I'M BACK! Finally, right!
As always, a big thank you to all who read/reviewed and continue to like and support my story. To all the new readers, welcome!
My deepest apologies for the lack of updates for the last few months. Both before and after spring break, with more work hours and exams piling up, I found it hard to get back into the swing of things, but hopefully we're back on track now.
After some mixed reviews, I'm going with the Q&A response here on out. There's just too many to reply to individually and provide publicly visible feedback, I'm sorry. I'll do my best to answer the questions most commonly asked starting now.
First off, have I made Nightmare excessively OP?
There's no real answer to that question. It's not Excalibur Ruler, which can force a Top 10 being to submit to the wielder's control (see Arthur's use on Fenrir), but it provides a convincingly real illusion that the victim might accept as real. It does no physical damage short of shanking someone with it as well as the body's natural responses to artificial stimuli. In the end, if Issei can realize that it's an illusion, then it's useless if he can calm down and force himself to do nothing, making it a mild inconvenience. However, given the subject of the illusions and his reaction to them, believing that it is real, that won't happen here. Using that blade against someone like Vali or Strada, Cao Cao, Georg, who all can act logically or even machine-like even under the worst duress (note that each as played the antagonist throughout the series), would amount to less than effective due to their self-control. Pretty much any being with extreme emotional control would be immune. Maybe if Issei was still in Tartarus perhaps, but he's had time to grow emotionally and mentally. Issei in both canon and his progression in my fic, for all his strength, fights with his whole heart. Hope that helps.
Second, Issei's aging.
Take almost anything in the illusion with a grain of salt please. Some of you are confused about Issei's human form aging where Rias and Akeno's stopped around their late teens/early twenties. While a Devil's aging process seems to stop depending on gender and power levels even in canon, this fake-future specifically was a fabrication by Kokabiel, and while convincing to Issei, shouldn't qualify as defined fact in the overall story. And I haven't even touched on how dragons actually age. It was simply a way for me to demonstrate how effectively Kokabiel could use Nightmare to the point that Issei had memories of a life that never happened, nothing more. Consider it hypothetical world-building that may or may not come into effect.
Third, Kokabiel.
I'm not here to say my take on him is better that canon, only different. His actions and the reasoning behind them will play a part in peace treaty politics and inter-faction relations to come, something that was for the most part dismissed in canon. His actions got a peace summit and report, but didn't play much of a role in negotiation or reparations after. Yes, his actions appear childish, yes, I made him that way intentionally not just to advance my own story but to build on it in the future where DxD canon events are thrown for loops from unfounded or poorly-reasoned sources (at least to me). True, canon factors them very well, but only really in the context of Kuoh's inhabitants and the Underworld. I'm trying to make Kokabiel's impact have major ramifications for all major pantheons that inevitably result in the formation of Khaos Brigade and eventual Qlippoth (Shinto, Greek, Egyptian, Norse). It's the trouble with trying to flesh things out differently from canon, something that I've worked to expand on since day one.
Some of you don't like it, and that's fine, I can't make you. But Kokabiel's part in the story is almost over, making the universal after effects something everyone else has to deal with, and that's the goal I'm going for.
Since that answers the more general posts and queries, here's a fun one to share since someone PM'd me about it. My ideal peerage with no repeated sources:
King: Me (no King piece received)
Queen: Celty Sturluson (Durarara)
Bishop (2x): Akitsu - 07 (Sekirei, winged)
Knight (2x): Lancer (Carnival Phantasm version)
Rooks: Reiner Braun (Attack on Titan, mutated piece), Groot (MCU)
Pawns (8x):
Neo (RWBY, 4x)
Rachet (Rachet and Clank, 1x, with Clank as a familiar)
Genji (Overwatch, 3x)
A healthy mix of adults, teens, geniuses/genii, and idiots. And if someone says Superman, Thanos, Saitama, Zeref, or any Z-fighter should be on the list then you are an idiot. Evil Piece values are standardized by equivalent Pawn values, but also are charged by the King's power (randomly distributed mutated pieces aside). That's why Grayfia's piece isn't mutated yet Akeno and Tsubaki have the same piece-type, showing the discrepancy between Sirzechs' and Rias' power levels. And if you think you or an OC have the power to reincarnate one of the aforementioned monsters then once again, You. Are. An. Idiot. (BAKA ONII-CHAN! -Shad0w)
Also, for those who don't know, King Pieces do exist, but they are limited in number (100) and tightly controlled by the upper-level government. They can only be used if the subject does not currently have a piece, meaning they are limited to highborn devils. It is how the shady upper-class rig the Rating Games with the extreme power enhancement, though Tannin and one other reincarnated ultimate-class upset the top 10 game standings. Reincarnated devils can't use them at all, though all Kings use the King Monument in the devil's capital city to register and receive peerage pieces. Just something to think on in the event you're writing a story of your own.
Disclaimer: See 1st Chapter
Take note that I've reworked the speech system to accommodate reading on devices that don't necessarily allow font distinction between Sacred Gear dragon's speech
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Juggernaut Drive Incantation"
('Albion, mental')
(Albion Speaking)
[Ddraig Speaking]
{Vritra Speaking}
Just a reminder that this is a DxD story that is also rated M. It wouldn't be DxD otherwise. You have been warned. This chapter in particular has especially dark themes.
Beta: Shad0wReaper133
Chapter 20: Gott ist tot
The hardest thing Asia had ever endured in her admittedly short life was waiting. When she had first healed a devil, the debate over her continued stay in the Church had taken two days, during which she had been kept confined and entirely unaware of what was going on, only to then be escorted from the Vatican under armed guard and promptly told to leave despite her weak protests.
It had hurt, more than anything else it had hurt, with every step she had taken from her former home it had hurt.
But it had gotten much better. Before, she had been revered as a Holy Maiden. Now she had friends, and if she was asked her preference, she would admit that she preferred the company she had now. Two older sisters in Rias and Akeno, a brother in Kiba, and two very good friends in Koneko and Ravel.
But the reason she had moved forward had been Issei. Ever since that first day in the park, where she had been completely lost in a foreign country, he had helped her. More than that, he had become her first friend.
Though friend was merely one level of the relationship she really wanted. In truth, she was happy, happier than she had ever been. But lately, as she had seen how happy Rias and Akeno were, how they smiled every time he entered the room or his name came up in conversation, she had been curious.
The unique relationship Issei reciprocated was equally intriguing. One would have to be blind to not see how his visage lit up at their presence, mental or physical. His mannerisms changed too, he'd be more optimistic, thoughtful, polite. Not that he wasn't naturally, but it seemed as if he was impossibly more endearing than usual.
For so long now, Asia had struggled with her feelings. Now she knew and had known she was being selfish but she hadn't cared. And now she was suffering for it as they waited for Kokabiel to appear.
While she could not recite them, she could not forget two of the most basic commands God had given.
Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not covet.
True, Issei hadn't married either girl, but if any indication from the three had shown her anything then they may be reaching that step by a dragon's standards. And even then, that did not stop her from wanting Issei to smile at her like he did the older girls.
When Issei had agreed to spend time with her only a few days ago, she had been so happy, so excited to finally receive more of his affection, platonic as it might be. Now though, with his injury upon Ascalon's edge and following disappearance, the gentle Bishop couldn't help but wonder if this was God's way of saying she was at fault.
And so, Asia sat in silence among her peers, praying through the pain that Issei wouldn't suffer for her sins and that he would be returned safely to her.
In the rare moment, Koneko let her fear and work cross her face. She had kept her ears and tail hidden for now, if only to prevent people from seeing her in an even more vulnerable state. Her tail would be limb against the ground where she sat, her ears pitifully drooped. There was no need to further demoralize everyone by showing Kuoh's mascot in her misery.
Mascot. She'd had the title for less than a year now, given to her on her first day at the school by merit of being the smallest person in her year and undeniably the cutest. While she wasn't necessarily against the unofficial title, she didn't appreciate the negative connotations that came with it. Most if not all the boys at the school were closet pervs and subsequently lusted after her.
Sometimes she truly hated the cute little girl stereotype. It did have its perks, but constantly having to deal with overcharged hormone-driven teenage boys?
She would like nothing better than to go back to the Underworld where the Gremory tutors had taken over her education prior to the move to Kuoh.
At least, that was before Issei. It was strange, before she had simply acknowledged him as a former convict, then a teammate. But that had changed into something more.
She wasn't Rias or Akeno with both of them... experimenting with Issei now and then, but she wasn't as innocent as Asia. Several times in the past month, ever since he had started helping her with her innate Nekoshou power, she had had... dreams... of a not so innocent nature.
Each time she had frantically bathed until she could no longer detect the scent of her own arousal, then continued to cleanse herself, knowing that his senses were far superior. She could only hope that if he knew she was having erotic dreams that he was unaware of his place in them.
Essentially, she was at a loss. Now accepting her heritage had seemed to trigger several biological instincts that she had formerly suppressed from sheer will. Now it seemed as if her own species' predilection for mating was fast upon her.
Even though it hadn't started fully yet, she knew she was feeling the early advent of her mating cycle, something which both thrilled and terrified her. Thrilling, because she knew exactly who she wanted. Terrifying for so many other reasons, foremost of which was a dragon bonding with someone else.
Though the claim Rias and Akeno had was a deterrent, her biology would compel her to act accordingly, possibly sooner than anticipated so that she would not lose the opportunity. All she cared about was that Issei was strong, Issei was warm, Issei was kind, and Issei accepted her. That was enough for her to want to have him.
Or considering the nature of some of the dreams, for him to have her.
The memory of one in particular nearly caused her to turn bright red, and she stifled the reaction as bet she could. Her own hormonal rampant urges aside, now was not the time nor place.
Gathered as they were in the Student Council Room, both peerages and the exorcists were simply waiting. And it was a long, tedious wait. Agonizing too, considering that without Issei, they were essentially waiting for a superior fighter to waltz in and decimate them.
And that was just the imminent concern. What made the wait worse was her own imagination, of what Issei and Ravel were going through right now. Koneko knew Issei well, and Ravel had quickly become one of her best friends. She feared for them both, knowing full well that Issei wouldn't let her come to harm if he could help it, but that was a double-edged sword.
For any of them, was there anything Issei wouldn't do?
And so, wracked with guilt, memory, apprehension, and longing, Koneko waited for her prospective mate to come back.
While under normal circumstances, Akeno maintained perfect control of her public persona of a teasing young woman, now her depression was near palpable.
While the wait for the confrontation was trying, it was trivial to her. Compared with the ten years that she had known nothing of Issei's condition or whereabouts, a few hours was nothing. However, the time involved wasn't her worst fear, it was who was involved.
Eight years into her stay with the Gremory's, and when she had first visited her mother's grave, she had received hope, learning that her father had dedicated himself to finding her and Issei. Now though, there was no bright source of hope to cling to. She had alerted Grayfia, just like Tsubaki had alerted the counterpart in the Leviathan's office, and the personal forces of two of the Maou were mobilizing. They would take some time though, but even with their assistance, would it be too late?
Objectively, she knew Issei was strong and could resist the worst of any ordeal, but she was still afraid for him. This was Kokabiel, a Fallen who had been named in the Bible, one of the greatest fighters both for and against Heaven with millennia of experience. And Issei was still recovering from the bite of a dragonslayer.
Sometime during the night, the mental link that connected her and Rias to him had gone dark, frightening both girls and causing them to cease their tasks to try and reach him, but to no avail. Issei's mental presence had vanished so abruptly and completely that she was still in shock.
Akeno was not ashamed to admit that she relied on Issei, that she was lost without him. She wasn't sure how, or why, but with him gone like this... She hadn't returned to work, simply sitting where Kiba had guided her as she zoned out, staring off into empty space and unresponsive to everything around her.
She loved him, plain and simple. So much that it actually hurt with him gone.
The mark of a good devil was how well they could control their own desires, how much they could resist before giving in to some action or another they found irresistible. While some philosophers and psychologists had debated over Devils possessing or embodying one of the seven unforgivable sins, the reality was that any devil had the instinct to act on any one of those impulses.
In the here and now, Akeno's desire was limited to only one thing. Instead of wanting Issei to be hers, it was the reverse. In that moment, no matter the cost or pain, all she wanted was for him to be returned so she could be held in his arms again, where she belonged.
Until then the world would remain a cold and miserable one.
Rias sighed and rubbed her temple to alleviate the slight headache she had. They had been waiting for several hours now, her peerage, Sona's, and the Church delegation. Waiting with no particular result. She had to hope that Kokabiel acted soon, in two hours the Maou's forces would be here and he may never show.
When... If that happened... She wasn't quite sure what she would do. Kokabiel was one of the oldest beings still alive, he could have contingency plans after another, falling back until one method worked to get what he wanted, whatever it was. She knew that waiting for him played into his hands, but to get Issei and Ravel back, she would risk it all.
From a purely objective standpoint, if this went wrong on her territory, then she would be held accountable. Oh, the Elder Council wouldn't actually do anything against her, but her reputation, her credibility, would be questioned as she would appear to be unable to control events in her own backyard. Not to mention her inability to keep Ravel, her guest from the Phenex clan, safe and sound. Add in the new factor that Kuoh rested on ancient dragon mating grounds, and she knew that one way or another this was going to cause issues for her even if they all made it out alright.
But from a purely subjective perspective, she was panicking. All in all, she was lucky that she wasn't out of it like Akeno, though that was a mixed blessing. It only meant that she could think of worse and worse scenarios that involved their love.
She wanted him back, she wanted him safe, all of them safe, but even though that's what she wanted, even her own ability to grant desires wouldn't help her right now. So wait she must. Even if it tore her up inside, she'd keep a brave front for her servants to follow, although everyone knew that it was a fragile one.
A thunderous echo rumbled outside and after only a moment's wait, everyone rushed to the windows. There on the sports field were four figures, a bright circle at their feet. One was small enough to be Ravel and instantly the Devils and accompanying humans acted.
"Well, we're here." Valper looked around, observing the school. "I suppose this is as good a place as any." The former priest spread his hands, as if to cast an enchantment before he was interrupted.
"The Earth-Breaker isn't necessary," Kokabiel ordered, fingering the black shard that hung from a silver chain around his neck. "We have their attention, that is all that matters."
Valper glared at the Cadre but nodded and lowered his hands. A snap of his fingers and the glowing ropes that bound Ravel vanished. "Now fly away little bird, before I have Freed clip your precious wings."
Ravel had been rubbing her wrists to get circulation back but stared fearfully at the twisted blade Freed held. The crazed exorcist took one leering step forward and she squeaked, falling backwards on her behind as she scrabbled away from him. Once a good distance away, she picked herself up and fled towards the sound of breaking glass.
On the second floor of the main building, the Devils and exorcists were emerging. Koneko, having been the shortest and therefore closest to the window so she could see, had opted to merely jump through the window, creating an opening for her fellow comrades. Wings extended as several glided down, whereas Kiba, Koneko, Tsubasa, and the exorcists either bent their knees to break their fall or roll on impact.
Ravel ran straight to them, Rias catching her and holding her close as she checked for injuries. A rather wasteful move perhaps, considering that her natural Phoenix healing had been returned the moment she was freed from her cell.
"Kokabiel!" Griselda called out, her voice wavering between raised and calm. "Return the Excalibur fragments and desist!"
The Fallen simply looked at her blankly, as a child might observe a passing bug, then shook his head. "I had heard of you, Griselda Quarta, as both peacemaker and warrior, but your words now demean your reputation. To desist would be to undo all the suffering that has led to this day, rendering my actions meaningless."
"Enough of the fragments, where is Issei!" Rias screeched, moving herself between the rogues and Ravel, even as Akeno and Kiba flanked her. "Where is he!"
"Fear not, miss Gremory, your lost dragon will be here soon. Though I can't speak for his wellbeing."
"I swear, if you harmed a single hair upon his head, I'll~"
"I haven't maimed him, if that's what you're asking. He's perfectly healthy, in fact I do believe he has recovered completely from Ascalon's cold sting." Kokabiel turned his eyes to the quivering Ravel. "The Phenex girl can vouch for that."
"Y-you still did something to him!" Ravel stuttered. "You still hurt him!" She had woken up to see hims screaming, but had seen no signs of physical injury, only Kokabiel firmly gripping a blackened dagger.
"But he is in the peak of health," Kokabiel retorted. "So then, even if the heiress was in a position to do anything, she could still do only nothing."
Beside the Gremory group, the Sitri had now arrayed themselves, with Sona at the head. "Lord Kokabiel," she began respectfully, "I must ask that you cease your actions and leave this town."
Kokabiel simply stared at her in the same dismissive way he had looked at Griselda. "I'd admire your preference for decorum, miss Sitri, were it not for a simple reason. If I am to start a war, I need two things. The lives of the Maou's younger sisters."
As one, the devils all gasped. Most were aware of how trigger-happy the Maou really were in regards to keeping their siblings safe. If Rias and Sona were to die, here and now, and the Maou arrived to find their cooling corpses, war would be inevitable.
In a show of surprising solidarity, Griselda placed herself before the Devils, Blessing drawn. A moment's hesitation, and Irina and Xenovia were with her, their swords readied as well.
"Well, this is certainly a surprise. I suppose I shouldn't be, after all your Church does advocate for self-sacrifice. Though I won't be satisfied for taking yours rather than the Devils." Kokabiel motioned with one hand towards them. "Freed, you don't need to hold back anymore."
"Finally!" The crazed exorcist raised his own sword, and the exorcists blanched.
"What have you done!" Irina screamed. "What have you done to the Excaliburs!"
"A bit of this, a bit of that," Freed cheerfully replied. "Three Excaliburs are better than one, unless that one is made of three!"
With that, Sellzen blurred, air rushing to fill the void caused by his displacement. When he next appeared, his Fused Excalibur was but an inch away from Irina's neck when it was intercepted by two bars of bluish steel.
"I don't think so, I shall be your opponent!" Kiba snarled as he wrenched his arms, driving the blades away from the startled Irina and pushing Freed back for now. As the two traded blows, Irina and Xenovia lifted their own blades to support the Knight, Destruction, Mimic, and Ascalon singing as they cut through space to crash against the twisted creation.
The Knight sidestepped a swing then shouted at the girls. "Back off, he's mine!"
As if to demonstrate his need for support, Destruction interposed itself between Kiba and Freed to defend the first from the later. "Perhaps," the blue-haired girl replied, "but unless you wish for your head to be separated from your body, then we shall provide assistance."
As the quartet of sword-bearers moved away, Kokabiel turned his attention to the remaining group. "Well then, aren't you going to stop me? Or at the very least, to even try?"
Tsubasa, Ruruko, and Tsubaki were the closest to him now, leaping past Griselda. Rook, Promoted Pawn, and Queen moving in perfect synchronization, Tsubaki's Sacred Gear, Mirror Alice, forming between them as a mobile defensive barrier, directed at Kokabiel yet vulnerable to anyone else.
The Fallen did nothing except look on with absolute boredom. Sighing he looked upwards, even as he pulled out a silver chain with a jagged black pendant. "And so, we begin."
The three girls didn't even as time to blink as a shadow fell from above with the full force of a meteor, slamming into the trio. The others had by now moved to assist, but were stopped and even rebuffed from the strength of the impact.
When the dust settled, everyone there was floored to see Issei standing above the prone girls, using his wings in addition to his arms to drive them into the floor. Though it was too early to tell their condition, it was clear that if they weren't dead then they were certainly out of the fight. But even that wasn't the most pressing concern.
When Issei looked up, whatever joy and elation the girls had was dashed away. His normal brown, almost golden eyes were now completely obscured by what seemed to be shadows slowly diffusing into the air around him. Instead of peering into orbs that usually held warmth and joy, it was like a dagger to the hearts of the Gremory peerage to see them replaced with darkness instead.
"I-Issei," Rias' voice quivered. "What's going on?"
"Forget that, what the Hell are you doing!" Sona screamed and without warning flung an orb of water that expanded into an attack most reminiscent of a tidal wave.
To her surprise, the attack dispersed, the water boiling and dispersing into steam and gas as it neared him. The brief surge of heat almost scalded them even at a distance, and only worried Sona more about the condition of her downed servants.
"I'm afraid that Issei isn't all here just now." Kokabiel sighed. "I had to resort to such crude measures to control him, but I'm afraid he's no longer your servant, miss Gremory. He is mine."
With that, Issei charged forward, and everything went to Hell.
Annoying. These handmaidens of Artemis weren't even worth his time. They were still alive though barely, not that he cared much. They could live and have full and happy lives if they survived for all he cared, but right now he couldn't be bothered to care about any ramifications of what would happen if they did indeed cease.
Looking up, he saw another group, larger than the trio that had rushed forward recklessly. They were prepared for him now, perhaps this would be a better fight.
One of them shouted something and sent an attack at him, a wall of water. He scoffed, briefly surging power of his own. The naiad's power waned and the attack evaporated into nothingness.
Even if it wasn't much, it was something. And so he pressed on, hoping to alleviate the emptiness with something, anything to take away the pain.
Even if it meant forcing that pain onto the world around him.
The only reason they weren't all dead right now, Sona thought, was because no matter how or why Issei was their attacker, he wasn't really trying.
Over the past few months, she had seen his skills on occasion from the few stray hunts she and Rias saw fit to finish together. That Issei was highly skilled was never in question. However, if there was one thing she had learned was that Issei was prideful. Not dangerous in and of itself, but he was rarely moved to go all-out if the circumstances didn't require it. It was annoying, that she had never been able to properly judge his true potential as an opponent for the Rating Games, but if she had to say anything about him, it was that he was tremendously overpowered in comparison to her, Rias, and the remainder of both their peerages combined.
That said, their work here was made easier, if only marginally, that whoever attacked him last earned his full attention if not his best effort, turning the battle into a macabre form of keep-away as they juggled his aggression between them.
They did have their fair share of injuries though. It took a significant amount of power in any attack to gain his attention, meaning that until then he would rail away at someone until he found a bigger target. And right now they were hurting. After all, they had yet to inflict any sort of injury upon him yet, while the reverse would overwhelm them.
Momo and Reya had both dropped out from fighting, unconscious and even if they weren't, neither of them would be able to continue with the injuries sustained. Covered in cuts, bruises, burns, bones surely broken, their participation would have been ended sooner if it wasn't for Asia's exceptional healing ability. For her own peerage, it was just her, Tomoe, and Saji remaining, with Griselda easily falling into coordination with them.
As for the Gremory team, Rias' and Akeno's concentration was failing at a rapid pace. With tears streaming down their faces, they relentlessly hurled Destruction and Holy Lightning at their would-be bondmate, hoping to restrain or incapacitate him outright, but to no avail. The demidrake simply batted away the dark orbs or sidestepped every bolt that fell from the skies. The girls were putting in all the power they had available, their distress and emotional state adding to their magical energy, but even that wasn't working.
Even Akeno's power, Holy power mixed with thunder and Light, was unusually ineffective. And with Irina occupied with the clash against Freed, Ascalon was out of play.
Twice now, Issei had nearly attacked Asia by proximity to an explosive blast, and both times, she had extended Twilight Healing's gentle glow as if to cure whatever madness gripped him but to no avail. The tearful blonde was only unharmed because of her own Sacred Gear, as well as Ravel tackling her out of the way and flying her to safety. The Phenex girl's emotional state all but inhibited her ability to cast spells of her own, and save for her wings and personal healing ability, she was useless in this fight, and so she stayed out of it. Of course, fighting a Holy-powered dragon on a rampage, her healing factor would be negated there as well, even if she were in a proper state of mind.
The last member of their party was equally incapable of giving it her all. For all the strength Koneko had gained through her use of senjutsu, she had learned through careful meditation and peace of mind. Using it with the intent to hurt someone she cared about was hardly a component of her training. And her thoughts were far from calm and stable as she raised her tiny fists against her friend and mentor.
Sona herself wasn't doing that much better. Her clan-based control of water wasn't helping very much, the sheer heat Issei emanated at a distance meant that much of her attacks didn't even touch him. It was all she could do to try and create shields for the others, but the demidrake's invulnerability to magic and brute-force style was wrecking any defense they could create. He didn't even appear to be tiring, not matter what they threw at him, and he wasn't even using his Balance Breaker for crying out loud.
As if to emphasize the discrepancy between the sides, Tomoe let out a pained cry as she buckled, a fist buried in her gut as she bowed forward and then sent flying back. Another downed member of her peerage, most likely with multiple internal injuries. And while the anger she felt, the cold fury she knew was necessary, bolstered her own lagging power, her resolve nearly broke a moment later.
"Please, Issei, stop!" Rias screamed, tears falling as she raised another barrier, only to cry out as it shattered instantly. "Don't you recognize us? Can't you recognize me?"
"Issei, listen to us!" Akeno wailed. Spreading her arms, she called down Lightning to intersect in mid-air only to unleash a massive conjoined bolt that sent the demidrake reeling. "LET US HELP YOU!"
Whatever they were before, these hunters were beginning to get interesting. Perhaps he'd try a little harder after all.
Issei shook his head, his disorientation from the blast fading as he growled and snapped his fingers in retaliation. A white jagged line traced through the air to impact against the Nadeshiko beauty, causing a brilliant explosion that knocked the Queen out of the sky.
Rias dove, her devil wings stretched as she caught Akeno just as her Fallen ones dispelled. Quickly checking over her best friends' condition, she breathed a sigh of relief that any damage done was superficial at most. Give Asia three minutes and the burns would be undone, assuming that they had that time. No, right now the only things ailing Akeno were her depleted energy reserves and her current lack of modesty. The attack had burned away the skirt and midsection of her clothes, leaving her with singed, detached sleeves and shawl, unwrapping breast bindings, and a tattered fundoshi. The look would have been erotic and not out of place among the girl's typical wardrobe in her efforts to seduce the demidrake in the weeks prior. The third degree burns that marred her stomach and undersides of her breasts detracted from that look, and though Akeno's eyes were filled with pain, they were pain of loss not physical discomfort.
"Why?" She breathed. "What's wrong with him? Why doesn't he know us?"
Taking a few moments, Rias hugged her Queen close. "I don't know," she murmured, tears falling from her as well. "I don't know."
"I do." Both girls looked at Griselda, who had flipped away from one of Issei's strikes Roland close to them. "While not intended as a weapon of control, in the right hands Excalibur Nightmare is one of the greatest of the fragments. While it was named Illusion, it was meant to be an inspiration, like Blessing, to those who followed our Lord." She raised her own fragment weakly. "Clearly, Kokabiel is using it as a source of pain and agony even upon those not directly affected. Issei likely can only see what Kokabiel wants or allows him to."
While they knew it took time, and thus meant that they're allies would struggle without them, Rias and Akeno looked to where Kokabiel stood, as if judging from afar. Suddenly the obsidian shard at his throat became much less innocuous.
"What... what would make Issei lose all hope or reason...?" Rias breathed, the answer coming to her even as she asked.
"Losing us," Akeno murmured, her magic already at work as she healed herself as much as she dared, reserving most her power to continue fighting. "Then we need to remind him we are still here."
"So we strike at Kokabiel and hope we get lucky?" Rias rose unsteadily. "Not much of a plan."
"That's only a piece of the blade, Freed as good as admitted Nightmare is in his grasp." Griselda shook her head. "We'll need to keep fighting your Pawn if the others are to have a chance. It is up to your Knight to use what time we can grant him."
"Is that so?" The only male of the group wiped his mouth, spitting blood away. "Then here's half a minute more!"
The Pawn raised his arm, where his Sacred Gear was still active and manifested. "Ok, Virtra, I'm calling in that deal you made me. Here goes nothing! Balance Break: Vritra OverPromotion!"
With a muted explosion, Saji was engulfed in black flames that raged for a few moments before receding to his now-clawed hands. Dressed in what seemed to be a slimmer, pitch-black version of Issei's ScaleMail, the armor Saji wore was more angular, with midnight plate seeming to extinguish light around him. If one didn't take notice, it would seem a rather human-made set were it not for the blackened, arrow-like tail that had sprouted between Saji's usual devil wings, though they were now adorned with purple jewels at the joints..
{As agreed, the power of a Dragon King for half a minute.} Vritra's voice echoed seemingly everywhere yet without a source simultaneously.
"Hell yeah!" Saji punched a fist into the air. "With this power, it's as if I can do anything!"
{Your half-minute has already started, brat.} This time the Dragon King's voice was tinged with both urgency and amusement.
"SHIT!" Saji's wings beat once and launched himself at Hyoudou who had disengaged from chasing Koneko and rushed the other dragon-wielder. The two impacted in mid-air, creating a tremendous shockwave that sent everyone nearby flying once more.
Clever goddess, calling out a Dragon King to fight him. Cowardly goddess, for not fighting her own battles.
A well-placed blow knocked his head to the side, causing him to spit blood and crash his own fist into the other's chestpiece. The other one staggered back, disoriented, but soon regained sense and followed up with a flurry of quick strikes that even he was pressed to keep up with.
He wasn't beaten yet though. Despite reaching Balance Breaker, the one before him was still once a human. Yes, only a human with a crippled dragon in his arm.
Imposter.
He struck out, taking the blows that rained down on his shoulders and skull and nearly caved in the armor around the other's throat.
Fake.
He squeezed, metal shrieking as it gave way.
This one would never know what it meant to lose a bondmate.
"Get a grip, Hyoudou!" The other figure wheezed as he swung his legs up to kick him in the face. "Your girls are waiting for you! Snap out of whatever you're in and realize they're still here!"
Liar.
Even clad in ScaleMail of his own, Saji couldn't overpower Issei as he was. So he had to get creative.
Extending both fists after flying back for a reprieve, twin lines extended from the lizard-like gauntlets. The wires wrapped themselves around anything they could, temporarily immobilizing Issei. Now for the hard part.
When he had first talked to Vritra after Albion had awoken him a few days prior, he had drilled the dragon for details on how to best utilize his Sacred Gear, Absorption Line. Not only did it have the ability to ensnare opponents, it had the power to drain energy from its target. It wasn't Divine Dividing, which could do the same and more at a faster and more alarming rate, but even so it was still formidable, debilitating even. And that was what Saji intended to do.
Mentally activating the absorb function, he marveled at the sheer quantity and quality of power being drawn in. 'Amazing! Is Hyoudou really this strong?' He then had to resist the urge to punch himself in the face. 'Don't be admiring the damn handsome!'
Still ensnared and rooted to the spot, Issei growled and the hair on Saji's neck rose however slightly. That wasn't a noise of anger or irritation. It was one of amusement.
Almost instantly, Saji staggered, dropping to one knee. The flow of energy had increased drastically as Issei flared both his power and malicious killing intent. While shielded slightly by Vritra's armor, Saji was perturbed but not overwhelmed by the predatory effect. No, the it was Issei's power straining the limits of what he could absorb. And the demidrake was still grinning ferally as he fed him even more.
{Sorry, hatchling. But this is for your own good.}
Saji could have cried with relief at Vritra's words and deeds. Black flames, the same ones that had erupted when he had first reached his temporary Balance Breaker trailed across the lines connecting the two and engulfed the demidrake, causing him to roar in pain.
While not the most powerful of the Dragon Kings, Vritra was one of the most feared. After all, his was one of the most ominous titles: the Black Prison Dragon. His flames were not Holy like Issei's or overwhelmingly destructive, like Tannin's, but they could do one thing and that was to bind a foe's abilities and prevent further attempts to retaliate.
The power flowing across the Absorption Line ceased as Vritra bound Hyoudou within a cocoon of black fire. No matter how Issei thrashed in his bindings or how much aura he poured into the restraints, he was well and truly stuck.
Or so it appeared.
Saji and Vritra had miscalculated. Afterall, it had been sometime that Vritra had awoken, and millennia since the last time he had used his flames on anyone, much less a dragon. And the might of an Evil Dragon was said to surpass the Dragon Kings.
Without an outlet, Issei's aura turned inward on his own body. Causing tremendous pain as it scorched nerve endings, lacerated tissue, ravaged internal organs.
Burning away the inhibiting drug Kokabiel had previously administered.
Saji's reckless attacks had bought the girls time to regroup. Asia healing everyone in short time, though she couldn't replenish morale or fighting strength. With just the three fighters left of the Gremory, Sona, and Griselda, they arrayed themselves for one last all-out attack to hopefully free the enthralled demidrake.
Only an explosion to cause the ground to quake and for Saji's armor to give way as a now armored Issei's last strike cratered him into the ground between the devil group and the cadre.
"Saji!" Sona screamed as the last of her peerage went down, his armor shattering.
"I'm... sorry, Sona..." Saji wheezed, specks of blood flying from his lips as he coughed beneath Issei's boot. "I tried."
"Yes, and it was a desperate move, one I admit I didn't see coming." Kokabiel slow-clapped, infuriating the group. "Oh well. 'A' for effort I suppose."
"Don't," Sona growled, her face obscured by her hair, until she looked up to glare at Kokabiel with all the hate the Underworld could muster. "DO NOT LOOK DOWN UPON MY SERVANTS!"
A wall of water formed between them all and the school; and just as it wavered to break forth it condensed as Sona collected the full force of a tsunami and condensed it into a liquid lance that speared toward Kokabiel. Racing past Issei, who was still standing motionless above Saji, it aimed for the shard and Kokabiel's black heart beneath it.
The cadre sighed and raised a hand. A massive spear of Light formed, and with a flick of the wrist, he sent his own lance to joust with the Sitri heiress' The resulting explosion of Light, heat, and steam sent a fine mist everywhere. Where it not for the severity of the situation, the resulting prisms and the rainbows formed would have made the night look almost peaceful.
"Come now, it was a good effort and good plan, even if poorly executed. I didn't think that Albion would be awakened this early."
(What have you done to my host, Kokabiel!) The Vanishing Dragon's words were accompanied by the Light Wings flashing. (WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!)
"Only what was necessary to control him," Kokabiel shrugged. "He's shut you out, hasn't he?"
(He will neither acknowledge me nor listen. Never have I been cut off from my host like this before. Your skill with that piece of scrap is clever, I'll admit, but when my host leaves the waking Nightmare you've placed upon him there'll be Hell to pay.)
"I'm quivering in fear."
Everyone expected continued banter between the two ancient beings, so imagine the surprise when a third voice interrupted.
"As well you should be."
This voice was male, confident, and bold enough to provoke hostilities further. Considering that Valper had moved off to observe the fight between Freed, Kiba, Xenovia and Irina, and the only other male capable of speech was the still gasping Saji, no one was quite sure of where the voice came from.
That is, until a red-armored figure landed boot first next to Issei with fist cocked back and swung, knocking the white-armored teenager back several yards where he landed on all fours.
This figure too wore ScaleMail, blood-red armor that matched Rias' hair in its hue and vividness. Unlike Saji's, this one wasn't slimmer in comparison to the accustomed standard, nor did it share Issei's sharp angles. This one's armor held many of the basic similarities, but where Issei had flattened plate and straightened spikes, this one had curved metal and jagged horns. Similar but different, and yet just as intimidating.
"You're right in one thing, Kokabiel. The Devils here had the right intentions, and perhaps they could have succeeded if things were different." The Red Dragon Emperor knelt slightly, picked up Saji by the collar of his shirt and threw him at the girls. Koneko was the one who caught him, but when he leered at the accumulated damage Issei had unintentionally wrought upon her wardrobe, she abruptly dropped him. "Perhaps I can succeed where they failed. Besides," the figure clenched his other fist, metal shrieking as the bones in his knuckles strained and popped, "I've been looking forward to this fight for a long while."
Two dragon's wings burst from his back, red limbs and grey membrane. With a single downsweep, the other Emperor was in the air, where Issei met him with a roar and armored fist of his own.
"The Red Dragon Emperor." Griselda was impressed if nothing else. "Well if there's anyone that can counter the demidrake-"
"It'd be him," Rias finished. "But I don't like this. What if they don't hold back and kill each other? And what did he mean 'a long while'?"
"That's actually a funny story when you think about it." To everyone's exasperation, there was another interloper on the scene. A tall man of clearly Japanese heritage was walking towards them. Appearing to be in his mid to late twenties and dressed casually in black jeans, dark jacket, it would seem that he was another average college student in the university section of Kuoh Academy. But there were two things that gave him away that he was anything but normal.
For one, he had a Nikon camera and had clearly taken a photo just now of Kokabiel, who was still gaping and watching the two dragons pummel each other in the sky. Realistically, if one was aware of what was going on, this would hardly be the time or place to indulge in a hobby like that.
Second, and most importantly, he was emanating a distinct pressure that seemed equal parts magical and... canine? It was the only other guess, considering how Koneko was shying away from him. Now the magical power wasn't anything special, barely reaching that of a typical Bishop, but he also radiated confidence, as if he either knew that certain death was before him and knew he could overcome it or just didn't care.
Neither of which were exactly comforting.
By now he was almost level with the girls and Kokabiel had come out of his stupor. The cadre clearly recognized the man and actually displayed some form of rage. "Ikuse. What in the Hell are you doing here!?"
"Looking for you actually," this 'Ikuse' yawned. "Actually, it was Vali who was first assigned to find you. As I understand it, Azazel assigned him when a naked female Fallen streaked into the meeting for the board of directors about two month ago."
The Gremory girls and Ravel turned to Akeno, who had the decency to blush slightly at the specific manner of how she and Raynare had last seen each other.
"Naturally when she started raving about a dragon with Holy fire and a message for Kokabiel, Azazel and Baraqiel got suspicious. Then we find that the Holy Dragon is actually another Dragon Emperor capable of thrashing a Phoenix, and being the combat-junkie he is, Vali ran off. Naturally Azazel sent me later after that since Vali really can't be trusted to act responsibly when there's a good fight to be had."
"You. You're a representative of the Grigori?" Griselda questioned the man, who nodded to her though his eyes never left Kokabiel.
"Bingo."
"Ikuse..." she muttered before her eyes widened in recognition. "Tobio Ikuse, the Dog God of the Fallen."
Tobio winced and rubbed the back of his neck in irritation. "Of all the stupid things my old clan could have done, giving me that ridiculous name after I was exiled has got to take the cake."
As if to comfort him, a small black puppy popped out of the shadows at his feet. Dancing around and over his feet, the dog kept looking up at him and standing on its hind legs as it leaned against its master with its front paws.
"Old clan?" Rias couldn't help herself, the Japanophile in her was too strong.
"Yeah, my mother was a Himejima." Tobio's eyes wandered over to Akeno. "Nice to meet ya, cousin."
"ENOUGH!" Kokabiel seethed, the air around him shimmering with energy. "I will have my war, even you don't have the strength to stop me, Slash Dog!"
"Strength?" Ikuse cocked his head sideways in confusion. "Strength isn't everything. Skill matters just as much. After all, even with my relatively low power, the only reason Vali can beat me is by using his Balance Breaker, and even then it's a close thing. Isn't that right, Jin?"
The tiny dog barked once in agreement before it leapt up in front of Tobio, shifting from black-furred canine into a blade of midnight steel that was effortlessly caught by the man. A longsword of Japanese style, it was nearly a meter and a half long and from that should be considered unwieldy and impractical to use, yet he gave the sword a few practice swings like it was no issue using a sword unusually long. The hilt was long enough for two hands to grip, plain leather and worn, clearly showing the blade had seen use consistently. Lastly, there was a cord and tassel fastened to the end, on which hung a single bead. Though none could see it clearly in the light, the bead had two conjoined symbols. A wolf's head howling skywards towards a crescent moon.
"Tobio Ikuse. Traveling comedian, magician, swordsman, and wielder of the mid-tier Longinus, Canis Lykaon. Now," Ikuse assumed a ready stance, dark steel leveled to his chosen opponent. "Are you going to pick up your jaw, Kokabiel? Or are we going to fight before I drag you back to Azazel?"
"Go to Hell you DOG!" Kokabiel howled as he flew towards Tobio, light spears forming in both hands as he let go of the pendant.
He blocked a fist with vambrace before grabbing the offending limb, pulling it close for a throw. Wrapping his own arm around the Red Dragon's shoulder, he twisted, sending the other flying back down to earth. His fist raised, encased in pale flame, he dove downward intending to follow through with a blow that simple physics would yield in his favor.
The Red One managed to catch himself mid-flight, cocking his own fist back as well. A showdown then. Aiming carefully, he altered his trajectory, preparing to impact against the other, even as the Red One flew back up, left hand glowing green even as he heard a voice call [BOOST].
It was a resounding crash, and the impact should have tossed aside the earth beneath them from the force. Only there was no longer any earth to be destroyed from the effects of their rampage. The world had disappeared entirely. No grass, no trees, nothing. Just an endless dark void. Silent for the most part.
And then the Red One was back, swinging once more, forcing him back. When his leg impacted against something solid, actual alarm worried him now. He couldn't see anything, hear anything, able to focus only on the Red One before him, yet the crimson knockoff didn't seem limited by that factor.
First, he'd need to end the Red One. Then, he'd figure out why the world had been yanked away from him again.
While the other dealt with a rampant Issei, the swordsmen apart from Griselda had separated from the conflict, but not far enough for them to inevitably miss that the group remaining was woefully unprepared to deal with his abilities and senseless violence. However, Kiba, Xenovia, and Irina had their own headache to deal with first.
Nightmare, Transparency, and Rapidly being fused together made for one impressive blade. A poor excuse for a masterpiece compared to what Excalibur should have been, or rather used to be, but it was still a weapon of tremendous ability.
Freed was certainly putting that ability to good use.
Mere moments into their three on one fight, the teenagers soon realized that their individual skills here wouldn't serve any purpose but to get them killed. Therefore, despite all their misgivings, Kiba fell in with the girls' practiced coordination and teamwork, supporting where he could. It went against everything his instincts and drive for vengeance screamed for him to do, but with everything at stake, Kiba managed to swallow his pride and forge ahead. Without his head in the game, they would all be dead immediately.
The crazed exorcist was using concealment and acceleration well enough, though the illusion-based abilities of his were lacking in some way. Flickering in and out of sight as he moved insanely quick, it was the combination of experience, Knightspeed, and trust that allowed for them to evade and retaliate against every blow. Destruction cleaved the air forcing Sellzen to leap back, Mimic expanding into a thick shield for the corrupted blade to slam against before Ascalon flickered towards Freed's neck. Sword Birth played its part as well, with its wielder taxing himself to grow swords from the very earth to logically eliminate or invalidate Freed's apparently poor lack of skill with illusions. Ghostly apparitions of the man rushed into steel death, letting them know which was the real one, the one with a sense of self-preservation.
Even so, it was still a stalemate. A stalemate of near-epic proportions, but one nonetheless.
And while they outnumbered him, it only meant that the man had a greater number of openings when one inevitably did make a costly mistake.
It was Irina who stumbled. With Mimic duplicating Ascalon's physical form, she was dual-wielding with Holy swords that didn't offer all that many combat advantages against her current opponent. And while she was an expert with one blade, using two simultaneously did not appear to be her strong suit. Factor in the angry roars and renewed violence from the appearance of the Red Dragon Emperor and the young would-be dragonslayer lost focus but for a moment.
Flicking her blade aside with a great effort, Freed stabbed her in the side, much like she had Issei only days prior.
At first, she couldn't believe she had been injured. But when both swords fell from her grasp, and she pressed her hands against the wound, she had lost the breath to even scream.
"IRINA!" Xenovia could only scream as she guarded both herself and her injured friend. It was all she could spare, with her friend's injury the full force of Freed's attacks had one less person to bear the burden.
Kiba grunted, sweat running down his brow and a cocoon of sharpened metal encompassed the girl even as she fell unconscious. Antagonistic to Excalibur users he might be, but overly sadistic to those he considered even temporary allies he was not. While not the most powerful defense he had given its spontaneity, it would at least ensure Irina's safety for the time being.
"That's it!" Xenovia raged, leaping back temporarily and letting Kiba take the offensive. Energy rushed around her as she began to chant. "Saint Peter. Saint Basil the Great. Saint Denis. Holy-mother Mary. Please hear my the names of the saints whom reside within this blade, I will release it. Durandal!"
A golden disc appeared on Xenovia's right, even as she transferred Excalibur Destruction to her left hand. From the center of the magic circle, a hilt emerged, blue and gold and thrumming with Holy power. A massive broadsword with a single edge and elaborate guard.
"DURANDAL!" Valper screeched. "IMPOSSIBLE! ONLY MY WORK CAN CREATE HOLY SWORD WIELDERS, AND EVEN I HAVEN'T DISCOVERED THAT STRENGTH YET!"
"You are blindly mistaken, Valper. Irina, Griselda and I were not implanted with your twisted lacrima composed of children or even those artfully forged by the Church. We are each naturally-born Holy sword bearers. How fitting that you and your work be destroyed by that which you could only dream to imitate."
The bluenette twirled, blades singing as she spun back into the fray. Now Freed was mostly on the defensive, the overpowering force of Destruction or precision strikes of Durandal battering at his defenses. But even then, Freed proved how he was able to fight high-class Devils and win.
Never letting his own blade lock with hers lest either overpower the enchantments holding his fused variant together, he took advantage of the chaos by switching the sword to his right arm and drawing a Light gun from within his robes with his left. "Surprise!" He shouted and let loose with a hail of bullets forcing Xenvoia to dance back or shift her grip on Durandal so that the massive blade acted as a shield.
While Xenovia carried on with single minded determination, Kiba had stopped completely at Xenovia's words to stare murderously at Valper. "What did she mean, 'composed of children'?" His grip on his own shortswords tightened, impossibly causing the metal to groan under the duress.
"Oh, I recognize you now. The SwordBirth boy from the original Project. You survived somehow I see. I had intended to study you last, I see the irony in that you've lived longer than any of your comrades."
"Don't play games with me! Tell me what she meant!" Kiba screamed, though he remained rooted to the spot.
Valper's twisted grin grew even larger. "The lacrima she refers to are made by siphoning any latent energy in the human body into an external vial, usually crystals of some sort. Given how you brats were raised in a Church-sponsored orphanage that energy was primarily Holy in nature. Weak when separate, but once accumulated and implanted it provides one with the power needed to wield one of those precious blades. Sure, Michael has his process for volunteers, but it takes much less over a longer time frame. I decided to take as much as I could, in the fastest way possible."
"You... You killed us for that?" Kiba whispered, swords falling from his now slackened grip.
"Had to kill you all at once when the higher ups found out, after all I couldn't let such power be taken by anyone else. Getting rid of any evidence was just a side-effect, nothing more. Which reminds me, here!"
Valper reached into his robes and withdrew a bluish-white crystal before throwing it underhanded to the frozen boy.
"There's the last one from the original set I made. I've implanted the rest in Freed, but this one I think I'll let you have for now."
The diamond clinked as it clattered to the floor at the Knight's feet. Sinking to his knees, Kiba gently picked up the gem and held it close. "David... Katrina... Francis... Graham... Comrades, I... I'm so sorry."
"Aw, is the little boy getting all teary eyed?" Valper scoffed as he readied an orb of his own dark magic. "If you miss your friends that much, why don't you join them!"
He hurled the missile at Kiba, who was still kneeling, and cackled with glee when the resulting explosion easily decimated the area. The laugh was short lived, as the flames and heat dispersed, revealing Kiba, protected by what appeared to be a silvery barrier. Both priest and Knight gaped at it in wonder, as voices and dim faces began to appear in it.
"Isaiah," they whispered. "Isaiah, get up. It is too late for us, but don't seek revenge for our sakes. Get up and live, if not for us or yourself, but for your family!"
"I... I..."
"HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!" Valper shouted, throwing blast after blast of energy at the barrier, which was beginning to fade. "HOW!?"
"I understand now. I was a fool." Kiba stood, dropping the crystal. It never reached the floor, instead dissipating into mist that Kiba breathed in. "To live a life of vengeance is no life at all. But to live for others, that is the greatest honor a Knight can achieve." The teen opened his eyes and shouted, "BALANCE, BREAK!"
Before him, a sword formed. A single longsword this time, with a hand-and-a-half grip. The blade was double edged, one of pure white, the other the dark of the void.
Kiba pulled it from the ground in a single motion and completed his chant. "Sword of Betrayer. I have surpassed both myself and you, Valper." He turned on his heel and ran back to join a weary Xenovia against Freed, leaving a stuttering Valper behind.
"A Holy AND Demonic Sword!? That's impossible! Unless... Unless in the Great War, not only did the Maou, but God also~"
Whatever he was going to say, he shrieked as he was interrupted by a falling figure. The Red Dragon Emperor landed next to the man and leapt away from Issei's next attack, leaving the priest prone in a deep crater. Valper Galilei looked up and screamed.
The man who dedicated his life to studying the power of God and his artifacts was instantly incinerated by a rain of Heaven's righteous fire.
After their admittedly brief attempts to attack Kokabiel, Sona and Rias would have lost all hope of victory. Factor in the profane means of controlling Issei, and they might as well have given up.
Fortunately, two more Longinus wielders in the fray evened things out just enough.
Canis Lykaon. A Sacred Gear housing an extremely strong Hellhound, or perhaps it would be better to say that the Hellhound was the Longinus given that it had its own independent avatar, this so-called 'Jin'. Either way, its application in the hands of a highly skilled user was plain for all to see.
Whether God had intended to or not, the thirteen Longinus typically followed a pattern. Counters to each other, though there were a few exceptions. For example, the current wielders of the Boosted Gear and Divine Dividing were currently evenly matched, the dragons sealed within raging away through their champions, calling (DIVIDE!) or [BOOST!] endlessly.
Another contrast, though not as legendary in rivalry, was between Regulus Nemea and Canis Lykaon. One held a invincible lion, the other an underworld hunting hound. Though their physical forms changed to suit the needs of the wielder, usually the golden axe could then transform into nigh-impenetrable armor with unyielding defensive strength. The black sword... Well, they were getting a first-hand demonstration of how terrifying its offensive capabilities really were.
Tobio was dancing around Kokabiel, enshrouded in shadows. Every time Kokabiel threw or stabbed with a Light-spear, the Grigori agent would step back and through his own shadows to his opponent's other side, slicing or stabbing there as well. Once Kokabiel had broken past the skill of evasion only for Tobio to explode into black ether from the point where the spear would have struck only to reform a short distance away and charge back towards the Cadre.
In an act of desperation or madness, Kokabiel hurled a spear towards the group of Devils, specifically their weakest link, Asia. At a speed none of the girls could match, Tobio calmly stepped out of Asia's shadow then dragged her into and through his own. The two then stepped out of Saji's shadow (causing the boy to shiver uncontrollably). Tobio gently set the Bishop down, and then was back at it to add even more accumulating injuries to the Fallen.
The surprise blow directed at Asia was enough to galvanize the rest into action. Limited to support by Tobio's unpredictability, the remaining spellcasters gathered together and coordinated their attacks in a timed sequence that Tobio quickly adjusted to and accounted for. Rias and Akeno held hands, their injuries forgotten as they merged Holy Lightning and the Power of Destruction into an engulfing wave that obliterated what it touched. Sona too added her fair share of power, spear after spear of water arced to intercept what Light she could, though she was clearly annoyed at the discrepancy between her power levels and that of Rias. She shook her head to clear her thoughts; this battlefield was not one for petty schoolgirl rivalries.
Ravel had managed to regain some form of self-control and was helping where he could. A stream of flame danced from her palms, not doing the damage she intended, but it further distracted Kokabiel, creating openings for Tobio and the others to get a few hits in.
Koneko went with the faithful fallback plan of simply tearing up sections of the field and hurling the debris at the cadre.
Griselda, Asia, and Saji remained behind. Saji was too injured, Asia was a noncombatant, and despite her wishes, Griselda's possession of Blessing might weaken her temporary allies rather than provide the strength they needed.
"Bastard!" Kokabiel howled as Tobio's long blade scored another glancing cut. The cadre was bleeding profusely now from dozens of injuries, none of them individually threatening but combined it was clear he was weakening. "Stand still and fight like a man!"
"Sure." Said man dead panned and reformed directly in front of the Fallen. This time, instead of cold metal being swung, long lines of shadows formed around Kokabiel, ensnaring him in a kind of web. Tobio casually brought his blade to point straight down and stabbed into the darkness at his feet. Immediately, blood flowed freely as the sword's true purpose for the long length was revealed. From each section of webbed shadow, a section of the blade appeared to impale the Fallen. Bits of metal, some the size of needles, others the size of a typical blade. Using the shadows, Ikuse had managed to bring the entire edge to attack all at once in a move that an unarmored or unprotected opponent could not hope to safeguard against.
What made it scarier was that there was no indication of whether or not this was the man's Balance Breaker or not.
Leaving his sword impaled across the cadre, Tobio reached out and plucked the pendant hanging from Kokabiel's neck. "Well, this is a right nasty piece of work," he singsonged as he examined the shard. "You'd lose a lot of fine control, but given the demidrake's condition it wouldn't take much to show him and opponent and say 'KILL'."
"Can you undo it?" Rias pleaded, leaning on Akeno even as her Queen leaned against her. "Can you undo whatever is causing Issei pain?"
"Hmm. Ordinarily, I'd say yes, but this is a kind of mind manipulation that someone," he glared at Kokabiel, "decided to implement brute force over fine control. Oh, whatever the initial condition that broke him in the first place, that must have been exquisite, but now it's a tricky business to repair. And given that Vali and your guy are still going at it, I don't think I could get him still long enough for cautious measures."
As if on cue, both dragon emperors fell back down to earth, flipping at the last moment to land crouched on all fours. Both stood up and faced each other, violence and bloodlust emanating from them both. Though it wasn't the wielders that spoke.
(Are you so cowardly, Ddraig, that you'd kill my host when he is at his most vulnerable!) Albion snarled. (To think that once upon a time, we were closer than brothers.)
[Don't mistake me for a saint, I'm long since past the point of caring for whatever worth you value your playthings. I just want you to suffer, and if wiping out your wielders renews your sense of loss I'll spill oceans of blood for it to occur endlessly!]
"Albion this, Albion that," the Red Dragon Emperor sighed. "Come on Ddraig, think of something new other than ways to destroy and demoralize your rival."
[Do not test me, Vali. I don't care for your own inclination for violence, unless it coincides with my own.]
"Well then you'll have to settle for disappointment. I have no intention of defeating, let alone killing, my rival so soon. For one, I want him at his best, and while the raw power he has now is thrilling, I'd prefer he be in actual control of himself when I defeat him."
(Were it so easy.)
"Well that sounds like a challenge," Vali noted before chuckling. "Maybe this will make him serious."
"I, who am about to awaken,"
(You're mad!)
He wasn't sure what was happening. The Red One had stopped and was shouting. Or crying, he thought he'd prefer that. He could hear two others, a dragon in the Red One as well as the one in himself. They weren't getting along either.
When he felt a pulse of energy, he frowned. Time to go all out apparently.
"I, who am about to awaken,"
[You seem troubled, Albion. Scared?]
(Control your host, lest we all perish together!) Albion seethed as the telling transformations began, ScaleMail warping and expanding to mimic the chosen combat forms the Heavenly Dragons assumed in life.
"Am the Heavenly Dragon who has stolen the principles of domination from God"
"Am the Heavenly Dragon who has taken the principles of supremacy from God"
"What... What's going on?" Asia timidly asked, even as Griselda laid a hand on her shoulder and Koneko's in an attempt to pull them to safety.
"I laugh at the 'infinite', and I grieve at the 'dream'"
"I envy the 'infinite' and I pursue the 'dream'"
"They're going to unleash the full power of the Heavenly Dragons," Kokabiel groaned from his makeshift prison, before he weakly laughed, spitting blood as he did so. "This close to them, the initial release of the auras of two of the Strongest Ten will annihilate everything and everyone nearby. Heh, with the heiresses dead, the war will start anyway." He closed his eyes in acceptance. "I still win."
"WHAT!" That was the collective reply when those present and conscious, sans the three swordsmen still dueling, found that their efforts would be for naught.
"Yeah, I'm gonna have to go with no," Tobio grimly lifted his blade out of the shadows, the metal retracting from Kokabiel's limbs though he remained grimly suspended. Holding the pendant in midair, he quickly traced around it, forming a perfect circumference of Japanese characters with the blackened shard held perfectly in the center. "Guess I don't have time for the careful solution. Fuck it."
He swung.
"No, no, no, NO! Dammit, I wanted to kill more people in this war!" Freed cursed as he now focused on evasion and escape. The words of the two potential god-killers had reached them even over the din of pounding metal, and had sent the three fighters into a frenzy. Kiba and Xenovia to end it quickly and hopefully retrieve Ascalon to end the impending threat, Freed to cut his way free flee and fight another day.
"I shall become the Red Dragon of Domination"
"I shall become the White Dragon of Supremacy"
"Out of the way!" Freed cut a in a long arc, making an opening that he gladly took, leaving the others behind. "I ain't sticking around here!"
In desperation, Xenovia hurled Durandal, the blade landing point first before the sprinting Freed, forcing the crazed man to decelerate to avoid being bisected on the enchanted blade. It was all the time Kiba needed to bring his Holy Demonic sword down upon the madman.
The combined momentum of the two males forced what was left of Freed forward, the Fused Excalibur falling from his hands to clang against Durandal's edge one last time. It wasn't to last, as Kiba's attack finished cutting the exorcist in two, his blade following through and hammering the Excalibur between the other two swords.
At the same time, the deadly longsword in Tobio's hands pierced the last shard. Cracks formed wherever the allied blades touched, overpowering the alchemy that held the blades together, causing them to fracture further under the compounded force. For a moment it looked as if it would hold until every piece of the Excaliburs shattered completely.
"And I shall sink you to the~"
Without warning, whatever color that had been leeched from the world returned in an instant, depositing him back to a place he'd never see again: Kuoh Academy. Surprise and shock filled him at the sudden revelation, as well as extreme worry as he recognized the words coming from his own mouth as the last line of the Juggernaut Drive incantation. With all his might, all his willpower, he forced his own strength against the massive energy inside him, hoping to quell and contain the transformation before it began as he bit down on his tongue to prevent its completion.
The pressure sent him to his knees as he struggled and grappled with power his and yet not his own. He, no, Issei choked for breath around the mess of blood in his mouth, praying and hoping that the pain and struggle would end quickly.
Across from him, the Red Dragon Emperor did the same after a moment's hesitation. Rolling in the ground, he clutched his sides as if to tear into his own skin through the armor. Issei remembered fighting him, he knew that he was bleeding somewhere, but the red made it difficult to tell exactly where.
It was a relief when the overwhelming force abated, the respective powers of the Heavenly Dragons receding. What Issei and his opponent had done was unprecedented. Most Dragon Emperors failed to even consider the ramifications of what the transformation entailed: complete and utter depletion of both sanity and life-force to sustain the demands of Albion and Ddraig's power. Having lived through his predecessors memories, Issei knew that it would have been much less painful to simply let the power rampant and transform fully, but in doing so would have been a complete and utter waste of his own life should he not take precautions that he was quite sure he didn't take. Being a demidrake didn't mean all that much in comparison to the monsters that the Heavenly Dragons were.
Both sets of armor shattered, revealing their panting and injured wielders. Issei was surprised to see that his opponent was a young man that could have been his doppelgänger. Green shirt, black jacket, silver chain, he looked like a classic bad-boy, but what caught his attention was his face. They were unnervingly similar, though the other boy was certainly slighter, fairer, almost a bishounen, while Issei himself was obviously more rugged in both visage and build. Their silver hair was even the same shade, and apart from their dress, from a distance the only difference observable was that his enemy had blue eyes opposed to his own.
The similarities between them were so eerie that were it not for the fact he knew he was an only child, Issei could have sworn they were long lost brothers, that was how closely they resembled each other.
Their resembleance apparently went beyond simply looks all the way to their respective injuries. Issei did a quick meditative check of his own faculties and found that besides numerous broken bones, he was bleeding internally with several organs shutting down slowly. And given the look of his crude doppelgänger it was likely he too was suffering the same if how he looked was anything like what Issei felt.
The meditative check also alerted him to two things. First off, Kuoh looked like a war zone. The main building might as well have been doused in napalm as well as be subjected to a demolition team of wrecking-ball-wielding ogres. The second, and somehow more concerning, was that his memory was hazy. He remembered the prison cell, he remembered Kokabiel pointing Nightmare at him one last time, then he was fighting Artemis' minions and two different wielders of Legendary Dragons.
What was going on that he had been so close to letting go and willingly activate Juggernaut's berserk state?
Still confused and rather fed up with looking at a lookalike for any longer, he groaned as he rolled over, feeling every one of his affected vitals shouting at him to stop. He ignored the extreme discomfort; though each one was arguably worse than Ascalon's inflicted physical injury, he'd had enough of succumbing to injuries lately.
He scowled when he saw the view in the other direction wasn't much better. Kokabiel was there, though he looked as if someone had mummified him using black cloth instead of the traditional white. Kokabiel's visage was one of pure outrage, as if someone had almost gotten a prize or promotion only to have it snatched away at the last minute. Anger clouded his already shaky judgement, and he growled at the Fallen, trying to rise. Issei's memories were still foggy on the subject, but he remembered something about Kokabiel needing to kill Sona and...
Rias! Akeno! Issei forced himself to sit upright, looking around for them. And find them he did. The two of them, along with Asia, Koneko, Ravel, Sona, and Griselda, were standing on the other side of a young man a few years older than he, wielding what look to be an excessively long Odachi, only he knew from Kiba that swords weren't supposed to feel off quite like that.
His perception of the not-sword was readjusted or redirected when the girls rushed him, though each stopped at some invisible line mere feet away from him. While he was confused, Issei's heart sank when he saw injuries on most of them, ranging from minor to severe burns, and possibly internal damage as well. Most notably, Koneko's ears were slightly singed and Akeno's exposed stomach sported a large burn, one that stretched from above her navel to the underside of her breasts.
"Issei," Rias started tentatively, "are you alright?"
"The Hell with me, what happened to you all!?"
He didn't know what was going on still, or whether it was something he said, but it was if the invisible barrier had fallen and immediately the girls all lunged for him, crying.
He hurt all over but he didn't make a sound as they glomped him. Rias and Akeno took his arms as usual, pulling themselves to them as close as they could. Koneko threw her arms around his waist, burying her face into his stomach, while Asia and Ravel each latched onto a leg.
He held them to comfort them of course, even though he could detect his own power from them. Not in a good way, like he had somehow reinforced their strength with his own, but like he had used it to inflict pain upon them.
So even as he was showered with affection and returned it in kind, he couldn't shake off the feeling that he was to blame for what had happened and was still going on.
A little ways away, Griselda approached Tobio and the bound Kokabiel while Sona attended to her peerage, the heiress ignoring Saji's cries for her to heal him with skinship. The exorcist was unsure of what to say. In all the briefings she had been through, all the fail safes and procedures had failed to detail what to do in the event Grigori agents opposed to Kokabiel would appear. In power they might have been near equals, but his skill with his potential God-slaying Sacred Gear was far beyond her own.
"My thanks, Tobio Ikuse," she nodded to him respectfully. "With the White Dragon against us, we would not have stood a chance."
"Hmm. Seemed to me you'd still have trouble, what with stabbing him and all." When she looked taken aback, he shrugged. "News of Ascalon's deployment travels fast."
"I... I see. And what will you be doing with Kokabiel?" They both turned to face the immobilized cadre, who was still glaring daggers at all around him.
Tobio sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Who knows? I'm just the schmuck Azazel's been paying for the past few years for odd favors. He wants to interrogate him personally, then possible incarceration. Not my problem." He relinquished his grip on his signature weapon, the sword falling before transforming back into a puppy that landed on all fours.
"You're not concerned with what comes after?"
"Oh, there'll be hell to pay I'm sure."
"Of that there is no doubt." Kokabiel finally deigned to speak to them, speaking loud enough for all to hear. "Do you think this is a victory? That war is avoidable, that I'm the only one that wishes for it? Fools," he grunted. "Never before have so many individuals been discontent with the status quo. Even now, there are hundreds, thousands, more than any can count harboring desires against what you all call peace. I'm just the first to act upon that dissatisfaction, and I can guarantee I won't be the last."
"Hold your tongue, Fallen, or I'll cut it from you," Griselda raised her blade, Blessing glowing still. Xenovia suddenly appeared, her two swords readied, while Kiba follows shortly after, carrying a still unconscious Irina with one of her arms over his shoulders.
"If you can still raise your blade after what I have to say, then you are welcome to do so." The matter-of-fact tone in his voice grabbed the attention of everyone there. Even the girls crowding the demidrake realized his presence and the demidrake himself seemed to finally realize his transgressors was bound there before him. "You see, in the Great War between what is called the Biblical Factions, not only did the Lucifer and his fellow Maou perish, but so did the Father Himself!"
It was as if someone had ripped away the curtain, exposing the play for what it really was. And everyone reacted differently. Rias, Akeno, and Sona paled, their upbringing had them decidedly against God but to hear this was a shock. Koneko didn't change her expression, but like Ravel, who had turned a little green, her knees were shaking as well. Kiba would have dropped the unconscious Irina if he wasn't already in the process of laying her down, but the Knight recollected himself and showed no other signs of surprise.
Now for the believers in the party, there was a much more extreme reaction. Asia outright collapsed, and the only reason why Issei didn't attack Kokabiel with whatever strength his body could muster was because he caught her instead, with her whimpering and shaking in his arms as she tried to pray. Holding her carefully, he still didn't take his eyes off the monster who had not only hurt him, but shattered Asia's convictions to the core.
Xenovia didn't take it well either, collapsing to her knees, supported only by Durandal's point in the ground. "No... No, it can't be..."
Griselda was perhaps the most collected, as she staggered to regain her balance. Her face did not betray her loss, but in her hand, Excalibur Blessing winked once before its glow disappeared. Now despite its name, it was little more than dull metal having lost its wielder's conviction.
Saji wasn't in Issei's field of view, and the demidrake didn't particularly care what the other Pawn thought, but he could see Tobio, and the man looked surprisingly unsurprised.
He had already known. And he had let Kokabiel say it.
"It can be," Kokabiel continued. "Like Valper tried to say before his demise," Issei cocked his head at that one, this was news to him, "the only reason a Holy Demonic sword could exist and function would be for God to no longer manage his system. His demise threw the world into chaos. Oh don't bemoan the situation, Holy Maiden. That demidrake holding you only can because God is dead. If He weren't, then the White Dragon Emperor would not have survived his reincarnation, and you would have never met."
The cruel realization hit Asia incredibly hard, unfairly so. She fainted, though whether it was a mercy or not remained to be seen. To be hit by a revelation like that, her first friend's life at the cost of God's existence?
Without Asia conscious to maintain Twilight Healing's effects, Issei immediately felt as if gravity had increased exponentially. Likening her gift as both a healing agent and pain reliever, with it absent he lost whatever strength he still had and nearly collapsed as well, though Rias and Akeno grabbed him to lower him down, while Koneko and Ravel plucked Asia from his arms to care for her.
"Don't believe me? Ask your dear siblings, the Maou, about the secrets they hide from you, and who stands to profit from that knowledge." Kokabiel continued undeterred. "You've only won one battle, and it was a piss-poor effort at that, next~"
Whatever he was going to say was cut off when Tobio's shadows stretched to gag the cadre into silence. Jin stepped closer to where he stood, sniffed around the Fallen's entrapped legs before turning around and raising one hind leg.
"You're done," Tobio informed a furious Kokabiel, though whether the Fallen was angry for his enforced silence or the tinkling sound of Jin doing his business was unclear. "Anymore and Azazel won't pay me." The vagabond magician sighed and turned to the others with a sheepishly apologetic look on his face. "Sorry you had to hear all that, but it might be for the best. Tall, dark and brooding had a point, the world's changing and I'd be doing you all a disservice by keeping some things quiet."
When no one answered, Tobio shrugged. "Tough crowd." The shadows pooled around beneath his feet and from them emerged three figures. One neatly bisected Freed, one very well-done mass of meat that used to be Valper, and the still injured Red Dragon Emperor, who was still staring at Issei with barely restrained intensity. When he noticed this, the other man shook his head to sigh once more. Webs of shadow sprouted from the Red Dragon Emperor's shadow to restrain him, specifically to shroud the crimson gauntlet reforming on his left arm. "And they call me a dog. Down, Vali. Now's not the time for fighting anymore. You too, Issei, wasn't it?"
Issei had somehow gotten free from his future mates, ignoring their pleas to stop as he tried to crawl towards Kokabiel. White flames were beginning to flicker along his exposed skin, signs that his self-control were waning even if he was still physically exhausted.
"He's... Gonna... Pay..." Issei coughed, as he clawed forward.
"And he will. Azazel might even invite you to make it happen." Issei's own shadow came alive and bound him, though the light from his own flame began to eat away at the temporary restraint. "But you have other concerns right now." Tobio lowered his voice to a point where they both knew only Issei could hear. "Take it from someone who never got to know his family at all, always take care of your own first."
Before Issei could make sense of the advice, the shadows surrounding Tobio, Vali, Kokabiel and the two dead humans folded into a bubble around them. Said sphere then melted into the floor as the inky darkness faded, leaving no trace they were ever there.
Some hours later, the Gremory peerage managed to seclude themselves away from the world. Maybe fifteen minutes had passed between the Grigori's departure and the arrival of Sirzechs Lucifer, escorted by a small army of his trusted soldiers. Not his peerage, apparently even Rias had never seen his Pieces assembled at any time, but Grayfia was there to support her King as ever.
It had taken only an hour after that for everyone there to have their statements taken about the attack. Even Griselda and Xenovia were questioned intensively, and were Irina conscious it was possible she would have been as well.
At some point, the knowledge that Issei had been temporarily rouge had been leaked, causing a commotion as Sirzechs himself moved to attack the injured demidrake. The only reason the attack never came was because Rias threw herself in between the two males, followed shortly by Akeno, and then the rest of her servants.
With Sirzechs' power and skill, it wouldn't have saved him anyway, but if there was one thing Sirzechs was known for, it was for being a complete sis-con. He relented, if only just, and heard out the rest of the story, a seven-layered magic circle positioned above Issei like some executioner's weapon the entire time.
As soon as Rias explained that Issei's rampage had ended with Excalibur Nightmare's destruction, Sirzechs removed the magical cannon and examined Issei personally. Blue eyes bored into Issei's brown.
You broke your promise. You made her cry. The Maou's eyes accused.
I know. And I'll spend the rest of my life knowing it. And if I were to live any longer than the end of this argument, I'd do everything in my power to atone for it. Brown eyes, pupils narrowed, mourned in return.
You think I can trust you with my sister after what happened tonight?
You shouldn't.
One red eyebrow raised in surprise. Oh?
I can't remember what Kokabiel showed me that made me snap like that. I have memories of so many of his failed attempts, but I can't even remember the one that broke me. Who's to say it won't happen again?
Without warning, Sirzechs grabbed the sides of Issei's face to look even deeper into the demidrake's eyes, as if searching for something. And Issei could only gaze helplessly as now red eyes burned in anger at what they saw.
For his part, Sirzechs wasn't even concerned with Issei's testimony anymore. Memory loss of that scope shouldn't be possible, not with Issei's own constitution guarding against it. For him to not remember, it must have been an inside job.
It wasn't Issei's soul Lucifer was searching for. He wanted to talk with Albion instead.
Issei winced in pain as Albion made his presence known, discomfort felt as Albion's normal mental connection was blocked by Sirzechs in what apparently was a private conversation. The two great beings seemed to be civil with one another, information was shared, and then everyone there fell to their knees as a crippling wave of bloodlust stronger than Issei had thought possible from a non-dragon swept over the host.
For a moment, the Crimson Lucifer's physical form flickered and rippled, threatening to come undone. Miraculously, the man seemed to recall where he was as he enforced his will upon the energy of his own being.
Letting Issei go, Sirzehcs stepped away. "We're done here. I'll have the school grounds repaired by morning." At a nod from Grayfia, the black-armored Devils vanished through circles of their own. Once they were gone, Sirzechs addressed Issei one last time.
"You really do love them."
It wasn't a question; only a statement of fact, but it was said with such wonder and disbelief that Issei could only gape like a fish at the simplistic nature of his words.
And then, what surprised everyone most of all, was that Sirzechs smiled. "Take care of them, and just as important, let them take care of you. I'm sure you have the best intentions, but it isn't wise keeping beautiful women waiting for long." And with that, he turned on his heel and left though the school entrance, Grayfia at his side. Bits of conversation floated back to them as they left.
"Beautiful women? Spoken from experience?"
"Not in the way you think. There's mother, Rias, Serafall when she's getting one of her crazy ideas, and you. No one else."
"Don't get any silly ideas, Lucifer."
"Don't need any. It's after midnight, and today's your day off."
"Wait, 'zechs!"
And so the the wife, not a maid, but wife of a Maou was carried away bridal style. Of course, no one saw it.
Every one there was still entranced by the demidrake surrounded by his family, tears falling from his eyes as he held his loved ones close.
Not long after that, Akeno had managed to create a transport glyph, leaving Sona and her healed peerage and the exorcists far behind. They had been transferred to where the were now; a courtyard of a shrine, one with a view that overlooked the city. Far enough away from the rest of town to be undisturbed, yet not too far so as to be entirely withdrawn from the outside.
Once, everyone had staggered, walked, or been carried to the doorway, Akeno opened it with a smile before turning and bowing. "Welcome to my home away from home. Do make yourselves comfortable."
As it turned out, the shrine had been taken over by Akeno after some debate between the Gremory and the Shinto pantheon. Serving as her home for the past three years until Issei's arrival and her subsequent moving in with him, she had maintained it I the event she would ever need it. With their suite currently in ruins, they needed a safe place now more than ever.
And so there they were. They hadn't even made it past the first room. Kiba had fallen asleep, sitting with his back against the wall next to the door, still in his school uniform. Head lowered with his chin against his chest, his newest blade propped beside him as if he were prepared to fight the moment he awoke. Like some guardian sentinel, he remained a vigil of sorts.
Issei hadn't made it much further than that, collapsing as the last of his strength gave out. Oh, his injuries were healed, all of theirs were given Grayfia's administrations, but she could do nothing to replenish aura, let alone one not her own. He had stripped off his shirt, boots and socks, and rested on his back on the floor, wings stretched to either side of him.
Each of the girls had had their clothing restored via magic as well, but for spares they had each opted for back-ups Issei had long ago sealed away in the event of an emergency.
Holding his right leg as if her life depended on it, Asia whimpered in her sleep. With Rias' permission, he had promoted to Bishop to replenish the demonic energy of those around him, but energy was not what the gentle blonde needed right now. She needed something more finite, tangible, something to give her hope given what she had learned today. And she had chosen him of all people. Well, he would try to live up to her hopes and dreams. Innocently clad in pink pajamas, the Bishop twitched once more while settling closer with a sigh of contentment.
On his other side, Ravel had practically glued herself to him. Arms and legs wrapped around his own left leg, the girl had practically cried herself to sleep, whimpering, 'I'm sorry, I wasn't strong enough to help!', over and over until she mercifully passed out from exhaustion. Several times, her self-control had shattered, causing her to cry sparks of all things.
Stranger things had happened.
Like Ravel, Koneko had opted not to wear clothes from her own bundle, but had instead appropriated one of his shirts for sleepwear. Unlike Ravel, she wasn't wearing panties beneath it. With ears and tail unsealed, the girl had curled up like the big cat she really was, and planted herself on his chest, nuzzling into him and... sniffing him occasionally. It reminded him of Kuroka's behavior in the two years they'd known each other, and it was emotionally conflicting to say the least.
And last, but assuredly not least, were the two beauties in his arms. Perhaps beauty was a bit too exclusive, all the girls clinging to him were beautiful in their own way, that he could freely admit. But these two… these two… was there anything else he could say that hadn't already been said?
Remembering the training trip before their Rating Game, Rias and Akeno had opted to not sleep naked as per their usual. That didn't stop them from dressing or exposing themselves in the most seductive lingerie they had on hand. Akeno wore a simple black silk set of bra and thong, while Rias wore red to match her hair in soft and intricate lace. Curled up to him as they were, their heads were resting on his shoulders as they nuzzled closer in their sleep. Their expressions were peaceful, serene even. Yet despite the day's events, despite his own misgivings when he had learned what had happened, what he had done… he didn't want them to ever leave him.
It was selfish of him, he knew that. But in his heart of hearts, Issei knew that his own soul had stopped being exclusively his own long ago. He knew what he wanted, the only thing bothering him was if they would accept.
('You shouldn't doubt yourself like that.') Albion chided him. ('If those girls feared you or would choose to reject you, then you never would have gotten this far with them.')
'You're not helping much.'
('He he, perhaps not. Still,') and here the elder dragon grew serious, ('doubting yourself, your feelings, and theirs will only hurt you all in the future.')
'I know.'
('So? What will you do?')
'After what happened today… No, ever since I let my own pride and hesitance get the better of me when Irina stabbed me, heck, trace it all the way back to the first time I fought Freed, I've let my emotions and foolishness get the better of me. I can't afford to hold back anymore, but I can't allow myself to become complacent with the way things are. Not with the Red One having revealed himself.'
('Good reasons, especially the last one. But that wasn't what I was asking.')
'Funny, I just told you. I'm not holding back, not when I'm dissatisfied with the way things are now.'
('Are we still talking about the same thing here?')
'Someone once told me that I'd know what to do at the right time, the right place.'
('Someone… You mean…')
'That's right.' Issei shuffled in place a little more, drawing in his wings closer to the group so as to cocoon on the six of them in a war tent. In lieu of an actual bed and sheets, given that the girls preferred to use his body and limbs for one, he found it fitting to use his wings to replace the other. Tired as he was now, what with his demonic energy being siphoned away from skinship, he still had the strength to declare exactly what he was going to do.
'I'm going to bond with them. Both of them. And I'm going to do this right.'
As exhaustion took over to send the demidrake blissfully to sleep, Albion continued to observe his host from within, not without a tinge of both pride and approval.
(If anyone deserves some happiness, it's you kid. Live your life to the fullest.') Albion's observations were cut short as the ancient being grew lost among his own thoughts.
One of which, was the final memory, more accurately, the fake memories that Kokabiel had implanted and used to break Issei before. He had debated whether or not to leave the ordeal's recollection within his host's mind, but had ultimately decided not, for. everyones' sakes. And it was only at the demand of the current Lucifer he had shared it with anyone else.
The Heavenly Dragon growled to himself in annoyance. The memories were not the only secret he was hiding, for one as old as he secrets were impossible to not collect. Memories, locations, knowledge, all of these and more from his own experiences as well as assimilated from his previous hosts.
He made a mental note to ask Issei to look into a few of those memories and locations; the hoards of previous Dragon Emperors might be useful in the future. Though, given how Issei was so forgetful, particularly with self-assigned tasks of varying importance, Albion would be surprised if he himself remembered.
Perhaps it was a trait unique or rather passed down from great-grandfather to great-grandson.
With that last, most crucial secret Albion began to think again, mind sharp as ever but still at a mental standstill. He had nearly revealed the connection he and his host shared during the conflict that day, and had had to suppress the information when Lucifer went looking where he wasn't strictly welcome. Despite knowing the link between them would be exposed one day, he was content to hold his tongue for a little longer.
After all, it wasn't the right place or time. He'd follow his own advice. Scratch that, it wasn't originally his advice but hers which she had once beat into him.
And with that rousing pleasant memories of happier times, the Vanishing Dragon drifted off as well.
AN: Explanations, comments, trivia.
Damn, this chapters finally over. It's a relief because I've written and rewritten this so many times now to get here it's not even funny. I've wanted to move onto other things, like the bonding process and continuing the familiar hunt, both of which are up next.
Chapter title: German quote from Nietzsche, literally 'God is dead'
On that note, RIP Freed, RIP Valper
Now the million dollar question. Why have Tobio take down Kokabiel instead of Issei? Well, besides the need to publicly intro him sooner than in canon (by about 16 or so volumes I might add), I needed someone that Azazel trusted (besides himself) that could take on a cadre and win to also reign in Vali and force a stalemate between every other faction present if things went too far. Not Baraqiel, no that wouldn't work right now, saving him for another time for help with Akeno's development. And if I brought in Penemue, then I'd have people ranting to add her into the harem (like Artemis) for the only reason that she's the only female Fallen cadre. Add in that Vali's presence would serve to specifically counter berserk Issei to a draw, it further discounted Vali and Issei as a candidate for responsibility for Kokabiel's physical defeat. And I'm not reaching out to other characters of other pantheons just yet. Tobio was the best option affiliated with the Grigori to satisfy every criteria I had.
That doesn't mean that Issei won't get the final one on one with Kokabiel. With what I have planned, we'll soon see him again (2 chapters tops), briefly, but that's pretty much it, so consider him permanently out of play starting now. For those of you who know canon pretty well and have an idea of where I'm taking the story next, keep your guesses to yourselves for now, please. I'll only say that Issei's next interaction with him will be remarkably one-sided. Tobio and Vali will make their reappearance for the peace talks, where I'll introduce some other much-anticipated characters.
Isaiah is Kiba's real/first given name, it's mentioned several times that he accepted a new name from Rias a few months after his resurrection. In fact, one of the LN depicts how he was reluctant to come to terms with his new status and how he gradually accepted it and his new name and skills.
So this my friends, is the end to the figurative downward spiral Issei's been in since Tartarus. From here, things are looking up for the moment. For those of you who were waiting for his heritage to be revealed here, that was the original plan. That is, until I found another place for it to be revealed in a few chapters that gives it a much better impact. Fear not, I'm not delaying like some of you think, merely withholding for best placement.
Some of you are pretty keen on knowing when I'll reveal it. To answer that, Issei will learn moments after he discovers Albion signature ability: Reflect. Consider what it's used for and you'll get an idea of the circumstances in which he'll learn the connection.
Dear God, if people could write one good story about Tobio I will be forever thankful. The SLASH DOG volumes were short-lived before the DxD gained Ishibumi's full attention but provide an amazing character to work upon. Undoubtedly a character built on the darker aspects of DxD and a tragic backstory set in canon. WHY IS NO ONE WRITING A FIC ABOUT HIM!?
CrimsonBlade11, Shirou Fujimura, Arrixam, LordxSesshomaru, Paynis, you guys keep doing what you're doing. DO NOT put your own fantastic projects on hold just to write a different story when you already have a lot on your plate.
I'd also like to put in the disclaimer that Canis Lykaon in canon is an independent avatar, a dog Tobio calls Jin, and can transform into a sword. Now it's been a while since I last read the series, so I came up with the sword-manifestation on my own, as well as more of its impressive capabilities derived from the wikia description. Also, as a sword Longinus in the hands of a human present in canon, my constant argument against plot-driven gifting of magic swords from nowhere doesn't apply.
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Next time: Love long awaited
Updated: 6-21-16
Now it's been awhile since I've updated but I just realized this chapter came out a bit after a year I first published this fic. Here's to another year!
And a big thank you to Shad0wReaper133 who waited patiently for me to get this together to beta. Thanks a lot man!