"
Hyoudou sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "Probably wishing he was."
"Hey, Koka-chan? Can you hear me?"
Kokabiel was confused. He was flying. He spotted his targets, he readied the most powerful spear that he could muster in his condition. The Devil peerages were there, and he knew that in his state, he would most likely die in this mission. He was ready for that. Better to die to start a revolution than to live as a useless prisoner.
Then, black. And then he was in this... space, with this girl hovering in front of him. He couldn't perceive anything in this place. He had seen the Dimensional Gap once in his life, but there, the senses were inundated. Here, it was as if the very space around him was sucking up his cognitive ability. Except in the case of the girl.
He felt no pain, or anything else for that matter. He couldn't speak. He could barely think through the cloud in his mind. Where...where am I? Who is this?
"You've caused a lot of trouble for Onii-chan." The girl spoke up again. "But I'm not really doing this for him. Your stupid fights don't mean that much to me. Actually, I probably would have liked to see a full-on Three Faction War."
Her smile went from adorable to vicious in a heartbeat. "But you're missing the big picture Koka-chan! In such a short time, so many cool and interesting people have gathered in a single human town. Aren't you just a little bit curious about what could happen soon? What am I saying, of course you can't. You just want the same old things over and over again. And believe me, no matter who's fighting, even a war gets boring after you've seen a couple of hundred of 'em."
War? That sounds familiar? Wasn't I trying to do something about that?
"Onii-chan is against cold-blooded killing, and this is his territory so I suppose I shouldn't kill you. But it's really, really dangerous to keep you around. Who knows what trouble you'll bring up in the future."
Kokabiel could barely use his limited mental functions to process her words.
"Oh, who am I kidding?" The girl sagged her shoulders and sighed. "Honestly? I'm just really hungry."
By the time Minnie had released him, Kokabiel could barely remember his own name.
I know, I know, it's been a while! How have you guys been! I'm fine. In other news, I fucking hate being a high school student, but I know you guys don't care about that. There's really no excuse for disappearing for over a month then coming back with one shitty chapter, so I won't even bother.
I know that people have enjoyed the fact that Issei, despite his power is still somewhat limited, but I had to use this opportunity to show case how far above everybody else he actually is. He's not just another underdog.
As for Durandal... According to the canon, it is one of the four true Holy Swords which had the power to slay thousands of men. I'm sorry, but I just don't buy that Xenovia can use it without major side effects.
What else... Oh yes! Kiba didn't get Balance Breaker, or his vengeance. That'll come in later, and for good reason.
Next up, the The Three Faction Conference!