Hello! After wrestling with the idea in my head and writing in what free time I have to relax, I have decided that this chapter shall be split into two parts. After all, this is Issei's toughest match and it should be given the justice it is due. So, after a week of studying and writing, we now come to the end of the semester. After this week, I will be able to return to normal posting so yea!
I do not own Highschool DxD. Highschool DxD is owned by Fujimi Shobo, Fujimi Fantasia Bunko, Funimation, and Ichie Ishibumi. Please support the official release.
[Ddraig talking]
[Ddraig thinking]
{Albion talking}
{Albion thinking}
|Tiamat talking|
|Tiamat thinking|
(Mastema talking)
(Mastema thinking)
Mental Communication
"Regular Dialogue"
Attacks/Spells
Japanese Blacklight Base, Kegon Falls, Japan, February 16, 2020
Issei sighed as he swiped through another page of notes. He rubbed his temples and saw someone place a cup of tea next to him.
"Are you doing alright there, Kouhai-chan?"
Issei turned to his right and saw Rikka leaning on his desk, smiling as she sipped a cup of coffee. Her red eyes shined with a knowing glint as she looked at the files that were open on his hard light screen.
"No… I can't figure this out," Issei said. "Everything I've read about the notes concerning Sacred Gears with beings sealed inside of them has led to a dead end. Nothing's working up and my understanding on the Enochian that was woven into the gear is less than satisfactory."
"You're stuck?" Rikka asked as she hopped off the table.
"Yeah," Issei said.
Rikka looked at Issei's screen and whistled before laughing. Issei turned around and gave her a pout which made her laugh even harder.
"What!?" Issei asked.
"You're looking at old sources of information. Come on," Rikka beckoned for him to follow her. Issei sighed and took his AS off its connector and followed her.
"You need more recent sources of information. The sources you were looking at were from post and pre-Great War. There are sources from more recent times," Rikka said as she walked down the hall.
"I looked at those too. Most were just notes on various types of Magitech and references to the American Blacklight Chapter Head at the time," Issei said.
"Ariel Thorston right?" Rikka asked as she opened a door with her AS.
[That name sounds familiar for some reason] Ddraig said.
"Yeah," Issei said as he followed her into a room. The room was different from the main portion of the Blacklight Database Room. This room was much smaller, about half the size of the main room. There were hard light screens and rows of desks with several agents who wore different uniforms than those outside sitting behind them. Issei marveled at the amount of information circulating through those screens.
"This is what I liked to call the private study room. I'm surprised you've never used it. The outside is usually for basic and surface-level information that we store here. Most people who do research do their research here provided that they have the proper clearance," Rikka said.
"Clearance?" Issei asked.
"Yes, most agents have different clearance levels. Basic and Intermediate Level Clearances. We're going to be using my AS for this. We will be accessing the notes of a Blacklight Chapter Head after all," Rikka said as she chose a terminal away from everyone else. She placed her AS into the dent.
Welcome Black Snow
Logging in….
Loading
Loading
Accessing Ariel Thorston Files
"Here ya go," Rikka said.
"No way… she was… a Dragon Emperor?" Issei said, reading over her files.
[Ahh, I know her. Now I know why it seemed so familiar. She was the White Dragon of her time and killed one of my wielders with a scythe] Ddraig said.
"Ddraig says that she killed the Red Dragon Emperor of her time with a scythe," Issei said.
"Yeah, it's called the First MagiTech and one of the most powerful weapons in our arsenal. The Last Breath. Unfortunately, no one except for anyone descended from her can use it because her soul signature or someone bearing a similar one is required to use it," Rikka explained.
"Woah…," Issei looked at all the information that popped up regarding Ariel Thorston. A picture of a woman with pale blonde hair and ice-blue eyes appeared on the screen. She wore a black coat. A large brooch with a green gem decorated her neck and collar while a black hat was atop her head. The ever-present black sun of Blacklight was seen engraved into her brooch's gem. To Issei, she looked like one of those old military captains from Period Movies. He began perusing her notes when he found a title of interest.
Cracking the Longinus
Issei clicked it and his eyes widened. He looked at Rikka, who was also staring in shock at the screen.
"This is it!" Issei said, grinning. Inside the Gear, Ddraig and Tiamat glanced at each other and shared a wide fanged grin.
February 21, 2020, Hyoudou House, 9:00 AM; Current Time: 3 Minutes and 43 Seconds Til Midnight
Issei sat at the table of his house's dining room, going over strategies when a person walked into the room. He glanced up and saw Irina and Rikka at the door. The two walked in and sat down on the table as Issei smiled. Rikka glanced at Issei's notes and nodded while Irina looked between the two suspicious.
"So, what are the papers for?" Irina asked.
"It's for a surprise I have planned for the Azazel Cup. The other teams won't even see it coming and to keep it that way, I won't even tell you guys!" Issei said.
"Except for Rikka-senpai," Irina clarified.
"Actually, I don't know if he actually succeeded. I'm just as in the dark as you," Rikka said, sipping her tea.
Issei felt his scroll vibrate as he pulled it out. A notification popped up on his screen. He sighed and clicked it. The contents of the notification appeared on his screen and his blood ran cold.
Team Kalpa
Led by Kali
"Issei? What's wrong?" Rikka asked.
"Our next opponent… is the Hindu Goddess of Destruction, Kali," Issei said.
The sound of breaking glass caused Issei and Irina to look at Rikka, whose eyes were wide. Her teacup had shattered to pieces and Rikka's hand was bleeding as some of the shards embedded themselves into her palm.
"Did you say… Kali?" Rikka asked.
"Yeah," Issei said. "Do you know her or something?"
"I've heard of her… from stories and myths. And my mother knew her before she… before she died," Rikka said.
"Did Kali…?" Irina trailed off, not wanting to finish the question.
"No… my mom died because she was murdered," Rikka said. "And… Kali might know who killed her."
"I see… what do you want to wish for when we win?" Issei asked.
"To find whoever killed my mother and bring them to justice… something Lord Indra never did," Rikka said, saying the final part silently.
Irina and Issei looked at each other before nodding. Irina reached over and placed her hand over Rikka's. She smiled.
"We'll help you get your wish… just like we will for everyone else," Irina said.
"T- Thank you," Rikka smiled at her. "You're a good kouhai."
"It's a kouhai's duty to help her senpai when she needs it right?" Irina asked.
Issei smiled at the sight. He looked down at his screen and sighed as he clicked on Team Kalpa.
Team Kalpa
King: Kali
Queen: Durga
Knight: Varuna
Knight: Rama
Bishop: Kamadeva
Rook: Surya
Pawn: Sita
Issei read over the names and recognized only a few of them. Kali was the first name he recognized. And who didn't? She was the Goddess of Destruction from the Hindu Pantheon. The Eldest Child of Shiva and Parvati and one of the only Gods in the world who could tell Indra off and live. She was a terrifying existence to other beings but none more so than to beings who called themselves Evil. Her title is the Purifier. The Destroyer of Evil and her blade was coated in the blood of Asuras and other evil beings alike. Of all the people on this team, she was the most dangerous and powerful of them all.
The other name that he recognized was Durga. She was the Hindu Goddess of War and that was as much as Issei knew about her. Other than that, Issei had seen their games and witnessed Durga single-handedly wipe out an entire team of Ultimate Class Beings with only minor injuries that could quickly heal with her deity physiology.
"So… know who we're up against?" Irina asked.
"Well… only a few. I'm not really as versed in Hinduism as I'd want to be…," Issei said.
"Let me see," Rikka said. Issei nodded and slid her the scroll.
"Rama. He's a hero from the famous Ramayana. To think that Kali has the authority to pull him from death… anyway, Rama fought a war against the Demon King Ravana for fourteen years with the help of the Monkey Lord Hanuman. His wife, Lady Sita, seems to be in this as well. I can only imagine the amount of begging that Kali had to go through to get Rama and Sita from Vishnu-sama," Rikka said. She looked down at the next name.
"Kamadeva-sama is the Hindu God of Love and Compassion. Legends state that Shiva-sama incinerated him with his Third Eye after Kama shot him with an arrow, rousing him from slumber at the behest of Parvati-sama," Rikka said.
"Doesn't look so dead to me," Issei said.
"Quite… that was probably just a…," Rikka began.
"Misinterpreted tale? Like the Devils and Souls thing?" Issei asked.
Rikka nodded.
"Surya is the God of the Sun and a Vasu. The most literal interpretation I can give you is that he's a member of Indra's court. He is one of the two beings we need to look out for other than Kali and Durga," Rikka said.
"Which leads us to our second Vasu, Varuna, the God of Water… and my…," Rikka trailed off.
"My?" Irina asked.
"He's my uncle," Rikka said.
Issei and Irina's eyes widened at her words. That meant that she… she was a demigod.
"Your Uncle…. But Varuna is Indra's brother… does that mean that Indra is your…?" Issei began.
"No… I will never associate myself with him. And Indra isn't my father by the way," Rikka said. "Just drop it for now. We'll talk more about my family heritage after the match and how I'm related to Indra and Varuna."
"So what does Varuna do?" Irina asked.
"Varuna is the God of Water and wields the Varunastra. A weapon rumored to be capable of releasing torrential volumes of water capable of submerging an area as large as the Indian Subcontinent in water," Rikka said. "He also wields a noose known as the Varunapasha… a weapon capable of ensnaring even the Gods in its hold."
"So what do we do?" Issei asked.
Rikka placed a hand on her chin. She closed her eyes, deep in thought as she began to think of ways to counteract such a powerhouse of a team.
Team Kalpa… they have plowed through all of their competition without losing a single member on their team. And in every fight, Kali hasn't even moved from her spot… which means we know nothing about her as a fighter but the others…, Rikka thought. She looked up at Issei and Irina who were eyeing her expectantly. She sighed as she looked at them.
"Go get everyone… I think I might have a plan," Rikka said.
Irina nodded as she left the room, leaving Issei alone with Rikka. Rikka rubbed her forehead before opening her mouth.
"Before everyone gets here, I'm going to be straight with you. Our chances of winning this match is very low. We'll need some sort of miracle to pull a win here Issei. This isn't Thor or Agares or the others we've fought. This is Kali. She is one of the most powerful Gods in the World and rumor has it that she's as powerful as Indra… perhaps even more so," Rikka said.
"Mastema… what do you think of all this?" Issei asked.
(...)
Issei sighed internally. "Ddraig? Tiamat?" Issei moved on to them.
[Honestly… she's right. There is a very slim chance of us attaining victory but… that's what they said when we went up against Trihexa. Those odds were worse than what we have now. I think we can pull it off… hopefully] Ddraig said.
|Yes. The Apocalypse Beast was much more of a challenge than Kali ever will from the stories that Ddraig told me. That means we can pull this off but you'll need to be strategic about it| Tiamat said.
"Rikka, what's this strategy of yours?" Issei asked.
As she was about to speak, the door opened and Irina walked in with everyone else. Rikka smiled as everyone sat down at the table.
"Alright, Issei… everyone, pay attention because this plan's going to get complicated," Rikka said. She reached for Issei's scroll.
"May I?" Rikka asked.
Issei nodded and allowed her to take it. She clicked it and looked for footage of Kali's matches. She pulled out her AS and tapped it, causing several thin wires to extend and attach to Issei's scroll. Her AS whirred as it projected an image of Kali's matches.
"So basically… here's what we're going to do," Rikka said.
February 22, 2020, 11:30 AM, Ajuka Stadium
Issei sighed as he waited to be teleported into the arena with the others. Rikka was sitting against the wall, sharpening her sword with a whetstone while Bova stood next to her.
Irina was fidgeting with her new bracelets. Bracelets he had never seen before. They technically resembled wristbands more than anything. The wristbands were different colors. The band on her left wrist was black with white highlights and contained a blue gem on the side of the band that was facing the same direction as the back of her hand. The right band was white with black highlights and like its left counterpart, it had a blue gem located on the side that the back of the hand was. While Issei was one hundred percent sure that Irina would never do anything like that to him, a part of him couldn't help but wonder where she got them from.
"Hey, Irina… where did you get the bracelets from?" Issei asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"These? I had them made. I'm sorry but I wanted them to be surprised so I made a couple of trips down to Blacklight HQ in secret," Irina smiled sheepishly.
"So that's…," Issei asked.
"MagiTech? Yeah! I call them [Heaven's Twilight]," Irina said.
"Huh," Issei said.
"What they do is a secret! Can't give away one of our newest trump cards!" Irina winked at him.
"Are we ready for today's match folks? Because if you are, we have a treat for you. This might be the greatest mismatch we've had ever! I hope you all bet on the right team because this match is about to knock you off your seats! Without further adieu, let's introduce the competing teams!
"ON ONE SIDE! We have a fan favorite! Led by the Oppai Dragon himself! TEAM MIDNIGHT DRAGON EMPEROR OF CRIMSON TRUTH!"
An image of Issei appeared on the screen earning shouts and cries of praise from the audience, both at the stadium and at home. Issei sighed when he heard it. It made him more determined to slash the alias Oppai Dragon from anything associated with him forever. That would be his wish.
"And on the opposing side. This might be the team that destroys Team Midnight Dragon! They have participated in every match and never lost a team member. The undefeated team from the Hindu Pantheon. Team Kalpa! Led by the Daughter of Shiva, the God of Destruction, and Parvati, the Goddess of Power, KALI! GODDESS OF TIME AND DESTRUCTION!" Naud announced.
Issei narrowed his eyes in anticipation as he saw the image of a woman with violet-blue hair and dull violet eyes appear on the screen.
"So that's Kali," Mitsuki asked as she stared at the image.
"I've heard stories of Lady Kali… she killed two Asuras that were heading for Lord Vishnu in the distant past and is known to have a close friendship and rivalry with the Titans Helios and Selene, and the Egyptian Goddess of Order Ma'at," Vasco said.
"Without further adieu, LET US BEGIN!" Naud announced.
Issei gave them all one last smile as they were teleported into the arena.
Kali sat atop a pillar with her eyes closed. Their base was the ruins of what appeared to be a temple dedicated to a famous figure. The destroyed bust of what must have been the owner of this temple as well as pieces of the statue was scattered everywhere. Portions of the roof and ceiling were caved in. Some words in Latin were carved into the throne of the building. The tattered remains of what appeared to be the American flag lay on the floor. Kali opened her eyes and looked at Durga, who was waiting for her along with the rest of her team.
"Find them. And eliminate them. Except for the Red Dragon. The Red Dragon is mine… if any of you touch him… I will retire you from this game," Kali said.
They gulped and nodded.
"Ever the fighter huh," Durga said, shaking her head.
Kali's face morphed into a smile. "I want to see if he's all he's cracked up to be… and furthermore, I want to confirm something for myself," Kali said. Images of a woman with white hair appeared in her mind.
"Suit yourself," Durga said as she and the others flew off to find Issei and the others.
Issei and the others looked around. From what they could gather, they were in a war-torn city. The buildings around them were either collapsed or on fire. Smoke rose into the air, blocking out an illusory sun. There were destroyed military vehicles everywhere. The smell of gasoline forced them all to cover their eyes as they took in the sight.
Issei walked around and kicked the tail of a crashed attack helicopter. He saw a broken white obelisk that was hundreds of feet tall. A piece of a jet's wing was embedded at the top. Issei looked up and saw the burnt remains of what appeared to be the American Flag billowing atop a flagpole.
"We're in DC… or what used to be DC," Vasco said. He glanced over and saw a massive unknown machine. It was made of a metal that he didn't recognize. The color of it was dark-chrome with green. The machine had multiple legs and had what he assumed were turrets.
"This is ripped off from Independence Day," Rikka said as she kicked over a piece of metal. There was an alien-looking figure that appeared both insectoid and reptilian at the same time.
"So we're in DC in the movie Independence Day?" Issei asked. "Who came up with the themes for these?"
In the stands, Azazel sneezed.
"Right… remember Rikka's plan. We don't split up. We fight them together. It's more than likely that Kali has already split her peerage to hunt us down so everyone stay together," Issei said.
They all nodded. The group began to move out as a single unit, keeping an eye out for any of Kali's peerage members. Issei gave Irina and Bova the go-ahead to take to the skies to look out for any potential danger. Issei took point while Mitsuki took the rear.
"See anything?" Issei asked over the CC.
(Nothing yet…) Irina said.
"We have nothing down here too," Issei said.
"Aniki, we should've encountered one of them by now," Mitsuki said as she had her energy blades ready. Vasco and Rikka remained silent as they kept watch while Tohka, Mica, and Ingvild had their weapons and spells on standby in case of any trouble.
(Issei… get ready. I'm sensing… a whole group of people heading our way…) Irina said.
[It seems that sticking together has turned all of you into a single target. All of Kali's team is advancing on you.] Ddraig said.
|Hmmm, you still have the element of surprise. You and your team have grown since the last one and your trump card might be the game saver| Tiamat said.
"Guys… they're coming," Issei said as he summoned the [|Boosted Gear|].
Vasco drew Durandal II. Rikka sighed and drew Obsidian Rite and a second sword that Issei had never seen before. The sword was red in color. The blade was curved in a way that made it appear serpentine. The guard appeared to be flame-like and there was a red gem on the pommel. Issei blinked when he saw the blade.
"Where did you get that?" Issei asked.
"I've always had it. I just never used it until this match I guess. I mean I've used it in the past but only as a last resort and this seems like a last resort," Rikka said.
"Issei," Ingvild said. She summoned a few water snakes and sent them ahead. She closed her eyes as an image of a man with blue hair and dark skin heading in their direction. The man had eyes as blue as the sea itself. He wore white robes and had a spear-like weapon in his left hand.
"I see a lone figure heading here," Ingvild said.
"What does he look like?" Issei asked.
"Blue hair, white robes, blue eyes, and holds a spear," Ingvild said.
"That sounds like Varuna," Tohka added.
"Shit," Rikka said. "And from the looks of it… he has Varunastra ready."
"Wait… someone else is there too… A woman wearing a red shirt. She has black hair and a pair of green earrings," Ingvild added.
"Durga," Rikka said.
"The Goddess of War and the God of the Ocean is coming here for us? Heh, this is going to be the toughest fight of my life," Vasco said as he stiffened.
Issei looked up to see Irina drawing her sword and swinging it. As she did, she split a light beam in half, causing it to scatter and hit two different buildings on their street. Two people, a man, and a woman appeared in front of them. The man had orange hair and scarlet eyes along with tan skin. He wore a sleeveless shirt with a chest plate that was split into three sections. He wore black trousers that seemingly linked to his boots which had three rings at the top.
The woman next to him had scarlet hair and tanned skin with light orange eyes. Her hair was styled in the same manner as Irina's and she wore a tan dress over a black sleeveless top that stopped halfway above her torso, showing her midriff. Her dress parted at her chest. She wore a black skirt and boots that covered half of her lower leg. On her back was an orange and black intricately designed bow.
"Hello, Red Dragon," the man said. "I am Rama. Knight of Lady Kali. I was pulled from Vaikuntha by Lady Kali with Vishnu-sama's permission to allow me and Sita to participate in these games."
"He is right, Lord Red Dragon. I am Sita, the pawn of Lady Kali and temporary wielder of Sharanga," the now-named Sita said bowing.
"Issei," Rikka said. "Be careful. Those two wield Astras granted to them by Brahma-sama and Vishnu-sama. The Brahmastra and the Sharanga."
"Right," Issei said.
[|Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker|]
"I'm sorry if you intend to fight us Red Dragon but Lady Kali gave us strict orders not to touch you," Sita said as she knocked an arrow into Sharanga. "Your friends, however, are free game."
"I'm leaving them behind," Issei said.
"Unfortunately, you have no choice."
Issei looked up and saw a woman hovering in midair. Her earrings glinted in the light as she crossed her arms and grinned at Issei.
"Durga, right?" Issei asked.
"We have been ordered not to fight you by our King. So you can stay here and watch us eliminate your friends or take advantage of the fact that you'll be fighting our king alone without any interference whatsoever," Durga said.
"Issei," he turned around and saw Irina land behind him. She grinned and gave him a thumbs up. "We'll be fine. Go. We'll keep them busy and hold them to their promise."
"Irina," Issei said.
"Don't worry about us," Tohka said. "Now go!"
Issei closed his eyes and nodded. A pair of wings erupted from his back as he took off and flew towards Durga. He floated across from her, his hazel eyes staring into her dark ones. The Goddess grinned before she pointed with her thumb towards a large Parthenon-like building.
"If you're looking for Kali, she's over there. She's waiting for you, Red Dragon," Durga said.
Issei glared at her through the visor of the Balance Breaker's helmet and nodded before jetting off in the direction Durga pointed. After Issei had left, Durga looked down and eyed Irina and the others.
"I hope you know that we won't go down without putting up a fight right? We may not be from the Hindu Pantheon but that doesn't mean we're weak," Irina said as she summoned Hauteclere to her hand. Her wrist bands glowed and transformed into bracers.
"Oh I count on it however I think you've miscalculated something when you said that you have no one from our pantheon on your team," Durga said.
Irina went silent and glanced over at her teammates. She noticed three men behind Durga. One of them was how Ingvild described him as. A man with long flowing blue hair and wore blue and white robes. In his left hand was an intricately designed spear that had the texture and appearance of flowing water. He was Varuna, the Hindu God of the Seas.
The man next to him was impossibly beautiful. He had white hair and charming orange eyes that made her nearly feel weak at the knees. He wore a sleeveless pink vest and white trousers. However, the way he eyed her and the other female members of her team made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Kama, stop looking at them," Varuna said. Kama pouted.
"But Varuna, look at the black-haired one! Doesn't she look like someone we know?" Kama asked.
Rikka frowned as a man with scarlet hair and orange eyes looked at her. The chakram behind him spun as he narrowed his eyes.
"She does…," he said.
"See! Even Surya agrees with me!" Kama said.
"We can ask them later after the match," Durga said.
Irina stiffened as she saw Durga summon two scimitars out of thin air. The scimitars began to crackle with red energy as Kali's team began to advance on them.
"Whatever happens… we fight and don't give them a single inch!" Irina said as her halo flared.
"RIGHT!"
Durga grinned as she charged towards Irina. She raised her scimitar and brought it down on the reincarnated angel. Irina brought Hauteclere up to block but was forced to one knee from the sheer force of the blow. She gritted her teeth as she moved to the side, sending Durga to her right. She brought her leg up and tripped the Goddess.
Durga's eyes widened as she caught herself and saw Irina madly slashing at her. She grinned and parried one of Irina's slashes sending the girl stumbling back. Durga went in for a finishing blow when Rikka appeared between the two and caught Durga's sword in between Obsidian Rite and her second sword.
"Oh?" Durga was intrigued. Rikka glared at her and opened her mouth. She unleashed a breath of scarlet flames which caught Durga off guard. She screamed as she stumbled back, trying to put out the flames.
"Rikka?" Irina looked at her and saw a faint orange glint in the girl's eyes.
"Don't hold back Irina," Rikka said.
Irina nodded and flew into the air. She raised her hand and unleashed a hail of light spears that locked on to the energy signatures of Kali's team members.
"MOVE!" Mitsuki yelled as she slammed her foot into Rama's gut. Rama choked a bit as Mitsuki jumped out of the way. Bova grabbed Sita by the arm and threw her into Rama as the two were bombarded with light spears.
Surya kicked back Vasco as he took to the air. He looked back and saw fifteen light spears following him, causing him to increase his speed. He stopped and summoned a spear to his hand.
"Om… Surya Devaay Namah… Hiranyagarbha!" Surya swung the spear, sending a massive wave of flames towards the light spears obliterating them. The wave traveled towards Irina, whose eyes widened.
"Tohka!" Mica said as he knocked back Varuna.
Tohka nodded and kicked Kama into Ingvild, who summoned a massive water dragon that engaged the God. Tohka held her hand out towards Irina and swapped places with her.
"Pandora!" Tohka forms a massive barrier of shadows and light that suck in Surya's flames. The barrier shatters, forcing Tohka to dodge as a massive portion of the city is engulfed in flames.
She looked up at the God, who floated calmly in the air. Surya raises his hand and creates a spear of flames and throws it at Tohka. Tohka moved out of the way, barely avoiding the spear and flew towards Surya.
"Code: Ketus! Form Change: Code Eos!" Tohka's armor glowed as it began to cover her. Tohka's face is covered in a metal helmet with a red visor. Metallic wings erupt from the back of her suit with jet thrusters that shot red flames. She sped towards the god and summoned a large sword. Tohka swung it down, forcing Surya to block.
"So, you had this form on you?" Surya asked. He placed his palm on her armored torso and fired a blast of flames that sent her crashing into a building. Tohka looked up and saw a red beam of energy heading for her.
She rolled out of the way as the building and everything behind it was decimated.
Mica landed in front of her.
"You alright?" he asked. She nodded.
"Ingvild?" Tohka asked.
Mica glanced over at Ingvild, who was assisting Irina atop a massive Dragon.
"So… Varuna and Surya?" Mica said. Tohka nodded.
The two grinned before darting towards the Gods and engaging them in combat.
Mitsuki and Risa stood back to back as Sita raised her bow into the air and fired, unleashing a hail of arrows on them. Mitsuki and Risa formed a dual-layered barrier, deflecting the arrows.
Sita knocked an arrow and fired it, shattering the combined barriers of Risa and Mitsuki.
Risa narrowed her eyes at the weapon.
"Her arrow… shattered our barriers," Mitsuki said.
"The Sharanga…," Risa said. "The Divine Bow of Vishnu-sama… the only equal of the Pinaka, one of the Astras of Shiva-sama."
Mitsuki gritted her teeth and eyed Sita. Sita knocked another arrow and fired. Mitsuki's hand glowed as she invoked Telos Karma, summoning a green wristband to her right arm. She forced a change in probability on the arrow, causing it to miss.
"Crossed Fates: Form Verdandi!" Mitsuki announced as she activated her Sacred Gear's Balance Breaker. Mitsuki's form glowed blue as her attire changed. Mitsuki became clad in a green and white dress with black leggings. A pair of clocks appeared behind her with metallic golden feathers. A large wheel floated in behind the clocks spinning lazily as Mitsuki's eyes glowed.
"Are you going to?" Risa asked.
"Yeah… I'll try to knock her out to at least give our team a lead," Mitsuki said. She spread her wings and sped towards Sita. Sita's eyes widened as Mitsuki shot past her, arm extended and an energy blade coating it. Sita felt pain in her side as her hand gripped it. She turned to see Mitsuki raising her hand in front of her.
"Moonshadow Be-!" Mitsuki twisted her body out of the way as Rama appeared next to her. He swung Brahmastra, carving a massive trench in the arena. Mitsuki aimed her Moonshadow Beam, hitting Rama point-blank. She darted back, eyeing the smoke cloud. Rama swung his blade, clearing the smoke.
Vasco and Bova flew up behind him.
"Mitsuki, go help Irina," Vasco said.
"...," Mitsuki eyed him and nodded. She turned and spread her wings to fly off, but not before giving Vasco a grin. He smiled back and gripped Durandal II tightly. Rama swung Brahmastra, forcing Vasco to dodge. Vasco slammed Durandal II into Brahmastra, sending Rama sliding back. Rama grinned and charged back in as the two engaged in a deadly dance. Sparks flew everywhere as their blades clashed with each other.
"These... guys are tough!" Bova said.
"Bova focus!" Risa said as she rushed in to help Vasco.
As Mitsuki flew towards Durga and Irina, a massive wave of power forced her to look in the direction her brother flew off in. A massive pillar of red light was seen clashing with a pillar of white.
"Aniki…," Mitsuki said.
Issei flew towards a ruined memorial building and landed on the walkway. He had recognized this place from pictures on the internet and movies that had taken place in this city. This is, or was the Lincoln Memorial. Issei turned and saw the head of President Lincoln on the side, clearly having been removed from the statue itself. The charred chassis of a tank stood by the stairs where he saw her.
A woman sat on the lap of the Lincoln Statue. He felt her gaze pierce right through him as she opened her royal purple eyes. Her violet-blue hair blew in the breeze as she stood up. She hopped off and landed, dusting off her black gothic lolita dress. She was a lot shorter than Issei expected her to be. For someone with the title of Goddess of Destruction, he expected something a bit more.
"Issei Hyoudou, strange… I expected someone of your reputation to be a bit… older," Kali said as her dull eyes looked at him.
"Thank you though if I may Kali-sama, I expected someone a bit taller," Issei said.
"Cute," Kali said as she walked down the steps.
"So why'd you call me here?" Issei asked. "Are you going to profess your undying love that you were secretly harboring?"
"No," Kali said. "I called you here to fight you myself."
"W- Wait… isn't that a big risk?" Issei asked.
"Yes… it is but I'm not in this for anything. Whatever wishes I may want I can grant myself," Kali said.
"That's one way of looking at it… I guess you're just here to fight then?" Issei asked.
"Of course. Seeking strong opponents is my goal in this fight and you have intrigued me. To defeat Thor… a deity considered to be in the Top Ten Strongest Existences is nothing short of a feat wouldn't you say?" Kali praised.
"That was just dumb luck," Issei said.
"Luck or not… I want to fight you, Issei Hyoudou," Kali said.
Issei stiffened as she summoned a silver hilt into her hand. A pure black blade with a white aura extended from it as the sword whirred to life. Kali grinned as she appeared in front of Issei and swung the blade.
In the Stands
"So Kali-chan has decided to confront the Red Dragon by herself?" a woman with violet hair and brown skin commented. Her purple eyes shined as she watched her and Issei face off. She wore clothes that could barely classify as clothes. She wore a split sleeveless top that exposed her midriff and the underside of her breasts. She wore a white skirt with a blue loincloth like attachment at the front and a pair of ears on her head that resembled that of a fennec fox.
"Ma'at-chan."
The now named Ma'at turned around to see Parvati and Shiva behind her alongside the other leaders and dignitaries.
"Auntie," Ma'at greeted.
"So you came," Shiva said, sitting down in the chair.
"Of course… why wouldn't I?" Ma'at said.
"Well, the last time you and Kali-neesan saw each other was at the end of the Great War when we delivered news that…," Michael trailed off.
Ma'at went silent for a second before sighing. "I've had centuries to get over Ellie's death Michael. I'm fine."
"Are Selene and Helios here?" Michael asked.
"They left a while ago to go get food," Ma'at said as she focused on the match. Michael nodded and turned his gaze back to Issei and Kali.
Arena
Issei crashed into a wall. He barely dodged as Kali embedded the sword into the marble. He jumped back to gain some distance.
[Boost] [Boost] [Boost] [Boost] [Boost] [Boost] [Boost] [Boost] [Boost] [Boost]
Issei kept boosting until he boosted fifty times. He aimed his hand at her and fired a blue beam of energy at Kali. Kali turned and deflected the beam with her sword. She raised her sword into the air and brought it down, sending a white wave of destructive power hurtling towards Issei.
Issei flew out of the way and conjured a sphere of golden fire in his left hand and threw it at her. Kali sliced the orb apart and was met with a black and red energy sphere. The sphere crashed into Kali, sending her through the building.
Issei looked down as he saw a cylindrical beam of white energy shot towards him. It was now that Issei realized that he wasn't fast enough to dodge. Deciding that he needed to reveal another aspect of his powers in order to survive, Issei held out his hand and a black portal appeared in front of him. The beam was absorbed into the portal before it closed.
Michael and Ma'at's eyes widened along with the others.
"That was the…," Michael said.
"How?" Sirzechs said, dumbfounded at the sight.
Kali burst from the hole and kicked Issei in the chin, breaking the helmet of his Balance Breaker. Issei fought through the pain and slammed his fist into her face. Kali staggered back a few feet and Issei rushed in and delivered a flurry of punches.
Kali blocked and dodged Issei's attacks and drove her knee into his torso. Issei gasped and was sent flying backward. He crashed into a building where he groaned in pain.
[PARTNER!] Ddraig yelled in concern.
|Issei! Are you alright!?| Tiamat asked.
"The bitch… can hit…," Issei laughed as he saw Kali hovering above him. She raised her hand and formed a sphere of white energy and fired it at Issei.
"S- Shit… this might be the end..," Issei said.
(Don't give up now!) Mastema yelled. (Remember why you're here! Remember the promises you made to your team!)
Issei's eyes widened as he bit down. The pain was unbearable but so was the pain of knowing that he went down without so much as putting up a fight. The others were out there fighting with their all and here he was giving up after a couple of hits. Issei rolled out of the way as the beam virtually erased the spot he was in down to the quark. Issei got up and formed several PoD spheres and fired it at Kali.
Kali narrowed her eyes and slapped them away.
[Crimson Moon: Full Drive]
Kali's eyes widened as she heard Issei next to her.
His speed has incre-
Her thought was interrupted as Issei slammed his armored fist into her face. She felt her nose break as she crashed through several buildings before skidding to a stop on a road. She got up and saw Issei creating a massive sphere of shadow. Small red and black orbs orbited around it. Small portals opened shooting white energy into the sphere while flames began to engulf the Power of Destruction Orbs.
It… is. To think that… one of them inherited it after so long, Kali thought as she formed a white sphere of energy.
Issei began to Boost, enhancing the power of the Orb.
"Take this! Soul Shatter!" Issei yelled as he willed the orbs merged together creating black orb with an iridescent corona and threw it at her.
A battle hungry grin formed on Kali's face.
"To think that one of them inherited your power and will after so long. Are you watching, Ellie?" Kali said as a battle-hungry grin formed on her face.
Kali created a large white cone in front of her and fired an energy beam from it. The sphere and the beam collided clashing for supremacy as the arena shook. Issei gritted his teeth as he tried to push against Kali's attack. His eyes widened when the sphere was engulfed in white energy. Issei barrel rolled out of the way as the beam traveled past him.
"W- What?" Issei said as his mind attempted to comprehend how his Boosted attack was just overpowered. He turned to Kali, who looked at him with a strange look.
[It seems that you might have to use it] Ddraig said.
"At this point, I have no choice," Issei said.
"You have it," Kali called out. She levitated off the ground and flew into the air, hovering a distance away from him.
"Have what?" Issei asked, confused by her sudden statement.
"Don't play dumb with me boy. Ever since I saw that power in your fight with Thor and then the others, I've been suspicious," Kali said.
"I genuinely don't know what you're talking about. You mean my Power of Destruction?" Issei asked.
"No… so you don't know," Kali said.
"Don't know what," Issei asked.
"Tell me… what do you know about the Creator of Devils?" Kali asked.
"The Creator of Devils was the Archangel Lucifer after she fell from Heaven. This is common knowledge… why are you asking?" Issei said.
"I see… what about the power she used to make them? What was the power called?" Kali asked.
"I don't know. I'm not an expert on Devil History," Issei said.
"Well then… allow me to enlighten you. The power that Lucifer wielded was the most coveted power in the Biblical Pantheon and perhaps one of the most coveted abilities in the World. The Shevirat-Ha Kelim," Kali said. "The power that birthed all of Devilkind and the original source of all the abilities wielded by the Seventy Two Pillars and the Extra Demons as well as… the Primes."
"No," Sirzechs said. "Why would Issei have that power? Not even Vali, a direct descendant of Lucifer has it."
"Wrong," Shiva said. "Vali is a descendant of Satanchia who was appointed as Maou Lucifer as he was her eldest son. The only other Devil to have this power was Lilith, her eldest child."
"But now… Issei has Nee-sama's power for… reasons we don't know," Gabriel said.
Ma'at watched the match silently.
"Why are you telling me this?" Issei asked.
Inside him, Ddraig, Tiamat, and Mastema all let out a collective groan. Issei may have changed and gotten smarter, stronger, and somewhat more mature but he was still Issei deep down and he had his moments of stupidity.
Kali seemed off-put by his seeming ignorance and sighed.
"Because you have it," Kali said.
"W- What?" Issei looked at her shocked.
"You are the inheritor and perhaps the last living wielder of the Shevirat Ha-Kelim. It's why you can use the Power of Destruction, the Power of Hole, Hell Fire and several more abilities that you have yet to access such as… creation on the nearly same level as that of Uncle Yahweh," Kali said.
"B- But how? How do I even have this?" Issei asked.
"Mastema! Did you know?"
(No… I didn't.) she answered.
"Well, how you have it is something that must be solved later for now…," Kali said.
Issei nodded and prepared to go after Kali when he heard an announcement that made his blood run cold.
"Rook of Issei Hyoudou has been eliminated!"
Reviews:
Scrumblenut: Hmmm, you have piqued my interest. I shall watch Sanctuary as I need something to watch anyway while I'm stuck in one place.
AnimeFan0216: Haha, yes. They are very bad influences. Just look at how Asia turned out and now Rias too.
Rhongomyniad: Thanks! I actually got my most difficult final out of the way today so all that's left to do is wait... for the grade.
Anon: Hmm, Tatsuya is getting up there. He might have one of those world-altering beatdowns in the final courtesy of Issei. But the finals match will be focused on a confrontation between Issei and Rias and what comes after because I feel as if I could finally settle things between them in the finals. Like permanently. As you saw in one of the previous chapters, Rias is still somewhat hungover their breakup and that's understandable. The finals will be the turning point in their current relationship buuuut, I won't tell you which direction though. Hehe.
Alright before my reviews are flooded with reviews about Kali and Parvati being the same person blah blah blah, please note that this is fanfiction and Kali being Parvati's daughter is a creative and fictional interpretation of Kali being Paravati's aspect and vice versa. Same with Durga. I am one hundred percent aware that Durga and Kali are the same person but in different personas. I changed some things around. Now, guess who Rikka's mom is and what her relationship is to Varuna! First one to do so gets to request an omake for the next chapter! Remember, wash your hands, wear a mask and don't cut a hole in it, don't inject yourself with disinfectant, and to review this story!
PS: Fact check me on any facts that I may have made a mistake on regarding the figures I chose for Kali's team.