Chapter 34 – Predator

"This place is…"

Takeshi wondered as he looked around. His surroundings were enveloped by dense fog, preventing him from seeing more than a couple of meters ahead. For some reason, he had a feeling he had been here before, not just once, but several times so far. Moreover, his body was shivering, his breath was coming out in short gasps and his heart rate was elevated, with his instincts screaming at him to get out of this strange place as soon as possible. However, before he could collect himself, he heard familiar voices shouting something in the distance.

"That was…Yuuto and Gasper-kun?"

Pushing his doubts and fear aside, Takeshi started running towards the direction of the voices. A few seconds later, the shouting turned into bloodcurdling screams that made his blood run cold. Takeshi quickened his pace, eventually coming across the scene of his fellow Peerage members lying on the ground motionless.

"Yuuto! Gasper-kun!"

Takeshi shouted as he knelt next to Yuuto, examining his body. Feeling a wet sensation in his palm, Takeshi raised his hand, only to freeze upon seeing that it was covered in blood. Looking closer, he noticed that there were several puncturing wounds oozing blood on Yuuto's torso. Checking his pulse with trembling hands, Takeshi was horrified to find nothing.

"He's…dead…"

Takeshi said with a shaky voice as he stood up and headed to Gasper's side with unsteady steps. His Kouhai was in a similar condition, his body riddled with wounds and his eyes gouged out, making for a haunting image. Takeshi didn't even bother checking his vitals, certain that no-one could survive such severe injuries.

"How…? How could this happen…?"

Takeshi muttered in a daze, his gaze locked in the blood coating his shaking hands. At that moment, even more screams were heard in the distance, snapping Takeshi out of his stupor.

"The others…" Takeshi clenched his fists. "Whoever did this…I'll be damned if I let you kill anyone else!"

Takeshi started running once again. He also tried to activate his Sacred Gear, but Cataclysm Zone didn't seem to be responding to his commands. Even using his demonic power or spreading his Devil wings was impossible for some reason. Despite that, he kept running, hoping against hope that he would be able to do something to prevent the rest of his comrades from sharing Yuuto and Gasper's fate. However—

"No… No, no, no, no…"

Takeshi muttered in shock at yet another horrifying sight presenting itself before him. Xenovia had been impaled with her own sword, its hilt buried on the ground to keep the corpse aloft, while the blade itself had been dyed red from Xenovia's blood. Next to her, Pandora was in a similar state, her body pierced by several rock stakes and the dismembered corpse of her familiar Gin lying next to her. Before he had time to fully process the scene unfolding before his eyes, more screams echoed in the distance. Though some part of him knew it was pointless, Takeshi started running towards the direction of the voices once again, only to come encounter yet another nightmarish scene.

"Not you too…"

Takeshi sank to his knees, overwhelmed by the scene of carnage before his eyes. On one side was the corpse of Akeno, burned almost beyond recognition. He was only able to identify her due to the scorched mismatched wings protruding from her back. On the other was the headless corpse of Koneko, numerous slashes all over her petite body. Takeshi crawled to her side, cradling her corpse in his hands as tears ran down his eyes.

"Why…?" Takeshi muttered with a broken voice. "Who…? Who's the bastard that did all this!? Where are you!? Show yourself, damn it!"

"Over here."

Takeshi turned his sights to the direction of the voice. Hovering above him was Vortigern, Ascalon in his left hand and the seemingly unconscious Rias dangling from his right hand.

"You…!" Takeshi spat out with evident hatred, glaring at his opponent. "You're responsible for this…this massacre!?"

"Indeed." Vortigern let out a cruel smile as he grabbed Rias's head, placing Ascalon near her neck. "I butchered your pathetic friends, just like how I'm going to kill this woman. If you can stop me, then by all means, try to do so. You have the power, don't you?"

As if responding to Vortigern's words, Cataclysm Zone appeared around Takeshi's waist. Without putting much thought into it, his mind clouded by anger and grief, Takeshi raised his aura and shouted.

"Balance Break!"

[Force Rise! Crescent Circle Rampage!]

An explosion of corrupted draconic aura surrounded Takeshi's body as the black and gold armor of Cataclysm Zone's Balance Breaker enveloped his body. Although this should have been impossible for the current Takeshi, he paid no heed to that as he gathered large amounts of corrupted draconic aura in his hand.

"Let Rias go!"

Takeshi howled as he dashed at Vortigern, aiming a punch at him. Vortigern tossed Rias aside and avoided Takeshi's attack, coming to hover a few meters away from him. Takeshi aimed at him, unleashing a massive blast of draconic aura that consumed everything in his path while also blowing away the mist covering his surroundings. Once the smoke cloud dispersed, Takeshi's eyes opened wide in shock.

"That…can't be…"

Takeshi said with a trembling voice. What laid before him was Kuoh Town, now ravaged almost beyond recognition by his attack. Most of its buildings had been destroyed and the majority of its residents had been vaporized by the blast. The rest had been killed by the aftereffects of his attack, their corpses littering the ruined streets. Although he couldn't confirm it for sure from here, Takeshi thought he caught a glimpse of his parents' corpses lying in a side street.

"I… How is this…?"

"You should have realized it by now. That strength of yours, it cannot protect anything. It can only destroy and bring death to all around you!"

Before he could react to the voice coming from behind him, Takeshi received a slash from Ascalon that shattered his armor. He fell to the ground, screaming in pain as the wound on his back felt like it had caught on fire.

"Take…shi…?"

Rias, who had regained consciousness, said with visible effort as she tried to crawl closer to him.

"Rias…"

Takeshi wheezed out as he struggled to reach out to her. However, before he could do so, Vortigern descended from above, piercing through Rias's chest with a dark aura spear. She spat out a mouthful of blood before collapsing on the ground dead. Takeshi's eyes opened wide in shock as he howled in both pain and outrage.

"Kill…you…" Takeshi spat out, directing his hate-filled gaze at Vortigern. "I swear…I'll kill you, you bastard!"

"Don't make promises you can't keep, boy!"

Vortigern smirked as he snapped his fingers, with numerous copies of Ascalon appearing above Takeshi. He then flicked his hand, with the blades raining down on the wounded youth and piercing his body all over. He screamed as the numerous Dragon Slayers embedded in him were causing him an amount of agony he had never experienced thus far.

"Have you had a good taste of Hell?" Vortigern said as he approached Takeshi, his blade glinting in the light coming from the fires behind him. "If so, I shall grant you a small reprieve for now!"

Vortigern raised Ascalon high and brought it down with a lightning-fast motion, striking Takeshi right between his eyes, cutting off his senses apart from a pulling sensation.


"Gah!"

Takeshi shouted as he woke up with a start, sitting bolt upright as he checked his body for injuries in haste. Although there were none, he could still feel the lingering pain from the numerous blades buried in his body. The scar in his right arm was also burning, adding to his agony.

"Another nightmare…" Takeshi said as he collapsed on the bed, wiping the sweat from his brow. "But…this is the first time it's been so vivid. I wonder, did I see something like that the other times and forgot about it? Could this be a sign that another Evil Dragon is close to awakening? And the contents…"

Takeshi shivered as he recalled the haunting images he had seen. His friends horrifically slaughtered, Kuoh Town reduced to ashes by his own attack, Rias's death at the hands of Vortigern while he was unable to stop him and his own demise. To top it all off, the pain had yet to subside, making him feel even more of a wreck than he already was.

"There goes the rest of my sleep, I guess…" Takeshi sighed as he checked the clock on his nightstand. "Almost dawn, though you'd be hard-pressed to know in this underground city."

After saying so, Takeshi got up and went to the bathroom, splashing some water into his face. Checking his reflection in the mirror, he groaned at his haggard look and the dark circles that had started forming under his eyes.

"Don't you look like a mess…" Takeshi said, a bitter smile on his face. "Better take a walk outside to clear my head a bit. No use staying in here and throwing a pity party or something…"

After splashing his face once again and wearing his Kuoh Academy uniform, Takeshi left his room and started walking towards the castle's gardens, one of the areas in the castle that Nurarihyon had allowed the group to visit without the need for escorts or authorization. He passed by several Youkai on the way there, but all of them changed their course at once, making sure to be as far away from him as possible.

"More of the same…" Takeshi sighed. "At least last night's feast was enjoyable if nothing else…"

Takeshi remarked. Though not much progress had been made in regards to deciding what their next move should be, mostly due to lack of new information, the group had gorged themselves on the East Youkai Faction's delicious cuisine. After dinner, Koneko had vanished somewhere with Magari, while Akeno and Tobio had also left the dining hall together at some point, presumably to talk more about their family.

"Speak of the devil…"

Takeshi muttered as he entered the gardens, only to find Tobio and Jin playing catch there with a broken branch. Upon noticing him, Tobio raised his hand in greeting.

"Hey there, Takeshi-kun." Tobio said. "You're up early…and pardon me for saying so, but you don't look so good. Rough night?"

"You could say that…" Takeshi said with a sigh as he approached Tobio, with Jin growling at him. "Your partner doesn't seem to like me very much, Tobio-san."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that." Tobio said, rubbing Jin's head. "Jin is very sensitive to malicious auras, and with you being the Evil Dragon User and all…well, I'm sure you understand."

"Unfortunately, I do." Takeshi said. "I just hope we don't run into any Japanese Gods over the course of this mission. Tsukuyomi-sama made his distaste of Orochi very clear the last time we met, and with him awake, I shudder to think what they might do to me…"

"I don't think they'll show up given their general reluctance to involve themselves with this world unless the situation is truly critical." Tobio said. "There's also the fact that they're keeping a close eye on Izanami and Yomi in general to prevent any movement from their side during this crisis. Even if we cross paths with them, they owe me a couple of favors due to past services, so I can get them to stand down if need be. Plus, remember that you're not only a member of the Devil faction, but also a member of the Three Factions alliance. The Shinto Gods wouldn't risk making enemies out of all of them just for a shot at you."

"In any case, it's best for everyone if their intervention isn't required." Takeshi said. "On an unrelated note…how did your conversation with Akeno go? She told me she would talk to you yesterday, and you did seem to hit it off somewhat during dinner."

"It's a little early to say for sure…but I think we've established a cordial relationship." Tobio said. "She seems like a pleasant person to be around, and I'm sure she and Suzaku would get along well if Akeno approached her…"

"That…might be a bit difficult due to her past and her hatred for the Himejima family." Takeshi said. "Still, if Suzaku-san is really honest about wanting to make amends, I'm sure Akeno will come around eventually. She only needs time. Speaking of Suzaku-san, is it true that she's your fiancée?"

"She's one among five, Lavinia included." Tobio said with an embarrassed smile. "Don't ask me how that happened though. I still don't have the faintest clue how I ended up with a harem. The girls somehow arranged everything, and the other male members of my team are alternating between making fun of me for that and being pissed at me."

"I think I understand where you're coming from." Takeshi said with a grin. "I also have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I have three girlfriends, with the possibility of more down the line. That's if this damnable Sacred Gear of mine doesn't lead me to destroy myself first though…"

"Sacred Gears can be a heavy burden, especially unique ones like yours and mine." Tobio said. "I wish Deus Trinity was still alive so I could ask him what exactly he was thinking when he made them. Supposedly, they were created to protect mankind, but they've honestly caused more trouble for them instead. People have been prosecuted because of these abilities, others have let the power go to their head and caused several incidents over the ages, and others have been hunted by various factions, either for recruitment or elimination."

"Since we're on that subject, there's something I'm curious about." Takeshi said. "Why do the Youkai seem to be afraid of you and Jin? They mentioned something about a cursed blade, so does it have to do something with your Sacred Gear?"

"It does." Tobio said. "Canis Lykaon is a rather unique Sacred Gear which was created through a combination of two elements. The first was the soul of Lycaon, the first King of Arcadia."

"Lycaon?" Takeshi frowned. "The fellow who tried to feed Zeus his own son and was turned into a wolf as punishment, becoming one of the first werewolves?"

"The very same." Tobio nodded. "The other component was Ame-no-Ohabari, the blade that Izanagi-sama used to kill Hinokagutsuchi-sama after his birth resulted in the death of his mother, Izanami. The union of the two resulted in the distortion of the divine blade into a cursed blade, and the downgrade of Lycaon from a wolf to a dog, resulting in its current form."

"I think I understand now." Takeshi said. "The Youkai are afraid and disgusted because one of their venerated blades was corrupted into a cursed tool with God-slaying properties. I'm surprised at how Deus Trinity was able to acquire the sword though."

"It's not like that was the first time he acquired objects and creatures belonging to other mythologies for his creations." Tobio said. "As for the means, they ranged from negotiation and favor exchange to brute force. It was rather hard to argue with one of the strongest Gods around at the time after all."

"Might makes right, eh?" Takeshi smirked. "It was still pretty risky, and acts like this reek of desperation. Makes one wonder why the creation of powerful Sacred Gears was so vital to him… Anyway, since we're both up and still have some time until the meeting, how about we spar for a bit, Tobio-san? I'm a little curious about the strength of one of Grigori's best operatives."

"A spar, eh?" Tobio said. "Why not? Since we're allowed to use the training areas, it would be a waste to not take advantage of them. Not to mention, I'd like to witness the strength of the strongest Evil Dragon User with my own eyes."

"Strongest…eh?"

Takeshi muttered with a downcast expression as he followed after Tobio. After walking for a few minutes, the two of them arrived at a dojo-like room. As Takeshi stood in one end of the field and Tobio and Jin moved to the other, Tobio spoke.

"This area has been reinforced with several barriers, so we can go wild to a degree." Tobio said. "Still, we should probably not go overboard with the ultra-destructive techniques. I don't fancy being indebted to Suzaku, or Heaven forbid, Azazel, to pay off the damages."

"Got it." Takeshi nodded. "Let's go, Cataclysm Zone!"

"It's time to hunt, Jin!"

The black and gold belt appeared around Takeshi's waist, while a black, curved blade with curse-like marks on it appeared on Jin's mouth. At the same time, a large scythe emerged from Tobio's shadow, with the youth grabbing it. Takeshi tried to summon one of his auxiliary Sacred Gears, but received no response from his Sacred Gear, much to his consternation.

"Just as I feared…" Takeshi groaned. "Sorry about this, Tobio-san, but I'm going to need some time. It looks like another Sacred Gear is on the verge of awakening."

"Seriously?" Tobio raised an eyebrow. "What are the odds of that happening? Better that it occurred here than on the battlefield though. We can test its capabilities in a relatively safe environment. Since you've awakened three of the above Dragon King-class Evil Dragons already, the one coming next is a no-brainer."

"Yeah, it's most likely Ladon's Sacred Gear." Takeshi said. "But perhaps there will be an unexpected twist?"

"Let's hope not." Tobio said. "Crom Cruach aside, Apophis and Aži Dahāka's Sacred Gears have never been awakened so far. I'd rather we don't have to navigate through uncharted waters on top of dealing with a volatile situation. At least we know what to expect with Ladon to a degree."

Takeshi nodded as both he and Tobio waited in silence. Eventually, after about fifteen minutes had passed—

[Connection Complete.]

The middle gem on Cataclysm Zone changed color from black to copper, with wisps of aura emerging from it and travelling down Takeshi's left hand. The wisps joined together and solidified into the form of a copper-colored rectangular shield with sharp, curved edges, a red gem embedded in the middle and a spike protruding from its bottom part.

"So, as expected, this is Hesperides Fort, Ladon's Sacred Gear." Takeshi remarked as he checked out his new weapon. "It sure took its sweet time to manifest though. Having trouble waking up, Ladon? Even though you're known as the Stalwart Insomniac Dragon?"

Takeshi directed his query to the entity dwelling inside his new Sacred Gear. However, there was no response from Ladon.

"Weird…" Takeshi frowned. "Usually, Evil Dragons are very talkative when introducing themselves."

[Well…Ladon communicates with others only when he feels like it, partner.] Orochi's voice echoed in Takeshi's thoughts. [He's a very my-pace kind of Dragon, you know?]

[Which is another way of saying he's a lazy, unmotivated slob.] Grendel said with evident contempt. [Seriously, how someone like him got called an Evil Dragon and was placed on the same level as us is beyond me.]

[Oh, don't be like that, Grendel.] Nidhogg said. [You know as well as I do that he's more than earned his title despite his…cavalier attitude towards battle and wanton destruction. Besides, he has already started playing with the whelp in his own way. That's what matters.]

The nightmares… Takeshi thought. So, all that horror is a result of Ladon's influence. Even so, my will isn't so easily broken.

[So you say, whelp.] Nidhogg grinned. [But I wouldn't be too sure about that.]

[I'm looking forward to an entertaining performance!] Grendel laughed. [I wonder if you will end up a broken, shivering, crying mess by the end of it like most of your predecessors did!]

[You're going to have a hard time, that's for sure.] Orochi said. [But hang in there, partner! There are still plenty more women for you and me to experience, so you can't go off dying just yet! Think of my entertainment if things get too tough!]

Sure thing, Orochi. Takeshi thought, his sarcasm evident. I'll be sure to fight to the bitter end for such a 'noble' cause.

"Is everything alright, Takeshi-kun?" Tobio asked with evident concern. "You've been spacing out for a while now."

"…Sorry, Tobio-san." Takeshi said with a sigh. "The Evil Dragons are making a ruckus as usual. It seems Ladon is unwilling to communicate for now, something which I'm grateful for. Gives me more time to get accustomed to the fact that I'll have to deal with yet another psychotic voice in my head."

"And I used to think dealing with Lycaon's consciousness in my Gear was tough." Tobio said with a grimace, brandishing his scythe. "In any case, are you ready, Takeshi-kun?"

"Bring it on, Tobio-san!"

Takeshi smirked as he raised his shield. Tobio and Jin dashed forward, splitting up and aiming at Takeshi from different directions. Driven by the information provided by his Sacred Gear, Takeshi focused on his shield, forming a semi-transparent spherical barrier around him. Jin's blade and Tobio's scythe struck it, but were unable to penetrate it.

"It seems there's no issue in using Ladon's main ability, barrier creation." Tobio said, and then smirked. "However, I hope you don't believe a barrier of this level can stop our blades!"

Channeling more aura into the scythe and blade respectively, Tobio and Jin slashed apart the barrier, forcing Takeshi to take a few steps backwards in order to avoid the incoming blades. Feeling a chill go down his spine, Takeshi formed a circular barrier behind him, blocking the several blades that had erupted from his shadow. Tapping his foot on the ground, Takeshi launched himself up through the ensuing soundwave and took aim at Tobio and Jin. He shot several stake-shaped barriers and demonic power blasts at them, but Tobio and Jin sank into their own shadows, evading the attacks.

As Takeshi landed on the ground, Jin jumped out of his shadow and tried to slash at him. Takeshi brought Hesperides Fort around to block him, but Tobio emerged from a nearby shadow at that time, his scythe aimed at Takeshi's torso. Several rectangular barriers appeared in front of Takeshi, with Tobio's scythe going through most of them before stopping at the second-to-last barrier. Takeshi let out a high-pitch aria, with his demonic power-infused voice forcing Tobio and Jin back. As the two opponents checked each other out, Takeshi chuckled.

"This is the renowned Slash Dog's strength, eh?" Takeshi said, coughing a bit. "It's every bit as terrifying as the rumors say even though you're a human. You're not using your Balance Breaker, or trying all that hard for that matter, and you're still this strong. Vali must have had a field day when sparring with you."

"Don't remind me of that please…" Tobio frowned. "Every time we met, Vali wouldn't stop pestering me for a fight. It got so annoying that I had to bring Lavinia with me every time we visited Vali."

"Lavinia-san?" Takeshi raised an eyebrow. "What for?"

"Lavinia is one of the few people Vali can't win against no matter what." Tobio grinned. "He views her as a big sister of a sorts, so he's got a soft spot for her. His embarrassed expression when she dotes on him or scolds him is a sight to behold."

"Now that's something I've got to see for myself." Takeshi smirked. "However, right now, we're still in the middle of a spar!"

Takeshi formed a large number of small bullet-shaped barriers and launched them at Tobio. The Grigori operative was unperturbed as a wall of shadows rose in front of him, consuming the bullets. At the same time, numerous shadows started spreading out of Jin's body, covering most of the floor and walls. A large number of blades erupted from them, all heading straight for Takeshi. Channeling all his power into Hesperides Fort, Takeshi piled several semi-spherical barriers on top of one another, blocking the incoming blades. He then forced the barrier to expand outwards, seeking to crush Tobio and Jin. However, several oversized blades with curse-like marks on them emerged from the shadows, stopping the barrier's expansion and eroding it, leading to its destruction.

"Tch!"

Takeshi grimaced as streams of shadows covered the floor and walls again, with blades protruding out of them and heading for Takeshi in a manner similar to a shark's fin when attacking. Raising his concentration and aura to the max, Takeshi formed a large number of small hexagonal barriers around him to block the incoming blades. However, one of them suddenly transformed into Jin, who leapt at Takeshi. Although he was able to kick the dog aside, Takeshi was left open as Tobio emerged from a shadow to his right and struck him in the stomach with the bottom part of the handle, knocking the air out of him. As Takeshi fell on the ground, Jin landed on his chest, pinning him down, with Tobio placing the blade of the scythe next to his neck.

"It's over." Tobio said. "Good fight, Takeshi-kun."

"Would be better if I had won…" Takeshi grumbled as Jin stepped off his chest. "Though I can't help but wonder how this would have gone if we were both serious."

"Let's leave that for the future when we have a sturdier field to spar in." Tobio said. "In any case, you did well, Takeshi-kun. Even though this was for the first time you used Hesperides Fort in battle, you showed a decent amount of control over it. As expected from someone who's survived several battlefields so far."

"Even so, I'm not sure I can use it against the enemy's bosses." Takeshi said as he looked at Hesperides Fort. "With the current level of our opponents, Balance Breaker is a necessity, and Azazel-sensei has forbidden me from using several Sacred Gears simultaneously. Still, I might able to use it against the fodder…"

"Ah, so that's where you two were hiding."

Azazel, who stepped into the dojo, said so. Upon noticing the shield in Takeshi's left arm, his eyes opened wide.

"The fourth Sacred Gear has awakened, eh?" Azazel frowned. "Is this good or terrible timing, I wonder? More importantly, are there any abnormalities or anything out of the ordinary you've observed in yourself?"

"I've been having nightmares over the past few days, which became extremely vivid yesterday night, to the point where I could feel the pain from being struck even after waking up." Takeshi said. "I assume they're connected to Ladon, but apparently, he's not in the mood to talk just yet so I can't question him."

"Intense nightmares, eh?" Azazel said, rubbing his chin. "That's going to be a lot trickier to deal with compared to body deterioration, but I'll see what I can do about it. For now, we should join the others in the war room. We've got some new information regarding the enemy's movements."

"Does this mean we've picked up the enemy's trail?" Tobio asked. "That was fast. Have the feral Youkai become sloppy…or are they perhaps luring us in?"

"I'm hoping for the first, but I expect the second." Takeshi said. "Hell forbid our foes actually make things easy for us for once…"

Takeshi, Tobio and Jin followed after Azazel, who led them into a wide room with a large table in its midst, where a holographic map of Ibaraki Prefecture was projected through several magic circles. Standing around the table were Nurarihyon, Magari, Kumowatari, Retsuza, the members of the Gremory Peerage, Lavinia and Suzaku. Tobio and Azazel came to stand next to Suzaku, while Takeshi joined the other members of the Peerage. Seeing them brought back the images from his nightmare, but he forced himself to put that out of his mind for now.

"Are you alright, Takeshi?" Rias whispered to him. "Your complexion isn't looking that good."

"It's nothing, President." Takeshi said. "I was sparring with Tobio-san and the next Sacred Gear has awoken. You know, business as usual."

The other club members looked at Takeshi with a concerned expression. Before they could say anything however, Nurarihyon spoke.

"Our scouts have reported that several enemy Youkai were spotted at the shores of Lake Kasumigaura, making preparations for what appears to be a large-scale ritual." Nurarihyon said. "A couple of hunting parties converged on the spot to interfere…but we lost all contact with them about an hour ago. Most likely, they have perished at the hands of our adversaries."

"It's likely that the enemy's main force has assembled there." Kumowatari said. "This is our chance to get rid of them in one fell swoop."

"Assuming that's not what they expect us to do." Magari said. "Perhaps these rowdy children seek to draw the majority of our forces there and take advantage of our distracted state in order to strike at another place. Wouldn't put it past them."

"Either way, whatever it is, we can't very well allow this ritual to proceed." Azazel said. "That means we'll have to split our available troops and sent an elite force to take care of this problem while the rest remain on standby in case this is indeed a diversion."

"You can leave stopping the ritual to us." Rias said. "Our abilties are geared towards offense after all. That's why, let us be the vanguard."

"Count me and Lavinia in as well." Tobio said. "We're used to operating behind the scenes, but standing on the frontlines at times isn't so bad either, especially if the enemy leaders are making a move."

"Right." Lavinia nodded. "We'll keep everyone safe."

"Part of our elite troops will be participating in this offensive as well." Retsuza said. "We can't leave this solely in the hands of outsiders after all. Especially ones who don't exactly have such a good reputation in our world."

"Retsuza, you're being rude to our guests." Kumowatari growled. "That is behavior unbefitting of one of Nurarihyon-sama's direct subordinates."

"I suppose I spoke out of turn." Retsuza said, making a small bow. "I apologize for that. I will reserve my judgment for after the battle's conclusion."

"Yes, please do." Rias said, turning to Azazel. "What about you, Azazel? Will you be joining us, or will you be staying behind?"

"Probably the second one." Azazel said. "It's best if I observe the enemy's movements alongside Nurarihyon and Magari here. But if things get too hairy, I'll be sure to rush to your aid, kids."

"Then, it's settled." Nurarihyon said. "Everyone, make your preparations and be ready to head out in an hour. The time has come to strike back against those vile beasts that threaten our country and the balance!"

[Yes!]

Everyone shouted together as one before exiting the war room.


Later on…

"Come on already. What are we waiting for…?"

Takeshi grumbled. Currently, he, Yuuto, Tobio, Jin and Koneko were hidden in the foliage surrounding the lake alongside several Inugami, Tengu, Kamaitachi and Kappa from the East Youkai forces. Several Onmyouji from the Five Principal Clans had also joined them.

"We need the shikigami that were deployed to complete their scouting first and make sure to the best of their ability there aren't any traps laid out for us." Tobio said. "Rushing in blind isn't advisable, especially when the whole thing is looking more and more like a trap to me."

"…Why do you say that?" Koneko asked. "Did you notice something?"

"No, it's just my intuition." Tobio said. "However, I've learned to listen to it over the past years. It's usually on point in matters like these."

"Spectacular…" Takeshi groaned as a small communication magic circle appeared next to his ear. "Is that you, President?"

[Yes.] Rias's voice came from the magic circle. [Anything of note to report?]

"No, things are quiet here for now." Takeshi said. "Is Gasper-kun doing alright over there? Are you sure you don't want me to send you a bottle with a few drops of my blood in there just in case?"

[If hiding behind me and Pandora is considered alright, then he's doing great.] Rias said. [Lavinia-san also says hi. As for the blood, I think we had best follow Azazel's advice here. If he says it's not good for him to ingest it in regular intervals, we'll refrain from using it as much as possible. What about you, Akeno? Has there been any change on your side?]

[Nothing as of yet.] Akeno's voice came from the magic circle next. [Xenovia-san is getting a little impatient here though, and Retsuza-san is grumbling. I can't say I blame them for that.]

[Just be patient for a little while longer.] Rias said. [Our scouting is almost complete. After that, we'll make our move.]

After Rias said so, the communication magic circle vanished.

"Did President say anything important?"

"No, everything's quiet on all fronts for now." Takeshi responded to Yuuto's question before turning his attention to the lake, where the shadowy figures of the enemy Youkai could be vaguely seen moving inside the fog in the distance. "Shame that this isn't a vacation trip. This area is really beautiful."

"Indeed." Yuuto said. "I've read that the lake attracts sport fishing enthusiasts and anglers. Truth be told, I'd love to come here again in the future and go fishing at some point."

"Fishing?" Takeshi raised an eyebrow. "You enjoy fishing, Yuuto? First time I've heard that."

"That's also due to my master's influence." Yuuto smiled. "I haven't had the time for it lately, but perhaps we could go together at some point? Though I don't know if it would suit your tastes, Takeshi-kun."

"Wouldn't hurt to try." Takeshi said. "Who knows, maybe I'll come to enjoy it as well."

"…Count me in as well." Koneko said, her eyes glinting. "I will be sure to thoroughly taste-test the fish. You know, to make sure they're edible."

"Somehow, I have a feeling we'll be returning empty-handed if we bring Koneko-chan with us."

"I was thinking the same thing."

Takeshi and Yuuto said while grinning, prompting Koneko to shoot them a nasty glare. After a couple of minutes of small talk like that, the communication magic circle appeared once again.

[Everyone, this is it.] Rias's voice came from the circle. [We'll be moving out shorty to suppress the enemy forces. As agreed beforehand, the opening attack will be left to Pandora and Suzaku-san. Have you two completed your preparations?]

[Yes, President.]

[Of course.]

[In that case, the time for retribution has come.] Kumowatari's voice was heard next. [Let the subjugation operation commence, and may the fortunes of war be with us!]

No sooner had Kumowatari finished talking than a large tidal wave swelled from the lake, washing over the enemy Youkai's position. At the same time, an oversized firebird appeared in the skies above, spreading its wings wide and raining down fireballs once the tidal wave receded.

"So, this is the Sacred Beast that the Himejima clan has a contract with." Takeshi remarked as Suzaku's attacks gouged the ground and scorched the earth. "That's some impressive firepower over there, no pun intended."

"Keep in mind this is only a fraction of the power Suzaku wields." Tobio grinned. "She's a reliable ally to have, and a terrible enemy to those who oppose her."

"…Good thing we're on her side then."

Koneko said. Shortly afterwards, the bombardment from the firebird ceased. Yuuto conjured a Holy Demonic Sword, Koneko enveloped herself in Touki, Tobio pulled out a scythe from his shadow, Takeshi summoned Hesperides Fort, the Youkai brandished their weapons and the Onmyouji pulled out several talismans. Then, once the firebird beat its wings and caused the smoke cloud to disperse, the allied forces charged forward with all the speed they could muster. However, much to their confusion—

"No-one is here…?"

Retsuza muttered as everyone looked around with anxious expressions on their faces for any trace of their enemies. However, apart from the allied forces, the shore was devoid of any life.

"I don't suppose the opening salvo was so powerful that it took care of them in one fell swoop and left nothing behind?" Takeshi said. "I mean, that's most likely not the case, but one can hope, right?"

"I'm afraid not." Tobio frowned while looking around, focusing on the purple mist that had begun enveloping the area as his eyes opened wide. "Everyone, get out of here right now! This mist is—!"

Before Tobio could complete his sentence, the mist enveloped everyone at once. When it dispersed, Takeshi was surprised to see that his surroundings had changed.

"What the Hell…?"

Takeshi muttered. Instead of Lake Kasumigaura's shores, he was currently standing in a barren land with several rock formations protruding from it and a large number of tree-shaped pillars in the distance. The sky above him was crimson-colored, with a pale sun providing illumination.

"Is this Yomi?" Takeshi wondered. "It has the same feeling…but it seems somewhat different."

"No, this is probably an artificially made dimension." Tobio, who had been teleported into this area alongside Koneko, Yuuto, the Youkai and Onmyouji forces, said so while checking out the surroundings. "I've encountered this mist twice before. The one responsible for this must be the wielder of the Longinus Dimension Lost, which is capable of creating pseudo-spaces like this in its Balance Breaker state. Damn, to think that the Khaos Brigade had dispatched one of their major assets here, this was a major oversight. I should have been quicker to identify the mist…!"

"I can't contact President and the others." Yuuto said with a concerned look. "Is this dimension blocking communications?"

"Most likely." Tobio said as a magic circle he was trying to conjure broke apart. "Teleportation isn't working either. If we want to escape from this dimension, we either have to find and destroy the barrier devices maintaining it, or I could open a tear in it. This will take some time though until I can correctly grasp the coordinates of the real world and bypass Dimension Lost's defenses."

"I'm not sure if time is a luxury we have." A Kamaitachi pointed at the distance. "Look!"

Everyone turned their attention to the direction the Kamaitachi was pointing, only to grimace upon seeing a large Youkai force with several black humanoid creatures amidst its ranks rushing towards them.

"…The hunters have become the hunted." Koneko frowned. "What's the plan?"

"I'm not too fond of fighting in the enemy's chosen battlefield, and we can't afford to spend time looking for the barrier devices with the enemy bearing down on us." Tobio said, turning to the Onmyouji. "I need you to use your shikigami to locate the others. Inform them of our location and tell them to converge here on my mark. I will attempt to open a rift in order for all of us to escape."

[Right!]

Several Onmyouji nodded as they took out their talismans, summoning an assortment of bizarre animals that rushed in different directions.

"Everyone, I'm sorry, but I need you to buy me some time." Tobio said. "Until my calculations are complete and until I have gathered enough power to make a cut on this space, I won't be able to actively participate in the fight. However, I will have Jin assist you."

"No problem, Tobio-san." Takeshi said as he raised his shield. "Leave this to us. Just try not to take too much time."

"I'll do my best."

Tobio said as he conjured several magic circles around him while also taking out several talismans. Takeshi, Yuuto, Koneko and the rest of the allied forces fanned out in a semi-circular formation to protect Tobio. Takeshi then turned to Yuuto.

"How about we thin out the enemy's numbers a bit?"

"I was just about to suggest that."

Yuuto responded to Takeshi's question with a smirk. Raising his sword high, Yuuto had several Holy Demonic Swords of fire and lightning attribute rain down from the sky, bombarding the enemies. At the same time, a large number of blades protruded from the ground the enemy forces were about to step upon, transforming it into swamp. Several Youkai that stepped into it were stuck and shrieked as they started sinking. Not wasting this chance, Takeshi formed several large cube-shaped barriers above them and rained them down, smashing the enemy Youkai beneath them.

Despite the losses they suffered, the enemy Youkai didn't stop their charge. Several Ushi-Oni charged forward, spitting poison from their mouths and attacking with their six legs, felling several allied Youkai. Behind them, massive Tsuchigumo would shoot webs from their mouths in an attempt to entangle their opponents. The Kamaitachi charged forward, using their wind-clad sickles to slash through the webs. The Kappa would also shoot water from their mouths to counter the poison attacks. However, blasts of cold air turned the water into ice. The ones responsible, a group of Yuki-Onna that resembled young women with pure white skin and hair, aimed their icy breath at the Kappa next.

Several Onmyouji brought out their talismans in response, creating a heat barrier through them that shielded their allies from the ice. They went on to summon a swarm of small firebirds that attacked the Yuki-Onna. Jin also jumped into the fray, numerous blades protruding from its body as it tore through the enemy Youkai. Each time they would focus on him, Jin would just dive into a nearby shadow and emerge in another place to continue his assault.

At that moment, the ground beneath rumbled and exploded as several Gashadokuro emerged from below, swinging their massive skeletal arms in an attempt to smash their opponents. A squad of Inugami and Tengu charged at them, the former using oversized fang-shaped blades enveloped in Touki to cut them into pieces and the latter unleashing powerful wind blasts while also jabbing at the giant skeletons' bodies with their shakujo. However, once a Gashadokuro was brought down, several Kyonshii would jump out of their bodies, attacking the allied forces and bringing down several Youkai and Onmyouji with their feral attacks. To deal with the reanimated corpses, the Onmyouji would use their techniques to set them on fire, vaporizing them.

"Bastards…" One of the Onmyouji cursed upon taking a closer look at the Kyonshii's features. "To think they'd use the corpses of the slain civilians in such a vile manner, that's unforgivable!"

Meanwhile, Takeshi, Yuuto and Koneko were busy dealing with the black humanoid warriors that were created by Annihilation Maker. Apart from their skill in swordsmanship and their considerable speed, their most troublesome ability was their short-range teleportation, which allowed them to vanish in a cloud of smoke and reappear at the three Devils' blind spots, slashing at them with their two katanas.

"This is quite worrisome!" Yuuto remarked as he parried another black warrior's attack before creating several Needle Edges around him and shooting the blades at the enemy constructs, forcing them to teleport. "These creatures seem to be memorizing our attack and defense patterns! Could they be capable of tactile learning!?"

"Wouldn't surprise me…one bit!" Takeshi grunted as he pushed away a warrior and created a barrier around him to shield himself from its counterattack. "We are dealing with a high-tier Longinus Gear's constructs after all!"

"…All the more reason to take them down quickly." Koneko said as she aimed a punch at another warrior, only for it to teleport away. "Takeshi-senpai, Yuuto-senpai, come closer. I want to try something."

Takeshi and Yuuto did as asked, moving to Koneko's side. The next moment, all three of them vanished, much to the apparent confusion of the constructs, whose six eyes were darting left and right in an attempt to locate their enemies. However, before they could do so, a large number of Gravity Nails and Smoke Signals sprouted from the ground around them, forcing them on their knees due to the increased gravity and robbing them of their sight through a dense smokescreen. Encumbered thus, they were too slow to react as they were pelted by a rain of bullet-shaped barriers and ki bullets, with their bodies being shredded to pieces.

"…That was easier than I thought." Koneko said as she dispelled the illusion, with her, Takeshi and Yuuto becoming visible once again. "Magari-sama's guidance and advice have paid off."

"Good for you…Koneko-chan…" Takeshi heaved. "Hey…anyone else feeling…a bit winded…?"

"I can't say that I do, though it was an intense fight." Yuuto said, eyeing Takeshi with some concern. "Maybe you're still feeling the aftereffects from our last battle despite Sensei's treatments?"

"…It's possible." Koneko said as she approached Takeshi. "Here, I'll channel some more ki into you to restore your energy."

"No time for that." Takeshi said as he straightened himself, turning his sight at the still raging battle. "We have to help the others. Before more reinforcements arrive, we have to make sure that—"

"Oh, don't be in such a rush. We haven't even got to know each other yet."

Takeshi, Yuuto and Koneko flinched at the sudden voice addressing them. Turning their sights to their right, they saw a beautiful girl with long black hair, silver eyes and pale white skin, who was wearing a black sailor uniform with matching stockings, sitting on top of a nearby boulder and swinging her feet. Said girl had a mischievous smile on her face as she addressed the trio.

"This is the first time I've encountered Devils, so forgive me if I feel a little excited." The girl said with a jovial expression as she jumped from the boulder and landed a few steps away from the three Devils. "And my, oh my, one of you is exuding such a rich and intoxicating evil aura. It's making me feel all flushed and giddy. I wonder if this is the so-called love at first sight?"

The girl licked her lips as her feverish gaze zeroed in on Takeshi, who frowned. Next to him, Koneko scowled as she addressed the girl.

"…Who are you?" Koneko said with obvious hostility. "Are you the enemy's leader?"

"One of them, little Nekomata." The girl said as black fox ears sprouted from her head while nine black tails grew from her rear. "I'm the current Tamamo-no-Mae, descendant of the first Tamamo-no-Mae, one of the Great Three Evil Youkai. You, handsome, must be the dreaded Evil Dragon User, no?"

"I am." Takeshi said, dismissing Hesperides Fort and summoning Blight Current. "But if you're one of the enemy's bosses, then I'm taking you down right here, right now!"

"My, no foreplay whatsoever?" Tamamo giggled. "It's straight to the main course with you? That's fine by me. I love it when a man goes on the offensive from the start!"

Tamamo's nine tails swung forward, aiming to smash the three Devils. Yuuto and Koneko jumped to the side, while Takeshi parried the incoming tails with Blight Current. Although he intended to poison her, the barbs on the rod were unable to go through the thin layer of Touki enveloping her tails.

"No choice then…"

Takeshi focused on Blight Current as he raised his aura. At that moment however, images of the burning Kuoh Town and the corpses filling its streets in his nightmare flashed into his mind, causing him to hesitate for a second. Forcing them away with a shake of his head and a grunt, Takeshi shouted.

"Balance…Break!"

[Hazard Rise! Venom Blood Awakening!]

The navy blue-colored armor of his Balance Breaker enveloped Takeshi's body, with the chariot appearing next to him. Climbing on it and grimacing due to the increased sense of pain, Takeshi willed it to smash on Tamamo's body, dragging her away from the battlefield.

"Wait, Takeshi-kun!" Yuuto shouted. "Don't engage her on your own!"

After saying so, he and Koneko tried to follow after the pair, but several hostile Youkai charged at them, forcing the two Devils to stop and deal with them. Meanwhile, Takeshi jumped off his chariot, sending it and Tamamo crashing on a nearby rock formation. Pointing his hands at it, he unleashed numerous bolts of black thunder while also recalling his chariot. However, once the smoke settled, Tamamo emerged from the rock formation unharmed, with only her clothes being singed in some areas.

"Such ferocity and killing intent." Tamamo grinned. "It makes me want you more and more. How about this then? Why don't you join us? You should know full well that a creature of pure evil like you has no place at their side. Eventually, you'll either turn on them, or they'll turn on you."

"I've heard that sales pitch before, and I'm not interested in it!"

Takeshi shouted as his tails extended, aiming for Tamamo. However, gold flames surrounded Tamamo's own tails as she used them to counter Takeshi's attacks. She launched several fireballs at him, followed by a large number of fire wheels, but Takeshi blew them all away with a black tempest before summoning black clouds that rained down poison on Tamamo. She took out a war fan from one of her tails and swung it, dispersing both the venom and the clouds. She grinned as she split herself into several copies that charged at Takeshi from various angles.

"If that's how you want it…!"

Takeshi pressed both sides of his buckle twice as he jumped on the chariot and evaded the multiple Tamamos coming at him through its superior mobility.

[Charge! Hazard Overflow!]

The stinger on his left arm extended and wrapped around it as copious amounts of aura, venom and black thunder surrounded it. At the same time, black tornadoes enveloped his tails as he crouched.

[Venom Impact!]

Takeshi jumped from the chariot and dashed forward after that announcement, his outstretched arm tearing through the Tamamo clones as his wind-clad tails propelled him forward. In a matter of seconds, all Tamamo clones had been vaporized as Takeshi aimed for the real one. However, she merely smirked as she took out a longsword from one of her tails, enveloping it in Touki and parrying Takeshi's thrust, forcing him back.

Dismissing the sword, Tamamo formed a bow made out of gold flames and shot a volley of arrows that Takeshi evaded by jumping on his chariot once again and dashing around her while also striking at her with his tails. Despite that, Tamamo was proving to be quite agile, evading all his blows while continuing her attack.

"Damn slippery fox…!" Takeshi grunted as he titled his head to the side to dodge another flame arrow. "You're full of tricks, aren't you!?"

"Of course I am, darling." Tamamo smiled as she batted aside two of his incoming tails with one of her own. "It's in my nature. But you're quite skilled yourself. Even though I've powered up, you're still capable of matching me. I thought you were a reckless hothead when you left your comrades behind and faced me alone, but it looks like your confidence is warranted. Which begs the question though, why do you bother staying with those who are beneath you? You know that they do nothing but hold you back, right?"

[…She has…a point there…]

Takeshi said nothing in response to Tamamo's words or the unfamiliar voice in his head, manipulating his demonic power to destroy the ground beneath her feet. She stumbled, with Takeshi rushing to impale her with all his tails. However, a vortex of golden flames enveloped her, blocking the attack. Takeshi dispersed it by coating his tails in black wind once again and striking it, but Tamamo was nowhere to be found.

"Or is it because of the young Nekomata?" Tamamo's voice came from above. "Are you two perhaps in a relationship? She seemed pretty jealous when I expressed my interest. If so, then you really should consider joining us. Compared to an underdeveloped squirt like her, I could offer you so much more~."

Tamamo smirked as she pulled down her shirt a bit, giving Takeshi a glimpse of her bountiful breasts.

[That's not a bad offer, partner.] Orochi said. [She does seem quite appetizing, and that evil aura of hers makes for a wonderful spice.]

"Don't make me laugh." Takeshi scowled, responding both to Tamamo and Orochi. "The only thing someone like you can offer me is your life!"

"Come and take it then…if you can, that is!"

"Don't mind if I do!" Takeshi said. "Promotion, Queen!"

As the Evil Pieces within him adjusted their traits, Takeshi and Tamamo rushed at each other, an explosion of aura enveloping the area as they clashed.


"How annoying…"

Rias muttered with a frustrated expression as she conjured a sphere of Destruction above her, shooting out a large number of bullets at her opponent, a young man with long grey hair and matching eyes, who was wearing samurai armor, a black haori on top of it and a crow mask that covered the top half of his face. He had a pair of black wings growing from his back, and he was holding a sinister-looking pen in his right hand. The youth, who had called himself Sutoku, grinned as blood flowed from a nearby corpse and into his pen. Sutoku drew the word 'miss' on the air with blood letters, with the spheres of Destruction veering off course and striking the area around him, leaving him unharmed.

Kumowatari charged at him from the back, his body enveloped in lightning as he aimed a punch at him. However, Sutoku wrote the word 'weight' on the air, with Kumowatari crashing on the ground all of a sudden as he felt the gravity around him increasing. At the same time, Gasper conjured a magic circle, shooting several lightning bolts at him, while Pandora formed a large number of small rocks into the shape of whips, swinging them at the Youkai. Once again, however, Sutoku wrote the word 'disperse' on the air, causing the attacks to vanish mid-flight.

Not stopping there, Sutoku drew several ravens on the air, which charged at his enemies, forcing the Devils to erect several magic circles to shield themselves, with Rias destroying them with an oversized Destruction blade. However, Sutoku had written the word 'tempest', generating raging winds that blew away his opponents before they could react.

"No spirits in this artificial dimension…" Pandora grimaced as she got up. "How difficult…"

"M-Maybe I should use m-my Sacred Gear…" Gasper said, his trembling hand touching his glasses. "B-But without Senpai's blood, I might lose c-control again…"

"Is that all you pathetic weaklings can do?" Sutoku snorted. "If so, it seems I choose the wrong group to go after. This will be as easy as strangling an infant."

"You…how can you be so strong?" Kumowatari said with a grimace as he stood up. "We've kept a close eye on the descendants of the Great Three Evil Youkai due to being potential threats, but you've never exhibited such levels of power before. What happened to you?"

"Well, let's just say we received some…assistance from an organization of like-minded people." Sutoku grinned. "Thanks to that, we can finally strike back against the pitiful order the two Youkai factions have imposed upon us and bring back the glorious Age of Blood."

"In other words, you received help from the Khaos Brigade." Rias said. "Let me guess, you've ingested one of Ophis's snakes to increase your power, right?"

"Just like the Old Devil King descendants and supporters did…" Pandora muttered. "I guess it's not a limited privilege."

"When you reveal the answer like that, it really ruins the mystique…" Sutoku grumbled. "But yes, it's as you say, young Devil. We received power and support from the Khaos Brigade in exchange for brining chaos to this country. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved. Well, except for you losers, but what to do?"

"I…won't allow that!" Kumowatari howled as he stood up. "If you want to bring ruin to this country, you'll have to do so over my dead body!"

"Yeah, that was the plan from the start."

Sutoku grinned as he drew several Nue-shaped beasts, which charged at Kumowatari. However, a cold wind enveloped them, freezing them in a matter of seconds and sending them crashing to the ground.

"That's no good. I can't allow such evil ambitions to come to fruition."

The one who had spoken was Lavinia, accompanied by a three-meter-tall doll made of ice that had the form of a woman in a dress with four slender arms, no eyes or mouth, six eyes on the left side of its face and thorns coming out of the right side of its face.

"Sorry I'm late." Lavinia said as she approached Rias and the others. "I had to take care of the other enemies first."

Taking a look behind them, Rias and the others noticed that every hostile Youkai had been encased in ice, and even the ground itself around them had been frozen.

"Where are our allies?" Kumowatari asked as he landed next to Lavinia. "Are they safe?"

"I asked them to rush to Tobi's place and help out." Lavinia said. "He's trying to open a rift in the barrier in order for us to escape, so we should prioritize that area. As for us, we must hold the enemy here until Tobi is done."

After saying so, Lavinia gave a mental command to Absolute Demise. Numerous ice spears appeared around it, with the doll shooting them at Sutoku. The Youkai snorted as he wrote the word 'heat' in the air, with a heat barrier appearing around him and melting the spears. However, Lavinia was unperturbed as she had Absolute Demise aim its fists at Sutoku. At the same time, she drew her wand, casting reinforcement magic on the ice doll's fists. Sutoku was forced to dodge this time, writing the word 'bind' on the air. Several blood chains shot out from the word in an attempt to restrain Absolute Demise, but the doll broke apart into ice particles to evade the chains and reformed itself.

"It's going to get a bit cold, so brace yourselves."

Lavinia warned the others as a snowstorm erupted with Absolute Demise as its epicenter, freezing the ground and the corpses on it. Sutoku grimaced as his blood drawings would freeze the moment he wrote them in this hostile environment. Taking advantage of this, Rias shot several Destruction arrows at him while Pandora and Gasper used their demonic power blasts. At the same time, Kumowatari shot a multitude of thunder orbs at Sutoku while Lavinia had several icebergs erupt from the ground in an attempt to trap Sutoku.

"Clever mongrels…" Sutoku scowled as he evaded their attacks with graceful maneuvers, but then smirked. "Still, I hope you don't believe you've cornered this Sutoku with just this much!"

Ten black spheres resembling miniature suns appeared behind Sutoku following his words, launching a barrage of heat blasts at his opponents. At the same time, the heat they were emitting caused the ice around Sutoku to begin melting, with the snowstorm losing its effectiveness.

"Looks like this won't be easy…"

Lavinia remarked as she, Rias, Gasper, Pandora and Kumowatari prepared to engage Sutoku once again.


In a different section of the artificial dimension, the two Youkai factions were waging yet another fierce battle, with Retsuza leading the forces of the East Youkai Faction and using his powers over wind to decimate the enemy ranks. However, the highlight was the clash between Suzaku, Akeno, Xenovia and a young man who had introduced himself as Shuten-doji. Said man looked to be in his early twenties with dark skin, spiky blond hair, red eyes and a pair of horns protruding from his head. He wore a grey suit, black shirt and matching pants, and he held a spiked iron club in his right hand and a gourd filled with sake in his left. After evading his opponents' attack and taking a sip from his gourd, he sighed.

"Ah, that hits the spot…" Shuten-doji said, wiping his chin. "If only you ladies were willing to sit down and have a drink party with me, it would be perfect. Instead, we have to waste our time and youth with this pointless battle."

"In that case, feel free to surrender any time you wish." Suzaku said as the large firebird hovering behind her got ready to attack. "Besides, you villains have no right to complain when you're the ones who started this battle and murdered thousands of innocent people. We will make sure you pay for your crimes."

"Crimes?" Shuten-doji laughed. "Young heir of the Himejima clan, surely you are aware that justice is written by the victors, no? If you fall here and we succeed, then our actions, no matter how heinous, will be justified in the name of the new era we're trying to usher in."

"The era you're trying to create is one of war, pain and suffering." Suzaku countered. "There's no way it will be recognized as anything else but evil."

"Really now?" Shuten-doji smirked. "And why is that? Because it doesn't conform to your ideal of what 'just' and 'moral' is? Don't make me laugh. Words like 'good', 'evil', 'justice' and 'morality' have always rung hollow to those who truly listen. They've been used so much over the ages to excuse this atrocity or the other that they've lost all meaning. You seek to judge us because you find the world we envision to be a pain to live in? The same holds true for us though. We find this world you have built to be revolting and suffocating. If you want to impose this world order on us, then it's our right to also fight against it in order to impose ours. That's all there is to it."

"Enough bantering!" Xenovia shouted. "Try to excuse yourself and your fellows as much as you want with flowery words, but the truth won't change! You are mere puppets of a terrorist organization hellbent on causing chaos in this world! That's why, we're putting an end to you right now!"

After saying so, Xenovia raised her demonic power, coating her body in it. Then, taking a deep breath, she drew it inside her body to reinforce her physical attributes and charged at her opponent. Shuten-doji brought up his club to parry her slash, but the ensuing clash sent him skidding backwards, his arm going momentarily numb from the force of the blow. Wasting no time, Xenovia coated Durandal in holy aura, unleashing a powerful crescent-shaped slash that forced Shuten-doji to dodge.

Not wasting this chance, Akeno followed up with several lightning bolts before coating herself in lightning and charging at Shuten-doji by using the speed of her Knight trait. She bombarded his body with a series of blows as Xenovia came slashing at him from the sides. Despite grunting, Shuten-doji didn't seem to be receiving much damage, the Touki enveloping his body absorbing the blows. He howled, with the force of his shout sending both Akeno and Xenovia flying. Aiming for the dazed Akeno, Shuten-doji brought down his club at her, only to be stopped by the Vermillion Bird's talons. A beat of its wings forced Shuten-doji to jump backwards as Suzaku rushed to Akeno's side with a worried expression on her face.

"Are you alright, Akeno?"

"I'm… I'm fine." Akeno said as she stood up with Suzaku's help. "…Thank you."

"My pleasure."

Suzaku said with a smile. Meanwhile, Xenovia had charged at Shuten-doji, her Durandal clashing against his Touki and flame-enveloped club. However, she was making no headway, with her enhanced strength being slowly diminished with each exchange.

I've yet to fully master the act of channeling demonic power to increase my physical attributes like Amakusa Kaori does with her holy power. Xenovia thought. Not to mention, his Touki is dispersing the holy aura on the blade every time I'm tying to gather it. In that case…

Seeing movement out of the corner of her eye, Xenovia jumped to the side. The Vermillion Bird charged at Shuten-doji, who slammed his hand on the ground, causing several geysers to erupt from it and douse the flames. However, all of a sudden, the Vermillion Bird's flaming body transformed into wood, going through the geysers and striking Shuten-doji with its talons, sending him flying. At the same time, a large number of lightning bolts courtesy of Akeno bombarded the Oni from above, forcing him to cover his body with a stone armor. Taking advantage of this, Suzaku had her giant wood construct attack once again, with several spear-shaped branches extending from its body and striking Shuten-doji, piercing his armor and opening several wounds on his body. The Oni roared as flames erupted around him, burning the branches as the Vermillion Bird transformed into its default state once again. Xenovia, who was charging her Durandal, let out a powerful holy aura-infused slash that shattered Shuten-doji's club, opened a large wound on his chest and sent him skidding backwards.

"Not bad." Shuten-doji said with a grin as he stood up and took a big sip from his gourd. "I never thought you would use Five Elements Mutual Generation in such a way against me, young Himejima head. To be able to transform the Vermillion Bird into another element in the cycle, you must be quite the rare talent. Maybe you girls are worthy enough for me to show my full power."

Shuten-doji let out a savage smile as his aura swelled, causing the three girls to grimace as they prepared themselves. However, at that moment, a crane shikigami landed on Suzaku's shoulder, whispering something in her ear.

"Tobio is ready." Suzaku said to the other two girls. "There's no point in staying here any longer."

After saying so, Suzaku glanced at the Vermillion Bird. It beat its wings in response to her mental command, creating a large flame tornado that aimed for Shuten-doji. The Oni dispersed it with a Touki-infused punch, but frowned upon seeing the Vermillion Bird retreating from the battlefield with the three girls on its back.

"They ran away, huh…?" Shuten-doji said as he gulped down the rest of the sake in his gourd, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Shame. But I guess there's always next time."

As the Vermillion Bird flew towards the area where Tobio was, Xenovia ran her fingers over its flaming back with a frown.

"The flames aren't burning me…" Xenovia remarked. "Is this your doing, Himejima Suzaku?"

"Of course." Suzaku said with a smile. "It would be rather difficult to ride the Vermillion Bird otherwise."

"What about our Youkai allies?" Akeno asked. "Did they retreat as well?"

"Yes, they used a special mist to momentarily stun their enemies and escape." Suzaku said. "Everyone should be making their way to the opening Tobio has created for us."

"Make that almost everybody." Xenovia pointed in the distance. "Someone's still fighting over there."

"That's…Takeshi?" Akeno said after taking note of the familiar figure engaging the nine-tailed girl. "Why hasn't he retreated yet? Either he didn't receive the message…or he doesn't want to leave without defeating her."

"If I were a betting woman, I'd put my money on the second option." Xenovia let out a bitter smile. "Let's help him before he goes and gets himself killed in order to satisfy his ego."

"Brace yourselves, you two."

Suzaku said as the Vermillion Bird picked up speed. Once it arrived near the two combatants, it spread its wings wide and unleashed a barrage of flaming bolts from its wings towards Tamamo, forcing her to jump backwards in order to dodge and separating the two.

"Takeshi!" Xenovia shouted. "Over here! We're getting out of here!"

After hesitating for a couple of seconds, Takeshi spread his wings and flew, landing next to Akeno and Xenovia as he dismissed his armor, letting out a sigh of relief as he sat down while heaving.

"Glad you could join us." Akeno said, a small frown on her face. "Are you alright, Takeshi? You don't look so good. Was your opponent so difficult?"

"That too…but Orochi's Balance Breaker is, as always…a literal pain to deal with." Takeshi said with some effort as he rubbed his sore limbs. "Plus…I think the new Sacred Gear…has a quirk or two of its own…if this unnatural exhaustion…is any indication…"

"For now, it's over." Akeno said as she sat on her knees, taking Takeshi's head and placing it on her lap as she stroked his hair. "You've more than earned some rest."

"That's quite the divine pillow there…" Takeshi said with a grin. "I might just get addicted to this feeling."

"Ufufu, I'm glad it's to your liking." Akeno giggled. "However, know that after this, there's probably going to be a merciless interrogation about engaging one of the enemy leaders on your own and needing a prompt to retreat."

"…Please go easy on me."

"No promises~."

"Looks like Akeno has found someone she treasures…" Suzaku murmured with a faint smile upon witnessing the intimate scene between the two Devils. "I'm glad…"

After a brief period of flying, Takeshi, Akeno, Xenovia and Suzaku joined the others and crossed through the rift in space Tobio had made, escaping from the artificial dimension alongside everyone else as the rift closed behind them. Shorty afterwards, Tamamo landed on that area, with Sutoku and Shuten-doji joining her.

"Despite the fact that this dimension was created by a high-tier Longinus, they were still able to open a rift in it." Shuten-doji said. "Looks like we can't underestimate Canis Lykaon's capabilities, or its user for that matter."

"Well, we expected that they'd be able to escape." Sutoku said with a smirk. "What matters is that they didn't figure out the true purpose of this artificial dimension."

Sutoku turned his gaze towards the tree-shaped pillars in the distance. If one were to look closer, they would notice several pods embedded throughout them, with a large number of screaming souls trapped inside it and trying in vain to escape from the torment they were subjected into.

"The gathering of negative energy is proceeding well from the looks of it." Sutoku said. "All that remains is for the ritual sight to be prepared. If he has come through for us, then—"

"If? Do you have so little faith in this old man's abilities, youngster?"

The old man with the red-rimmed sunglasses abruptly appeared next to the three Youkai. However, none of them bat an eyelid at his sudden appearance.

"Elder-dono." Shuten-doji made a small bow. "My apologies if my comrade sounded doubtful of your prowess."

"Hohoho, that's quite alright, my friend." The old man grinned. "In any case, the ritual grounds are close to being ready, and the Youkai and their allies haven't suspected a thing yet. But since we took some damage during this fight, I will contact my associates in the Khaos Brigade and see if they can reinforce us further."

"I don't like depending on them that much, but they've come through for us so far." Sutoku said. "Some extra help against our current foes would be appreciated, especially if the big shots show up."

"Indeed." The old man said, turning to Tamamo. "You've been unusually quiet, my dear. Is something the matter?"

"Leave her be." Sutoku grimaced. "If she's like that, she's probably smitten with some man again. Happens all the time."

"Ah, but this one is a special case." Tamamo let out a sly smile, licking her fingers. "There's a torrent of malice and evil swirling around the Evil Dragon User, so rich and pure that I can practically taste it. I've never met such a man before, and it doesn't hurt that his looks are good as well."

"The current Evil Dragon User?" The old man rubbed his chin. "If I remember correctly, his name is Ryuugamine Takeshi, and he's regarded as a person of some interest in the Khaos Brigade."

"Takeshi, eh?" Tamamo's smile became wider. "What a lovely name. I'll be sure to make him mine, one way or another. There's no way I'm letting such a prize escape from my claws. Oh, we're going to have so much together, I just know it. Perhaps I should be the one to pay him a visit next time."

"There she goes again…"

Shuten-doji sighed as Tamamo let out a malicious cackle.


This concludes Chapter 34. First, in response to your reviews.

To RyukiPendragon: No, Takeshi doesn't come from a special lineage.

The fourth Sacred Gear has finally awoken, though the Evil Dragon within wasn't willing to properly introduce himself just yet. Regarding Hesperides Fort's design, it's mainly based on Kamen Rider Zangetsu's Melon Defender. The primary ability is barrier creation, but as usual, the full scope of its powers will be revealed once Takeshi unlocks its Balance Breaker. As for the downsides, this time, we have incredibly realistic nightmares that tax the wielder's mind, and increased energy consumption as they move around, which leads to the wielder exhausting themselves faster while Hesperides Fort is active.

This time's antagonists were revealed to be the descendants of the Three Great Evil Youkai, who are aided by the Khaos Brigade. As for the old man working with them, his identity will be revealed in the next chapter.

Well, that's all for now. As always, please read, review, favorite, follow, but most of all, enjoy!

See you all next time!