Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD nor do I own anything from any other franchise that might pop up.

Chapter 20: Swords of the king

Tears of black blood ran down Kiba's cheeks as the blond knight roared, a terrifying sound filled with his bloodlust and rage.

Standing amidst the ruins of Kuoh academy while enshrouded in black miasma that continued to grow with every passing moment, Kiba was more monster than man now.

The malice he was exuding was suffocating and the devils had already evacuated the immediate area, the holy aura being put out by both Shinn and Kiba too much for them to take. D-13 and Valper had likewise made their own exit, leaving the chimera to duel Kiba.

"Damnit, what is going on with that sword, Ddraig, you know what that blade is don't you?"

[That is a nightmare that should have remained forgotten.]

Ddraig's words inspired confidence in no one and only served to increase their worries. "What is happening with my knight… answer me!" The worry was evident in Rias' voice and Ddraig remained silent for a few moments before speaking again.

[I believe you are all aware of the legend of Excalibur? It is the most famous sword King Arthur ever wielded, but it isn't the only one.]

"You refer to the sword in the stone then?" Xenovia spoke up at this point while still keeping an eye on the battle.

[Yes and no. The king had three swords in his life, the sword that anoints Caliburn, the sword of victory Excalibur and… the sword of peace Clarent.]

"Clarent… Kiba spoke that name before… before this." Rias wracked her brain trying to recall any scrap of information about a blade by that name and came up blank.

[Indeed. All three of them were holy swords but Clarent was unique, it was never meant to see battle. It served as an icon of peace and was only brought out to confer knighthood upon the worthy.]

"What changed?"

[King Arthur's treacherous son stole the blade and used it to wage a rebellion against his father after being denied the crown. His hatred infected the sword itself, corrupting the blade, turning it into the only holy demonic sword in existence and with it he slew his father in combat. I know not how it ended but the God of the bible sealed the sword away after Mordred's passing and records of the heretical weapon was stricken from history. I never thought I'd ever see that nightmare return.]

"He'll stop once he breaks the Excalibur, won't he?"

[…I don't know. Mordred's hatred is still very much present in the sword. That man rejected the world and everything in it, the curse on the blade reflects that. I don't think your friend will stop until he's destroyed everything or is himself destroyed.]

-line break

Clarent met Excalibur in a shower of sparks and a shockwave was released from their clash, further wrecking the area. Kiba gave an inarticulate howl before forcing the chimera back with his blade.

Beads of sweat ran down Shinn's face as the pressure mounted. While cursing up a storm, worry was starting to grow in his heart. His new body hadn't fully adapted to him yet and transforming was beyond him now… and he wasn't even sure if doing so would help against the berserk devil.

His face paled when Kiba abruptly broke away from their blade lock only to grasp Clarent with both hands and raised it above his head. The dark aura around the holy demonic sword expanded to form a skyscraper sized pillar of darkness rising into the sky.

"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE MEEEEEE!" Shinn roared to the heavens as he replicated Kiba's actions, forming his own pillar of light with Excalibur's holy aura.

Both combatants brought their weapons down at the same time, the resulting clash unleased a blast of pure energy that levelled everything within a mile of them. Anyone unfortunate enough to be caught within the blast zone had their existences extinguished instantly.

The only upside for the defenders was that no keystones were destroyed in the blast and thanks to Laserbeak's directing the battle, all friendly forces had already evacuated the area.

The devils floated high above ground zero while holding up the two exorcists. They could only watch on in stunned silence at the devastation below them, the amount of damage down was easily comparable to an ultimate class attack. This was way beyond anything they'd anticipated facing even when they heard that Kokabiel was in town.

And if the sounds of clashing metal and the occasional bursts of light coming from within the smoking ruins were anything to go by, both sides were still hard at it.

After a few tense moments of not being able to see or sense what was going on in the smoke due to all the aura pollution, a battered Shinn came flying out of it. Ploughing through one of the few remaining intact houses at supersonic speeds, he dug a long trench in the ground before coming to a halt. Somehow managing to keep hold of his sword during his flight, the blade's glow was weak and flickering intermittently.

The rest of the smoke was blown away as Kiba swung his blade outwards, releasing a shockwave to clear away the smoke.

The blond knight's appearance had changed greatly. His hair was no longer the bright gold it once was, now it had been bleached white. His eyes had likewise changed, while they continued to bleed black blood, he now had heterochromia. Right eye burned a brilliant gold while his left was an icy blue, both mismatched eyes stared at Shinn's fallen form with cold fury in them.

His uniform was a tattered mess but the black miasma surrounding him was starting to coalesce into a suit of armour.

"You will not beat me with that mockery of a sword." Kiba spoke in a whisper yet his words managed to be heard by all present, his earlier unrestrained rage had been repressed and the knight was all the more dangerous for it.

"This is impossible… I have Excalibur… how the hell can I lose?" Shinn was babbling in his inability to comprehend the situation. The sword's protection had weakened and he could feel it in his bones, it had protected him once but it would not do so against the hit like that.

"Excalibur? Foolish plebeian, do not mock me. There is no way that pathetic mockery is the sword of victory… to think even now that blade would oppose me diminished as it is…" Kiba growled and tightened his grip around Clarent.

"Just how far are you going to deny me my destiny father. Kinghood is my birth right and no one will keep me from it any more. Not the world and most certainly not you."

Kiba vanished in a burst of speed and only a panicked jerk of Shinn's arm prevented Clarent from stabbing into his heart. The tip of Kiba's sword scrapped against the flat of his opponent's blade before sliding off and impaling itself in the ground, millimetres away from Shinn.

The chimera rolled away in a panic before trying to escape. Kiba was not impressed and unleased a wave of power and sliced off Shinn's legs at the knees. Still trying to escape, he started crawling away from Kiba, dragging his body forwards with his arms.

"Trying to flee? Shameful display. To think a coward like you would sully that sword with your unworthy hands… my father must be rolling in his grave now."

"Fuck you! Who the hell are you!? How dare you do this to me!?"

"I am Mordred, son of king Arthur and rightful king. For the crime of standing against me, the punishment is death and I am your executioner." The possessed knight raised his sword overhead and brought it down on Shinn, delivering blow after blow after blow as the chimera desperately did his best to protect himself from the onslaught.

The chimera's eyes widened when he heard a distinct crack and noticed a small fracture on the blade that was emitting light. With every further strike, the fracture widened.

He was given a reprieve when several bone bullets forced Kiba/Mordred to block them and thus giving Shinn an opportunity to crawl away with all the speed he could muster.

D-13 continued firing his finger bones at the knight as he did his best to draw attention away from Shinn. When the chimera had reached a good distance from Kiba/Mordred, D-13 tossed a small crystal to him.

"Go. Get out of here, Valper-dono is waiting, the Excalibur must not fall into enemy hands. I will hold him here."

"Kuh! Like I need you to tell me that." Shinn crushed the crystal in hand and a magic circle formed around him, warping him to safety. Kiba/Mordred merely huffed as he escaped, whether or not Shinn stayed to fight mattered little to them. they'd hunt him down eventually.

Once Shinn had been safely evacuated with the Excalibur, D-13 halted his barrage and grew out two bone longswords to engage the knight. Kiba/Mordred parried the oncoming attacks with Clarent before analysing the bone wielder.

"…You are dying are you not… and still you fight me. Why throw away your life so recklessly?"

"Valper-dono is my saviour, to repay his kindness, I will fight until my dying breath. I will not allow you to impede his ambition!" D-13 shrugged off his opponent's words and redoubled his efforts. He only needed to hold out a little more before Valper could leave Kuoh with the Excalibur. From the very beginning he knew he would not live to see out the day but if he could buy victory with his life, it would be worth it in the end.

"Your loyalty is impressive… such a shame that you serve one so unworthy."

"Lies! Valper-dono is a greater man than you'll ever be!"

"Misguided fool. Valper is just another monster that needs to be put down, I will never forgive what he's done to me, to my comrades. He murdered all of us just because he could, how do you justify that? And… I remember how he addressed you earlier, he doesn't care about you, so why do you still serve him?"

"…Valper-dono saved my life. He gave me purpose. In return, my life belongs to him and I will serve to the very end."

"He used you. Abandoned you. Do you think he'll shed even a tear once you've passed? I think not. He is unworthy of your loyalty." Kiba/Mordred increased the force behind his attacks slightly and destroyed D-13's weapons before kicking him in the chest and sending him flying back.

As the bone wielder tried to rise to his feet, he started coughing up blood as his body could no longer weather the strain. His disease and the overuse of his powers had pushed his body beyond the limit and he was paying the price now.

The drugs Valper had given him had worn off and pain wracked his body. Vision blurry and limbs shaking from the strain, he still struggled to stand again. He grit is teeth in frustration when Kiba/Mordred started clapping instead of cutting him down then and there, in his opinion the teen had already written him off as less than a threat.

"Such magnificent loyalty, will you not join me? I could use someone like you in my court, loyalty like yours is hard to come by and it'd be a waste to just let you die here."

"Silence! I… I serve V-Valper-d-dono. You'd never understand!"

"I wouldn't? I serve Rias Gremory as her knight after she saved me when your master tried to have me murdered. I continue to serve because she is worthy of my loyalty. If I were ill like you are, I know for a fact that she wouldn't rest until a cure is found, unlike Valper."

"What are y-you talking about?" D-13 managed to force the words out despite the pain.

"Valper is man who managed to reforge that broken blade… incomplete as it is. That should have been impossible but he did it anyway. Do you really believe that he couldn't find a way to cure you given that? Naïve. You are nothing more than a tool to him, to be used and cast aside. You think of yourself as a servant… in his eyes you are far less than that. I can see it in his mannerisms. Hahahaha… he didn't even bother to give you a name."

"…Lie…" D-13 whispered the word as Kiba/Mordred's speech struck home and forced him to consider several points that he'd refused to entertain in the past.

The former experiment of the Sigurd institute gave a pain and sorrow filled roar as he straightened his back and punched himself in the face. "I DON'T CARE! YOU WILL NOT BREAK MY RESOLVE!"

Growing out the bones in his right arm into a lance, he dumped everything he had left into it, making it as hard as possible. Grasping it with his left, he prepared to charge at the infernal knight, even if he died in the process, he would land at least one hit on him.

"My mercy has limits, if you charge, I will cut you down." Seeing that D-13 had no intention of backing down, Kiba/Mordred sighed and shook his head. "So be it then… what a shame, if we met in another life, we might have been friends."

Giving one last defiant roar, D-13 forced his body to give everything he had in one last blow. The concrete cracked beneath his feet as he pushed off with inhuman strength, shooting towards Kiba/Mordred like a bullet, lance poised to deliver a single thrust through the heart.

Kiba/Mordred gave a small shake of his head before slashing out at D-13 with blinding speed, aiming to decapitated the misguided bone wielder in a single swing.

Neither attack connected as an instant before the two could make contact, a third figure appeared in between them, blocking both their strikes with his own weapons.

A rusty blade held off Clarent while a glowing dagger deflected the bone lance into the ground.

Head still bowed, he forced both weapons to remain where they were despite their owners attempts to overpower him. Slowly straightening his back while the blue sparks faded, he gave a grin and abruptly released his grip on his own.

While both parties were surprised by the sudden loss in resistance, he swiftly extended both arms and delivered a solid punch to their chests, sending them tumbling back.

Issei gave a short laugh as he caught his blades before they reached the ground. "Yo. Did ya miss me?"

-line break

10 minutes ago

Issei was dreaming, at least he believed he was. Standing in the middle of a grassy field, a wide lake lay before him and the sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon, colouring everything a shade of gold. A gentle breeze blew by and ruffled his hair as he turned on the spot to survey his surroundings.

A magnificent castle loomed behind him and its white walls glowed bright enough in the evening light that it still hurt to look at. Temporarily blinded by its brilliance, Issei raised his arm to block the glare until his eyes adjusted.

As he lowered his arm, he found himself face to face with an old man in a suit of battered armour with his hands folded around a rusty sword planted in the ground.

"Okay… am I dreaming?"

"You could say that." The old man gave a hearty laugh before answering Issei. "This is a manifestation of a dream I had in my youth."

"Okay… so why am I here, and who are you?" Issei tried to reach for Sentinel to no avail, whatever was going on here, he was cut off from his partner… again.

The old man gave a sad smile at Issei's question and heaved a sigh before speaking again. "I'm just a foolish old man and a terrible father with too many regrets to count. I don't know why you're here but I can only assume my desire for help called you here."

"…I see." Issei muttered and shrugged. "Well, I don't appear to be waking up anytime soon so let's hear it."

"Pardon?"

"You needed help yes? If it is within reason, I don't mind seeing if I'm able to be of assistance."

"Ahh… I would be most grateful if you succeeded." The old man closed his eyes and took a deep breath as a shudder ran through him. "Once, providence decreed that I was to be king, and become king I did. I led my people through years of conflict and suffering in search of peace. The road was long and hard and I sacrificed much on the journey."

The bitterness in his voice was palpable as he continued. "I did what I thought was right, and in doing so I turned my back on honour and betrayed the trust of my knights." He choked out a small sob at this point and Issei took the chance to interrupt.

"You're only human, people make mistakes all the time. King or not, you're hardly all-knowing or all-powerful. Don't beat yourself up over it, besides it's all in the past now, isn't it?"

"Some mistakes follow you for a lifetime and beyond. My weakness resulted in the fracturing of my kingdom and the deaths of nearly everyone who followed me."

"Oh."

"That said, my greatest failure was letting my son down… for two decades I didn't even know I had a son. Borne in secret away from my court, he set out to join my knights as soon as he was able. Unlike the others in my circle, he had no special talent, no magical ability, all he had was determination. Despite all the challenges in his path, he succeeded and became a member of my knights, never once letting the truth of his parentage slip."

The old man sighed again and seemed to age several more decades in an instant. "All he ever wanted was to make me proud… and I never figured out our relation until it was too late. I never gave him my blessing, always in the shadow of his compatriots, the resentment built in him until he was consumed by hate."

"…Why didn't he ever say anything?"

"My son believed in the value of hard work, he didn't want anything to be handed to him by virtue of his blood. I never learned the truth until the day of his rebellion, someone whispered lies in his ears and he bought into it. When we fought, he honestly believed I already knew and deliberately snubbed his efforts… given how I tended to focus more on the others, I had no way of refuting his statement… it was too late by then anyway."

Issei fidgeted uncomfortably on the spot as he listened. This wasn't a situation he could handle with his regular methods and the whole letting down family bit struck a little too close to home. "Alright, so how exactly can I help you? No offense and all but you've both been dead for quite a while now so I don't really know how I can help now."

"My son isn't dead. He was sealed away with his sword and I can feel that he has returned to this world. I fear his hate is still in control of him, please, stop him, save him from himself."

"Uh… I'm not sure if I'm the man you should be looking for but I'll do my best."

"Thank you." The first genuine smile lit up the old man's face and he gestured for Issei to pick up the rusty sword. As Issei did so, the world started to fade to white as knowledge was rushed into his mind.

His eyes snapped open as soon as the world faded entirely and he awoke to find himself lying on a bed with both the rusty sword and his holy dagger lying on his chest.

"Awake are you, I'll get the admiral on the line."

"No time doc, I'm needed elsewhere." Issei said as he grasped both weapons in hand and had another info dump courtesy of his familiar back in Kuoh. The situation had gone completely pear shaped and he didn't have time to stick around any longer.

"Haaah… you're just like the major aren't you, I guess telling you to stay in bed isn't going to work? Haaaah, just try not to get yourself hurt again."

"No promises doc." Issei gave the doctor a smile and vanished in a burst of sparks.

-line break

"Why do you interfere? He is an enemy is he not? Why would you protect him?"

"Protect him? If he lives, he lives. I'm here to stop you. Get out of my friend's body you damned ghost." Issei didn't budge from where he stood between his possessed friend and D-13, rusty sword directed at Kiba/Mordred.

"You dare oppose me? I can tell you are weakened and all you have is a rusty blade and a dagger, what could you possibly hope to accomplish?" The knight gave an unamused huff at Issei.

The bone wielder for his part didn't question the fortuitous turn of events and used what energy he had left to escape. With infighting between his enemies, he wasn't needed here any longer. Rendezvousing with Valper was his new priority.

"Issei!" Haruna called out to her brother as she landed besides him.

"Nee-san, leave Kiba to me. Help the rest, there's less than twenty minutes left before the real Kuoh returns. Every stray exorcist and hostile fallen here must be defeated before then."

"You sure you can handle it? You don't look too good." Despite appearances, Issei hadn't recovered from his earlier beating and his condition was obvious to his sister.

"Of course, nee-san, I just need to knock some sense into him… I'll be fine."

"…Fine, I'll trust you, but be careful, that sword isn't normal." Pushing aside her own worries, the Sekiryuutei gave Issei a word of warning before using gift on him. "Here, a boost for luck."

Euphoria filled Issei as the boost of power he received far exceeded his expectations, the power boost from his own twice critical could hardly compare to this. He nodded as Haruna gave him a pat on the back before flying off.

"I'm surprised you didn't attack just now."

"I will not stoop to such dishonourable means."

"Heh, I thought I told you this already, save the honour for duels." Issei warped behind Kiba/Mordred and lashed out with his dagger, attempting to plant the blade between in his back.

His strike was countered with a sudden backhand and the fight was on.

Issei promoted to knight and used his own speed to keep up with his opponent who seemed to grow stronger with every second that passed.

Both combatants became blurs as their battle raged on, only the sparks from their clashing blades marked their positions.

When they finally separated, Kiba/Mordred was none the worse for wear while Issei was breathing hard, the holy aura being exuded from Clarent was starting to take its toll on him despite the boost he received.

"What do you even fight for?"

"Vengeance, this world rejected me and so I will burn it all to ash."

"And what about Rias then? Didn't you swear to serve her loyally as her knight? She is your king."

"I HAVE NO KING/Of course I serve Rias. GRRAGGHHHH!" The conflict between the two sides gave the possessed knight a massive headache as the two failed to reconcile their desires.

While he was distracted, Issei tried to attack again. Thrusting his sword straight for the heart, he missed when Kiba/Mordred proved to be lucid enough to deflect the blow. The follow up with the dagger was likewise evaded and Issei received a knee to the chest for his efforts.

"Peh, and you want to burn the world to ash? What about all the innocents then? You gonna burn em all too? And you call yourself a knight."

"Silence! There are no innocents! Just ingrates who haven't betrayed me yet. I will be king!" The Mordred persona temporarily overpowered Kiba's as he started a furious series of attacks on Issei to shut him up.

Issei grunted as he blocked an overhead blow with his own sword, the force of the impact driving him to his knees and as the blows continued to rain down, the ground cracked beneath him.

"Betray you? Oh that's rich, you're the one who betrayed everything you stood for. Tell me ghost, why did you become a knight again?"

"What kind of question is that!? I became a knight to earn my father's respect, but the fool spat on my efforts and paid the price for it."

Issei took advantage of an opening that appeared as a result of Mordred's agitation and rammed his shoulder into his stomach, bowling the knight over. All semblance of a sword fight disappeared as the duo rolled on the ground in a mess of limbs, kicking and punching at each other all the way.

"Quit lying to yourself you self-absorbed piece of shit."

"You dare insult your kin-" Issei managed to break free from the tangle and slammed his boot into Mordred's face. "I dare. There are other ways you could have earned your old man's respect, so why did you become a knight of all things."

"I swore that I'd protect those unable to protect themselves. For too long, those in power have oppressed those without. I am the sword of the weak! You will not insult my resolve!" Mordred roared as he resumed his attack.

"Ah good, so you do remember. Now tell me asshole, just how will burning everything to ash protect the 'weak'. The way I see it, they need protection from you!"

"That is… I… I… Guh! My head it hurts!"

"You destroyed the kingdom your father fought for after you got suckered into believing those lies. Wanna know a secret? Your old man never knew you were his son until you ran him through."

"That is impossible! Marquis Cypher… he told me, he told me my father knew. He showed me proof! I saw the documents!"

'Cypher again? Holy shit, is there anything he's not involved in?' Issei absorbed that little tidbit without allowing his surprise to show. Maintaining a calm façade, he slowly approached the possessed knight who had fallen to his knees by this point.

"Oh he lied alright, and I'm ashamed you believed him. I only met King Arthur for a few minutes, and you know him better than I do. Tell me, is he the kind of person to commit the kind of actions you're accusing him of? He knew you came back and instead of asking me to put you down like a rabid dog, he asked me to save your soul… is that the kind of person who'd spit on his son's efforts?"

"I… I… It was all for nothing then. I… I… ugh!"

"Come on Kiba, I know you're listening. Get out here now, you are the knight of Rias Gremory are you not? You told me you wanted to stop Valper, well he's getting away. Are you just going to accept that? Is your resolve to avenge your comrades and prevent such a tragedy from happening again this weak? Are you going to just sit there and be consumed by your own hatred? Stand."

-line break

Kiba was adrift in an endless sea of misery and torment. Waves of hatred and pain broke over him, pulled him under and then tossed him back to the surface. The waters were in upheaval as emotions ran rampant.

Which of it was his and which belonged to the spirit sealed into his sacred gear he didn't know. All he knew was that he had no control over where he was going.

Issei's words drifted to his ears and woke something in him. His identity came back to him slowly and he started to struggle again. Grabbing hold of the one thing keeping him afloat, a small orb of light close to his heart, he fought to return.

Bit by bit, his strength came back and with it his resolve. Despite his predicament, he found himself at peace as he held the light close to himself.

"The hatred of my comrades for what was done to us, vengeance for them, I swore it all didn't I?" Kiba gave a self-deprecating smile as he started to impose order on his surroundings with his will.

"I've been a fool. My comrades… my family… they never wanted vengeance at all, just that I'd be alright. That I live my life my way for those who couldn't make it. Ise-san was right after all… and they've always been with me… from the very beginning."

He could feel them now, the presence of his former comrades. The orb Valper discarded, it was the impetus for his revival.

"It's not over yet. Valper still lives, as long as he does, the tragedy will repeat again. I will not allow it. we will not allow it."

Kiba relaxed his grip on the orb and allowed its light to shine through the gaps between his fingers. The illumination cutting through the darkness and washing away the hatred, replacing the cold with warmth.

-line break

The first sign that his words had gotten through to his friend was when Kiba's right eye reverted to its original grey. Issei cracked a small smile at that sight as he stored his dagger in his sacred gear before extending his hand. The grin widened when Kiba took it.

The knight blinked in surprise when Issei presented him with the rusty sword he'd been wielding for the battle. Kiba recognised it as the sword Issei had recovered from the forest of the familiars and he gave the pawn a questioning glance.

"Take it, you were always meant to wield this sword I think. I'm just the delivery boy."

"Why?"

"Because of who you are and what was done to you I guess. It's only fitting. Whether you are Kiba Yuuto or Mordred, this blade is tied to you. It will accept no one else as its master. Take it."

Trusting Issei's words despite not understanding the significance of it, Kiba shifted Clarent into his left hand and grasped the proffered blade with his right.

He gasped when the sword started emitting bright gold light as soon as his hand closed around its hilt. The holy aura pouring off the blade was unmistakable and it exceeded even that of Shinn's sword. Remarkably, it hurt neither of the devils in its presence and instead washed away their fatigue. Even the hatred and miasma being emitted by Clarent was purged.

When the light faded, a simple longsword remained. Runes were etched on both sides of the blade and the sword thrummed with power. "This is…"

"Excalibur. A gift from a grieving father to his son."

"…I really have been a fool. Father… I'm sorry." Mordred's voice left Kiba's mouth and it lacked any of the hatred that infected his earlier words. Unlike Clarent, Arthur's soul wasn't sealed in the sword but the knight could still feel the lingering emotions held in the blade and for the first time since his descent into darkness, he wept.

As Mordred's presence retreated, Kiba was left alone in his mind again and he returned his attention to Issei. "I… thank you."

"No time for that right now. There's only ten minutes left. Valper is with Kokabiel and they must be stopped. My familiar will guide you to them."

"And the chimera with the false Excalibur?"

"I have a score to settle with him. As for the sword…" Issei summoned his holy dagger back to hand. "Someone like that monster has no right even touching it, let alone wielding it. I'm going to fix the blade… who knows maybe it'll find me worthy"

Kiba nodded and gave his thanks one more time before flying off when he received instructions from Issei's eye in the sky, leaving the pawn on the ground.

Issei watched his friend for a few seconds more as he flew off before closing his eyes and feeling for the connection the stolen holy sword had to his dagger. He found it soon enough and his eyes snapped open as he prepared to warp to its location, using the connection as a marker for his teleportation.

"Just wait a bit longer, I'll restore you to your glory, Caliburn."

Author's notes: Arthurian mythos are cool. Giving Kiba Clarent just kinda fits in my twisted mind. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, leave a review if you think I can improve on something somewhere. Can't exactly spot any mistakes if no one points them out. This arc should wrap up in the next 2 chapters, just in time for university. The fic will probably go on a 1 month hiatus until things settle.