Edit: I have just realised something...I think I have never had the time to reply all the reviews for this stories. Thank you so very much for all the wonderful reviews and views for this story, I apologise for not replying each and every one, but please know that I have read it and taken note (especially those pointing out plots etc) of every one of them! I will try to reply from now onwards, but once again thank you very much for all the reviews!
Unbeta-d. Feel free to point out grammar or sentence mistakes.
Disclaimer: DGM does not belong to me.
Warning: Noah!Exorcist. Shounen-ai.
20. Beginning of the end
He couldn't hear the clashes of metal, the explosions nor the battle cries that resounded across the battlefield, not when his vision was solely focused on finding the person who made all this happen in the first place. Dodging both Akuma and Exorcists, he pulled his hood up higher to avoid being detected, but he was sure it was only a matter of time before someone called attention to his person.
He passed Lavi, who was fighting barehanded with some of the newer Exorcists whose names he never got to learn. Tyki was not far from the redhead, ready to intervene if necessary.
He passed Miranda and Krory, who were standing back to back as they fended off Finders who were trying to raise the barriers to trap the Akuma.
Lenalee, who was in the air, slicing and kicking all the air borne Akuma, with Link by her side, which took him by surprise a little, but this was not the time to analyse.
Kanda was within his sight, following him closely, but not close enough to be obvious to outsiders. Inside, Allen was thankful for Kanda's silent support, cutting down a path for him to take.
Slowly, things were coming together as he finally spotted the person he had been looking for, standing high up the building, looking down on the battle. His eyes narrowed as he climbed the structure, finally coming face to face with him.
"Allen Walker."
Throwing his hood back, Allen smiled lightly, ignoring Kanda who was hissing behind him. Komui and Reever, as well as a few others from the Science Department stood around Leverrier, and the Chinese man could barely contained his surprise at seeing Allen in person.
"Allen-kun!" Allen smiled warmly at him, but it quickly turned cold as he brought his attention back to the other man.
"Good evening, Leverrier."
The older man smirked, not at all surprised to see the ex-Exorcist. "Come to deliver yourself for judgement?"
"Only in your dreams!" Allen snarled, rushing forward to land a blow on him, which Leverrier avoided with ease, even the second attack from Kanda who had followed up with Allen.
Leverrier merely smirked at the two Exorcists-turned-Noah as they turned towards him again. Kanda raised his blade, preparing to launch another attack, when Allen put his hand on the Japanese youth's shoulder, silently telling him to back down.
The few Exorcists near them tried to fight their way towards their leader, however the higher level Akuma had followed Allen up, so they were trying hard to even survive the fight. Komui and the rest of the Science Department had moved away from them, afraid of being caught up in the battle. Reever had a tight grip on Komui, as he was struggling to intervene. Allen ignored them all, and instead turned to Kanda, one eye still on Leverrier, who seemed content to wait for their next move.
"Go back down, find Tyki." He muttered, and though reluctant to leave Allen, Kanda understood the need to find the older Noah. Nodding stiffly, he sent one last glare towards Leverrier before jumping down the building.
"No lapdog to fight for you now." Leverrier said, smirking when he noticed Allen clenching his hand at his comment.
"Same could be said to you…" Allen gritted through his teeth, as he raised his hand, his eyes never leaving the form of Leverrier, who was very suddenly grinning widely at the British man.
"Earl."
A bright light surged across the area of Headquarters, and she barely had time to cover her eyes as someone grabbed her, throwing them across the sky and into a tree, narrowly avoiding a few Akuma on the way. She immediately struggled within the hold of the person, her eyes refusing to open as the light was too bright still.
"Lee!" The familiar voice stopped her from lashing out as she was finally able to open her eyes. Seeing blonde hair in front of her confirmed who it was, and she turned her attention towards the source of light, which was slowly dying down. Lenalee gasped, her eyes widening as she caught sight of a flash of white, and a very familiar sword.
"Is that…Crown Clown?" She whispered, grasping the front of the person in front of her. Her hands were shaking, as though she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Even in such a distance she could see the figure starting to move, her breath hitched when she realised that this was real.
Link's eyes were also on the tower, his mouth opened slightly in surprised as he took in the scene. The whole battle had paused when the light appeared, and like the two, everyone, both Order and Akuma on the battlefield were surprised and shocked to see the unmistakable white cape of Crown Clown, and the man they thought to have betrayed the Order by throwing away his Innocence, pointing his sword at the Earl, Leverrier nowhere in sight.
Down on the field, the Exorcists-turned-Noah also had their Innocence out and activated, the same time Crown Clown appeared, a pillar of light came down from the sky.
"Ten Ban; Raitei Kaiten!" The storm hit various Akuma scattered across the field, reducing their numbers by at least half as the Exorcists and Finders on the field tried to understand what was happening. The lighting from the sky cleared and not even bodies of Akuma were left behind on the smoking ground.
"Time record; Time out!" Barriers covering the Finders negated the attacks from Akuma that would have killed them. Those who had never seen the barrier before gasped in fear, while the ones familiar with it were filled with relief. They turned towards the only two who could have performed the skills.
Lavi and Miranda, who had been battling with the Exorcists up to the point when Crown Clown appeared, had suddenly turned around, changing the aim of their attacks and destroying the Akuma that surrounded them.
"That, my young ones, is how you take out Akuma." Lavi grinned at the confused Exorcists who weren't sure if they should continue attacking the former Exorcists, seeing as Lavi just destroyed the Akuma around them, and Miranda merely smiled.
"But why-" A Finder said, before another familiar wall of barriers started coming up all around the Finders and fallen Exorcists, and even for those Exorcists still in battle. Startled cries sounded across, and confusion was all around as they tried to puzzle out if they were captured or protected in the barrier. In the midst of all the confusion, a chuckle resounded, and four figures step out into the clearing, right in the middle of the battles.
"Shut up and stay in those barriers, kids."
Lenalee looked down when the cries stopped, her eyes widened again as she took in who had just stepped into the clearing where Lavi and Miranda still stood. The former grinned as he swept his hair back to reveal a clear forehead, no longer lined with the crosses of a Noah, and peeled off his blazer, tossing it to the side and pulling out his orange scarf as though from thin air, wrapping it around his neck. Miranda's smile started to shake a little even as she tied back her hair and nodded to the others.
"Judgement; Genzai no ya."
"Lau Jimin."
"Maker of Eden; Art."
"Madness; Cremation dance."
Explosions and cries once again filled the clearing as the huge wave of Akuma were destroyed, both on ground and in air, and all the Exorcists and Finders within the barrier could only stare in awe and slight fear, as the smoke cleared and more people stepped into the clearing. The familiar black coats of the Exorcists and the white of the Finders were the only thing that stop them from trying to break down the barrier protecting them, and as the Order started recognising the people, they could only stare in confusion, and some even started crying in outrage. But most of all, cheers and cries of relief started up, as the newly appeared people started helping with the wounded and battles.
Cross smirked, cocking his Innocence as Maria rose up behind him. Cloud rolled her eyes from her perch atop Lau Jimin, and Tiedoll merely smiled. Sokaro however, grinned as he lifted his blade.
"Let's clean up, shall we?"
Tyki sighed heavily, jumping down from the tree as he deflected an attack towards his direction with one hand, his golden eyes narrowing. The Finders who the attack had been directed at flinched when they saw who it was, but Tyki ignored them, staring at a space somewhere in front of them.
"This is your answer, Tyki?" A feminine voice echoed through the forest. The Finders that stood behind him stared at his back in awe and fear, looking around for the voice.
The Noah of Pleasure smirked, raising his hand as he adjusted the gloves he wore. As he lifted his hand to cover his eyes, he shook his head. "I did wonder where you went off to, but I guessed as much." His hand slid down his face, revealing a sadistic smirk. "I've always wondered what it felt like to fight against a Noah." The darkness inside him was purring in delight at the thought, and he raised his hand to summon a Teez-
"Ningen; Hakka Tourou!"
Barely dodging to the back and avoiding the slashes that came down, Tyki glared up at the figure that landed in front of him, even as Kanda turned to look at him over his shoulder and smirked.
"Getting slow there, old man."
Vein ticking, the Noah stood up and turned, so that they were back to back, even as Kanda snapped at the Finders to get out of the way. "I thought you were with the youngster." Tyki said, his eyes scanning the clearing.
Adjusting his grip on Mugen, Kanda snorted. "He's got it under control."
Lulubell and Road stepped out from behind the tree, and in Road's hand, the very familiar form of an umbrella cackled.
"Lero!"
Road pouted, swinging the umbrella back and forth like she always did as she sighed at Tyki. "Come on Tyki, you're supposed to be on our side!" She whined, her brows furrowing as she tried to understand his logic of siding with the Exorcists.
"I knew there was something wrong with the new Noahs." Lulubell said calmly, walking towards Tyki and Kanda, who tightened his grip on Mugen. "It was impossible for Allen Walker to be a Noah taking over the Earl."
"Well, he is still a Noah, the Fourteenth is still him, isn't it?" Tyki countered, but he readied himself for the strike he knew was coming.
"The Earl was merely bidding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to come back to his stage." Lulubell replied, hand raised. "And this time, we will exterminate all the Exorcists, including you, if you stand in our way." Behind her, Road also raised her hands, her candles appearing beside her, and Lero still continued to cackle in delight.
Kanda smirked, adjusting his grip again, while Tyki summoned his Teez.
"Bring it."
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