File 21: Gate of Skye
The first thing Irina did when they rendezvoused with Haruka is launching herself at him and pull him into a tight hug. Irina thought he had died when he was hit by that train and even if Esther and Valerie managed to calm her down, she was still worried until she heard his voice on the phone.
"Onii-sama, you're okay!"
The younger Shidou cried. Her brother returned the hug and ruffled her hair, making the girl pout for ruining her perfectly combed hair. The rest of the group followed behind her, letting the young girl have a short moment with her brother before they get down to business.
"It's just a train. I've been hit with worse."
Haruka said nonchalantly as if it were normal. For him it might as well be. His teacher can hit with speed and force equal to that of a train, even more actually. The moment he was deemed capable of handling such force without dying after he obtained his touki, his teacher got more serious with her strength.
She no longer held back as much as before during spars with his new durability enhanced by touki, going at a force that could actually break the bones of supernatural creatures, even nearly killing him too on several occasions. After experiencing those, being hit by a normal train is actually less painful. It actually feels no different than walking into a pole because he doesn't pay attention.
"So you are Blanchett's superior? I had imagined that you would be a bit… older."
Richard said as he walked up to him. Haruka chuckled. He doesn't feel offended since Richard said it with genuine surprise. Besides, it's true that he is actually younger than Esther. Not by much, but still younger. Richard though knew better than to judge capability based on age, especially since the moment he saw him, the chief could tell that Haruka is the real deal.
"Shidou Haruka. It's a pleasure to meet you, chief Richard Carlson, though I had hoped that it would be under better circumstances."
Haruka offered a handshake to the chief which he took. His grip is firm and his hand is rough with several calouses. It is the hand of a trained warrior.
"Shidou huh? I can see the resemblance. So you said you'll be doing something big and need protection. What is it that you're doing exactly?"
Richard asked. Haruka grinned mischievously, a look which Esther had only seen a few times during her training with him. It is one he usually has when he's about to do something she will positively not like.
"I am about to open the gate to the netherworld, chief."
He said to him cryptically, making him raise an eyebrow as he watch the young agent turn around. Haruka then walk up to Esther.
"Cover me as best as you can. I'll need about ten minutes to prepare. Once I cast my spell, I will need to maintain it for at least three to five minutes to clear the city."
Esther nodded and then asked.
"You will be casting a large scale spell then? Is it alright for you to do so openly?"
Esther asked while stealing a glance at Richard. Haruka got the hint. It is already dangerous enough that they reveal things to Irina so shouldn't he take care not to reveal more secrets, especially to Richard? After all, their group should remain a secret, or at least that's the impression she gets unless it's very wrong.
"It's not like I have much options. Large scale cleansing like this is kinda Dulio's specialty but since I'm the one available, I just have to risk it. Besides, it's not like we are an absolute black ops team for the church. We might be called the Vatican Special Operation Section but…"
"…our relation with the church is purely for convenience's sake. We do not necessarily follow the church's doctrine. It only appeared so because it was made to look so. But in reality, we do not answer to the church, we only make use of the resources."
Valerie added as she join in on the conversation. Haruka nodded.
"Yes. Remember what the Cardinal told you when you got recruited."
The senior agent said to Esther as he place a hand on her shoulder. With the pep talk done, he then jumped up to the sky, leacing Esther to mull over his words. The red haired agent then turned to Valerie.
"What was that about our real relation with the church?"
She inquired.
"I'm not exactly sure but it is what the Professor told me."
Valerie replied with a noncommittal shrug. The red haired agent sighs. There is more to their group than meets the eye it seems. But that is something she can inquire later with the Professor and Haruka. For now, they have a job to do and a city to save. Summoning her sacred gear, Esther prepare herself for combat. First thing first, she need to find a good position for shooting. One of the buildings should do.
After his small talk with Esther, Haruka ready himself to cast one of his greatest spell. Standing on top of a magic circle right over the heart of London, Shidou Haruka sighed. How did something so simple like relic retrieval could turn into this huge clusterfuck? Then again, he is dealing with a Longinus. Somehow that rationalization makes so much sense to him.
"Alright, I'm counting on you, Esther."
Haruka stood in place, closing his eyes as he focus on what he is doing next. The sigils on his holy shroud glowing while his cape and the tail of his coat flutter in the wind as a large amount of power began radiating off him. He will need to borrow his master's power to deal with the current situation. Scathach will be pissed at him but right now, he doesn't have that many options.
The magic circle under him slowly began to glow with celtic runes added to the formula. Just like Cu Cuhllain, the Irish Child of Light, Scathach also gifted him with a treasure. For the Child of Light, Scathach gifted him with the spear Gae Bolg which he used to carve his legend into the heart of many people. Haruka had half wished for him to get something like that. But instead, he was gifted with something else, a privilege which he doesn't know whether to feel grateful or apprehensive for.
While Cu Cuhllain received a weapon that he had come to master, the gift Scathach gave him is something he cannot hope to master. It is, in a way, a greater gift than Gae Bolg but it is also something that could potentially kill him if he doesn't use it with care. Because what Scathach gave him is something only she can control. It is the connection and the key to her realm, or in this case, a duplicate key to the gate that leads to her realm.
He focus on her essence inside of him, the bond they had established on that day he gifted him with both heaven and hell. What he is about to call only recognize Scathach as its master but Scathach had given to him a privilege greater than what she gave Setanta but at the same time something impractical as he cannot use it most of the time. But this spell, this 'key' is proof of the bond that they share. This is, above all else, is his greatest treasure.
"Let's get this started. Establishing connection."
Esther Blanchet is trying to control her breathing in an attempt to calm down her nerves.
Her first mission and things already became so complicated. She hopes that this is not an omen of what is to come during her time in the group. If all missions were as complicated as this, she'll probably have grey hair before she reach her forties at best.
What Haruka and Valerie mentioned earlier bothered her but right now is not the time to get distracted. She needs to focus. She has to guard Haruka until he finished his spell. The fate of all London depended on it. All members are in position to prepare for the enemy attack.
As a gunner, Esther had taken up position on top of a building a bit higher than the height in which Haruka is floating while Richard and Irina are down on the street. With her is Valerie who cannot fight but can act as a healer when needed as well as magic support.
Since their opponent is Tepes, she decided to use her sacred gear. She is not skilled enough to contend against her with just black keys. While she was worried that Tepes might possibly not be affected by weapons without exorcism property, Valerie had informed her that Tepes' body was real.
According to her, Tepes needs a solid vessel to move around and act in a controlled manner. Otherwise, she can't do anything other than causing spirits to go berserk and to use proxies like the Ripper.
That's right, the Ripper was made of an amalgamation of soul that possess similar nature bound together to make a new individual bonded by their similar will and nature. In this case, the soul of several thousands aborted children sleeping in the Thames. Valerie informed her of that on their way to meet up with Haruka. After informing Esther about that, she didn't say anything else about the Ripper.
Valerie's face when she spoke of the Ripper was very pale, as if she had looked at something very disturbing. Her extra sharp perception when it comes to soul thanks to Sephiroth Graal allowed her to see something they cannot see normally and what she saw disturbed her.
Speaking of Sephiroth Graal though, Esther was reminded that there is a connection between Tepes and Valerie. Esther's eyes widened and turn quickly towards Valerie. She had forgotten about that small fact and Haruka was not aware of it because he was taken out before they learn about this connection.
"Valerie, didn't you have that connection with the other you through your Graal? That means the enemy knew about our plan!"
Esther said to her fellow junior agent standing behind her. Valerie also realized this and her eyes widened. But she immediately close them and put a hand to her chin in deep thought. Once she opened her eyes once again, Valerie answered Esther's worry.
"That's true but I think it's fine. What we are tasked with is protecting Haruka so we are expecting an attack or two, especially from Tepes herself. We are not doing an ambush or a bluff, just a straight up defensive battle so there is nothing to keep quiet about. As for alerting the enemy of our location, what Haruka is doing makes him like a beacon of power anyway. The enemy must have felt his power by now and will come to stop him. Knowing what we discussed with Haruka won't make any difference in this situation."
What Valerie said makes sense. That is one less thing to worry about then. She was worried about the enemy getting a major advantage by knowing of their plan but if it makes little difference then it's all good. Then suddenly Valerie tensed and in whispered voice she spoke.
"They are here."
At the same time as Valerie's warning, a barrier made of water was erected in front of Haruka. The barrier bursts, drenching Haruka in water but stopped an attack aimed at him. Esther immediatately brandished her rifle and shot at where the attack was stopped by Richard as the chief himself rose to the air on top of a water platform.
The Ripper was blasted back by Esther's shot but otherwise remains undamaged. Richard, now fully prepared for battle against the Ripper, engaged the berserk amalgamation of spirits in battle with his holy water and black keys ready.
This will be an energy-intensive battle. His strength will be tested here and now, though to say that he has an easier time… won't be wrong. Drawing the blessed holy water from the container he carried on his waist, Richard has all the advantage in this battle.
Concentrating as best as he could, Richard multi-tasked between offense, defense, and movement. The blessed holy water is effective when used against the Ripper. While it takes time to make as he has to let his water be saturated with holy energy and then imbued with exorcism property in the container, it is worth it. He didn't let any single drop of water that comes from the container to be wasted, focusing them on offense while using his ordinary water for defense and as water platform.
Forming water blades using his blessed water, Richard slashed at the Ripper, creating a large gash on its torso that leaks black miasma. Now the berserk spirit set its eyes on him, just like he wanted. The Ripper charged again and he created a water wall to stop it. He then created a large wave of water and crashed it at the spirit, sending it far away from the area as he follows his target on his water platform.
"I'll take care of the Ripper. In the meantime, you take care of the other enemies."
The chief told them as he move to his own battlefield. Esther nodded. The Ripper is a strong opponent and will need at least one of them to occupy. The chief had experienced a battle against the Ripper. He is their best bet to keep the Ripper occupied. He created a water whip in his hand as he chase after his target, leaving them to deal with the others.
"The chief will be keeping the Ripper occupied. What we should be worried about next are Marius and Tepes."
The problem is, Esther is no match to Tepes in direct combat and with chief Richard occupied by the Ripper, she will have to face Tepes alone since Irina will have to keep Marius busy. One enemy each. On paper this is a fair situation. The problem is, the strength of their forces are not equal. The Ripper and Marius aside, Tepes is a competent fighter and Longinus user from what she saw during the brief clash between her and Haruka.
Esther knew what a Longinus could do, a rough idea at least. She had helped Haruka faced Walburga back in Romania and the magician could take on both of them without getting serious. Granted Haruka was also limited in his options but it shows that she is not ready to face a competent Longinus in combat. Only Haruka who is properly equipped can face Tepes head on. But unfortunately he is currently occupied.
Mist began to appear around the area. Both Esther and Valerie tensed as well as Irina down below. They knew that this is the sign that Tepes is arriving. They are sure it is Tepes. The overwhelming presence of power is proof enough. Marius does not have this kind of powerful presence. Irina gulped as she held Excalibur Mimic tightly in its shield form.
Tepes appear floating on the same level as Haruka around a hundred meters in front of him. Esther still find it hard to believe that Valerie has an evil twin, though Tepes has a much paler skin like a corpse's, scary blood red eyes, and protruding fangs that she didn't bother to hide… and why is her outfit now a loose black dress that reveals half her chest? A bold change in wardrobe.
"Haruka. I knew you're not so easily defeated. But this is perfect. You can't move right now so it will be easy to kill you."
Tepes said as she brandished her blood scythe.
"Do you think it will be that easy?"
Haruka challenged with a confident smirk. Tepes scoffed in response.
"Do you expect the other to stop me? Chief Richard is occupied by Jackie while Esther is not a match to me. But I'll admit that she can at least stop me in my track for a while."
Tepes said as she floated closer towards Haruka with confidence. Valerie began to open fire at Tepes who simply deflect her shots with her scythe. Her bullets are nothing against her, and Esther knew this for sure now. The red haired exorcist then changed the dial of her rifle and charge her shot to half bar. She pulled the trigger and unleash a sustained blast of magical energy. It is weaker and at a smaller scale than what she used in Romania but she's not aiming for mass destruction anyway.
Tepes easily dodged the attack. While the vampire knew she could tank the shot if she prepare a defense, it would damage her even if it is minimal damage. The charged shot of Esther's sacred gear is quite strong. Besides, she quite like her current dress so she doesn't want to ruin it after she had just acquired it. She then held the scythe with both hands and flew straight at Haruka with a bloodthirsty smile. Esther kept firing at the vampire but she deflected all her shots with her scythe.
Irina who is on the ground moved to try to attack Tepes. She took out her exorcist gun since it is the only method of long range combat she has. It won't damage Tepes but Irina hoped that it is enough to at least harass the vampire for Esther to make her shot.
Irina aimed the gun at Tepes but before she can pull the trigger, her instinct screamed at her of danger and she turned her gun to her left, just in time to shot a tendril of shadow that suddenly came out of nowhere. There stood Marius Tepes with tendrils of shadow moving around him.
"It seems that my opponent is you, the lesser Shidou."
Irina jumped back to avoid more shadows striking at her. Those that got too close were blocked with her shield. She tried shooting while defending at the same time. She was never a really good shot so it's hard for her to aim while moving about. The bullets that did get too close was stopped by Marius' shadow manipulation. The vampire didn't even look as if he's trying.
"Is that all?"
The vampire asked with a taunting grin. Her gun won't help her here so Irina threw it away. She changed Excalibur Mimic from a shield to a katana. She has to attack. Using Mimic, she cut through the shadows in front of her easily with her elemental advantage.
"That's better. Do try to not make me too bored."
Marius said as he send more shadows towards her, this time thicker and stronger. Irina held the katana-shaped Mimic with both hands as she slashed at the shadows attacking her, this time with more difficulty. He was holding back. Irina seethed in annoyance but she is also wary. She knew she is not as powerful as the agents and the chief. For her, Marius is an opponent she cannot underestimate.
Seeing that long range won't be effective, Esther switched her rifle to sword mode and reinforced all her limbs with magic. She had started getting the hang of it but it's not perfect yet. She just hopes that what she can currently do is enough to at least keep Tepes busy.
With a loud battle cry, Esther leapt over the ledge and straight at where Tepes would be according to her calculation. Just as Tepes was about to claim Haruka's life with a swing of her scythe, Esther slamed her blade down on the shaft of the scythe, making it miss as the attack was redirected downward.
Esther then let go of her sword and before gravity can take hold of her, she quickly drew a dagger from the holster on her hip to stab Tepes in the neck. Not wanting to take any chances, she activate the sigil on the blade and the vampire's head exploded in a blast of light energy, drenching Esther with blood and gore which also threw her down onto the street with a fractured arm while Tepes's headless body fell down not far from her.
Valerie who saw this immediately jumped down and landed with some difficulty. She went to heal Esther's arm as quickly as she can because she knew that Tepes will resurrect soon and will likely be angry. Once Esther's arm was healed, the red haired exorcist stood back up, wiping the bloodstain on her face and preparing herself since Tepes' body had risen from the ground with head regenerated.
"Even though I can resurrect, being killed like that was annoying. Alright, you have my attention now, Esther. You will not get another lucky shot."
Tepes said. Esther knew that she's right. What she managed to do before was a lucky shot. Tepes did not pay attention to her, thinking of her as just a minor nuisance. Now that she had managed to kill her once, Tepes will be taking her seriously from now on.
'Seven more minutes until Haruka's spell is ready.'
Esther mentally noted. She got herself ready. She's facing an opponent much faster and stronger than herself, no, above normal and even noble vampires in a head on fight. Her weapons can kill but her opponent won't stay dead… she's really not ready for this level of combat.
The red haired agent watch as Tepes twirls her scythe… and suddenly appeared right in front of her face. Esther was caught off guard as Tepes struck her abdomen with the top side of her scythe which is blunt. It looks like a casual thrust but Esther could feel her organs churning from the impact alone despite her reinforced body and the impact absorbtion feature of her combat uniform. She was sent skidding back, and only that because she stubbornly force her feet to remain firmly planted on the ground despite feeling as if all her muscles were torn just to keep her grounded.
She switched her sacred gear to rifle mode as she force herself to ignore the pain. Valerie who is behind her began healing her using Sephiroth Graal, alleviating some of the pain and repairing the damage. In rifle mode, she shot Tepes seven times in quick succession, all dodged and parried perfectly with inhuman ease.
Tepes then dashed forward at a speed no ordinary human can even hope to follow, slashing her scythe at Esther. The scythe was met with a black key Esther quickly draw with her left hand to block Tepes' attack. A drop of sweat appeared on her brow as she struggled to at least slow down the attack, her left hand bleeding to withstand the force of the swing.
The agent dropped the sacred gear in her right hand and drew out three more knives from her hip holster with her empty hand and threw it at Tepes as quickly as possible. The vampire jumped back and tried to deflect them with her scythe but the knives exploded, creating an explosion of fire and light that blinded her for a while. Esther resummoned her sacred gear and aimed it at Tepes.
A powerful beam of light came out of her rifle and hit Tepes straight on the chest. There was a brief scream of pain as the holy element sacred gear punch through the vampire's chest because she was not prepared for it. Vampires are weak against holy element. It seems that Tepes still retain that weakness. The vampire lady died for a second time with a burning hole on her chest… that she quickly recovered from using the Graal.
'Six minutes… and she's getting angry.'
"You're really persistent, aren't you? You know, I kinda like you, Esther. Without your and Haruka's intervention back in Romania, I wouldn't have existed. While Haruka is too dangerous for me to let live, I have all the intention to let you live. Don't make me kill you. Step aside and I will forgive you."
The regenerated Tepes said while looking straight at Esther in the eyes.
"You don't even know me!"
Esther replied.
"The other me is quite fond of you and Haruka. The least I can do as a favor for her before erasing her from existence is letting you live. Now, step aside."
The vampire said once again. There's a warning in her tone. She will not repeat her words once again. Esther gulped. Tepes had been holding back and if she doesn't step aside, she will not hold back this time and Esther knew she'll probably be killed. But…
'That talk bought us some time. Five minutes. Let's see how much longer I can last.'
Esther's answer is clear as she ready her rifle once again for another round. The vampire lady sighed. In truth, Tepes already knew what her answer would be. She knew Esther enough through Valerie to know what she's like. Tepes brandished her scythe once again.
The vampire suddenly disappeared from view. Esther barely managed to register the danger and put her sacred gear in front of her in a defensive stance when she was blown away by a powerful strike that sent her flying. The agent felt her hands straining from withstanding the impact. She's lucky that both her hands are still in one piece. That strike would've blown the arms of any ordinary humans.
Esther's instinct again warned her of another danger. The agent quickly turn around in midair and intercepted another attack by Tepes that sent her crashing into the ground. The agent coughed out blood as the impact caused some damage to her organs. Even if her body is reinforced with magic and her uniform could absorb impact, there's a limit to her durability, and Esther knew she's not as durable as the other field agents.
Ignoring the pain she's feeling on every part of her body, the agent quickly moved, rolling away just as Tepes came down slashing at her with the blood scythe. The agent got up to her feet and threw three more daggers. Tepes again intercept them and they explode. Like before, Esther summon her sacred gear and shot the vampire. This time though she did not manage to even scratch her as the blast was intercepted by the scythe and deflected to a nearby building.
Tepes retaliate with another quick slash. Esther hurriedly change her sacred gear to sword mode and intercept her slash but the difference in their physical strength proved to be great and Esther almost lost her head if she had not let go of her sacred gear to jump back. At least her block bought her enough time to evade.
The agent quickly pull out another set of daggers the moment her hand let go of her sacred gear and in the time it took Tepes to complete her swing, she threw them at the vampire's feet. The daggers exploded violently. If Tepes were a human, she wouldn've lost most of the lower part of her body. But since she's not one, Esther knew that the explosion would at most blew away half her leg, if it went well.
But as Esther half expected, the blast didn't do much to Tepes. The smoke and debris was blown away as Tepes dashed forward at great speed, but not as fast as before. Esther's attentive eyes caught sight of slight burn mark on her exposed leg. It has just finished healing but she did some damage at least, and that is enough.
With Tepes' currently decreased speed, Esther can still somewhat follow her movement unlike before. Straining her senses to the limit, Esther waited for the timing when the vampire swings her scythe down on her. Esther found the right timing when Tepes' scythe came down on her.
Scythe is a rather unwieldly weapon with how its blade is positioned, making it a very difficult weapon to master. So far, Tepes had done well in using it through the use of her speed and strength and what skill she managed to absorb from the souls she consumed. But she is no master. It takes longer for a scythe to complete a swing and reposition itself. With her previous speed, her speed is much greater compared to her own and her senses that the motion became a non-factor. But with Esther's last attack injuring her, even if temporarily, she became slow enough for Esther to follow.
She only has one chance for this. The red haired agent sidestepped the attack just as it came down. Even if she dodged it at the last second, she could still feel the power behind it. She would've been pulverized if she hadn't evaded. She quickly drew the last dagger from the holster on her left thigh and stab it right into Tepes' back just as the vampire landed, straining her very body to the limit to complete the motion quick enough to bury the blade into the vampire's body deep enough to cause immense pain to the vampire.
"Gha! Khh, Esther!"
Tepes screamed and force her body to turn around in anger mere moments after her scythe touched the ground. She redirect her scythe just as its tip stab into the ground. Creating a huge gash that sent dirt flying. Esther's eyes widened and immediately send the mental command for her dagger to explode even when she's still near. But it was too late.
The vampire's whole body painfully explode in a blast of fire and holy energy, sending chunks of flesh and gore all over the road and buildings. Esther was also blown away by the explosion and crashed into a flat. Valerie who had been watching the fight ran after the agent. She entered the flat to look for Esther.
To her horror, she found Esther lying against a wall heavily injured with Tepes' blood scythe embedded in her stomach. She is bleeding heavily and her uniform is torn in several places but thankfully still mostly intact, which is a silver lining Esther took considering her current condition. The agent coughed out blood, not even bothering to try taking the scythe out of her gut.
"Esther!"
Valerie cried out in worry and horror as she ran to the red haired agent's side. The last thing Esther thought of before she breathe her last is that fighting enemies who won't die when they are killed really sucks.
'Two and a half more minutes.'
Haruka thought in annoyance and anger. He had been watching Esther's fight with Tepes and he has to say that she is more than what he imagined. She killed Tepes three times before falling to the superior enemy. While he wouln't count the first time, Esther's second time killing Tepes had shown how good she is. Her third time killing Tepes is magnificent.
She had used everything she has in her disposal to take down a superior opponent. If she had had more training and more skills in her arsenal, she wouldn't have been so desperate. No, if Tepes is not the kind of opponent that won't stay dead, Esther would've won by now. Maybe a bit worse for wear but she would've won. But unfortunately they are fighting a strong user of Sephiroth Graal. Killing a competent user of Sephiroth Graal has always been difficult.
It was a mistake bringing her with him to get experience. If only he knew that this will happen, he would've asked Tosca instead. This is the kind of mission that requires two experienced agents. With her barriers, area defense, even against opponents of Tepes' caliber would be easy. Tempest would be preferable so that he doesn't even have to resort to this move in the first place but hindsight is 20-20 as they say.
'Dammit. I'm sorry for dragging you into this, Esther. I even had the idea of letting you take charge in this mission. But to think things would escalate this far, I should've known that dealing with a Longinus won't be easy. I'll treat you both to anything you want once this mission is over so Esther, Valerie, make sure you both make it out alive.'
Haruka promised to himself. While he knew that Esther had been fatally injured to the point of being killed, he knew there is still hope of her surviving. It all depends on whether Valerie know what to do. Besides, he has other things to worry about.
The senior agent look down on the reforming body of the vampire lady forming around the floating form of Sephiroth Graal. If Valerie had tried to retrieve the Graal at that moment then things might have ended by now but the moment Valerie saw Esther being blown away, she immediately ran to her friend's side, never noticing the Graal at all.
Haruka wouln't fault her for that. Worrying about one's friend is normal and Valerie had to move quickly if she wanted to save Esther anyway. Now it's just him and Tepes.
Once the vampire lady finished reforming, she shook her head, looking rather dizzy and disoriented. Must be the effect of the holy energy infused in the exploding daggers Esther wields. She is rather fond of those daggers and had been using them effectively in her battle. It is rather hard to make as he has to mix runecraft and sigils to make those exploding holy daggers. If it's just exploding daggers then he could make lots of them easily with runecraft but combining the sigils used by the church and his Celtic runecraft is rather tricky.
'I should talk with professor Woodsworth about making an explosive sigil. Also, two more minutes.'
The senior agent noted in the back of his head as Tepes look up to him with a smug grin.
"Your protegee had fallen, Haruka. Though I will admit that she is strong. If only she had stepped aside, or better yet, join me, then she would be alive and become something more."
Tepes said. There is genuine respect in how she spoke of Esther so it's not a lie when she said before that she's fond of Esther due to her connection with Valerie, which surprised Haruka since he's not aware of any connection. He was not ther when when Tepes revealed the connection but it's easy for him to put the pieces together. After all, the Sephiroth Graal they possess would make a stronge connection between them.
"You sound fond of her."
Haruka said to Tepes. The vampire smiled and nodded in agreement.
"I honestly am fond of her. But there are things that are just not meant to be. Now, prepare yourself. With no one interfering, I will have your head."
Tepes remade her blood scythe once again. She rose into the air until she's on the same level as Haruka. A sweat appear on the agent's brow as the vampire prepare herself for a swing. There is nothing and no one standing between her and him. One move, one swing is enough for her to kill him. Her aim is the neck. She will take his head off in one swing. A relatively quick and painless death. She will make sure that he won't feel a thing as she send him to Hades.
"…you know, if you're not as dangerous as you are, I would've thought about keeping you. You are quite cute after all. Hmm, maybe I should resurrect you into a vampire after I kill you? I'm not sure if I should though. Ohh well, it's nice knowing you, even if indirectly."
Tepes said with a sweet smile. Haruka does not fear death, but he really can't afford to fall here or else London will be turned into a necropolis. He is contemplating on cancelling the spell but he immediately shook away that thought. This spell taps directly into his soul, the very essence of his being, and serve to create a 'key' to a gift from his master. The reason why it takes so long to prepare is because it is a very delicate process to create this 'key'. If he stopped so close to completion, he would die and if 'it' does appear, then 'it' will be uncontrollable and likely kill everyone, including the unintended targets, and he'll still die in the process anyway
'This is really bad.'
This situation is pretty much him picking how he would die. Either through backlash from his own spell and potentially killing everyone with him or beheaded by a sexy vampire lady, which is… honestly not a bad way to die in other times.
The agent look left and right to see how the others are faring. He saw several bursts and jets of water in the corner of his vision which indicated where the battle between chief Richard and the Ripper are taking place but he couldn't find Irina anywhere though he bet his sister is still fighting Marius.
Haruka look at Tepes straight in the eyes. The vampire then moved at a blinding speed but his dynamic vision that is above most humans can still see her as if the world move in a slow motion. The scythe moved along with the vampire's hand and Haruka can't do anything to stop her. The scythe will reach his neck and he will die.
Tepes made the swing that will claim his life… but the blade never met his neck.
A red streak flew through the sky, flying in sharp angles, striking the vampire lady from the side, piercing her in the heart from. The vampire choke in her blood as her heart explode inside her body as red barbs pierce out from the point where the tip of the spear made contact with her heart.
Haruka's eyes widened in surprise as the spear flew along with Tepes' body through a building and crashed into a road in another block. Haruka recognized that red streak and that effect.
"Gae Bolg Alternative."
The agent whispered the name of the legendary spear that had saved him. He knew only one person is using that spear in this day and age. He had tried using it before but the spear did not respond to him and didn't acknowledge him as its wielder. It is another reason why he received this other 'gift' from his master after all. That means…
'Still a harsh teacher as usual, ehh, master Scathach?'
One more minute left. With the damage done to Tepes by that spear, she wouldn't recover in time to kill him. This is their victory.
'Thank you, Esther, master Scathach.'
He thanked the two people that had defended him in this battle. Just as one minute passed, he saw Tepes who had just recovered jumping onto the building that she had just been speared through. The vampire is holding her chest and looks to be in pain. The curse of Gae Bolg still affecting her even after resurrecting. She look up to him and saw him smirk. She knew what that meant.
"It's my win!"
Haruka declared. As he said so, the sky began to darken as black cloud gather above him in a swirl. The key has been made and the connection had been established. An enormous and ominous flying gate appear descend from the swirling black cloud. Many who saw it and recognize it, even those that did not, tremble in fear as this is a gate that would lead them to their death. The thick aura of darkness and death that came from the gate can be felt by anyone remotely sensitive to supernatural things. With its arrival, Haruka called out its name.
"GATE OF SKYE!"
Thanks to his preparation with the holy water of exorcism, Richard have been having an easier time keeping the Ripper occupied. His water could now deal very heavy damage to the Ripper. Each cut, each blast, even a minor splash now hurt the amalgamation of spirits heavily. He's not the best use of sigils though he is glad now that he bothered to learn. It has shown to be a useful skill.
The sigils are not really popular among the exorcists and people not affiliated with the Assembly. It resembles magic too much. When it first came to be several hundred years ago, the early practicioneers were accused of dabbling in pagan magic and was prosecuted if not for the timely intervention of an Angel.
Since then, the sigils have been integrated into the church military slowly like into their weapons and have been developing rather… well, he won't say smoothly because if compared to pagan magic practice, their sigils are not as well developed but it is developing, albeit rather slowly. Many of the more hardcore exorcist doesn't trust a skill that resembles magic.
'Around two more minutes. Things have been going well. But this is rather tedious.'
Richard thought. The fight against the Ripper have been going rather well. The Ripper is being handled easily this time around with his enhanced arsenal compared to the last time. His defenses have doubled in potency and his attack had doubled in lethality. If he was this prepared before, things would've been much easier.
The Ripper has been jumping all around, trying to break through his defenses. But if it were to meet his holy water shield, it would feel burned and had to retreat. As long as he respond in time to the Ripper's attacks with his holy water shield, then he will be fine.
The little killer tried to take him from behind this time and he call forth the water from his leftside tank he kept for defense. The killer screamed as it slam itself against the water shield. He then command the water to become a blade and the Ripper was sliced in half, screaming as it disappear.
The chief sighed. It would return soon enough thanks to the power of Sephiroth Graal. That Longinus is troublesome. Longinus in general is troublesome. Prodigium's Longinus user, the current Annihilation Maker, had taught him that. Sephiroth Graal had only reinforced that belief.
Speaking of Sephiroth Graal, his mind turn to the person who is supposed to be the current user of the Longinus. Valerie Nightroad is her name, according to their introduction. Based on the letter by Strada, her Longinus is a sub-species that takes the form of multiple grails. She lost one of her grail which weakened her and was sent together with her teammates to reclaim it. The Cardinal did not explain more than that in his letter.
Richard had suspected that there is more to the situation than meets the eye and well, now he knows. A part-human in the church of all thing. He had heard about some groups that specialize in the more… questionable aspects of their job. Only by rumors but it seems that there are some truth in it.
He won't say anything though. His life is already interesting enough as it is and if Valerie is under the command of Vasco Strada and the Catholic Church, then he won't say anything. It makes life easier. Plus Valerie herself doesn't even look threatening.
Richard wave is hand to the left. His water move to form another shield to block another attack from the reformed Ripper. This would be the… ninth time the Ripper returned. The Ripper is a simple opponent with the proper equipment and enough analysis but fighting something that won't die even after being killed is really troublesome. What was dead should've stayed dead. People die when they are killed for Heaven's sake!
The chief then blasted the Ripper away with a torrent of holy water. Just a bit more until Shidou is ready. He prepare himself for another assault when he noticed the sky is moving. He look up and see the cloud swirling in one point just above him. He then felt a powerful aura of darkness and death. His eyes widened when he saw a gate appearing from the dark clouds.
"T-this is… No, is this what Shidou meant?!"
Elsewhere, Shidou Irina who is panting while holding her injured shoulder also look up. Her fight against Marius had not gone well. She's not on a level that can take on a vampire lord, even a lesser one. If she had tried fighting Tepes, she would've died.
The girl also felt the air stirring and a feeling of dread welling up from inside her. She look up and gasped at the appearance of the enormous gate.
The Gate of Skye then opened.
Okay, this is one of my longest chapter yet. This is the first half of the climax for this arc where Haruka called out the Gate of Skye. He can't spam it though because unlike Scathach, he is not the King of the Land of Shadow. The Gate belongs to Scathach. He has the privelege to use it and one of its power that came with the ability to summon the gate is that he can enter the Land of Shadow from anywhere in the world and make a portal to it wherever he wanted, though only in a small scale. Think of him as a... Curator or Steward or a Regent to Scathach. Well, successor would've been closer but not quite since he is not Celtic.
Originally, I had wanted to conclude things in this chapter but things became so long I had to cut it in half. The next one is really the last chapter of this arc and it will be fairly long too. Anyway, the action is mainly with Esther vs Tepes and I have to say that I'm satisfied with how I write Esther. Don't worry, she'll live. We have Valerie there. I have to say that the fight is rather brutal though. I mean, Tepes had her head blown up and then have her body blown up and then skewered by Gae Bolg. Not really nice ways to die. Apart from these, I have nothing else to say. If there is anything anyone want to ask about the story just PM me.
Perseus Ruby Sendou: Well, Rias is not even a heroine here so let's just see if Issei is willing to help her.
FanNasuVerse93: Touki is a simple but powerful thing in DxD. I'm surprised I haven't seen it much around the fandom. In here though, there will be a number of people who utilize Touki. In the church alone, there will be 3 important recurring characters that uses it to varying degrees. Kaya has the weakest Touki among those three with Haruka being moderately powerful. Not on Sairaorg's level but good. Sword Dancer is the strongest Touki user in the church and he is the strongest close combat exorcist in the story. In the Shinto faction, we will also see several Touki user. 2 in particular will be very prominent. As for the Riser arc problem, you brought up some good points but well, I have things in mind. I hope it works.