Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
A/N: Hmm, I guess I'm not the most patient person after all… Oh, well, I've got a few chapters in reserve and I've been eagerly waiting to post chapter 22, so I figured I'd take a step closer to that.
This chapter was one that I liked, as it's a combination of dialogue amongst a variety of characters and action. I've heard what some of you have said about how I wrote the Kokabiel fight and I agree with you. It's not my best, so in an attempt to redeem myself, I took extra care with the latter half of this chapter.
I made sure to keep the battles as a fluid as I could, in order to avoid what I did last time. It helps that there isn't an abundance of dialogue interspersed amongst the combat, but that's neither here nor there.
Chapter 22 will be up next week and then I'll drop to a bimonthly update schedule, because I want to leave you guys with a battle I hope you guys enjoy.
Harem list: Sona, Tsubaki, Akeno, Xenovia, Koneko, Serafall, Kuroka
Read/review/enjoy!
The Bloodstained Omamori
Chapter Twenty One
Crashing the Party
All of us now stood inside of the meeting room. In the center of the room sat a circular table in which the leaders of the Factions sat and behind them stood their escorts. Rias and her Peerage, minus Koneko and Gasper, stood behind Sirzechs and Grayfia; while Sona, Tsubaki and I stood behind Serafall. Michael and a woman with long curly blonde hair and buxom figure, the Seraph Gabriel, had Fate and Irina taking their place behind the two of them, while behind Azazel was Vali leaning against the far wall.
Currently, Rias and Sona were in front of all of us, giving their perspectives on the events that night. Primarily, it was Rias who spoke as she was the person who was around the majority of the combat that had occurred, but Sona supplied the information that had occurred outside of the battle. They had even created a video out of magic to use as a visual aide to their explanations. All in all, for this being a meeting with an intent to create a lasting peace, it felt more like a presentation made in front of a class for a grade.
I don't know whether that speaks of the incredulity of the situation or my own personal sense of prioritization…
"That finishes our explanation of the events of that night." Rias said as she and Sona bowed their heads to the leaders of the Three Factions.
Sirzechs smiled at Rias and nodded to her. "Thank you for your hard work, Rias, Sona."
"It is an honor, Onii-sama, Leviathan-sama."
Serafall beamed at her younger sister. "Thanks, Rias-chan, Sona-chan!" Sona flushed in response to her sister's overly affectionate gratitude and simple nodded and made her way back to Tsubaki and I. When she stepped between the two of us, I playfully poked her in the side and subtly congratulating her with a small smile. However, my attention was quickly pulled from her when Serafall caught my attention. "Daisuke-chan, would you give us your telling of the battle?"
I looked up to her with a confused look, as Rias had already told them exactly what had happened. However, I could say anything, another voice broke into the conversation. "I have to admit, I too am curious as to Daisuke-kun's view on the battle. Unlike my little sister, he has years more experience when it comes to combat." Sirzechs cut in with an easy going smile.
Nodding once, while hiding my resignation, I stepped forward and cleared my throat. "Honestly, I don't think there's more to it than what Rias-san has already stated, but I'll try to pick up what she may have missed." Pausing, I released a breath and decided to treat it like one of my old briefings from when I was an Exorcist. "From a strategic standpoint, the battle was an utter flop." The adults at the table simply nodded, as they too clearly understand the difference between a strategic success and a simple success. I heard a soft, yet easily missed, confused sound from behind me. Truthfully, the only escorts who had understood what I said were Fate and Vali, the latter of which regarding me with a look of interest. "To elaborate for those who don't understand, we won, but it came at a cost. From a personal standpoint, we won on all accounts, injuries were not minimal but manageable, everyone was alive and the enemy was defeated." I grimaced as I continued, "On a strategic standpoint, it was a pyrrhic victory. We defeated the enemy, but it was at the cost of a near-fatality, exhausting everyone's stamina, quite a few were unable to walk off of the battlefield with their own strength and the most experienced and strongest combatant within the temporary Exorcist-Devil alliance was rendered unconscious from overexertion immediately after the defeat of Kokabiel." I scowled at that and crossed my arms. "If this was an attempt to ignite war on behalf of Grigori, then it would've ended in their success the moment the Hakuryuuko appeared." At that, I looked directly to Vali and continued, "All in all, it would've ended up as a flop and we would all be at war this very moment…"
When I said that, I couldn't help but notice the smallest traces of a smirk on Vali's face as he returned my gaze; a hint of challenge of in his eyes as he adjusted his stance.
I was unsure of what everyone thought of my words, but I was beginning to feel rather pissed off at myself. The near-fatality and falling unconscious from overexertion was all me and I was ashamed to have it happened. I could have made a much larger difference if I wasn't so afraid of losing control. Though the battle was a group effort, I was the one who held everyone back with my indecision.
"Thankfully, it did not come to that, Daisuke-kun." My thoughts were interrupted as I looked to the source. Gabriel smiled reassuringly as she looked to me. "All of you did what you could to prevent the worse from happening and did so admirably. Dwelling on the past and accentuating the negative holds you back from doing what's right in the present." She paused and cocked her head to the side. "Is that not what your sword master, Griselda Quarta, tells you at times?"
I flushed, both in apprehension at the mention Griselda-sama's name and at the fact that Gabriel was giving me quite the beautiful smile. Clearing my throat, I tried to both collect myself and remain professional. "I-Indeed she did, Gabriel-sama."
At the same time, I couldn't help but notice Serafall scowling angrily as she subtly looked between Gabriel and me. She casually crossed her arms and gave Gabriel a restrained, but calm look…in other words, the stink eye.
Azazel, on the other hand, was grinning like a fool, subtly looking back and forth between the female Seraph and me. Though I couldn't help but notice a subtle twitch of his brow.
"It is as my sister said. The worse did not come to pass and all of you did your part admirably." Michael spoke with a kind smile.
"Thank you for your kind words, Michael-sama, Gabriel-sama." In spite of my normally flippant attitude, I can be professional and respectful, but you just have to earn it.
Serafall turned back to me and smiled a hundred watt smile. "Thank you, Daisuke-chan. You go back to stand with Sona-chan."
I bowed my head to her, returning the smile. "Anytime, Serafall-chan." That garnered a small flush of the Leviathan's cheeks, a chuckle from Sirzechs and a scowl from Grayfia. Azazel simply let out a small laugh and shook his head. Michael sighed while Gabriel cocked her head to the side, looking as though she didn't know why everyone was reacting to my casual words. I returned to my place on Sona's left, to which she regarded me with a warning glare. I looked to Fate to see her resting her head on a pair of outstretched fingers, shaking her head with an exasperated smile on her face.
Sirzechs then turned to the table proper, "Is there anything the Fallen Angel Faction would like to add before we move on?"
Azazel leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms with a small smirk. "There's nothing to be said, truthfully. I had no idea of his actions. Before, all I did know is that he truly wanted to resume the War. Kokabiel has always been frustrated with me pulling Grigori out of the War first."
"You truly had no idea what Kokabiel was intending to do?" Michael asked him, to which Azazel shook his head in response.
"I was always wary of his actions, but there wasn't much I could've done without raising suspicion. I just let him do as he pleased until I figured out his plans."
Serafall scowled at him, "Even though you knew of his desire for War, you let him do what he wanted? That was irresponsible of you."
"Why would I have been worried? Everything Kokabiel tried to do was stopped at every turn by my boy over there." He gestured to me with what looked like a proud smirk. "Even if I did allow him leeway for his actions, I knew that he'd be held back every step of the way." He then chuckled to himself, "In the end, I can see it was unnecessary for me to actually infiltrate this city, as it was taken care of in the end." Smirking lightly, his eyes flickered to Issei, then to me. "I still would've entered this city, regardless, though. It is an interesting one after all."
Sirzechs frowned severely at him. "Do not sway from topic at hand."
Azazel jerked a thumb at Vali. "Even if things got out of hand, I had the Hakuryuuko in reserve. Everything would've worked itself out."
"The true motive behind Kokabiel's actions was War, then? It is no underestimation to say that he found you to be an inadequate Governor General for Grigori." Gabriel interjected calmly
Yes! Yes! For the sake of all that is a pain in my ass, that is what I've been saying during my tenure as an Exorcist, then Devil! That warmonger wanted nothing but for war to break out! Sheesh, this is why I hate politics…
"As I said before, Kokabiel felt dissatisfied with the outcome of the previous Great War. Frankly, the last thing I want is war. I have a multitude of hobbies I'd rather take part in than fight a pointless battle." Azazel explained with a shrug.
Serafall frowned, "He disregarded you as an unsatisfactory leader, then."
A wry smirk appeared on his face. "It seems I'm not the only one with problems like that, huh?" That garnered an uncharacteristic scowl from the female Maou.
However, before anything more could be said, Sirzechs cut in. "That has no bearing on the subject of this meeting. Our objective is-"
"Can we stop this circular talk and declare peace already?" Azazel cut off Sirzechs with an easygoing smile. That got a collection of surprised reactions from Rias and her Peerage. I could tell Sona was surprised as well, but she didn't react overtly, only tensing lightly as her eyes widened subtly; Tsubaki as well. Personally, I wanted to roll my eyes at their reactions; was it that surprising that someone as flippant as Azazel just wanted peace, if only to fulfill his lazy hobbies. "After all, isn't that the point of this meeting? That is something all of us here want, right?"
The room fell into a temporary silence as people took in Azazel's words. I, on other hand, as someone who just wanted to skip all of the political bullshit, just tried to hold back an exasperated sigh. This is why I had a dislike for bureaucracy, even if the person in power was someone I was fond of; there was just so much verbal garbage that people had to sift through in order to get to the heart of the matter.
Unfortunately, as I tried to stay awake during the speaking, something in back of my mind sent a jolt through my body. Senses honed and trained during my growth as a Magician started to go off in abandon. Eyes narrowed as they flickered towards the window. Someone had either cast a spell or was gathering magical energy in order to power a stronger spell. I wanted to go to the window to check, but that would cause them to ask questions and worsen the already stressful situation.
"This three way stand-off is nothing but bad news for this world. Don't you think?" Azazel finished, leaning on his hand.
There was a moment of silence before the next person, Michael, spoke, "Those who started the War, God and the original Maou, are dead after all." At that, I looked towards Irina, feeling a sense of melancholy set in as I saw the downtrodden look in her eyes. It seems she was told after all…
"That's why we have to two individuals here, who, while not a part of the stand-off, have the power to change the world. The Sekiryuutei and the Hakuryuuko. I'd like to hear your thoughts on the situation…" Azazel said as he waved a hand towards Vali, not bothering to turn around.
The silver haired youth simply smirked. "Honestly, I don't care. I just want to fight strong people."
"You don't need a war to fight strong people."
"I figured you'd say that."
At that, Azazel turned his attention to Issei, "Well, Sekiryuutei, what do you think?"
That caused the boy to fidget lightly as he chuckled nervously. "Ah, that's, uh, quite a bit to process… I don't think I could answer that on the spot."
Before Azazel could respond, I cut in, "Issei, think of it this way: if there's war, then you won't have the time to further that dream of yours. If there's war, you'll never gain that harem you desire. But if there's peace, then you're free to take all the time in the world to go hunting, all in the name of stealing the hearts of the women you fancy." A faint smirk appeared on my face as I took in the contemplative look on his face.
That caused Issei's eyes to widen as he took everything I said to heart.
Azazel chuckled lightly, "Daisuke's right. War would lead to the death of countless beautiful women; but if there's peace, then it would lead to survival and reproduction of the various species."
"Reproduction…" A wide smile appeared on his face as he leaned forward in anticipation. "Are you serious?!"
"That's right. Every night, you and Rias Gremory could be making babies." That led to Rias flushing as she voiced her embarrassment; even the ever-stoic Grayfia released an exasperated sigh. Whether it was at my father's roundabout way to influence Issei, of the latter's excited reaction to it, I honestly don't know. I'm leaning towards all of the above, truthfully. "Peace would lead to lots of baby-making, while war would lead to none at all. How's that, simple enough for you?" He smirked at the wide-eyed awed look Issei had.
Several moments of silence pervaded the room as Issei contemplated the idea. Then a wide grin appeared on his face as he threw a fist into the air. "I want peace! Let's make peace; not war! I want to make love with Buchou!"
That caused me to snort out a small laugh as I saw Sona shake her head with a scowl on her face, even Tsubaki was going as far as palming her face with a faint groan. The rest of Rias's Peerage reacted with a hint of exasperation. While Rias herself was blushing up a storm and giving her Pawn a faint glare.
"Um, Issei-kun… Sirzechs-sama is in the room, you know." Kiba said sheepishly. However, the Maou simply laughed to himself softly.
A look of horror appeared on his face as he finally realized what he said out loud. A soft chuckle escaped him as he scratched the back of his sheepishly. "I've long since accepted that I'm an idiot; I don't even know half the stuff all of you were talking about. But, what I do know is that the power I hold inside me is strong, I'll use it for my comrades. Buchou, Asia and the others; if they're in danger then I'll do my best to protect them." Issei paused, clenching his fist and looked at it with determination. "I'm not as strong as others, but I don't care. If I have to put my life on the line in order to make sure they're safe, then I'll fight alongside them." He finished with conviction, earning proud looks from quite a few people in the room.
I chuckled to myself. "Take it from me, Issei, learn some self-control. It saves you from embarrassing yourself and others." I smirked as I crossed my arms. That caused him to hunch forward, but I continued regardless. "Still, that was a cool to say. Keep that up, and less people will think you're only a raging pervert." I finished with a wide grin, leading to Issei rubbing the back of his sheepishly.
"I was also thinking telling you the same, Daisuke. You obviously want to prevent war, so my message about peace and babies goes double to you." Azazel grinned playfully at me. "After all, with all of the women in your life, I'm looking forward to quite the litter of grandchildren."
I felt my flush heavily as I gave him an exasperated glare. "I shouldn't have to tell you the same thing I told Issei, Old Man! Learn some damn tact!" Out of my periphery, I couldn't help but notice Sona flush and look down while covering her mouth with a hand. Tsubaki was also blushing heavily, though she was weathering it much better than Sona.
Akeno had a pleasant blush as she seemed to be smiling. Xenovia had simply crossed her arms and nodded resolutely, causing me to look at her with wide eyes. Even Serafall was reacting in some way, a small smile playing on her face as she seemed to start daydreaming.
Thankfully, someone was merciful enough to change the subject. "There was something that you wanted to ask me, Sekiryuutei?" Michael turned his attention to Issei, which in turn caused everyone else in the room to focus right onto the current Sekiryuutei.
Issei shuffled nervously for a moment before he cleared his throat. "Yes. Why did you excommunicate Asia?"
That caused Asia to look at him surprise and everyone else on our side of the room to regard him carefully. To just anyone, that would be a dangerous question, as it brings unwanted judgment upon a leader. Thankfully, however, Michael wasn't like most leaders.
A sad expression crossed his face. "I am sorry for that happening, but with God's absence from the System, it has become imperfect." He frowned unhappily, "His absence has brought about an even greater necessity for the belief and worship."
"But…what does that have to do with Asia's excommunication?"
"When it was discovered that Asia-san's Sacred Gear could Devil's as well, people cried for her to be a Heretic." Michael replied gently, a hint of defeat in his voice. "Letting Asia go was for the sake of maintaining the sanctity of the System. It was an instance of sacrificing the few for the many."
Gabriel bowed her head, "I know it doesn't mean anything, but I am genuinely sorry that everything had to turn out the way it did."
With that, everything turned silent. After a few very short moments, Asia smiled lightly, "While it was very painful to be excommunicated from the Church, I was able to find friends as a result. I…don't regret anything." She beamed at the boy who had stood up for her.
Issei flushed at the smile he was given, absently scratching his cheek with a single finger.
Crossing my arms, I smiled as I looked over to Fate. The girl was smiling as well, though it was bittersweet. After I had managed to catch her attention, her smile widened lightly as she acknowledged our eye contact. We maintained eye contact for a few seconds, then Fate gave me an imperceptible nod.
It took all of my self-control to not cock my head in confusion at her action, but then it hit me. Did she just…agree to my request?
However, I didn't put anymore thought to that, instead focusing back onto Michael. "What of Xenovia? Granted, she decided to leave of her own accord before any action could be taken, but what if she hadn't? Would she have been a sacrifice for the greater good as well?" It took all of my practiced self-control to not make my words caustic and biting; I'm glad to announce that I was successful as no one reacted overtly to my seemingly innocent question.
Though Xenovia did jump at my question, her gaze flickering to me. I didn't catch her reaction specifically, as I was focusing solely on Michael. Behind him, however, I did see Irina look up and end up much more interested in the topic, her eyes flickering from myself to Xenovia, and back to me.
"I'm afraid so, Shizuka-kun." Michael admitted with a remorseful tone. "Xenovia-san would've returned the Church with the knowledge of the Lord's passing. As selfish as it sounds, we cannot allow that to be commonly known."
I nodded to him with a faint frown, understanding what he was getting at. I didn't like nor believe it to be the right thing to do, but I understood why it had to be done. However, I was not the leader of a Faction, so did not understand the stresses behind leading one.
"You haven't asked about yourself, Daisuke-kun. Do you not want to know what we decided for you?" Gabriel asked politely.
A small smile appeared on my face as I crossed my arms. "No. I'm perfectly content with my position in life at the moment. I've long since given up on asking 'what-ifs' and wondering what those I don't know think of me. The only thing they serve is hindering my ability to fight for those I actually care about." My eyes flickered to the people at my side, from Sona and Tsubaki to Rias and her Peerage; then to Fate and Irina, though the latter was looking to Xenovia and me with wide eyes; finally ending on Serafall. "To me, all that matters is the opinion of the people I deem important to me. Everything else is…superfluous in comparison."
Gabriel's eyes widened slightly in surprise, then she smiled in faint recognition. "Griselda said you'd say something along those lines. It's comforting to see that there's someone like you in the current generation. I look forward to seeing how you affect the world around you, Daisuke-kun."
Serafall scowled cutely at the warm smile that Gabriel was giving me.
Xenovia stepped forward, "I…I too am content with what I have in life. While I have lived my entire life as Christian, I have gained my own share of regrets, but…currently, as a Devil, I have found happiness in my life." She paused and frowned, "My selfish decisions, though, have caused pain in others." Her eyes turned towards Irina. "For that, I am truly sorry." A small breath escaped my second kouhai, causing her to look down.
Michael gave the three of us a small, rueful smile and said, "I cannot thank you enough for your open minds and forgiveness…"
At that, the Fallen Angel Faction leader decided to interject. "Heh, it seems that the common factor that brought the three of you to this point were subordinates of mine." Azazel's gaze flickered to Asia. "You were killed because some of my uppity subordinates decided to act on their own."
Issei growled and was about to jump to her defense, but I stepped forward to cut him off. Giving him a calm stare, I waited for him to compose himself. After moments of silence from him, I nodded and turned my head to speak to Azazel. Moments before I did, however, a chill raced up my spine, my instincts screaming at me to investigate. "Those five Fallen Angels were acting under the orders of a Cadre, the very same Cadre that we defeated. There is also the fact that they agreed with Kokabiel's beliefs in regards to war."
Azazel chuckled lightly, "While what you're saying is right, my boy, there's also the fact that they were my responsibility, as the leader of Grigori. I appreciate the fact that you're trying to prevent unneeded conflict, Daisuke, but this is a reparation I have to pay. It is the burden of a leader after all."
I frowned and took a step back. Leadership sucks sometimes… Feeling a hand on my arm, I looked behind me to see Sona nodding to me, a somewhat proud look in her eyes. It seems stepping back was the right thing to do, even if I didn't want to.
Rias was the one who spoke up this time, having a calming hand on Issei's shoulder. "Since it was my precious Servant that was wronged, what sort of reparations will be given?"
The Fallen Angel leader smirked, "Something only I can give, of cour-"
At that very moment, all of my senses went haywire. Throwing all sense of decorum out of the window, I turned and strode towards the window in the room. Looking out of it, I felt my eyes widen as I caught the in progress development of a magical seal high above the campus. I felt my instincts as a Magician kick in, memorizing and deciphering the seal in order to figure out a way to counter, or possibly dispel, it. Within moments, it was quickly completed and the sky turned from the dark night sky into a dark orange, cloudy horizon. A wave of magic washed over me and a familiar appeared in my right hand.
A collection of shocked exclamations occurred all around me as I focused on the seal in the sky. Once it was fully committed to memory, I turned around to see a rather strange sight. Tsubaki, Akeno and Asia were frozen in place, their eyes glazed over.
Xenovia was currently holding Durandal, regarding it with a look of shock.
Issei's Boosted Gear was out and looking around with Rias, who had grasped his shoulder.
Kiba was also shock, though he was holding a Holy Demonic Sword.
Irina was standing off to the side, Excalibur Mimic currently in her hand.
Fate was holding a pole arm of sorts: the shaft was a glistening silver and the base near the ground a black half-sphere with a flat bottom pointing to the ground. Just below the glaive was a revolver type mechanism. At the top, with a vaguely crescent shaped glaive rested with a yellow gem sitting behind the bladeless attachment.
Vali was also unaffected, a pair of white and blue wings sticking out of his back.
I was holding Kusanagi in my right hand, a protective aura pulsating up my arm and reaching the girl who had held onto my arm. Sona looked around with a deep frown, studying had just happened.
The Factions leaders were also all unaffected.
It was Kiba who broke the silence. "Did someone…stop time?" His incredulous tone of voice clearly matched his shocked expression.
"It seems so." Azazel answered as he and the other Faction leader got to their feet.
Sirzechs examined the situation. "Some of us weren't affected no doubt to due to our superior power."
"Our Dragons protected us." Vali looked to Issei and smirked. "As for the others, it appears as though their Holy Swords protected them."
"What in the world is going on?" Irina asked, talking out loud as she regarded all of us. When Xenovia caught her eye, she quickly looked away. When I caught her looking towards me, a small flush of her cheeks preceded her turning away from me.
"You protected me…" Sona whispered as she looked up to me, catching my attention.
I smiled as I met her eyes with mine. "I said I would. What would make you doubt that?" She blushed and turned to face away from me. However, before anything else could be said, the room shook in response to an explosion. Everyone rushed to the window and looked out. From within the seal that hung in the sky, countless cloaked individuals floated out and began to fire concentrated magic beams at the Angels, Devils and Fallen Angels that all floated in suspended animation, causing them to disappear. I narrowed my eyes and focused on their beam attacks, trying to figure out what they exactly do and how I could counter it.
"Who are they?" Issei asked from behind me.
"Magicians." I supplied with a scowl. I was proud to be a Magician because it was one of the only connections I had left of my mother. To see these…heretics use it for destruction pissed me off to no end.
"Magicians? …Like you, Senpai?" Kiba asked he too observed the events happening outside.
I simply decided to reply with a nod of my head, showing my displeasure with a severe frown. While I didn't speak, it was Serafall who spoke up, "Mou! Who do they think they are?! I'm the Magical Girl here!"
"Shizuka-kun." Michael caught my attention. "Is it the work of the barrier that's causing time to freeze?" As I was the resident Magician of the group, he clearly wanted to know my expert analysis.
I shook my head. "No. It's not the barrier. It's built specifically for containment and keeping outsiders out; like any generic barrier, but with a teleportation function adapted into it. The make-up and visual schematic of the barrier isn't coded towards manipulating time." Looking up to the seal with a frown, I continued, "Besides, the capability of utilizing time manipulation to this degree would require power greater than the sum of everyone trapped within the barrier, control precise enough to make the most subtle of adjustments and an in-depth understanding of temporal sequences." I scowled as I considered the possibility of such a barrier; it's currently out of my grasp…for now. My blood as a Magician has been stirred, I must work to create such a barrier! "The only thing I can think of that do something like this would have to be a Sacred Gear. Right?" I looked to Azazel with an expectant gaze.
Of course, everyone was looking at me like I was speaking some sort of lost, indecipherable language. I had to withhold an exasperated groan; sometimes it's exhausting being a Magician. However, the fact that I was able to give such an in-depth explanation about the barrier, caused the Faction leaders to look at me with a hint of acknowledgement.
Serafall beamed at me, "You're so smart, Daisuke-chan!" Smiling lightly, I nodded to her in thanks as I waited for Azazel's answer.
My father gazed at me with pride evident in his eyes. "Right on the mark. This is the work of the dhampyr boy's Sacred Gear. It seems like they forced his Sacred Gear into a Balance Breaker state."
"Gasper?!" Issei proclaimed as he turned to glare out the window.
I scowled at that. "Forced? That would mean…" Forcefully pushing a Sacred Gear into Balance Breaker had the potential to cause irreparable damage to a person. It's even more dangerous due to the damage it could do to their soul.
Sirzechs nodded at my silent assessment. "Only a few have people have the ability to freeze time. This most likely means that the enemy has captured Gasper."
Kiba threw a worried glance to Rias, who was scowling something fierce. "It is a grave insult to have one of my precious servants used against me. We'll have to go save him as soon as possible."
"Not only that, but all of our guards are disappearing several at a time." Gabriel said solemnly as she looked out the window. "Daisuke-kun, are you able to decipher what's happening to them?"
"They're being sent elsewhere." I narrowed my eyes as I studied the beams and the airborne seal in tandem. "The two spells are linked. The more people we lose to their teleportation spell, the more opposition we gain. As far as I can tell, the guards are still alive and well, just not here anymore. The Magicians are here en masse."
Grayfia cut in. "Conversely, our transport circles have been disabled. We've been trapped here."
Azazel snorted, "They really got us."
"Hm. The timing of the attack and managing to take Rias Gremory's servant hostage and forcing him to use his power to cripple our forces is too good to be a coincidence." Michael analyzed absently.
Irina and I spoke next at the same time. "There's a traitor…" She looked to me and we locked eyes for a moment, then she turned her attention back outside.
"We can't stay idle any longer." Sirzechs continued. "If the enemy truly is using Gasper-kun's power, then if his power grows even stronger, it could affect even us…"
At that, I felt my eyes widen. Issei opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off as I turned to Rias. "Gasper-san has a Mutation Piece, doesn't he?"
Rias looked to me in shock, then to Sona, "Yes, he does. How did you know?"
"It took all of my Mutation Pieces for me to reincarnate Daisuke." Sona explained as she too was studying the outside.
Issei went to ask what they were, but I cleared my throat. "Look, I'm sure you want to know what it is, but we have more important issues to deal with at the moment." I turned to Sona, "As we speak, the more Gasper-san suffers and the barrier protecting this room begins to falter. Do I have your permission to do what I do best?" I grinned widely, "Cause wholesale chaos and destruction."
Sona regarded me intently for a moment, then nodded with a small smile. "Be careful. Show them that my Pawn is the superior Magician." She ended with a serious gaze. "The school campus is enemy territory."
Smirking playfully, I bowed and grasped her hand. "If that is what my King wishes, then it is my duty to follow through with my best." Lifting her hand, I placed my lips on her knuckles. Chuckling at her flushed expression, I stepped back and was about to unfurl my wings to take off, but a pair of voices cut into my thoughts. "Promotion: Queen."
"Fate, go as well. I'm sure you wish to cover for your old friend." Gabriel said to her gently.
Fate nodded to her with small smile.
"Vali, I think you've suffered through this long enough. I'm sure the Vanishing Dragon will do well in this situation. Have fun."
A hungry smirk appeared on his face as he flexed his Sacred Gear wings, going through the window and taking off into the sky.
I unfurled my wings and listened as Fate cast a spell, then the two of raced forward and jumped through the window. We soared into the sky and I let out a small laugh. "Like old times, eh, Fate?"
She smiled, "You bet."
Once we reached high enough into the sky, we were assaulted from all sides by the floating Magician's beams. Dodging and deflecting them when I could, I called out, "Fate, get ready! I'm going to kick up a storm!" A small laugh escaped me as I reached deep inside for Zenith Tempest. That was when the strangest things happened: I didn't have to struggle or fight to retain control. When I called for its power, it answered in an instant. My body flooded with power as I examined my current opponents. Narrowing my eyes, I lifted Kusanagi and grasped the hilt with both hands. Lightning and wind danced along the length of blade as I pushed power into it; then I let it all out. "Let's see if you can weather this Storm, ladies and gentlemen! Maelstrom!" Wind and lightning erupted from my body and shot outwards, tearing into all of the surrounding Magicians with abandon.
Feeling Fate press her back against mine, I heard her call out, "Haken Form." That was followed by a humming sound. The moment I unleashed my spell, Fate shot off.
I too flew forward to meet my opponents, swerving and banking in order to avoid their attempted counterattacks. As I fought this midair battle, I felt more liberated than I ever have before. Everything I did felt as natural as breathing; Zenith Tempest answered my every call with a simple thought; elements more varied than lightning, ice and wind were augmenting my attacks. Fire erupted from Kusanagi and my fist as I struck; earth augmented my strikes in order to be heavier and harder upon contact. I wasn't calling upon anything specific, just pushing my Sacred Gear farther and farther as I tore through the lesser Magicians.
Even my magic was more powerful, more controlled and more focused. Spell after spell shot from my outstretched hand and the point of Kusanagi. Even my restriction spells were uncontested, holding each of my targets in place as I showed them that even before I became a Devil, I was an absolute demon when it came to combat. Light spears had also appeared while I was casting my spells, firing off with nary more than a thought. They gored opponents who had tried to flank me, intercepted spells they had used to try and hit me.
To my opponents, I was a force of Nature; a nigh unstoppable force that was wading through their slowly dwindling numbers with a frightening ferocity. I was an army in the shape of a single man. I was a Magician, a Devil, a Fallen Angel, an Exorcist, and Weather itself. My spells overpowered and rerouted their own, pushing them back without remorse. The Queen trait granted to me by my Promotion augmented my body to be much stronger, faster, than what it normally was. My Fallen Angel blood and talent granted me air superiority as I flew circles around the stuttering Magicians; my spears tore through their defenses as if they weren't there, acting as fast as thought. Kusanagi moved faster than they could comprehend, carving through defenses and empowering my spells to be more powerful, faster and much more accurate. My Sacred Gear, the second Longinus, Zenith Tempest, answered my every call without hesitation, without trouble. The elements themselves, the sources of the weather that decorate this Earth, surged and danced around my body, both protecting my body and retaliating in my stead.
Brimming with power I had no idea I really had, I cut swaths through the Magicians, forcing them to focus solely on me instead of removing the remaining guards. Flowing through them, I twisted and spun while striking without mercy or restraint. If they weren't here to threaten the peace I had fought so hard to ensure, then I would've pitied them. They were my guinea pigs, the very people I was testing all of my newfound, unlocked strength on; sadly, it wasn't too effective. They were too weak. Nothing they tried got close enough to even make me blink.
All of a sudden, a giant explosion caught my attention. Turning midair, I felt my breath catch in my throat as I took in the raging inferno that had taken the place of the meeting room for peace talks. "No… No…!" I gritted my teeth and reached as deep as I could and called upon as much of Zenith Tempest as I could, short of Balance Breaker. Lightning danced along my blade, legs and arms. The wind picked up around me, gradually solidifying into miniature scythes of energy. My breath came out as a chilled mist as the temperature within the barrier drop several degrees. My body became strengthened with the element of earth, increasing my body's defense and raw strength. Fire shared space with lightning along Kusanagi's edge. Flexing my wings, I adjusted my posture to descend towards the wreckage.
When the flames and debris finally dispersed, it revealed a large circular barrier facing a single woman holding a brown staff. The barrier was then dispersed, revealing that everyone was safe. However, that did little assuage my rising temper. I could tell she was powerful from her aura, but I didn't care. All that concerned me was that she threatened my friends. Only a single thought passed through my thoughts as I gathered my magic power for a single, explosive attack.
This bitch is going to die…
Narrowing my eyes, I created a multitude of Light spears and compressed them, augmenting their structure with power from Zenith Tempest. They became smaller, but each amplified with various elements and levels of power. While I did this, I watched with feigned interest as she traded banter with the Faction leaders. Growling faintly, I gritted my teeth and unleashed my attack. The spears descended with frightening speed and impacted the ground between them, to which I followed up with setting up a shield that protected Sona, Serafall and the others, and set off my spears. They erupted in an instant, shaking the surrounding violently as I allowed myself to fall from the sky and slam into the ground in a crouch.
The debris from the explosion I caused was pushed aside in an instant, revealing the woman who had attacked my comrades and friends. She was tall woman with a voluptuous figure and tanned skin. Her long brown hair was tied into a bun in a headset. She wore a low cut dress with two high slits that showed off her legs. She glared at with undisguised hatred with her blue grey eyes behind a pair of full-rimmed glasses.
From behind her, I heard the others call out to me in worry. "Daisuke! What are you doing!?" Sona cried out in fear for me. "You can't fight her!"
"Senpai!" Xenovia cried out.
"Daisuke-chan, you're not strong enough to fight Katerea-chan!"
Sirzechs and Azazel were simply watching the events unfold, a look in their eyes that gave off a feeling that they knew something the others didn't.
The woman I had attacked, Katerea being her name apparently, snarled, "Who do you think you are?!"
I glared darkly at her, "Your next opponent." All of a sudden several spiked pillars of rock erupted from the ground, each glowing with Holy energy not unlike a Light spear. Katerea created a few defensive seals to block them, while at the same time trying to take flight. I was above her in an instant, moving as fast as the lightning I conjure and control. Grasping Kusanagi's hilt with both hands, I spun and slashed with the sword as hard as could. She twirled midair and brought staff to bear, blocking my strike with a combination of that and a seal. As soon as she blocked my attack, the ground below her erupted downwards, caving in the earth below us several feet downwards in response to the force of my attack.
"Do you not know who I am!? I am Katerea Leviathan, descendant of the true Leviathan!" She boasted to try and frighten me.
I simply narrowed my eyes at her. "I don't give a damn about who you are. All that matters to me is that you threatened people I happen to care about." Power flooded through my body as I kicked off of her, then shot forward again. Still holding Kusanagi in both hands, I struck out as hard and as fast as I could. The Maou descendant blocked and deflected every blow, though her eyes widened in surprise, no doubt from the force behind my attacks. Lightning augmented my body and I accelerated my attacks, moving even faster than before; Katerea matched my speed with the rapid creation of defensive seals to make up for her lack of speed.
"You're just a no name brat. I'll just kill you in front of your friends to prove a po-" Katerea Leviathan was interrupted by a punch that tore through her seal and struck her in the face. One burst of Kinetic force later and she was flying back with blood trailing from her now broken nose.
"If you're so damn powerful, then shut the fuck up and fight." I growled and fell into a crouch, grasping Kusanagi in both hands while summoning a battery of Light spears behind me. Shooting forward, I matched the speed of my mentally thrown spears. Katerea looked to me with eyes full of hatred as she hefted her staff and created a set of seals. Orange snake-shaped manifestations of her Demonic magic shot from the seals and flew to meet my charge. My spears intercepted them as I raced forward, dragging Kusanagi along the ground to allow the blade to carve a trench into the earth. More and more seals shot their snakes, which I blocked or counter with my own seals and spears. Upon reaching her, I swung Kusanagi upwards, unleashing a wave of rock, fire and wind in something reminiscent of a controlled volcanic eruption. Using the power of Zenith Tempest, I willed the make-shift magma to follow the slash of my sword.
Offence and defense. That was what the magma I conjured was meant for; Katerea was a magical powerhouse, I could tell that was the case for certain. It was meant to defend me from her counterattacks when I was attacking, blocking those damn orange snakes; the moment I saw one of them, my instincts screamed to either evade or destroy it. I had no idea what they were, but I was going to just that: evade and destroy. However, I have one thing over Katerea, Zenith Tempest's unrivalled capability for raw destruction. If I could keep the pressure on her, then I could find that one opening where I could land the lethal blow. For once, I was wielding a Holy Sword against a Devil, rather than a Fallen Angel. I had type advantage. Finally; it's about damn time!
"Stop hiding behind that sword of yours!"
I said nothing, slashing my sword to allow the magma to follow in the arc, in the hopes it would burn her into ashes. The woman cried out in anger and retaliated with her snakes, making them attack me from every direction. Frowning, I held back on my attack and willed the magma to wrap itself around me in a cocoon. Sucking in a breath, I closed the barrier and felt the snakes impact my shield. Waiting in the stifling heat, I silently reveled in my lack of discomfort with utilizing the very Sacred Gear that I used to have trouble controlling. Suddenly throwing my arms to the side, I made my shield erupt outwards and push away her attacks, then remolded it into a single entity to resume my onslaught.
Katerea stepped back, side to side and ducked to avoid both my sword and the magma I controlled. The heat was clearly getting to her as I could see the sweat beading on her forehead. Regardless, she was evading my attacks with the volatile element, so I decided to change that. Spinning, I swung Kusanagi outwards, forcing the magma in a wide arc around me. I then used it as a shield to prepare my next spell/attack. Removing my left hand from the hilt, I weaved a spell around the entirety of my arm, engulfing it a skin-tight protective barrier. Sighing heavily, I let out a shaky breath at my next plan of action. Sliding back my foot, I reared my left fist back and threw it forward, letting out a grunt of exertion as I willed the magma to act in accordance to my will.
My fist crashed into the magma, causing it to contort and meld around my fist, then my arm, reaching all the way up to my shoulder. The punch continued forward as I kept my focus on the magma, willing it to not harm me as I threw the punch at the surprised Katerea. My fist reached her after what felt like hours, but was only in the span of seconds. The moment my fist struck her in the stomach, I released a burst of Kinetic force and the entirety of the magma. It impacted violently and sent her flying back, eliciting a scream/grunt of pain from the burning and the impact.
"Go back to Hell and burn, bitch…" I let out a breath as I finally allowed myself to relax as I studied my arm. It wasn't burned, thankfully, but it was pink and steaming, with a hint of subtle agony; at the same time, my entire left sleeve was missing, burned away by the magma. Grimacing, I willed the air around my arm to cool as I called upon the element of ice. Turning, I strode back over to the group while trying to catch my breath. When I reached the group, I was quickly intercepted by Sona, who came to a stop directly in front of me. "I have returned from the field of battle for a temporary reprieve, Sona. Are you well?"
The reply she gave me was simply a cold silence, her eyes narrowed angrily. She was glaring at me, her violet eyes swimming with emotions: fear and anger being the most prevalent. "What were you thinking? Katerea Leviathan is an Ultimate Class Devil. Attacking her could've gotten you killed! What were you thinking?!" Her voice didn't raise above her normal volume, but it was the intensity of her voice and the worried look in her eyes that got the point across.
"I was thinking that I didn't want you to be hurt." I explained to her, my voice soft and careful. "When I saw the explosion, I couldn't help but assume the worst… I was scared." I sheepishly lifted Kusanagi and scratched the side of my head with the bottom of the hilt.
She scowled and blushed at the exact same time as she regarded me carefully. "I was with two of the four Maou, an Archangel, a Seraph and the Governor General of Grigori. I assure you I was much safer than you were." Sona explained to me in a deadpan tone, leading to me hunching over in defeat as I hung my head. "But…I appreciate your concern…" That led to me looking to her with a small smile. "It…makes me happy to hear you say that…" She muttered quietly, looking to side bashfully.
A smile made its way onto my face and I gently grasped her hand with my left. "Come on, let's get back to the others. I'm sure they want to scold me as well."
"That I'm sure of." She replied with full confidence, causing me to laugh. With that, we returned to the group proper. I was treated to a variety of reactions from the people in the group. Grayfia was looking to me with an impassive expression; Michael had a look of resignation, as he clearly knows of my penchant to act without thought; Gabriel had one of relief. Sirzechs was simply shaking his head with a laugh. Kiba regarded me with a wide-eyed look of respect; Xenovia was both relieved and faintly glaring; Irina was simply shaking her head at me, though she was smiling faintly. Serafall was brimming with excitement as she watched me approach, jumping up and down. Azazel, though, was simply smirking to me with pride evident in his eyes.
"You know," He started with a deadpan tone. "Your mother would've killed you for pulling something like that…" Seeing me scratch the side of my head sheepishly, he chuckled and shook his head. "Regardless, good job. Though I doubt that would've finished her."
I released a breath, "Yeah, I know. But she'll be in a world of pain. Ultimate Class Devil or not, descendant of the original Leviathan or not, being covered in molten magma will ruin anyone's day. Unless you're a Phoenix; then I would've encased you in it and dropped you in a chasm, crushing you under several tons of rock." I grinned deviously at my ingeniously sadistic plan.
My father chuckled in response. "When was fire and earth under your control?"
"They always were, thanks to Zenith Tempest. I just never realized it until I finally cut loose." I smirked and crossed my arms. "Let's just say I won't be losing control anytime in the future now that I have full access to my powers."
He grinned widely, "It's about time you finally learn your limits."
However, before anymore celebrations could be done, a blast of orange energy rocketed towards us. Pulling my hand from Sona's, I stabbed Kusanagi into the ground and lifted both of my hands, calling on my magic. A giant blue shield seal appeared in front of me, blocking the snake shaped manifestation and I grimaced from the strain, but it held without trouble. Grimacing, I growled out, "I'm getting real tired of dealing with you!" Flexing my hand, I sent the magic blast right back at her. Holding up a barrier with a single hand, I grabbed Kusanagi and went to attack her, however I felt a hand on my shoulder stop me.
Azazel simply smirked, "Let's wait for a moment."
Walking towards us, amidst the wreckage caused by the previous skirmish, Katerea was now riddle with burns, her left arm hanging uselessly. She grimaced and glared at me with a hateful seething emotion. "To think, I was injured to this extent by a child. I cannot believe you have forced me to use the Ouroboros' snake…" She lifted her good hand, revealing what looked like a grey gelatinous mass. It came to life and wrapped around her arm, not unlike the snake spoke of, and melded into the limb. Power rolled off of her as she exhaled slowly.
"I think it's best if you let me take care of things from here, Daisuke. She'll no longer be surprised by you and has increased her power somehow." Azazel said as he studied Katerea closely.
I frowned and nodded, "Fine, but let me act as support. I started this fight, so I'm damn well going to be around to finish it."
That caused Sona frown as well and was about to protest, when she was cut off when a voice rang out. "Haken Saber." A yellow, crescent shaped energy blade shot from seemingly out of nowhere with the intent to decapitate Katerea. The Ultimate Class Devil managed to lift her wounded arm to create a seal to block it. However, to her surprise, I started to carve through her shield with little trouble.
Knowing what was coming next, I pulled free from Azazel's grasp and called out, "Azazel, let's finish it!" Shooting forward, I aimed a slash on Katerea's open flank. She blocked it with another seal, but was shocked to see I was carving through her shield at the same time. "There's nothing Kusanagi can't cut." In an instant, both the crescent beam and my sword, tore through her barriers and nearly cut her into three. Unfortunately, she had taken to the sky to avoid them. Fate immediately appeared at my side, leading to me smirking towards her. "Definitely like old times."
She smiled beautifully and shook her head, "To think I actually missed this…" She shot into the air and I immediately followed her. Fate held her scythe at the ready while I reached her side, holding Kusanagi to prepare a strike. We reached Katerea within moments and she muttered, "Sonic Move." Her body glowed a bright yellow for split second before vanished from sight and reappeared above Katerea. Lightning augmented my body as I shot forward to meet Katerea head on, slashing with Kusanagi.
Barrier after barrier met both Fate and I as we attempted to tear into Katerea and no matter what we did, they seemed to hold up against our concentrated barrage of strikes. It seemed that whatever the thing that Katerea had taken increased her magical strength by a substantial amount, because she was able to hold us off almost effortlessly. As we encircled and rapidly attacked the defending Devil, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye.
"Break off!" I called out as shot backwards, closely followed by Fate. Immediately after we got away, a rain of Light spears descended upon Katerea, pushing her back even with her holding up her barriers. I turned my head to see Azazel hovering a few feet behind us. Tapping Fate on the arm, I had her follow me to retreat next to the Fallen Angel leader.
"You do know that your girl is rather pissed at you, yes?" He said playfully, completely disregarding Katerea as a threat.
I chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of my head, incidentally doing the very same thing.
"I think it's also important to tell you that the Sekiryuutei has returned from his task to save the dhampyr. Go to them, I can handle things here." Seeing me frown, he cut me off with a swat on the back of the head, eliciting a growl from me. "Leave this to me, save your energy. You never know what may happen next." He then looked to Fate, "Get your intrepid boyfriend back to the ground; I can take care of this myself."
The scythe-wielding girl flushed heavily, her face turning a healthy shade of red. "Ah-uh-Daisuke's not-I mean, I wouldn't mind-ah-oh-…ugh." Fate then turned to me, a defeated look in her eye. When she motioned to the ground, I released a breath.
"Fine, but you owe me, Azazel. Big." Nodding to Fate, she and I descended quickly.
We reached the ground and was greeted by the sight of everyone there, including the people who were previously frozen and Koneko and Gasper. It was Akeno who greeted me first. "Daisuke-kun…what's this I hear of you challenging an Ultimate Class Devil?" A small smile decorated her features, but her eyes were rather intense as she studied me.
That caused Tsubaki to scowl and look to me angrily. "Yes, explain."
Is it bad that I'm more afraid of the women in my life than of the battles that I have previously fought in? I mean, I was a little worried when I attacked Katerea, but I was in the zone, per se, so I was focused on attacking hard and fast. However, now that I'm temporarily out of the fight, I can't help but fear for my life.
It must be a male thing…
"Uh… A little help here?" I looked to Fate, but flinched when I found her giving me one of her rare angry frowns and even rarer disapproving glares.
"Hm, I think I'd like to know as well, Daisuke."
I released a shaky breath as I looked to the girls in front of me… They were all glaring and expecting me to formulate a plausible excuse. One that would fail the instant I finished, no matter my explanation. As I suffered in silence, I couldn't help but hear someone snicker at my situation; my eyes flickered to the source to catch notice of Issei grinning at my misfortune.
Thankfully, before I had to give my explanation, I felt a pulse of power and looked up, along with everyone else. My father was suddenly engulfed in bright light, one that quickly died off. The moment it fully disappeared, it revealed him clad in a golden armor that closely resembled Issei's Scale Mail, but with noticeable differences, it also felt off… Could that be an Artificial Sacred Gear?
Her extended an arm and called on what looked a Light spear in the shape of a two-pronged trident. It was then that he and Katerea traded blows, going back and forth as they tried to kill one another with their respective weapons. After a few moments, they came to a stop and I watched as Katerea prepare a spell before she threw an arm forward, causing it to stretch forwards and latch onto his left arm. Then the asshole did something that pissed me off to no end: he cut off his arm sent it careening towards Katerea. That was when it exploded. The Devil was engulfed in the explosion and vanished from the result, the seal in the sky shattering soon after. I frowned as I looked to the area where she was originally flying; her presence had vanished, but in a manner that made me wonder whether or not it was actually death. Was she spirited away at the last moment, or vaporized from the explosion? I'll have to think on this later…
Stopping the bleeding of his new left stump with a seal of magic, Azazel descended and smirked down at me. "That, my boy, is how you defeat an Ultimate Class Devil."
I regarded him with a deadpan glare, "By sacrificing an arm to a suicide spell and letting her blow herself up?" That caused his head to fall as I called him out. I exhaled and regarded him with a concerned look. "Are you going to be alright? You are missing an arm."
He brushed off the concern with a wave of his hand. "I'll be fine. I'm sure to find something in my Sacred Gear research to fix this up."
I rolled my eyes at that. After a moment of silence, I smirked, "You know kaa-chan would've kicked your ass for pulling a stunt like that."
Azazel's eyes widened in surprise, then he laughed lightly as I turned his earlier statement against him. "You're right about that. She would've kicked both of our asses along with all of the Magicians here."
I was about to turn and resume suffering for my indiscretions by my girls, but a chill that raced up my spine forced me to act. "Tou-san, get back!" Reaffirming my grasp on my Kusanagi, I shot forward and pushed Azazel back with the palm of my left hand, releasing a small burst of Kinetic energy to force him away. Hefting Kusanagi above my head, I set my stance and blocked a downward strike from someone who I've been waiting to fight since this night started.
Vali pushed against my blade, clad in his white Scale Mail and pushing down on me with his weight and strength. "Hoh. You're far stronger than I thought if you can hold me back with a single arm. Your instincts and reflexes are top-notch too."
I grinned darkly, "Yeah, of course they'd be. I just had my warm up earlier." Waiting for the moment Vali pushed down again, I capitalized on his own strength by kicking forward and flapping my wings to force my body to ascend while upside down. Twisting my body midair, I crashed a kick into Vali's armored gut and released a burst of Kinetic energy, sending the armored Hakuryuuko crashing into the ground several feet away.
Landing back on the ground, I regarded Vali with a dark look. "With your sudden attack on my father, I'm assuming you're the traitor who told Khaos Brigade of the meeting?"
That brought several shock looks towards me, then to Vali. He chuckled as he got to his feet. "You're quite the prepared warrior, aren't you, Daisuke Shizuka? It's been such a long time since I've met someone as strong as you." Standing to his full height, he crossed his arms. "But, yes, I'm a part of Khaos Brigade. I came here in the hopes of killing one of the Faction leaders." As if on cue, two cloaked figures dropped from the sky and landed on either side of him. "The both of you are late."
The one on the right waved his hand lazily, "Maa, maa, Vali, we were having fun watching you toy with the flighty Magicians."
The left one simply hummed, "I thought it prudent to study possible opponents. Though, it is concerning to note that Shizuka has the second Longinus, Zenith Tempest. I assume you'll want to be the one to fight him, Vali?"
Vali chuckled, "Now that I've seen what he can do, of course. The two of you can fight someone else."
Before either of them could react in any way, Issei and Fate were at my side.
Issei smirked and grasped his left bicep. "You're not leaving me out of this, Senpai. I can't let you do everything on your own."
Fate simply smiled, "I'm willing to fight with you to end, Daisuke. Consider this me fully accepting your proposition to be your Queen."
A grin appeared on my face, I hefted Kusanagi. "Let's get this party started then."
"Daisuke Shizuka, you believe that your power comes from your hard work and not your heritage, yes?" Vali said to me, garnering an arched eyebrow. He decided to elaborate. "You're the son of the current Governor General of Grigori and a human woman; a skilled Magician, yes, from what the rumors say, but a human nonetheless. It's from those connections that your natural talent manifests itself. You're the ideal opponent for someone like me, who loves to fight strong people."
"Get to the point." I said with narrowed eyes.
"What I'm saying is this: we're both descended from powerful individuals. You're descended from Azazel, but me?" He chuckled lightly and rolled his shoulder, unfurling eight Devil wings. "I'm a descendant of the previous generation's Maou Lucifer who died. However, I'm a child of mixed blood born from a father who was the old Maou's grandson and a human mother. I obtained the Vanishing Dragon's Sacred Gear because I'm half-human. It was just by chance. However, I, who is a true blood relative of Lucifer and is also the Vanishing Dragon, was born. If there really is such a thing as fate and miracles, I may be that." He paused and grinned, "Just joking."
That garnered a collection gasps and numerous declaration. However, I blocked them all out. I simply focused on Vali… Vali Lucifer. Hearing him say that, hearing him make his declaration caused something to stir from within me.
A smile slowly appeared on my face as I regarded Vali carefully. I'm not a battle freak; I don't get off on a good fight, but I do enjoy cutting loose every once in a while. "Fate, Issei, spread out and be careful. I'm…going to put everything I have in this fight and I don't want either of you getting caught in the crossfire."
Fate nodded once, but gave me a concerned look. "Be careful." She then leapt to the side, the cloaked man on the left following after her.
Issei clapped me on the shoulder. "Kick his ass." He then race to the right; the cloaked man on the right following him.
"Everyone behind me! Either get back to a safe distance or create a powerful barrier. I'm not going to hold back at all and I don't want anyone to get hurt." I said to them without turning my head away from Vali.
"Daisuke-chan! Be careful!" Serafall called out to me, and everyone else followed suit soon after.
Lifting Kusanagi, I slid a foot forward and set into a stance. "Balance Breaker…" Power flooded through my body as I felt it merging perfectly with the power of the Storm within me. The air around me shot outwards as I released a breath. "Personification of the Eternal Storm." My voice reverberated with power, causing the very ground at my feet to shake. Looking up to Vali, I smirked, "Let's see what the power of a Heavenly Dragon can do against the power of Weather."
A bark of laughter escaped Vali as he rescinded his wings, preparing himself. "Yes, let's."
We stayed completely stationary for what felt like hours in the stand-off. A million scenarios passed through my mind for how the fight would go, but I discarded them instantly. This wouldn't be a battle of minds, but of instincts honed in battle, between two wielders of Longinus Sacred Gears. This was a battle between two individuals destined to change the world order. It wasn't a matter of who was stronger physically or magically, but who had the more powerful force of will.
In an instant, the two of us crouched and took the sky, meeting one another in a clash of wills.