Chapter 9
The Area around Kuoh
While Issei-01, Raynare and Rias-01 were now confronted with the Devil Hunter´s Vali and Issei-013 and the sinister Raiser-20, some of the rest of their team was dealing with more of the attackers.
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Kuroka on her part was now literally facing herself. Better said her other self.
Like the others she had teleported outside when the attack happened and then moved to a place close by after Issei had given the order to retreat and scatter across the area.
A few minutes later she had met up with Murayama and the three former Strays. She and the trio of Ehron, Maya and Rei had been together at the time of the attack and had left the team´s mansion together when they got Issei´s telepathic retreat order.
So they had teleported and were now standing inside a forest close to the town.
Unfortunately their enemies had found them just a few minutes later.
The ones who appeared before them were the Devil Hunter´s Kuroka, Koneko and the masked man Nero.
"Kuroka!" Murayama called out as she saw them.
"Yes - but quite unfortunately for you now the one you know," DH-Kuroka replied. "Too bad. Murayama - that was your name, right? I have nothing against you personally.
But sadly your team was a thorn in our side for some time now with your interference. So we have orders to destroy you."
Next to her, her partner Nero was looking silently at the trio of Ex-Stray devils. This did not surprise her given what she knew about her comrade.
DH-Koneko send an somewhat unsure glance at him as well.
"You three can go," DH-Kuroka told the former Strays. "We have no quarrel with you. But if you insist on helping your companion, then we guaranty for nothing."
Ehron, Maya and Rei exchanged a short look.
"We will not leave her behind," Maya said.
"As you wish," DH-Kuroka replied. "I will leave this three to you. Do whatever you think is necessary," she told her sister and Nero.
"I will deal with our little swordgirl here."
Murayama raised her blade and went into a defense stance.
She knew she had no chance at all. She had become powerful in the last two years, but her opponent was still far beyond her.
In the same moment however their own Kuroka had found them...
... and she appeared right between the two groups.
"You will step away from my friend now," she said to her counterpart. "And from the others as well," she adressed the other Devil Hunters.
"You-" Kuroka-06 pointed at her Devil Hunter counterpart, "you and I have a score to settle."
"You are talking about that assassination I guess," DH-Kuroka replied. "It was nothing personal by the way."
Kuroka-06 gritted her teeth.
"That... and the death of my Issei," she said
"Yours? I guess you two were close then?" DH-Kuroka commented. "Honestly - I find his death regretful. But I was not the one who had killed him."
"No - but your leader was. Or should I call him your lover? And you were part of all of it willingly."
"True," she admitted. "I guess that means that we two will try to kill each other now with all we have? You could say a... well - deadly cat-fight," she said with more than a bit self irony.
"You say it," Kuroka-06 replied grimly.
She formed a magic-circle and unleashed an attack on her opponent.
Which DH-Kuroka however blocked with a magical barrier and send out an attack on her own, which was countered by Kuroka-06 in the same way.
DH-Kuroka just smiled at her.
"Let us stop holding back," she said.
"With pleasure," the other Kuroka replied.
They both moved to a somewhat greater distance to their comrades.
The two identical cat-women were now going at each other with full force.
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Murayama and the Strays were however still left with the Devil Hunters Koneko and Nero.
"You. We have nothing against you in particula, but your team has simply caused too much trouble for us," DH-koneko said. "Still - while you are quite powerful, you don´t seem to be that much of a threat by yourself.
So let us make you a offer. You could join us. Or if you just willing to walk away, we will let you go. The same goes for you three as well," she addressed the Ex-Strays.
"And let the rest of you team up on Kuroka?" Murayama asked.
"While we might be willing to spare you, I fear your leaders and the strongest members of your team will have to go.
"Forget it," Murayama responded.
"And we will not let them fight on their own either," Ehron stated. With that he raised his own weapon - a sword.
"I see you have made your choice," the masked being Nero said as he stepped forward.
He as well had raised his sword.
To everyone´s surprise however he moved one of his hands towards his mask. He released the small mechanism that was holding it in it´s place and removed it.
Ehron, Maya and Rey were like frozen at the face they saw before them. Even Murayama seemed shocked.
But they would recognise the features anywhere. Ehron realized that he was looking at a twisted version of his own face.
The skin was still deep red. But with a far healthier looking tone and texture than his own had been when the Stray Mutation had still been in full effect. The long pointed ears were less ripped and tattered than his had been.
His eyes had turned into a very dark color, so that they seemed nearly black.
It seemed that someone had been healing the effects of his mutation as well, but with a quite different outcome.
Ehron - Nero, they realized. Of course.
"So you are another me," Ehron said - not quite sure what to think otherwise. "They had been telling us about this. But seeing it in person..."
"Indeed," Nero replied. "But it seems that your version of our story ended quite better than mine," he said, looking straight in the direction of Rey.
Ehron and Maya both realized what this was implying. Had he somehow lost their friend where he came from? Still - that didn´t explain how he had joined a group like this one. They didn´t know that much about this `Devil Hunters´. But what they heard during the time they were here was more than enough.
"That might all be. But we can stil not let you attack our friends," Ehron stated and made an attack move.
They both clashed ther swords.
For Ehron and his two female friends this entire scenario was like a scene out of a bizarre dream. They begann to understand how Kuroka must have been feeling.
He was facing here the man he could have been under different darker circumstances.
"Not bad," Nero commented after a few more strikes. "But not good enough. While you probably have spend the last years on the run and fighting for your life, my new allies helped me to strengthen my powers even more."
"To be an even better killing-machine than our old Master had wanted you to be?" Ehron asked.
"Yes. But for a better cause. To destroy the Devils who did all this to us," Nero answered.
"And even their children?" Maya asked.
"Their entire species?" Rey questioned.
The three admitted their were times when they did feel not much different.
"The you from my world had asked the same thing... Now she can no longer do it thanks to them," Nero replied.
"So yes - this race should just disappear."
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At the same time some of the rest of their team had their run-ins with other enemies.
The Raiser and Yubelluna who were part of Issei´s Guardian team had followed the order and teleported into a few kilometers distance to Kuoh.
But now they had been found and were confronted by the counterparts of Raiser´s own Servants.
Including his sister Ravel´s and Yubelluna´s Universe-20 doubles.
This was clearly not how they had imagined this day to turn out. Facing these counterparts before during their visit to their world was one thing.
But here, in an actual battle, as enemies? The entire experience was just bizarre to them.
"Ravel," Raiser said.
"Brother," she answered in a flat tone. Her face was quite conflicted.
The other two Peerage members were the cat twins Ni and Li. But they saw instantly that something was wrong with them - very very wrong.
At the first glance Raiser had a hard time to believe that it were truly them. Their bodies were covered with some fur, nearly like actual cats, instead of their normal smooth skin. Their cat-like eyes were bigger and sharper edged and their canines were larger and more prominent than with their normal counterpart´s.
And instead of talking they both were just growling at them like animals.
Just what had happened to his cute beautiful cat-girls? Was his counterpart truly that much of a madmen that he did this to them?
Yubelluna - the one who was standing right next to him at least - was shocked by their appearance as well.
"What has happened to them?" he asked Yubelluna´s counterpart angrily.
Yubelluna-20 send a look from him to the Nekomata twins and back.
"Oh - our Master wanted to improve them," she stated matter of factly. "To make them into better Servants for the Dark Order. But as it turned out, the procedure had some unwanted side-effects on their minds."
Actually he had wanted better chances for the time they would finally rebel against Lady Thenis, Yubelluna-2o thought. But there was no reason to tell them this.
"How could you do this to them?" Raiser´s own Yubelluna called out next to him.
"Sadly there are things that take higher priority than just the lives of two of Lord Raiser´s Servants," her counterpart answered.
"You," Yubelluna hissed.
"Lord Raiser - or maybe I should just call you Raiser?" Yubelluna-20 addressed him. "After all you are not truly our Master. But you are still close enough that we might give you a chance to leave."
"I see," Raiser replied. He had now regained his typical proud posture. Even if it was just on the outside.
"But I fear this Raiser here can not follow your request. I have joint this team and I have come to respect my teammates. So I will not abandon them to someone like you now."
"So be it," Yubelluna-20 answered.
"You will have to go through me first," the other Yubelluna said coldly.
"That is not so difficult. You see - my powers had been augmented as well. In the same way as my Master´s."
She just lifted her hand and the Guardian´s Yubelluna was caught by an explosion. Then by a second one that she barely managed to block with her own powers.
At the same time a sinister dark aura was starting to surround Yubelluna-20.
In the same moment the twisted feral cat-twins attacked them as well.
Raiser sent a wave of Phenex Fire at Yubelluna´s counterpart, to force her to step backwards and away from his own injured Queen.
Then he turned around to fend off the two Nekomata twins who had just appeared next to him, ready to strike.
This two were faster than his own Ni and Li, so much was clear.
Even so they were still no match for him.
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But, nearly instinctively, he was holding back against them and tried not to hurt them too bad.
It was a open secret that most members of his (entirely female) Peerage also served as his harem. This was not even unusual under Devils.
In opposite to some other Devils, he however also really cared about them.
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But this here were not his his Li and Ni, he reminded himself. His own were still back with the rest of his Peerage and completely alright.
A moment later he regretted the fact that he hesitated to go all out against them.
As Yubelluna´s evil double, who had dealt with his flames far easier and quicker than he had expected and moved to attack his own Yubelluna again.
She suddenly materialized a sword in her hand and stabbed her already injured and weakened counterpart - his Yubelluna - right through her chest.
`No.´ that was all he could think.
xxxxxxx
The trio consisting of Irina, Asia and Gaeriel was in a similar situation.
A few minutes after they had teleported to a hiding place close by, they had been followed by another part of the sinister Raiser-20´s Servants.
This group of them was being led by the Sha Officer Kara - who seemingly had the rank of a Bishop. The others were the Knight Siris and the Pawns Lle, Nel and Marion.
Irina was the one now dueling with Kara.
Gaeriel and Asia were fighting with the Knight and the three Pawns. With Gaeriel - with her currently six wings - using two lightspears simultaneously and Asia using a magically augmented lance.
Despite being outnumbered two to one, they were holding themselves. So far at least.
Irina however had more problems with her single opponent. The supernaturally enhanced human was good, she admitted - very good. By this world´s standards she could easily be considered at least low- to mid- Ultimate Level.
To that came that her powers gave her an ability to generate and manipulate electricity and magnetic fields everywhere around her.
Which Irina - as a Holy Sword weilder - had a hard time to counter.
xxx
The only ones out of the Guardian team not confronted by enemies so far was the couple of Xenovia and Kiba.
But that should change too very soon.
xxxxxx
Issei was now facing both the Devil Hunter´s Vali Lucifer and his own double Issei-013 at the same time.
All three had activated their Balance Breaker and were in their Scale Armored forms.
Neither of them was even close to their full power yet of course. Issei still had his Crimson Awakening form left (which was similar to the Crimson Cardinal several of his counterparts possessed, but a mutated and far more powerful) and the other two the mysterious power-up they gained from their Erebos allies.
"I guess it is time to finally go all out. Wouldn´t you agree?" Issei-013 stated with a mad grin.
"If we do that Japan could be wiped off the map," Issei-01 responded.
He doubted that his insane counterpart would care about this. But it could not hurt to try.
"That would be too bad right?" Issei-013 replied. "But on the other hand what use is power if you do not use it?"
So much for that idea, Issei-01 thought sardonically. Of course this lunatic would ignore the risk.
xxx
In some distance Rias and Raynare meanwhile were now confronted with the insane and incredible powerful version of Raiser Phenex.
He however mostly ignored the Fallen Angel´s presence, while at the same time starring at Rias like a predator to his prey.
Like the others the two had started to power up. They both now showed a power that equalled a very high Ultimate Level, nearly bordering to Satan.
Most spectators would logically believe that this was all they could do... and exactly that was their advantage.
Raiser-20 - who so far considered Raynare-01 more as a nuisance, in the worste case a hindrance - at first used the technique Phasing to just quite literally walk right through her.
The Phasing technique allowed members of both the Guardians and their enemies (and everyone else who knew the technique) to temporally shift the particles of their bodies slightly out of this Dimension and pass through solid matter.
But Raynare of course knew the technique as well and sensed what he was doing. She countered his move, by shifting her own molecules into the exactly same layer of reality like Raiser did.
As her hand slightly touched his arm as he moved forward, Raiser-20 realized he had somewhat underrestimated this opponent. He saw that there was no point in trying this.
But so far he had not even truly started.
He now raised his power, begann to show them what he was truly capable of. With that however they also saw a glympse of the true nature of his power, the other souls that were trapped inside of him.
Both held barely the dread and disgust from their faces as they realized what they were dealing with. A monstrous unbelievable parasite, who absorbed the life-energy and even souls of other powerful beings.
Under them, as Rias noticed, members of her own family (or a least their counterparts). Her brother? Her parents? How? How had he even been capable of that?
Help from the Dark Order?
Just what had caused this version of her ex-fiance to turn into this monster? Of course Raiser was never exactly what you would call a nice guy. But this?
Was it truly just the influence of some agent of the Dark Order? Or had something been wrong with this version of Raiser from the start?
"Fallen Angel," Raiser said, "why don´t you step aside and let me take her? It would make things easier for all of us," he told her in a still dismissive tone.
"She is a Devil and you owe no loyalty to her," he reminded Raynare.
"Oh - and only in case you don´t already know, she was the one who had killed you in several other worlds. When you were down and could not fight back. So why don´t you just leave her to me and I will make sure that she is properly punished for what she did to both of us?
I promise I will make her scream for hours until she enjoys it.
And I will also not to have to end your puny life. Doesn´t this sound good?"
Raynare gritted her teeth at Raiser´s `offer´.
"Listen Psycho - Rias and I have made up our differences a long time ago."
"I guess you have a problem then," Raiser responded.
"No - you have one," Raynare replied.
"Issei - now!" she shouted.
(Transfer.)
And suddenly her power skyrocked. Not only was she powering up to her actual peak (with all ten of her wings materialized), thanks to Issei she reached a level even far beyond it.
The normal (Transfer) ability of the Boosted Gear had been greatly improved by a kind of metaphysical connection that Issei, Raynare, Irina, Asia and Rias had intentionally created between themselves two years ago.
Raynare´s power suddenly rivalled that of a Super Devil.
Rias had a similar power-boost and a more female looking version of Issei´s Scale Armor formed around her body.
And Raiser-20 was nearly frozen in complete shock as this two suddenly attacked him now.
Raynare fired lightblasts from both her hands, powerful enough to burn into his flesh and cause noticable injuries even to him, while Rias one moment later charged at him and landed a punch into his gut with an armored fist.
Raiser-20 doubled over and fell hard to the ground.
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DH-Vali and Issei-013 of course realized what had happened.
"Not bad," Vali commented. "But if we start to go all out, you will need all your power to yourself and have to stop transfering it to your friends."
"I trust that they are powerful enough on their own," Issei-01 replied. At least against an already damaged opponent - hopefully, he thought.
DH-Vali and Issei-013 both started to power-up even more... both were now entering the mysterious dark power-up they had received from Darkseid and the Erebos.
Issei answered by activating Crimson Awakening... and ending the power transfer to Rias and Raynare.
Both were now left with their own current power.
This meant in their case for Raynare a powerful ten-winged Cadre and for Rias a low Satan-Level Devil.
Even on their own they were both formidable.
But against an opponent like this? Did they even have a chance?
No matter, he knew he had to trust them.
He sensed that his insane counterpart´s power had now risen to a level that surpassed any Angel or Devil (except maybe Sirzechs) and Vali´s to one that surpassed most Gods.
Issei realized that between them all they had enough power assembled here to devastate the entire planet a thousand times over.
`Ddraig,´ he thought worriedly.
("I know Partner - but we have no choice,) the Dragon replied, just as their minds started to merge, (if we don´t go all out here, we have already lost. We just have to be careful... And trust Raynare and Rias to take care of themselves,") the Dragon added.
`I understand,´ Issei-01 replied.
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One of the advantages and at the same time one of the dangers of the Crimson Awakening Form was that Issei´s and Ddraig´s consciousnesses partly merged into one. What allowed him to draw from Ddraig´s thousands of years of experience without having to directly communicate with him.
But at the same time it nearly automatically made this form even more prone to mental instability and loosing control.
And so also one of the many reasons he had to go through the special training two years ago.
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Issei-01 fell back in an attempt to create even more distance between himself and the town. As he had hoped, his two opponents were following him.
He could only hope that Rias and Raynare and he others would be alright.
He felt them fighting everywhere around them. But for now transfering any more power to any of them was out of question.
Issei-01 did one more thing though.
He lifted his finger and pointed upwards into the sky. Signalling to his opponents to move their fight up into the air. So that it would at least a bit reduce the risk of their fight devastating the entire area around them.
DH-Vali just nodded in return... followed after a moment by Issei-013.
All three of them rose up into the air, away from the others.
("There is something else,") Ddraig said inside Issei´s mind while they flew into greater distance to the rest of the fighters. ("Have you taken a closer look at their energy signatures?")
"My counterpart´s has somehow changed," Issei-01 replied. "He now has the same dark power like Vali."
Ddraig sighed.
("Not only that Partner. I can not longer sense the presence of my own other self inside this Issei Hyoudou. It is like this dark presence has completely replaced him. Just like with this Vali Lucifer and Albion.")
"Meaning?" Issei asked.
("The Ddraig and Albion who lived inside their Sacred Gears are dead. And it is pretty save to say that is was this dark presence that killed them.")
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Raiser-20 was standing up again. He admitted they had really got him here.
He now sensed Rias and Raynare´s true power too. Not the one Issei had transferred to them. But also not the suppressed one from earlier. The Dragon Armor around Rias body had also disappered as Issei had stopped the Transfer.
He had truly underrestimated these opponents, he admitted to himself.
But in the end he only smiled.
Even with their power, he knew there was only one way this would turn out. He now stopped holding back entirely.
Rias fired two more globes of Destruction Energy at him. Accompanied by three lightspears that Raynare threw at him in quick succession.
He however just slapped the two attacks aside. Just after disintigrating the lightspears that were stopped before they even reached him
"I have to say I am impressed. You are by far the strongest Rias Gremory I have ever seen," he said.
"I will for sure enjoy you."
"You won´t. Because you will never get me," she responded.
"Oh - I will," he replied. "You see - there is only one way this will end."
He raised his arm and send a wave of fire in Rias and Raynare´s direction.
They both countered it. Rias formed a wall - made out of Power of Destruction - in front of both of them, that eradicated the flames.
But Raiser-20 only smiled. This was exactly what he had hoped for. He only increased the strength of the fire and kept it burning.
They turned the entire area around them into a sea of flames. Flames that burned hotter than any natural ones ever could.
The wall of Destruction Energy was stopping the flames for the moment. Even if not the intense heat of the fire. For that Raynare had raised an additional magical defense around them.
But Rias could not keep this up for long. She was loosing much energy and starting to get weaker, just as Raiser had intended.
Raynare had noticed it as well.
"Rias - shrink down this wall," she told her. "It consumes too much energy."
"But then you will be caught by the flames," Rias-01 replied.
"That will happen anyway when we wait any longer," Raynare-01 responded. "You are getting weaker by the minute and I fear he can keep this up longer than you. This is exactly what he wants. In a short time you will be completely exhausted and I can not stop this guy on my own."
Rias finally gave in and shrunk the wall of Destruction Energy down and only left the part in front of herself.
Raynare once again used phasing to let the flames pass through her body without actually touching her and rose up into the sky.
"So smart, so strong and so beautiful," Raiser-20 said while looking at Raynare.
He admitted he saw the Fallen Angel in a somewhat different light now.
Too bad he would likely have to kill her.
xxxxxxx
In the fight between Nero and Ehron, the former had now clearly gotten the upper hand. Even with Maya assisting him now.
With their friends Murayama and Rey fearing similar bad against DH-Koneko.
It was their luck however that neither of them seemed to have a particular interest in killing them. Just to get them out of the way to deal with their true opponents.
This was a fact that was for Ehron at the same time consoling (since it meant that Maya and Rey were in much less danger) and also humiliating in itself.
The two Kuroka´s meanwhile were still fighting without either of them being the winner.
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Similar had it looked for Irina, Asia and Gaeriel until a moment ago. Only that their opponents showed no signs of holding back against them.
It was then however when Kiba and Xenovia appeared to help them, when the situation changed.
Irina and Kiba were now teaming up against Kara, while Xenovia assisted the others against Riser-20´s Servants.
With the help of Kiba´s Sacred Gear Sword Birth, they were doing quite well in countering Kara´s ability to spread electrical attacks over the entire place around them.
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Raiser was in this moment overcome by a mixture of grief and rage... and regret.
If only he had not been holding back. Maybe this would not have happened.
He felt the fire bursting out of his body like a nova.
Before he threw himself at Yubelluna´s twisted double without holding anything back.
Yubelluna-20 was sending a couple of explosions his way, but they were all blocked by his flames.
She was trying to avoid his attacks. But he left her no chance to do that.
He lunged forward and grabbed her wrists... and left flames rise up all around both of them.
Flames that would not harm Raiser at all. But they would harm his opponent. She might be able to resist for a few moments, but then she would burn.
But before it came to this, Raiser himself was being attacked, by a being surrounded by flamed very similar to his own.
After a moment he realized who it was... Ravel. Their enemy´s Ravel-20.
Till now she had been mostly standing aside, obviously not really wanting to fight him.
But now she had tackled him, grabbed his arms and weakened his grip enough for Yubelluna-20 to break free.
"T-thank you," Yubelluna´s double said to Ravel´s.
"Don´t worry about it," she replied.
The two demented Nekomata twins joined them and they surrounded Raiser, who now found himself outmatched.
"I am sorry brother," Ravel-20 said.
Raiser did what was probably the wisest thing in his situation. He let a ring of flames light up around himself as a small distraction and then instantly teleported away.
To the location he sensed the closest other group fighting.
The problem was just his opponents were now free to follow him or engage the others. He could only hope that this emegency plan that Rias, Hyoudou and the others had been talking about would work.
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Kuoh
At the same time back in the town, the mansion that Issei-01 and his team were using as their HQ had been left behind.
But not entirely. There were still three people left. Who were currently standing right in front of the building.
This three were two of Raiser-20´s Servants - the Rook Xuelan and the Bishop Mihae.
Together with them was also their ally Akeno-20 - the former Queen of the first Rias that their Master had captured and enslaved.
Like most of her counterparts, his Akeno had once been firmly loyal to the Rias Gremory of her world. Then however, for a certain reason, had decided to join and work with Raiser-20 and his group.
They were now following the special orders their Master had given to them.
With the actual protective barrier gone, it took only a few moments for them to bring down the remaining magical defenses.
And then they stepped inside the base.
It took them a few minutes to find what they were looking for... the access terminals to the computer.
Now it was time for the key member of their little team to do her job.
Xuelan stepped forward and without saying a word lifted her arms. At the same moment small holes opened on her underarms and cables with futuristic looking contact-plugs at their ends started to move out of them.
What few people outside of the Dark Raiser´s Peerage were aware of was that, like Ni and Li, Xuelan had been modified. In her case however she had been augmented with cybernetic components - become a cyborg.
Finally she connected herself to the computers and used a combination of technology and magic to access the system.
This was the reason they were here. Of course they knew the computer would have it´s security and defenses. But Xuelan was outfitted with the latest technology the Dark Order had provided.
And frankly said, this computers here were not. It was clear that this was not one of the Guardians major bases, but merely an outpost.
They waited a short time.
"Did it work?" Akeno asked her a few minutes later.
"It did," Xuelan replied. "I have access. I am beginning to download the information now."
Good. This had been Raiser´s idea. Now, even if they did not succeed in destroying this enemy group, with this data they would at least have something to show for to Thenis to justify this attack as a victory.
"Let us leave," Mihae said.
"Yes - Lord Raiser will be satisfied," Xuelan replied.
"He will," Akeno agreed with a small smile. "He will."
xxxxxxx
Raiser-20 watched Raynare flying up into the sky, using Phasing to avoid the effect his fire.
But this was also actually just in his interest. By moving away from Rias, they could not longer back each other up.
And he was now stopping to hold back completely.
Raiser-20 rose and charged upwards, right in front of her.
He draw a dagger he was carrying around with him. Ironically it was the same dagger drenched in an enhanced version of Samael´s poison, that he had once forced his world´s Rias to use against her own brother. Before he absorbed his soul.
He had kept it around as a kind of souvenir.
Of course it was by far not his weapon of choice.
He preferred using his own flames.
But since Raynare-01 was still using Phasing, such attacks could not really reach her.
The dagger, he admitted, came in handy against users of this technique. Of course all traces of poison were long gone, burned away by his own flames. But it was still useful to have a blade.
He used Phasing as well to make Raynare touchable to him. She blocked his strike with a lightspear.
But Raiser used the chance to punch her with his other arm and incredible strength right into the guts.
She felt a few of her rips cracking. That blow had been too much, even with all the power flowing through her body.
At the same moment she could not longer hold up the Phasing and the flames still surrounding her begann to affect her.
She could not keep herself from screaming in pain as her skin started to burn.
But in the same moment Raiser stabbed the dagger into her chest.
This was it, Raiser-20 thought as he saw her burning body fell to the ground. There was no way even a powerful Fallen could survive this kind of injuries. Not even the Twilight Healing would be able to heal it.
"What a waste," he commented. "You were quite beautiful, even if you were a Fallen."
He turned his attention back to Rias. Who at this point could barely stand on her own legs through exthaustion.
Raiser-20 extinquished the Phenex Fire around her, that she had kept at bay until now.
Then he landed right in front of her with a wide smile.
"It was a good fight Rias," he said to her. "You and your allies are indeed quite impressive. I guess I will let you keep a small bit of your pride when I take you. But now it is over. You should give up."
"N-never."
He send her down with a simple light punch in her face.
Then he used a magic spell to let her loose consciousness completely.
xxx
Raynare-01 now felt all her strength leaving her. And her burning body fell to the ground.
She knew she was dieing. This injuries were simply too much, even for her.
Not only did she have a lethal stab-wound and broken ribs, but her entire body was also covered with what the humans called 3rd degree burns.
She was using Twilight Healing with the last strength of her will. But even that had barely hanging her at the edge of life. And she was already feeling the strength fading to do even that.
This twisted version of Raiser - with the power he had absorbed from all these others - was simply too dangerous.
She only hoped that at least the others would make it.
It was nearly funny. Until two years ago she never cared about anyone besides herself, Lord Azazel and her fellow Fallen. And here she spend her last moments worrying about a group of humans and Devils and a few former Strays.
And Raynare knew she was dieing.
Until something happened...
xxxxxxx
Issei-01, Devil Hunter Vali and Issei-13 were now fighting high up in the sky above the others.
Issei had errected some kind of time and space bubble around the three of them. Technically he had errected a large barrier and additionally stopped time in a one kilometer radius around them.
Of course his two opponents themselves were unaffected by the technique.
But at least the risk of stray attacks accidentally destroying the entire land beneath them was significantly reduced.
Still it cost him some of his energy, hindered his combat effectivity a bit and caused him to loose more energy than otherwise.
Issei-01 started off with forming four psychic doubles of himself and send them against his opponents.
They had been holding themselves for nearly a minute. Especially since both Vali and Issei-13 seemed more amused by the move than threatened.
Still - the much weaker fake bodies were overcome and wiped out quickly.
He had only managed to buy some time. But that was exactly what Issei had wanted. In the moment he was mostly only trying to stall both of them.
Countering attacks, but not going in the offensive. And if he was honest, against this two at the same time, he was not quite sure if it would have made a difference, even if he wouldn´t use part of his energy to protect the planet.
He could only hope that everything would go as expected.
Otherwise they were running out of time.
Suddenly he sensed what happened to Raynare and Rias.
Issei froze just for a split-second. But this was already enough for Vali to use this chance.
With one scale-armored hand, he fired a blast at him that would have been enough to devastate all of Japan and the surrounding sea area.
In addition to that Vali tried to use Divine Dividing to a high degree to weaken Issei at the same time.
Issei´s own powers however countered the influence of Vali´s power. The blast however still left visibly damage to his armor and a wound in his shoulder.
Issei jst gave it a thought and the injury, seemingly instantly, disappeared and the scale-armor regenerated itself.
xxxxxxx
What happened right now to Raynare could have probably been described as a wonder. But if it was one, then one of design.
She knew she had under normal circumstances already been as good as dead. But then suddenly greenish shimmering flames were spreading all over her body. And the damage seemed to be just vanishing.
She knew what was happening.
She remembered what she had received these years ago in exchange for her decision not to sacrifice Asia. A copied Twilight Healing mixed with Phoenex Fire. Not the one the Phenex Devil-Clan was using, but the purer and more powerful one from the Phoenex Entity itself.
Later during her training on the Guardian homeworld she and Asia received even more of it.
And it´s power had now finally fully awakened.
xxxxxxx
The others were still fighting each other.
The groups of Murayama, Ehron, Rey and Maya versus Nero and DH-Koneko and the two Kurokas were surprised as Raiser suddenly appeared beside them.
For a moment both groups tensed. Because on the first look they were not completely sure which of the two Raisers this was.
"Are you okay?" he asked Murayama and the Strays.
With this the situation was starting to turn in their favor.
Ehron, Maya and Rey admitted this was probably the first time they were happy to see a Devil.
xxx
For the rest of them however it was the opposite.
A few moments earlier greenish shimmering flames were suddenly spreading from Asia´s body, who was using the same powers as Raynare. She and the others had sensed what was happening to their friend and had been worried for a short time.
But now Asia knew that she was saved. Strange - to think of someone who had once planned to sacrifice her for her Sacred Gear as a friend.
"Raynare is alright now," she said to Gaeriel. "Her powers had saved her."
"The same power you are using right now?" Gaeriel asked.
"Yes."
Asia just threw two globes of green Phoenex Fire at Raiser-20´s Pawns.
It seems that not only Raynare, but also her and Irina (and possible Rias as well if she were awake) got a small boost in their power, since they had connected themselves.
Irina was now fighting Kara on her own once again, while Xenovia was helping against the other opponents.
But this made no difference now, because the situation had suddenly turned completely against them.
Not only did Raiser-20 suddenly appear, with an unconsious Rias in his arms.
But also the rest of his Servants who had been fighting the Guardian´s version of Raiser. And the ones who had before been inside their base as well.
"We have succeeded," Xuelan said to Raiser.
"My counterpart is dead," Yunelluna-20 told him.
"Good. Everything is as planned. Then let us take care of the rest of them in full force now," he said.
They were now badly outnumbered and outpowered.
In the distance, Issei-01 sensed the dire situation of his team as well. He was still busy dealing with Vali and his own counterpart. If he let them out of his sight they would go after the others as well.
Still - he considered teleporting away and helping them if they had no chance by themselves. He had hesitated before and Rias and Raynare paid the price.
They would just have to deal with the situation later then.
He and Vali were currently clashing blades, while at the same time sending waves of destructive energy into each others bodies and trying to boost and divide their powers in turn.
xxx
Xenovia and Asia had managed to defeat their enemies Ravel.
Asia send a pillar of green Phoenex Flames at her, that seemed to completely overpower her own flames and Xenovia used the chance to come close to her and knock her out with the heft of her Excalibur.
She could have probably killed her, especially with their ki control techniques countering the regeneration. But she did not really want to kill a counterpart of Ravel.
Besides that, this Ravel seemed less evil than some of her teammates.
But this small victory had not changed the situation at all.
In return Kiba had already been injured by one of Yubelluna´s explosions and Gaeriel had a stab wound in her side.
They were loosing.
Until they suddenly sensed people teleporting in at all sides... Devil, Fallen Angels and Angels.
xxx
Issei noticed it as well.
He and Vali had broken off their struggle as they noticed the newcomers.
"Hyoudou," someone called out.
It was Azazel. With Shemhazai and Baraquiel at his sides and hundreds of Fallen Angel Warriors behind them filling the sky.
"Nice to see you again," Azazel said.
In a short distance from them another group was appearing - Angels led by Michael and Gabriel.
xxx
With the others it was the same thing.
"You - I don´t think you are a Raiser Phenex I know. So would you please release my sister?" Sirzechs - who had just appeared with Grayfia and Serafall beside him and a great part of his Peerage standing behind them - said.
His words seemed polite, but anyone could hear the steel behind them.
Damn it, Raiser-20 thought. Why had they come here so quickly? Had they planned for something like this? But since then are the Three Factions so effective in moving large armies? And since then were they cooperating so well?
Behind them the horizon was filled with more and more groups of Devils, Angels and Fallen that were appearing - hundreds, maybe thousands.
This were too many, even for them.
`Raiser,´ he heard a telepathic call from Vali, `I think this was it. We came here to deal with this one team. Not to fight all of the Three Biblical Factions single handly. We are out.´
Not to mention that their animosity was mostly against the Devils. They had not really much against the Angels and Fallen in particular. So they had no great interest to fight this battle.
Raiser gritted his teeth. He knew it would be pointless to stay.
"Your sister you say?" he looked at Sirzechs. "You should better be careful. Or your currently quite helpless sister will die here and now.
We will now leave. If you try to stop us..."
He held Rias in one arm and with the other draw the dagger he was still carrying. The threat was clear to everyone.
"How about an agreement? My sister against yours." Sirzechs formed a ball of Destruction Power in his hand and aimed it at the unconscious Ravel.
Raiser looked around to his Servants.
But before they could do anything, Grayfia and the rest of Sirzechs Servants placed themselves between them and Ravel´s body.
In the background around them more and more Devil and Fallen Angel troops were arriving.
Raiser took only one moment to make his choice.
"I am sorry Ravel," he said. "Kara," he called her.
"Yes," she answered and activated the portal that would bring them back.
Quickly Raiser-20´s Servants fell back through the Portal. At the other fighting places
Sirzechs moved to stop Raiser. But Raiser-20 moved backwards with a flaming arm holding the dagger on Rias throat. He was looking at Sirzechs and slowly shaking his head as he was doing it.
To everyone´s surprise Issei was suddenly appearing next to them.
But as they sensed his powers, they realized it was Issei-013.
"Oh - you are still here?" Raiser-20 asked him.
"I am just curious how this will end," he told him. "Besides - you still have my Raynare in your world, right?"
A moment later they had passed the portal and were gone.
Sirzechs was starring in silent rage at the spot where the portal had just disappeared. He had failed.
xxx
A short time later their Issei, Raynare and the others appeared.
Both were looking terrible.
Raynare was for all purposes naked. While her injuries and burn-wounds had been complete regenerated, her clothes had not. And she was too exhausted to even create new one with magic. Only traces of ash were covering her skin.
Azazel finally did her the favor and conjured her a new outfit.
Issei was so strained from fighting two God Level opponents and shielding the entire region from damage the entire time, that he could barely stand.
Asia had just healed Kiba using Twilight Healing and was now continuing with Gaeriel, who had also been injured.
They had lost one member - Yubelluna. They had just heard it from their Raiser, who was sitting devastated at the side of their group.
A few of them had been injured or nearly been killed as well.
It was bad. But given what they just faced, it could be worse.
Only that Rias had been kidnapped.
It was not over yet, Issei told himself.
xxxxxxx
DxD Universe-18
Rias slowly came to her senses again. As she woke up, she realized after a few moments where she was.
It was the club-room of the Occult Research Club in her world.
But as she saw who was standing around her, she realized that this was not the one of her world.
"So I am back here," she said.
"Yes," Raiser-20 answered. "I have to congratulate you. You and your Fallen Angel friend have truly put up an unbelievable fight. Actually - for a short time I was sure that I killed her. But then it seemed she has somehow regenerated herself. Impressive."
He smiled.
"But it was all in vain. You are here now, with me."
"The others will come for me," she said.
"Oh - I count on that," he answered. "I completely expect your comrades will come here. And this is a good thing. After all I promised certain people to destroy them."
Only that they were much stronger than expected. A small doubt was coming up inside him. And he was not sure if the Devil Hunters would cooperate with them in another fight.
Maybe Thenis would be satisfied with the data they recovered. Maybe.
"My Lord - what about Lady Ravel?" Yubelluna asked him.
For a moment he said nothing.
"There is not much we can do for her now, right?" he said. "Maybe we can save her later. If only..."
Yes - if only. Well, as long as Ravel staid loyal, there should be no great problem.
They could maybe just switch them back later.
In every case, for now he had what he had actually wanted.
He turned back to Rias.
"Now - bring her to her now room to recover and then get her ready," he said to Yubelluna and Akeno. "You and me Rias, we will have our new wedding soon."
"Wedding? You are completely crazy," Rias replied.
"Maybe I truly am," he admitted. "Women like you drive a man insane after all." He smiled. "But it doesn´t matter, because I actually have the power to back up what I say. But, you see, every time I take a new Rias for the first time, she is wearing a copy of your old wedding dress."
Rias could barely keep herself from screaming the worst curses at him that she knew of.
"Leave now," he said to them.
xxx
A minute later Yubelluna and Akeno-20 brought her into a room, where she was faced with her own double, who was looking at them with a dim and timid look. So completely unlike herself.
What had this bastard done to her?
"You." She turned around to Akeno-20 and asked her angrily, "how could you let him do this to her? Why are you even helping this lunatic?"
The Akeno double frowned at her.
"I - I admit that a part of me is ashamed that I betrayed my old friend and Master like this. Even if this is not my Rias. My Rias is already dead," she admitted.
`What?´ Rias-01 thought in shock.
"But please don´t talk about Lord Raiser like this," Akeno continued.
"I think I have every right to talk about `Lord Raiser´ like I want to," she hissed, "especially since he kidnapped me and is planning to rape me. And is even planning to have me wear a wedding dress to make it more spicy."
"Lord Raiser is not so bad," Akeno anwered. "If you satisfy him, you can learn to enjoy being with him and be happy. Your counterpart did."
Rias slapped her hard in the face. She really wanted to kill this twisted mockery of her friend. Then she slapped her a second time and nearly a third. But Yubelluna stopped her hand.
"I see," Akeno-20 said. "If you want to, you can have your revenge on me afterwards," she offered.
`Revenge? Yes - I will have my revenge. And not only on you bitch. But he will not lay a hand on me because they will save me before,´ Rias-01 thought.
But loud she said: "I am not a sick freak like you who enjoys something like that."
"I understand," Akeno replied.
"Tell me what? What has he done for you that you became like this?" Rias asked again.
"I-" she paused a short moment. "He did something what I had never thought possible," Akeno-20 answered. "He gave me back my mother."
xxxxxxx
DxD Universe-01
Issei, Raynare and Gaeriel were right now standing in front of an apparation of Darien.
"What we had been talking about has happened," Issei said. "Someone has attacked out base directly. We have lost one member and they kidnapped Rias.
They have also gotten access to our computers and stolen all information on it as we found out."
"The fake-data and the real one," Darien stated mater of factly.
"Yes," Gaeriel answered. "But since this are members of the Dark Order I think they will be able to filter out the real information sooner or later. But the special software we have installed should be intact and it should be awhile until it is found."
"You are planning to go after them," Darien said. It wasn´t a question.
"As soon as we are ready," Issei stated.
xxxxxxx
On the outside they were awaited by Sirzechs, Grayfia, Azazel, Serafall, Michael and Gabriel.
"I want to come with you," Sirzechs said to them. "They have Rias and I want to go after them in person."
"I understand," Issei said.
He thought back on his long story with Rias. That had actually started a it hostile and ended up with them coming together during his two years training and her joining his harem.
"I don´t think it is a good idea for you to leave Sirzechs," Azazel told him. "We have no guaranty that this Devil Hunters have truly left for good. Alone that they were here proofs that they and the Erebos know of our universe.
We all know how much your sister means to you. But if you leave now they might take the chance to attack the Underworld. You remember the footage we have seen from their last attacks?"
A deep frown formed on Sirzechs face and also on the ones of the other present Devil´s faces.
"Issei," he finally said, "I count on you and the others to being my sister back. Save Rias and bring that bastard down."
"You can count on us," Issei replied.
It was kind of strange. A few years ago the Three Factions were still at war. Strays were being hunted down and killed on sight. And even the Guardian organization considered the Devil race with deep distrust and as little more than a thowrn in their side.
Now they were all standing here working together.
"You should better stay behind as well," Gaeriel said to Raynare.
"What? But..."
"I know you want to help. But you have nearly died, if your powers had not suddenly made a quantum-leap. And we are still not sure how exactly this affects you, if you are really alright and if you are truly in full control of this new power. We had not even the time to check you over."
"I admit she has a point," Asia said.
"You used these powers as well," Raynare countered.
"But only because you transfered them to me," Asia pointed out. "As long as we block the connection, they will not affect me. But you?"
"Can you guaranty that you will not loose control like Issei two years ago and burn us all down?" Xenovia asked bluntly.
"Xenovia," Irina said irritated.
"Okay - I will stay here," Raynare finally gave in. "But only this time."
A second later Issei opened a new portal and they stepped through.
Here is the newest chapter. The sub-arc with the twisted Raiser will be finished very soon.