Chapter 14
East Europe
The battle had only been taking a short time.
Like predicted, the rogue Fallen Angels had been no match for them.
After Issei had eliminated the two Fallen outside, the rest of the castle had, of course, noticed the intruders instantly. Not that it made much of a difference.
xxx
About 20 Minutes earlier
The other Fallen Angels and also some of the hired human criminals, who had come running or teleporting outside, were taken care of just as quickly as the first two.
In the beginning, Penemue had made her presence known to them and told them to stand down and to surrender.
But after a few moments of seeming incertitude... they seemed to have decided to go down fighting.
One reason for this was probably the large pit full of dead bodies of senselessly slaughtered humans, right in front of their base. Aside from the fact that they were all associates of a known traitor like Kokabiel of course.
As it seemed, none of them believed that they could get out of this without getting the death sentence for their crimes anyway. So they had nothing really too loose.
xxx
The fight was over less than twelve minutes after it begun... well, the actual fight was in not more than two. The rest had actually been not more than a clean-up.
Xenovia, Irina and Kiba near instantly cut down another group of Fallen Angels, that was charging them and a line of human gunmen, backing them up.
Penemue easily eliminated two more of them - basically with a flick of her wrist - by shooting light-beams at them.
They all were, just like Issei, seriously pissed off and didn´t feel like holding back their anger, after they had seen the remains of the massacre that had taken place here... and the stress they were in over the matter with Rias didn´t help either. No, none of them felt merciful right now.
Irina admitted she could barely contain her anger as she killed two of the human thugs. She was a trained Exorcist - or, as you could also call it, a trained killer of supernatural threats. Still, normally she would have `some´ compassion on misguided souls like this.
The rest of the time was mostly them searching the corridors of the castle and taking out remaining enemies.
xxx
In one of the larger halls, Issei finally found the leader of the rogue group... sitting at the end of the room, in a high, throne-like chair.
He was sure it was Sartael. By Gaeriel´s descriptions, he was the only Fallen present with six wings.
"So you have finally come for me Sekiryuutei," the Fallen Angel greeted him. "You are the Red Dragon Emperor, aren´t you? Are you here to put an end to my `reign of terror´?" he asked mockingly, standing up from his make-shift throne.
"I am here to kill you and your bunch of psychopaths," Issei responded growling. He once again activated his Balance Breaker and the scale armor formed around his body.
[Boost boost boost] Ddraig´s voice echoed through the room.
"You can try," Sartael shouted, suddenly forming two light-spears in both his hands and charging at him.
The madman didn´t seem to notice - or simply didn't care - that he was obviously completely outmatched.
Issei blocked both his spears with Ascalon that he had just summoned.
"You cannot win!," the crazed Fallen yelled at him. "Even if you kill me, it won´t change anything. The war has begun. The filthy Devils will be wiped out. Heaven itself will fall... and then the Fallen Angels will be left to reign. The voices - yes, the voices have told me. The world that Master Kokabiel had dreamed about will soon become reality," the lunatic exclaimed.
"Do you know something?" Issei replied. "Fuck you," he shouted.
He concentrated for a short moment and then - activated, just for a split-second, part of the power of his Crimson Cardinal Promotion. During that he simply released a concentrated powerful burst of energy... that simply blew the insane Fallen Angel away and completely disintegrated him, until nothing was left of him but Ash.
Issei was staring at the now empty spot where his opponent had been standing a moment earlier. The scale armor disappeared around him and he returned to his normal self.
He was breathing heavily. Not because the fight had been anywhere close to being difficult - no, it was far from it, it had been child´s play - it was from the sheer rage that had been driving him.
A few seconds later, Penemue stepped into the room behind him.
"Hyoudou-kun, the fight had just ended," she said to him. "The rogues have been destroyed. We have already started to search the rest of the fortress, to see if we can find any surviving prisoners."
"Good," Issei answered. "I will come and help you."
They had done it, he thought. They had put an end to this. No more innocent people would die here.
xxx
Ever since his last confrontation with Faust, whenever he closed his eyes, he saw the picture of people being killed before him. But now he had finally managed to do something good.
He might not have been able to do something against the true monsters... or against his own failings.
He had not been able to do anything at all against Faust. He had failed to stop Trihexa... and Sirzechs, Azazel and the others had to sacrifice their lives instead. He had failed to stop Raynare from killing Asia. He had failed to stop Rias from killing Raynare. He had failed to look through Rias obvious lies and deceptions and he ended up causing more harm than good.
Ultimately it had not been him who had saved Rias from the Wraith - he had not really been able to do anything, it had been Raynare. Despite everything, the Fallen Angel had in the end shown some twisted sort of mercy on the Devil.
While he was the one who had once written off Raynare as `evil´ and left her to die... and that while he himself and Rias had recklessly endangered the peace and didn´t even gave a thought about the possible consequences of their actions. Raynare had been right, if it hadn´t been for Azazel wanting to make peace at all costs, they could have started the next Great War right then and there.
Damn it, he had not even been able to save a child from an angry mob without Faust tricking him in the process.
Despite all the power he had been given, he was just a screw-up. Whenever it had truly counted, he had failed.
But this time he had actually done something good - no more people would die here. It might not be much, but it was at least something.
Had he? he asked himself. Did he really do good this time? Or would this end as a disaster as well?
He could not help his doubts.
xxxxxxx
Now
"Hyoudou-kun, are you okay?" Penemue asked him. He had seen him spacing out for a few moments.
"Yea, I am alright," he said. "Let's hope that we will find a few survivors."
xxxxxxx
What none of them knew - just a few miles away, the two versions of Angelo Strada were both waiting for their time to act.
But the insane Stray Exorcist was not the only threat heading in their way. Unknown to them, another one was approaching.
xxxxxxx
Japan
Meanwhile, at the other side of the world, Raynare was in this moment seeing a scene, that was not so different from that Issei and his team had just seen... only on a much smaller scale of course.
The three Devil Servants she had met, had just been leading her inside the house.
As they were walking across the corridor and Raynare took a short look into the first room they came across. It was an elegant looking dining room.
A man was still sitting on a chair, his dead body bowed over the table. She could make out a large hole in his back. On the floor was a woman, lying in her own blood, probably the man´s wife.
She suspected that these were probably the original owners of this house before the group of Devils came and took it over.
Raynare gave them a short glance and then didn´t pay attention to it anymore. She had seen such scenes all too often in her life - before and after her quasi-death. She had stopped caring about it a long time ago. Maybe this had contributed to her becoming the cynical bitch she was later on.
xxx
She was being led into another room, where - sitting at a desk - was an aristocratic-looking and very attractive, blonde haired woman waiting for her.
"Ah, it is good to finally meet you, Fallen Angel Raynare," she greeted her.
"You are the Devil Lamia Belial that I have heard about," she responded. "Faust has mentioned you a few times."
"I am," she confirmed. "So Lord Faust has mentioned me? I am flattered."
"Only a few off-hand comments," Raynare replied. "As I see, you have `rented´ this place here from its former owners," she remarked sarcastically.
"Ohh them, yes," she answered casually. "Not that it matters. Just a few pathetic humans no less." Lamia shrugged her shoulders. "To be honest, when my masters begin the cleansing of this world in earnest, these few weaklings will be less than a drop in the ocean," she stated. "But I thought this house would be a nice place for our meeting."
"I see," Raynare replied stoically. "Your servants said you want to make me an offer?"
"Of course. Me and you, after all, are two of the few agents of the Lords in this world, who are answering directly to them. Don´t you think it would make sense for us to be working closer together?"
Raynare was holding back a frown. She hated being called an agent of Faust or of the Dark Order. She wasn´t on his side and would never be. True, she was far from a saint. Issei and Asia could talk about that. But she wasn´t like them.
But that didn´t change the fact that she had a deal with the monster. In opposite to the creature however not out of loyalty to his insane worldview. It was because she hadn´t been willing to be trapped on the Spirit Plane, unable to even act, while the entire world was on the brink of destruction.
Still, there was no reason to let this woman know this. Should she believe that she, like herself, was a willing follower of `The Lords´. If she actually knew a way to bring Azazel back. If she knew a way of course. Otherwise, she was only wasting her time here.
"I have heard that you have been trained by Lord Faust in person," Lamia continued, "and now you can be considered one of the strongest of your race. He must really think you are something special."
This time Raynare couldn´t completely keep the scowl from her face. But the Devil woman didn´t seem to notice.
"You know," Lamia said. "The power of the Lords and Master Ahriman himself might be practically without limits... But the truth is when they are finished with our universe when they have reformed it in their image... they will turn their eyes elsewhere and concentrate on other worlds out there. So, when all this is over, who will be in control of our world afterwards?"
A smile formed on her face. "The answer is quite obvious, isn´t it? It will be their servants and enforcers in this universe, people like us. You are, as it looks, the Lord´s chosen under the Fallen Angel race... just like I am under the Devils. You have seen what our Masters are capable of."
`Your Masters, not mine,´ Raynare thought. Her Master was Azazel and no one else. But she kept silent. All she wanted was for that Devil to reveal to her what she knew. If she had to cooperate with her for a while for this, so be it.
"The Devils, the Angels, the Fallen Angels, the other Pantheons, they all will just be swept aside," Lamia explained. "Entire races will probably be exterminated, cities, civilizations entire planets will die. But then... when all that is over, we will be the ones left standing. If we form an alliance now - you and me - we can dispose of all our possible rivals and rule this world when Ahriman and the Lords decide to retreat from it," she stated.
Or at least she would have a powerful ally to help her get rid of Loki when the time came, Lamia thought.
Your servants told me that you can help me to bring back Azazel," Raynare stated, sounding unimpressed.
"Oh yes, your old leader. Are you truly this interested in bringing him back? Is that just simple loyalty? Or do you have a weakness for him?" she asked her with a sly smile. "But by what I heard you had an interest in Issei Hyoudou?" she stated.
"Ah, I see," she said. "Well, girls like us - under certain circumstances - should be allowed to share their feelings with more than one man, wouldn´t you agree? Especially if those two men ar all but monogamy themselves. I mean Azazel was known to have more than one harem over the time. And `Issei-kun´, his declared goal is to become `Harem King´ after all." She grinned now. "By the way, I admit I myself am interested in him as well. He might be - well, `a bit unconventional´ and quite young, but he is certainly interesting." And an ideal candidate to kill Loki for her when the time comes, she added mentally.
"Do you know a way to free Azazel and bring him back to this world?" Raynare asked now again, even more impatiently.
"I know many things... including ways to free your precious Azazel," she stated, "if you are willing to work together of course. And that is just the beginning. You can control Heaven and the Fallen Angels, with Azazel at your side of course... and I will rule the Underworld. The territories in the Human World, we can share among ourselves. Oh and for the rest." The smile on Lamia´s face deepened. "You can have both Issei and Azazel as your lovers... and we can both join Issei-kun´s little Harem... or rather we will take the lead on it," she said.
`Or better I will have them both - me and Azazel-sama will rule the Fallen Angels together and I will also join Issei-kun´s Harem... and I will ram a light-spear through you, as soon as you have given me what I want, you lunatic,´ Raynare thought.
There was no way that she would ever willingly join them. She knew what Faust´s and the others agenda was.
"And about Rias Gremory, I have already turned that pathetic excuse of a Devil into my puppet. You know it is actually quite amusing to see her crawl before me. If you want to, her life belongs to you. Kill her as slowly and painfully as you want."
"A tempting offer," Raynare commented drily. "But all that is not what I asked for."
"I know. I will start to give you the knowledge you want," Lamia answered, "as soon as we have an agreement of course," she stated.
"Yes," the Fallen Angel replied, "I think so too." `I think that I will take from you what I need and then I will kill you and Faust and his allies will have one less agent in this world,´ she thought. `And ironically, I will even come closer to fulfilling my own deal with Faust, with your own soul you bitch.´
"You can bring it in now," Lamia said casually to one of her servants.
"What is this?" Raynare asked one moment later.
As the Devil-Servant returned a minute later, she saw a young human girl - maybe 11 or maybe 12 years old - struggling in his arms. It was most likely the daughter of the two she had seen earlier. But why was she still alive?
"Oh, you can call me a bit old fashioned I guess," Lamia stated. "It is only natural, I had been in suspension for a long time after all. But you see, in the old times, a pact with a Devil was traditionally signed with blood, human blood. In very important cases, like this one, even with a life. You have no problem with that, right?" she asked in a friendly tone. "I want the blood of this girl here to serve as the symbol of our pact."
"No," the human girl shouted out terrified and struggled, even more, to free herself from the grip of her captor. The fear of the child was mixed with helpless rage. These monsters had come into her home and killed her parents. And they were monsters. They had strange powers, she had seen it. They had used them to murder her Mother and Father. And now there was another one there, this woman with the black wings and the strange leather clothes... and they wanted to kill her as well.
The girl didn´t want to, but she started to cry.
"Devils have not done something like this for centuries," Raynare responded. And even then only in a few cases. This Devil really wanted to murder this child just to seal a pact with her? A pact that she had no intention to keep anyway. This was so pointless.
Heavens, this woman was truly a psychopath, even by her standards.
"Like I said, I prefer the old ways," Lamia explained smiling. "As you have possibly noticed, my servants don´t have Evil Pieces in them. My Peerage are all pure-blood Devils, who have sworn their lives to me. To be honest, the entire Evil Piece System has turned my race into a bunch of disgusting weaklings. There was a time where you needed actual cunning and charisma to acquire servants. Now every pathetic fool can place an Evil Piece into someone and can call himself a `Master´. One reason more why the Devil race needs to be purged more than any other one. But where have I been?" she asked.
"Oh yes. Now," she told her servants, "would you please spill her blood - all of it... and then dispose of the bodies."
One of the Devils draw a blade... and prepared to use it to cut the child´s throat.
For a short moment, as she looked at the crying human girl that was about to die, Raynare instead saw Asia in her mind... and then herself, as she laid before Rias Gremory on the floor of the old church building.
She couldn´t help herself... Raynare´s hands seemed to move before her own mind even fully registered it.
xxxxxxx
East Europe
Over half an hour had passed since Issei and his group had arrived here. What they had found, as they had been searching the rest of the castle more thoroughly, had shocked even them.
In the lower levels of the castle, they found a couple of dungeons... filled with terrible looking - obviously starved and in some cases tortured - captured humans.
They saw that some of the captives were already dead... even more, bodies to add to the pile they had seen outside. But many others were still living - but in a horrible condition.
Issei, Irina, Xenovia, Ravel, Kuroka and especially Penemue, were staring in horror at the scene before them, as they were standing in the opened door of the underground dungeon.
"I - don´t believe it," Irina said, as she was looking at the abused imprisoned people inside the cages filled with dead and half-dead man, women and even children before them. Barely alive people were sitting, being chained up, right next to decaying corpses. It was a scene nearly like out of a horror movie.
Many of Issei´s team could barely keep themselves from throwing up.
A few of the prisoners had noticed them. Some seemed to be afraid of the newcomers, who they realized were supernatural beings, just like their tormentors who had locked them up here in the first place.
Who they were however downright terrified of, was the Fallen Angel under them, Penemue, who had still materialized her wings. As she saw this, however, she quickly let them disappeared. There was no telling what these humans have gone through here and the last thing she wanted was to terrify them even more. Stupid, she told herself. She should have seen this coming. These people had been imprisoned and nearly murdered by the rogues. Of course, they would panic at seeing another Fallen Angel.
"You don´t have to be afraid," Issei called out. "I promise we won´t harm you. We are not with the people who had locked you up here. We have beaten them and we are now going to free you."
Penemue for her part looked downright ashamed. The Fallen Angel leader was staring wordlessly at the ground.
"Penemue-san," Issei said as he noticed her expression.
"It was my kind who had done this to these people," she answered. "They might have been rogues and insane murderers. But they were still my race."
"Nobody blames you for this," Issei told her.
"Tell that to these people." She gestured to the prisoners who Irina and Xenovia were just getting out of their cages by shattering the locks with their weapons. Some of them were still looking at her in fear.
"Penemue won´t hurt you," he addressed them. "She is not like the Fallen Angels who did this to you."
"I... - I am sorry," she said. "What my kind did to you was inexcusable. The ones responsible have already paid with their lives for their crimes. Please allow us to help you."
A few of the humans were exchanging looks. Some were whispering to each other.
Many were still eying her in distrust, but at least now they cooperated with their rescuers... and they were beginning to lead the first small group of captives out. Issei, Kuroka, Xenovia and Rossweisse carried a few of the ones under them who were not able to walk anymore, while Irina and Penemue stayed behind to take care of the rest for the moment.
xxx
On their way outside, they were met by Akeno, Kiba, Koneko, and Gaeriel, who had been searching another part of the castle. They all instantly saw the devastated look on Kiba´s face... and the others realized that they saw it.
"I have killed them," he said.
"What? Who?" Xenovia asked him.
"We found something like a - a lab - in one of the other wings," Akeno told them.
"They had been experimenting there... on people," Koneko continued.
"It was just like Gaeriel said. They were doing the same sort of experiments like the - the Holy Sword Project... and Yuuto."
As the other looked at him, they all saw the blood on his blade.
"I see," Issei stated. "I can not even hold this against you... not really."
"Help us bring these people here outside," Kuroka said, "and then let us go back and get the rest of them."
Gaeriel stayed visibly in the background during the conversation. It looked nearly as if she was intentionally trying to keep some distance. No surprise actually. She had after all, until a short time ago, been part of the group who did all this.
xxx
As they arrived at the castle´s yard a minute later and placed the people they had been carrying on the ground, they were met with a surprise.
A man was standing at the opened gate. He was wearing a long grey coat... and they could see that in one of his hands he was holding a light-sword and in the other a gun... a gun that was pointed at them. It was an Exorcist.
"Ah, exactly the people I wanted to see," the figure in the coat addressed them...
... and he fired.
xxxxxxx
Raynare´s light-spear met the weapon of the Devil... and stopped it, right before he had killed the girl.
"What the...?" the Devil hissed in confusion. He would have never expected the Fallen Angel to defend the human child. She was supposed to be a disciple of Lord Faust after all.
The Fallen Angel admitted, she herself was surprised about her reaction. What the fuck was she doing? It would have been made much more sense to let this human die and act later when she would have a better opportunity. And not now, when she was facing four powerful Devils by herself.
The little girl was surprised as well. They had said they wanted to kill her. But the winged woman had actually saved her. Was she not a monster as well? Like the others.
Had she truly gone that soft? Raynare asked herself. That she would risk her own life for a human child she did not even know?
She saw the gaze Lamia was sending to her in this moment.
"I see," the Devil stated. So this is where you truly stand. I have suspected it," she said with something that nearly sounded like regret. "You could have been a powerful ally. But now it is clear that you are not truly one of us. Otherwise, you would not have batted an eyelash when this worthless creature was killed."
"This here was nothing but a test?" Raynare asked surprised.
"As Lord Faust and the others often say," Lamia´s Queen stated. "When you push people to their limits, then you can see who they truly are. And it seems now we know who you are deep down, my dear Angel," Lamia herself added sardonically. "I can see it in your eyes. You don´t believe in our cause, do you? You are not even on our side."
"No, I am not," Raynare replied.
She saw that the devil servant once again moved to kill the child. But she stopped his blade once again, used the opening in his defense, formed a second light-spear with her other hand and stabbed it right through his side right into his heart.
This, however, was not everything. Like she had learned, she concentrated her powers - not just on the body of her opponent - but at his soul... and send it over the brink of their reality.
"And another one," she said.
Her contract with Faust was now nearly fulfilled. It was not as if she had been so interested in saving the child. She had just seen an opportunity to add another soul to the ones she had already delivered. At least that was what she was telling herself.
The other three Devils were just standing and staring with open mouths as the essence of their former comrade who was literally been wiped from this universe. They could sense it. Not just the death of his body, but also what happened to his soul... what the Fallen Angel just did.
"Y - You... " Lamia stammered. "What in the world did Lord Faust teach you?" she called out. She could not believe it. This Fallen Angel was able to directly attack the souls of the living... and like the fact that they had just seen.
"Wouldn´t you know?" Raynare questioned. "After all, you know about this power as well, don´t you?" Her gaze met one of the three Devils for a few moments. The expressions on Lamia´s face told her everything.
"Tell me, why - how - did Lord Faust thought you this?" Lamia shouted now.
"A better question, why are you so surprised about this?" Raynare responded. "Tell me one thing. If I actually agreed to your pact, how exactly did you intend to help me bring Azazel back?"
Lamia didn´t answer. She was only still staring at the Fallen. But her expression gave the Fallen Angel all the answer that she needed.
"I see. You have not the slightest idea, don´t you?" she stated. "It seems that I was only wasting my time here. You cant' teach me anything. In fact, it seems that you know less than me. So how would you have any idea how to return Azazel to this world, when not even I can do it right now?"
Yes, Faust had offered her a chance to bring him back... but only if she managed to reach the power to do it by herself. Lamia had offered her a way to do it faster. But it seems it had only been a bluff from the beginning.
"I have been a loyal servant of the Lords for centuries," Lamia yelled. "Why should he show a pawn like you, who is not even one of us, more than me?"
"Yes, why? It is hard to say." Raynare grinned. "Maybe he just thinks you are worthless... Devil," she commented.
"That is enough," Lamia hissed. "Kill her," she screamed at her servants.
Raynare on her part, was ready to defend herself and then teleport away at the first chance. While the Devils had formed wards around the house, it were quite weak ones - probably not to accidentally alert their enemies in Kuoh - and she would be able to break through them easily.
"That is enough," a voice was suddenly heard throughout the room... Faust.
The member of the `Lords´ manifested himself before them in the room, as a transparent silhouette of his body. But the power he concentrated on this spot, while far from his full strength, was still several times stronger than a Maou or Seraph.
"What do you think you are doing?" he asked Lamia. His voice sounded - perhaps for the first time since Raynare met him - actually angry. Not simply controlled, triumphant, bitter or filled with an overwhelming universial hatred, like usual. But truly angry at a specific person for a specific reason... and that person just happened to be Lamia.
Raynare truly didn´t want to switch places with her.
"Master, I - ," the Devil called out, looking shocked by his appearance, "... I just wanted to help you. I knew Raynare is your student and I thought I could form an alliance with her. I thought I could win her over to us for good. But she refused... she isn´t really on our side."
"Of course she refused," he cut her off. "What did you expect? When first you offer her something that you do not possess... and then right off expect her to get along with any of your actions," he said, giving a side-glance to the human child, "without ever actually giving her anything in return? I have been in contact with Raynare for months now. And now you come with your clumsy methods and foolishness and risk to ruin the work of months... You actually managed to push her away from us." He glared at her.
"No - you cannot blame me for this," Lamia shouted. "This is not my fault. As I heard she was your student, I thought she would be loyal to our cause. How could you teach things like that to someone who is not even one of us - how could you...?"
She suddenly stopped talking and sank to the ground, as a gesture from Faust stopped her air supply.
"Do you take me for a fool," he said. "I know exactly why you did this. You had clear instructions not to interfere with my dealings with Raynare. But you had hoped she could help you to dispose of Loki, since he had usurped your leadership in your little group. So you thought you could move behind my back," he stated.
"I don´t really hold your ambitions against you," he explained. "The wish to grow is a good thing after all. But your incompetence in trying to realize them needs to be punished," he said casually.
Lamia instinctively tried to defend herself, but she couldn´t, as her own powers were suddenly directed at her body and negated all her strength. Next, to her, her remaining servants were on their knees as well.
"Let me make one thing clear," Faust told her. "Raynare and my plans for her are more important for us than you and your entire peerage. And as far as I remember, I don´t answer to you."
A wave of energy manifested itself in the room - looking similar to lightning - hitting Lamia and causing her to howl out in pain as it was ripping through her body.
Raynare watched in awe how Faust had just easily subjugated and was now casually torturing a Maou level Devil, while he was physically not even in this universe. It was nothing but terrifying... even more, however, the question how much influence he and his allies had already gained in this universe, for him to manifest so much power here.
Then he turned around to her and the girl, who was still standing silently at the side of the room.
"But maybe there is still something positive to get out of your stupidity," he said. "I will deal with you later," he told the still powerless Devil.
"Raynare," he addressed her.
"Now, I didn´t knew that you thought that highly of me," she said smugly.
"Oh, I do. The reason will become clear to you very soon," he stated. "But for now."
He turned to the human girl. "Tell me child, are you okay? Are you injured?"
She didn´t answer.
"I see," he said. "They have killed your parents, right?" he asked her.
"Yes," she answered tonelessly.
He nodded.
"Tell me, do you want her to die?" He pointed to Lamia, who was still lying on the ground.
"Yes," the girl answered once again, this time fully of hate.
The Devil in question was looking at them in shock. She knew she had, as they said it in this age, fucked up. But this? Would he, one of her masters, truly kill her, just at the request of a simple human girl?
"But I won´t kill her," he stated. This caused Lamia to relax a bit. "At least not yet," he continued. "She still has her value to me after all. Even if her current actions were short sighted and foolish."
The girl now glared at him.
Raynare held back down to urge to tell Faust to leave the girl alone. It was not as if she gave a damn. But what in the world was he hoping to achieve with this?
"Say child, do you wish you had the power to kill her yourself?" he asked her. "Do you want the power to kill people like her... people like me?"
"Yes, I do," the girl growled now.
"Do you want me to give you this power?"
"Yes," she answered once again.
"Good, very good," he said. "Do you know something, child? I will fullfil your wish."
He raised one of his phantom-like hands and Raynare watched how some of his energy was flowing into the girl. She saw how the child´s body was suddenly lifted off the ground, as more and more power was flowing into her... and she finally passed out.
"Good," Faust said once more, as the girls body sank back to the floor.
"Raynare," he then turned to her. "There is something else you should know," he told her, "about your boyfriend and his little team..." he said.
xxxxxxx
The castle in East Europe
The Exorcist was firing at them. He didn´t even seem to care if he hit Issei and the others or the human prisoners they had just freed.
But they moved and Kiba stopped the first bullet and Irina the second, with their blades.
"Who are you?" Issei asked the stranger.
"Someone who wanted to meet you and your group here Issei Hyoudou. You have known my old teacher quite well after all. My name is Angelo, Angelo Strada," he answered.
"So you are the insane Stray Exorcist we have heard about?" Xenovia questioned. "Like teacher like student, I guess."
"But you have heard about me. Good so far," the madman replied.
"I am the one who had killed Freed Selzen," Kiba declared. "I am the one you should fight."
"Do you really think I would care about that," the Stray Exorcist Angelo replied. "We both know that Master Freed was not exactly a nice guy - not that I am one to talk. And what makes you think that I will fight only one of you?"
"You can't think that you can take on all of us," Issei said. "Or you are even crazier than we thought."
"Who says that I need to fight you at once?" he asked, "and who says that I was alone?"
"You have a partner?" Xenovia questioned forcefully.
"You can call it like that," Angelo answered. "He is getting closer. He is coming for you. Don´t you sense it?"
As they concentrated, they indeed began to feel another presence far away, a terrifying presence.
Issei recognized it nearly instantly... Grendel. And the Dragon was quickly coming closer. No.
What had he done? he asked himself. Rias had tried to warn him again and again that this could be a trap... and he had not listened, just because he was angry at her. Penemue had tried to do the same thing and he had ignored her.
He truly was an idiot... and he had put everyone here in danger.
"Yes, I see you have noticed him," Angelo said, grinning `devilish´.
"Rossweisse," he turned to her - he just remembered her premonition once again... that now suddenly felt far more likely than a minute ago, "bring these people back inside... and take Gaeriel with you." His eyes turned to the Fallen Angel. "This is not her fight."
"You cannot expect me to just run away," she answered.
"Just do it, please," Issei said. "Remember your premonition? How do you think it is most likely to happen if we face a Dragon and this lunatic here?"
"If that is your wish," Rossweisse gave in. "Come with me," she said to the humans, "and you as well," she addressed Gaeriel, who looked everything but happy. "Its will become very dangerous out here every minute."
She was leading the scared humans and the Fallen Angel back inside the castle, while Angelo was only looking at them amused.
"Now we will deal with him," Issei turned to the Stray Exorcist, "at best before Grendel is here."
"You can count on us Issei-kun," Irina and Xenovia said, as they were taking positions next to Kiba and began to charge at the Exorcist, who was at first only falling back.
But he was quickly beginning to hold himself and parried first one of Kiba´s and then Xenovia´s strikes. And at the same time power started to build up inside him.
But this power... something about it felt just, wrong. A black and dangerous looking aura had begun to appear around his entire body.
[Partner, there is something definitely wrong with the power this guy is radiating] Ddraig told him. [Whatever it is, it is clearly not the one of a normal human.]
`I know,´ Issei replied in his mind.
"Issei-kun, this feeling, I have seen this before," Irina called out. "It is just like with the sect-leader that me and Xenovia had been fighting."
"She is right," her partner confirmed. "This energy is feeling nearly the same."
The power Angelo was radiating now rivaled an Ultimate-Class being... and it was still rising.
And even worse... in the distance at the horizon, they saw the Dragon Grendel appearing.
`Are you ready Ddraig?´ Issei asked him.
[I am Partner,] the Dragon answered.
Once again he activated his Balance Breaker... and went then right into Crimson Cardinal Mode.
xxxxxxx
A few dozen miles away, somewhere in the forests, a Magic Circle appeared on the ground and Raynare materialized. She had been teleporting a few times to reach this place. One more time and she would be with Issei and the others.
Faust had just told her that Lamia had the two Dragon´s that she had freed to ambush them - just when they were about to clear out a hideout of rogue Fallen, that had been following Kokabiel. And not only them, but also an insane possessed Stray Exorcist.
Why had he even told her that? He was toying with them all, like he always did. But she would also not let Issei face two Dragons without helping.
"Lady," she heard a voice coming from behind her and turned around to the girl.
She had grabbed the child as soon as she had heard Faust´s story and teleported away. Why had she even bothered to take this human along?
It was not because she cared about the little brat. But if Faust had truly given her powers, she could one day turn out to be an ideal weapon against him and his allies, she told herself. When she was grown up of course.
"You have saved me," the girl said to her. "I wanted to thank you." She still sounded strangely emotionless, probably from the shock of seeing her parents murdered like this.
`Great,´ Raynare thought sarcastically, `Another mental wreck in the making. As if they didn´t already have enough of them with Rias so called peerage.´
"Don´t misunderstand me," she replied harshly. "I just didn´t want these bastards to have their way. You shouldn´t think that I give a damn about you. I am a bitch, everyone can assure you that. Even my boyfriend thinks so."
"You're still much better than these other people," the child stated.
This only caused Raynare to frown.
"What is your name girl?" she asked.
"Yui," she said. "That man, he had done something to me, right?" the girl asked.
"Yes, he has given you power."
"Why should he do something like this? If the people who killed my parents were his servants?"
"He believes that everyone should try to get better... and stronger," Raynare stated - giving her a simplified answer, "and that everyone who can not should die."
"He is evil then," the girl commented.
"Yes... very evil," Raynare murmured. She was turning around, concentrating once again at her destination. She could sense Issei´s energy in the distance. He had powered up. She could also feel Lady Penemue and a few of Issei´s comrades... and there was at least one other great power close by.
"I need to leave now. Just wait here," the Fallen Angel told her.
"What? You can't just leave me alone," the child shouted now. She was showing emotions again... and she sounded horrified.
"Listen, I need to go to a place where there will be even more people like that. It is far safer for you to be here. I will get you later, I promise."
The next moment Raynare felt another energy approaching. It was nearing their position quickly.
One of the Dragons, she realized.
`Damn it.´ If she had met up with Issei and the others, she would have managed to help. But now.
She had grown much stronger. But this was an Evil Dragon.
Alone, against a being like this, she had no chance. Maybe she would be able to teleport around him, if she tried.
"Child," she addressed the girl, "You better get away from me now. Go hiding somewhere in the woods. Someone very very dangerous is coming our way. Like I said, I will pick you up later. And now... get lost," she growled.
xxxxxxx
Kuoh, the evening of the same day
Back in Issei´s hometown, his friends Motohama and Matsuda were meanwhile having the time of their lives. At least going by the noises - moans, and shouts - coming out of the two small cabins, where they were inside of in at the moment.
It was a public toilette, somewhere close to the park.
xxx
Their two new girlfriends had been meeting them at a spot close by.
Motohama´s girlfriend Mayuri was a cute looking, big breasted pretty girl with brown hair, that she was wearing shoulder long and big round, light brown eyes. She reminded them a bit of their classmate Murayama. That was a good thing actually, since the captain of the kendo-club was one of their `favorite´ girls to peek at.
Kaja on the other hand was more the slim `loly´ type. This made her actually ideal for Matsuda, who was a self-proclaimed lolicon. She had platinum blonde hair, about the same color as Koneko´s, that she was however often wearing in twin-ponytails, like Irina did. That made her actually look a bit like a mixture of both girls. Her breasts were however (luckily) a few sizes larger than the younger cat-girl´s. But she had a similar well shaped ass. And she had deep blue eyes.
Both of the teenage girls were wearing short miniskirts and very tight tops that also showed of their other `assets´ - Mayuri a blouse that was open in the front and gave a great look at their boobs and Kaja a skin-tight belly top, that left her midriff free. Mayuri was also wearing high heeled shoes for their double-date and Kaja platood boots, that announced their figures even more.
All in all they were both looking as skimpy as you could get. For M & M of course this was a dream come true. Hell, if they had their way, girls would be looking like this all the time... except when they were taking their clothes off, of course.
Talking about that, both of the girls seemed to be nearly as perverted as them - at least in the sense that they were willing to do absolutely everything, if they were only being asked.
Like for example just now, as they had met and the girls had seen them starring at their boobs and asses... and they had offered them sex right away... and actually proposed to go with them to the toilette-house at the edge of the park.
Yes, in their minds they were really the ideal girlfriends.
xxx
This were the thoughts going through Motohama´s mind, as the bespactacled highschool student, sitting on the toilet-seat, was watching the girl moving on his lap. He could not belief how good her pussy was feeling around his dick.
Mayuri had removed her slip and also put her big breasts out, so that he could grab, kneed and fondle them... and was now riding him wildly.
"Yes, harder... please," she moaned. "You are so good."
"Y - You are great. This is so good. I can not believe that I am finally doing this... You are truly the best girlfriend," Motohama himself said.
In one of the neighboring chambers, it was quite similar - with Kaja leaning with her arms against the wall and Matsuda fucking her from behind.
"I - I am coming Kaja," he called out.
"Yees ohh... you - you can come inside," she exclaimed. "We are both on the pill. It should be okay."
"A-and you too?" Motohama asked Mayuri...
"Yes, Ahh - please come inside me," she shouted.
"Yes," he called out as well.
A few moments later they both came and the boy releade inside of her - closely followed by the same with the other pair in the second cabin.
A short time later, as they had recovered enough, both couples were coming out again.
The girls were just leveling their clothes.
"Did you like it?" Mayuri asked `innocently´.
"Of course," both boys called out loud. "You were great."
"Can you believe it Motohama? We truly had sex."
"Yes, we did. Can you believe that Issei-kun must be doing this all the time?"
"Yeah and with all the girls in his harem," Matsuda added. "This must be so great. I wish we could do the same thing."
"Yeah," Motohama replied, "that would be so..."
"Wait a moment," Kaja said, "are you telling us that you want to have sex with other girls?" she asked.
"What? No wait, that is not what we meant," Motohama exclaimed now. "We would never cheat on you."
"Yes - I mean no, we - we didn´t mean it like that at all," Matsuda added.
Now they had done it, they both thought. Finally, after all this time, they had actually managed to get two girlfriends. They had actually been acting quite subdued in the last days - well, by their standards.
And now they would probably leave them right again. All because they couldn´t keep their big mouths shut.
The two girls exchanged a short look with each other.
"Would that make you happy?" Kaja asked.
"No - no, I mean..." Matsuda stammered.
"Okay," Mayuri said casually.
"Moment... what?" Motohama called out.
"If you want this and it makes you happy... we agree," Mayuri explained.
"Y-you - you really mean this?"
"Of course. It is the duty of a girlfriend to keep her boyfriend happy after all," Kaja said.
"We can not offer you any other girls right now however," Mayuri said, thinking for a moment. "But we can switch.
"What?"
"You can try out Kaja and Matsuda me," she stated. "Of course that would technically mean that another boy is fucking your girlfriend. But also that both of you would have another one."
"You - you really mean that?" Motohama asked.
"Of course, if it is what you want."
"What do you think?" Motohama asked Matsuda.
"I, if it means we both gain a second pussy, I am all for it. And it is a friend like you after all," Matsuda cried out. "You two are truly the best girfriends."
"Thank you," the two girls said in choir.
"We should wait a bit until you two can do again," Mayuri said, reaching her hand to Motohama´s crotch and letting her hand gliding over it.
"Just tell us when you think you can get hard again," Kaja added.
Like the girls suggested, they took a walk through the park, until they returned.
They were glad that practically nobody was here at this late time, so that the chance to be seen was pretty small.
They entered the small cabins again, this time Motohama with Kaja and Matsuda with Mayuri.
The two boys could not await their next round... and they could not wait to tell Issei about this.
None of them, at that time, would have suspected the truth about their girlfriends.
xxxxxxx
Kuoh Academy
They were ready. The three and a half Devil Peerages, as well as the White Dragon Emperor who was with them, had all gathered and were waiting to take their positions. They were preparing their trap... and the person standing in the center of it, was Rias Gremory.
"Are you sure that you want to do this?" Sona asked her. "I mean, you don´t have to risk yourself like that."
Rias gave her a painful side-glance.
"Really?" she questioned. "I have seen how you reacted to everything yesterday."
"Rias, you are still my friend, even after what happened," Sona responded.
"But you do not trust me, right?" she stated. "Not at all. Not with anything, not anymore. You are all looking at me as if I were about to stab you in the back... or as if I am beneath you."
Sona said nothing. `What did you expect?´ she was close about to say. But then she held herself back as she remembered Rias state. She might be a lying bitch, but she was still her friend.
"I can not even hold it against you," Rias said. "I have gone too far, even for a Devil. I know I deserve all this. But... I just want you all to trust me again, to look at me like I am your friend and not... a lying snake."
Now there was a visible scowl on Sona´s face.
"You don´t have to say it. I know it will be hard for me to gain all your trust back... and it will take a long time. But I will never be able to, if you don´t give me the chance - even if I have to place my life at risk. I will be the bait. Please, I need to do this."
"If that is what you want," Sona said. "The others are waiting."
They entered the currently empty sports-hall of the shool building, where the assembled Peerages of Riser, Sairaorg and Diethauser, as well as Sona´s Queen Tsubaki, Vali, Arthur and Le Fay and Asia and Gaspar, were waiting.
"You are all ready," Rias addressed them. "Then let us go."
"You will take care of things here Sona?" Sairaorg addressed her.
"Yes." She nodded. "And be careful."
A line of transport circles lighted up beneath them... and the entire combined group was gone.
xxxxxxx
They reappeared a moment later at a unpopulated area, a few miles away from Kuoh. It was the place that was the place for the meeting between Rias and Lamia.
"Good," you all know the plan," Diethauser said.
"Of course we do," Raiser replied confidently.
A few seconds later they teleported a second time.
Rias appeared alone, right at the spot where the meeting should be taking place. She would be waiting here.
The other took position at three different positions around her and hid their presence.
xxx
It was a few minutes later that yet another transport-circle appeared before her and Lamia Belial, along with her Peerage materialized themselves before her. With the losses they had recently taken, it were now 14 Devils left, their Master included. But all of them were terrifying opponents.
Lamia had by now recovered from the humiliating punishment Lord Faust had given her, physically and mentally. But she could barely contain her anger. Lord Faust had been right of course. She had meddled into his business when she had no right to...and she had failed. He had been right to punish her. He had wanted to ensnare Raynare to their side and she had only pushed her in the opposite direction. But stll...
This damned Fallen Angel, she thought angrily. Why did Lord Faust showed her powers that he had never thought to Lamia herself? Why did he favor this bitch so much? When she wasn´t even a true believer to their cause? Damn it.
As she and the others appeared, she already saw Rias Gremory standing before them, waiting. Like a puppet like her should, good. A part of her felt the urge to torment the girl a bit more, to work out her frustrations.
"I see you are here," she remarked. "Just like ordered. You have truly become a good little pet. Wouldn´t you agree?"
"If you say so Lady Belial," Rias responded meekly. A couple of months ago she would have been furious if anybody had been talking to her like that, not matter how powerful. But her pride had already been shattered to the point that nothing was left of it.
She would take everything from this bitch that she had to... and she was gladly risking her life as well, if it meant putting an end to her and starting to make up for the shit she herself had done.
xxxxxxx
Back in Kuoh, Matsuda´s and Motohama´s girlfriends had just ended their `date´ with them and were walking side by side through the streets of the town.
"And, how did you... like it?" Kaja asked her partner... and friend.
"It was... different," Mayuri admitted with a bit of hesitation. "But it felt actually nice."
"It was never like that, back in the Order, when I was called to serve Master Dumont," Kaja said.
"Master Dumont was just doing everything with us to satisfy himself and then left. But that was okay. He is the Head of our Order and one of the voices of our great Lord in this world after all. We should be happy that he would use us for his personal pleasure," Mayuri stated. "This two boys are actually trying to make us feel good."
"Yes, I understand," Kaja replied. "It felt really good with your boyfriend as well Mayuri," she added.
This caused her friend to actually flinch a little.
"It doesn´t matter," she said. "Don´t forget why we are here. Master Dumont and Lady Lamia have asked us to ask them out and to do everything to get close to Issei Hyoudou. To keep our eyes on him, befriend him if possible... and to send them all the information we can find. And they especially told us to do everything to make them happy," Mayuri reminded her. "And you know there is no greater joy than to do our holy duty for our Masters, in the name of the Allmighty himself," the girl said with falted fingers and a gleam of absolute devotion - or you could call it fanatism - in her eyes, that was for a short moment mirrored by her friend.
"That we can actually enjoy the sex is just a bonus," she said then with an a bit sly smile on her face.
"I know," Kaja said. "It is just... do you think there is a chance that maybe we could keep them... after Lord Ahriman has taken over our world and all this here is over?" she asked.
"Maybe," Mayuri replied, thinking about it. "If they are judged worthy to exist, maybe we can ask for this as our reward for our loyal service."
xxxxxxx
Eastern Europe
Raynare admitted, she was in deep shit.
The Dragon was now hanging in the sky right before her. It was actually a bizarre looking creature, with a power level, that was frightening.
She was not able to teleport. He seemed to have formed some kind of barrier around them.
The only good things were that one of the techniques she had learned from Faust allowed her to hold herself somewhat - or maybe you should rather call it `keep standing´.
`Phasing´, he had called it - the ability to move your body partly out of this dimension - and so the attacks the Dragon send to her were passing through her without causing any actual damage.
She could only hope that he didn´t figure out how to manipulate his energy to counter the technique, she thought.
That and the fact that it looked as if he wasn´t actually trying to kill her, were the only reasons she was still alive. Probably because Faust´s allies had told him to. But he was a Dragon and they were not exactly known to follow instructions. So she was lucky that she was still breathing. She was really not looking out to become a bodiless phantom again.
But if she retreated, she would not longer be able to help Issei... and he would have to deal with two Dragons. In the distance she could feel his energy, fighting with Grendel. At least like this, she was somewhat distracting the second Dragon. But she knew without the phasing- technique, she would would already be down.
Why was this overgrown lizard even here? she asked herself frustrated.
Faust must have told him that she was coming. First he send her here and then he placed this Dragon in her way.
Damn him and his sick games. Her anger was growing more and more.
"You should leave now Fallen Angel," the Dragon said to her. "I was told not to kill you. But I will if you continue to waste my time like this. I have better things to do than dealing with you."
He was treating her like an insignificant insect, she thought.
If this idiot wanted her to leave, why in the world was he even blocking her ability to transport herself away?
"Go now where you came from," the Dragon Ladon commented. "Our target is the Red Dragon Emperor. You are just a distraction."
Raynare had enough. She could not longer hold back her rage. First Faust and Lamia and their fucking mind-games and now this.
She tried to shoot a light-beam at the Dragon...
But then she realized, what just left her hand was not light-energy, but a immensely powerful blast of a dark, sinister and destructive power.
As it hit the Dragon, it - much to her surprise - actually visibly hurt him and pushed him back.
But that was nothing compared to what followed afterwards.
Suddenly an unbelievable powerful energy seemed to appear close by. One moment later Raynare realized that it was erupting from her own body.
`Yes,´ she heard a voice... inside her own mind, `Good. You are doing very well. I know it. You wish to teach this creature a lesson, that you are not one to belittle or toy with. And you want to help Issei... now that you have finally made up. I can help you with that. I am here to fullfil your wishes after all."
Raynare now realized. It was the same voice that Issei had heard in his dream months ago, the voice of Faust´s master.
"You - you are," she stammered.
"Yes."
In this moment she knew - `the smallest part of the power that restores you to life stays within you...´ she remembered what Faust had told her months ago - But... `What is the smallest part of a being beyond all Infinity?´ - becomes part of you - ... Possessed, she realized.
Faust, he had been planning this from the beginning.
Raynare felt the power flowing through her. She felt thoughts that weren´t her own, knowledge that didn´t belong to her.
In this moment she knew what Faust and his kind truly were. The were beings that had evolved themselves and their power to a higher form of existence, transcended this world and ths universe. But there was also another aspect. They had become part of something greater, something terrible. This knowledge was also one, that didn´t entirely belong to her.
The power that the Fallen Angel was radiating was now nearly as dark, destructive and terrifying as Faust´s own - not far away from rivalling even Ophis. It was a power that should have ripped her body apart many times over, if the same power wouldn´t also keeping it together. She was surrounded by an aura, blacker than the deepest night.
Black tentacles were forming themselves out of the ground, shooting upwards and wringing themselves around the shocked Dragon... and holding him in place with an unbelievable strength.
Raynare saw him struggling with some satisfaction.
She felt a hate, silent rage and hunger for destruction coursing through her like she had never known it before. But she realized that it was not longer herself, looking at the Dragon through her eyes - not only.
Supernatural flames were starting to light up around her wings... and her eyes were turning into a crimson red. It was just like the vision of Lucifer, Raynare had been shown by Faust... an Angel with burning wings.
"Now," Raynare/Ahriman said to the now helpless Ladon, "what shall we do with you? You have done your task good - very good. But my dear vessel wishes to crush you. I believe it is time for your test. Proof to me that you deserve to live. Show me why I should not rip you apart limb by limb and burn the rest of you to ashes."
The Evil Dragon was one of the strongest creatures this world had ever seen. But that was forgotten now. All he could feel was pure terror as he starred at the small part of the Absolute Monster, that was looking at him through the eyes of what had once been a Fallen Angel.
This chapter focused heavily on Raynare, while the last ones were more on Issei and the others. The reason why she is so important for the Lord´s plans is now revealed.
Next chapter will be the Final of Arc 2. Much of this one turned out to be mostly build up for it.
It turned out that Lamia actually didn´t know either how to return Azazel to the world. So her offer was mostly a bluff. Raynare realized this when she realized that her magical and supernatural knowledge already surpassed hers.
Side-note: So Matsuda and Motohama´s new girlfriends are introduced in this chapter... and as it turns out, they are two crazy cultists and easily the most fucked up people in Kuoh now. And that means something in that town.