Demon meets the King

The moment that his eyes opened again...

Nico could honestly not have any clue where the hell he was.

'What the... what the hell...?' Nico wondered to himself, blinking several times before he held his head in one hand. He could feel a headache coming on, and if the male was feeling a headache right now, the teen figured it was to do with the sudden teleporting he had just experienced. 'Ugh, seriously when the hell do these moments ever end... darn that guy... he didn't give me any time to react...' the redhead male thought irritably, a low grumble escaping his lips whilst his eyes shone with irritation. The male should have probably written a book, a book about the people he got pissed off towards the most, and put Zelretch into those upper ranks.

Perhaps he could have put him up in the 3rd place, 2nd being Yvoire for his discrimination against Spec Ops and 1st for Mundus thanks to his... actions, against his Ghoul side.

Though, his mind then wandered over to MAGES. and his irritation got a new friend in the surge of worry that blossomed within his chest. Now, whilst Nico wouldn't judge her for who she had taken as a teacher, he had to wonder if her meeting Zelretch had been one of MAGES.' few regrets in her life. Seriously, the guy seems like someone who could cause no small amounts of trouble, destroyed sanity for shits and giggles, not to mention that he had perverted tendencies. Those were big down points there, as far as he was concerned.

On the other hand, the amount of raw power that the redhead had found within the man, it was DEFINITELY something to take note of. Out of all the Mages that he had fought over the years, none of them came CLOSE to a fraction of the power that man wielded. It was like he came from a whole new league of Mages, Mages who knew how to kick ass and take names themselves. Not just with their magics, either like the majority of the Mages he had been used to. If someone like THAT guy existed, then what else was there?

'Well, whatever the case, it does seem like we are not anywhere we have previously been anymore...'

When he heard the voice of his Demon Persona echo through his mind, Nico blinked owlishly as his irritation from before practically vanished from his mind. That got replaced with curiosity and confusion as he finally looked around at his surroundings, finding himself within this large, open space. 'This space...' the male thought as his eyes beheld it, searching through it like a lighthouse in the midst of a super storm for anything out of place. 'This place... it feels like... I dunno. But I thought it felt similar to my Inner World for some reason. What the hell is this place?'

To be honest, this entire place felt...barren. Empty. Not quite lifeless though, but for some reason the teen couldn't put his finger on why that was. It felt more like a place that was in-between dead and alive, kind of like a deserted planet which a god or a creator of life had not yet settled on to make anything on it yet. A place ripe for the taking, one could say. The teen hummed to himself whilst he thought about it, holding his chin in a detective-like manner whilst the other remained pocketed inside his Trench Coat.

Oh yeah, he had his original appearance back, the male realized after a moment, a figurative light bulb switching on over his head when he looked himself over. 'Well... at least the guy kept his word about keeping me normal... I won't ask myself why he did that though, the guy feels like he would troll me as soon as I start thinking it. Say, Biko, can you detect anything around this place?'

'I can detect a mybrid of things, Nico. I can sense powerful energies making up the terrain here, energies that I can't make heads or tails of. Odds are, this place is like an artificial island, only on a much greater scale. I seem to recall that there were rumors about making those for Civilians so they can live their lives peacefully whilst he military forces remain on the mainland, so they can fight these invading enemies.'

Biko's words made Nico think back to a rumor he had heard once about that, the creation of Artificial Islands. It was an old rumor, multiple years old if he wasn't mistaken. The goal was to isolate the civilians on these large islands, made by artificial means with only normal wildlife for sustenance, among other supplies. One could call them these small towns that dot the main large Landmasses. They would remain there, and repopulate so that they could send new recruits to the Military forces so they can keep their numbers up to fight the Abnormals, now the Demons and other foreign enemies too, until they could regain their mainlands. However, something like that hadn't been implemented, though Nico didn't know why. Maybe he could look into that during his free time, maybe it was just a rumor, a false one.

Then, Nico's thoughts got interrupted by more words from Biko, and these ones caused his lips to become a firm thin line.

'In any case, I also detect something nearby. Its... strong, I can definitely say that, not to mention it feels like a life form... be wary Nico, for I can sense a POWERFUL, yet unknown energy within this life form. It feels oddly enough like a mix of... Goddess and Demon God, though one side seems to be weaker than the other. Like something had damaged it to the point of it becoming fractured. In military terms, caution is advised.'

'Hmmmm... alright, i'll be wary, then.' Nico replied with a resolute nod, pocketing both hands in his Trench coat before he began moving towards the location of this unknown energy. He didn't have many leads on what it could be, but the word 'Godson' Zelretch had said stuck in his mind. Perhaps this was his Godson? He wasn't sure, but he wasn't willing to discard that theory. Part of him also checked Soul Edge's progress to recovery whilst he walked, and found that it had been restored to 60% already. His soul was at 75%, something that completely blew his mind. 'Okay, WHAT the hell?! How the hell is Soul Edge recovering so quickly?!And my Soul! How the hell?! I thought that...!'

Blinking, Nico scowled to himself as a theory came to him before Biko could respond. It had to be something to do with that dual-natured energy he sensed over this area. Its 'evil' feels like it could corrupt him, but his body knew this so it devised an absorption method to safely prevent those risks, therefore restoring his Soul faster thanks to negative emotions pretty much being his lifeblood. He felt like, once he reached the source of this energy, he'll have regained the use of most of his Demonic Weapons, though depending on circumstances Soul Edge might not be able to fight still. It wasn't a bad theory considering what he knew about his powers so far, but he doubted that it would have much of an effect on his Ghoul side.

Shaking his head, Nico gave a low hum of approval before he continued on.


5 minutes later (it must have been another troll by Zelretch to deposit him so far into this place, seriously...), Nico finally found the source...

And it was NOT what he expected.

Before him, Nico found himself staring at what he could only describe as a mass of bodies. all piled up on top of each other. Nico could hardly recognize the creatures that they once were, as they seemed to have been massacred... rather brutally and messily at that. Nico almost found himself impressed at the level of brutality displayed here, his Ghoul instincts definitely approved in any case. The pile itself seemed to be as large as a two story building, though, which forced Nico to look up towards the top with his hands in his Trench Coat Pockets.

There, he could only see a figure, sitting down atop the piles like a king sitting on a throne made entirely out o his servants, looking out into the distance. Judging by his stance, Nico figured that he wasn't aware that the redhead male was down here, since he sat and looked like he was looking to the side. He couldn't make out much about the person, but he could see a mass of blonde hair on top of its head, and facial features which designated the figure as a male. Probably his age, maybe older. The angle too, allowed Nico to use his Ghoul enhanced eyes to see that the guy had heterochromatic eyes, one eye colored different from the other. How the hell was that a thing for this guy? Did he have any problems with his sight? Part of him couldn't help but wonder about that, thinking back to several Agents he knew with heterochromic eyes but had specific eyesight issues.

Taking a sniff of the air, Nico frowned when he smelled faint traces of this strange metallic substance, his Ghoulish nose identifying them to be coming from his arm and eye, though which one would be questioned for a while in his mind. In addition to that, he could sense a LOT of holy energy in those areas, almost as if the arm and eye were made not by human hands, but that of a Goddess or an Angel. Still, even with all this (plus the sensation of sucking something in that came from him drawing negative emotions) Nico felt like he had found his target, though he wanted another opinion on the matter just to be on the safe side.

'Biko, this the source of that energy?'

'Indeed, the source is coming from this person. Judging by this Zelretch character's words, I believe this may be the 'Godson' that he had mentioned. Do not underestimate him, Nico, for I sense a large amount of power inside of him. Its like I'm looking at another you, but more of a dual nature like Neptune is slowly becoming thanks to Soul Calibur.'

'Alright then, thanks...'

Leaning on one foot, Nico kept his eyes narrowed up at the top of the pile, before he shouted out to inform the guy of his presence.

"Am I right to assume you are the Godson that crazy old timer mentioned?"


Unknown person POV

In the area uncle Zelretch prepared I could finally let lose. Normally I tried to avoid unnecessary killing, but after all the s*** I've been through these last few days I NEED to let lose for a bit.

I mean, first I am pulled in a fight that should have no relations to me, next I lose my freaking arm and one of my eyes, have to suffer more than I ever believed possible, had been captured to be a 'guest' (which is a fancy way of saying prisioner) by Heaven, had to deal with the whole Serenity situation (which was admittedly nice, her lips are delicious for sure), and finally had to meet that person.

To say I have too much on my plate is probably the understatement of the century. I had to get stronger to a point where things start going back to my control instead of just being thrown around like that again as well as to ensure that I would not be letting my loved ones and friends be wounded under my watch.
Seriously, merely thinking about it makes me irritated and I need to put all this pent up energy into something, anything really.

That is why that I feel great now that I am using my bare hands to pierce through the body of a monster and take away its still beating heart, I just need to find some way to let lose.

But to be honest, this is getting a bit numb. Destroying monsters is great and all, but after the first two hundred it lose some of its charm. I need more to stimulate myself to let my head out of these annoying thoughts.

It was at this moment that I just finished up all the monsters that I feel uncle's presence as well as another person.

Looking at him from the distance I am slightly disappointed, he looks like what a chuunibyou kid would dress up in Halloween as far as I am concerned. Also, I can clearly feel that his energy is weird to say the least.

It is like demonic energy, but more refined and at the same time corrupted. Someone with this type of power inside should be quite strong, but the more I feel his energy the more I can't help but feel disappointed.

The way he moves is refined, constant vigilance in his eyes, but his energy has near zero actual control. He is closer to a mad bull that don't know what to do, had plenty of power but fails to live up to expectations.

Siting down on the mountain of corpses I see him approaching and he finally notices me. My white suit still immaculate as it has an auto cleaning and repair function and as I stood up I can clearly feel my power being revitalized to its peak in a fast pace.

"Am I right to assume you are the godson of the crazy old timer?" The male asked, and I had to put on a serious face with force to not explode in laughter.
Leave it to uncle Zelretch to make anyone think of him as a crazy guy in a matter of moments.

Walking down from the pile of corpses I finally approach him enough to make up some of the finer details of his body. He is quite handsome, even if I honestly am better, his muscles also seem strong and he feels like a warrior. Maybe his lack of control is due to never needing to overly control his energy? Or perhaps he was never taught how to truly master his powers?

I know quite a bit about demonic powers due to my studies about devils, so I know that pure strength is something that most devils work with but to really reach the peak they need control even more so. To think uncle said he had similar level of potential to me but he wasting it away like this, it sort of irritates me as I had to work my a** off to get anywhere with training due to my difficulties.

He also clearly is not a human, even though he seems to want to pretend he is. What a weird guy.

"So you are the one uncle Zelretch said had potential equal to mine, huh? I expected something different, not a f*** demon mixed with monster." I said, and I mean it. A monster and a demon generally would never breed, their natures too violent to allow for such a thing. Much less produce progeny as generally stronger monsters and demons have low birth rates to a point where it takes years, maybe decades, before a progeny for either to be born.

Oh wait, looking at his face it is clear to see his shock over my words. Is he surprised that I figured out what he is? I mean, his powers are so clear that NOT realizing it just means that the person is a d*** who never trained. This is probably one of the very first things people should train in, identifying the strength and race of others is essential to guaranty a greater chance of survival so not knowing that is ridiculous.

Seeing him get all jumpy I showed a slight smile before continuing. "Calm down, did you not know how to feel the species of others with just your feeling? It is like magic 103 right after opening magic circuits and understanding how magic works, it is an necessary skill when talking to others after all."

And it is, it is one of the first things anyone would learn when training. It is common knowledge of my dimension after all and… he is not from my dimension.
Sheesh, to think people from other dimensions would not even know such a basic skill and be surprised by it, next you will say that his word doesn't even use magic or some ridiculous thing like that. Oh s***, I almost forgot.

"F***, I almost forgot my manners, my name is Castiel. Castiel Emyia, heir to the Tohsaka Tower."


"My name is Nico, no last name since those don't mean nothing to me. Spec Ops Agent."

The tension was high as both males started seriously looking over one another.

Nico now that was closer could take a better look at Castiel. He had broad shoulders, a big but not bulky physic that clearly showed experience in battle, tan skin (something is rarely seen in his own world), wore a white coat and suit with details in golden and the world Protect in the back, but the most notable things about him are still his eyes. The left one was an extremely deep color of black, almost like the moonless and starless night while his other one was a deep golden that made him think of pure gold, it should look bad but he made it work somehow very well. His features were also quite handsome and he carried himself with a confidence that Nico has only seen on some of the big leaders of corporations or big nobles that actually cared for their nation and those beneath him, an instinctive sense of superiority without considering others weak, a sense that he knew where he was going to go and he should lead others.

A bearing that made Nico associate him with kings of old, to those who were born as kings. And Nico did not like that. His instincts as both DPU and Ghoul demanded him to be the 'alpha male' in all situations so seeing someone who felt like a king made Nico want to pull him down and put him beneath his feet as a show of his superiority.

Thing was, just from the very first second Nico felt like this guy was looking down on him. The reason for that wasn't just because of his words just now, but also due to his expressions and demeanour… and it immediately rubbed him the wrong way. From where Nico had been standing, the blonde guy in the white suit looked like the type of person who could see the flaws in people and demeaned them for it. Pretty much a common dickhead but with the power to back it up, something which sent a wave of irritation through his being. Nico could sense the disgusting sin of pride just rolling off him in waves, similar to the stuff he got from Mundus before. He could feel his Devil Arms wanting to shut his gob up on principle. The guy's white suit reminded him of the businessmen from Lastation so that didn't help his case.

The fact that he had caught on to Nico being a Hybrid of DPU and Ghoul (though likely not the specifics) somewhat surprised him, but mostly because Nico wasn't used to people figuring it out so quickly. Using Masks and all that. If this guy could do it faster tan the majority of the human population back in his world, then just how idiotic were they?

'Now that I'm closer, I can feel his energy. Both of them are unbalanced like two bricks on a weight scale, one is weaker than the other... but on the other hand, his energy feels like a sword sheathed in its scabbard, unlike mine which just chaotically roars constantly. Mine would be more like a blade without a scabbard in comparison.' The male thought, his lips set into a flat line as he regarded the blonde haired teen. Already, plans and thoughts circulated through his mind on his possible powers and how he could overcome them, like a predator observing its prey for weaknesses. His Ghoul side started to growl inside him, eagerly awaiting the chance to come out and rip into him.

Meanwhile, Castiel too noticed above all else about Nico's sins and instincts. He could see it with his left eye, the amount of blood Nico spiled was truly gigantic but more importantly, he noticed how he had a deep demonic and monstrous powers trying to manipulate him. It looked almost like a curse, but the powers and things he saw were the same as Nico which made Castiel reach a conclusion.

Nico was weak. Not physically, but mentally. He had seen before people that obtained great powers but could not handle then so instead made 'personas' to care for it, an escape mechanism of sorts that can be made subconsciously sometimes giving the person the impression that it is other beings while still being fully him. It is a mark of how he did not know what to do and is trying to fool himself, a mark of mental weakness.

Someone like that may easily, depending on the situation, do things that should not be done since it is 'other people's fault' or something stupid like that. It is not even accepting his own weakness and instead tries to find some sort of excuse and limiting himself from growing further, something Castiel could not accept. As someone who fought for years with all he had for the chance of growing at all but was denied that seeing people deny themselves power subconsciously was a disrespect for those who could not grow.

So, his image of Nico was falling by the second the more he looked at him.

"I am sorry if this may seen out of nowhere, but are you really all that strong? It is not to offend you or anything, I just don't see how you can help me in this trials right now." Castiel said while looking down at Nico. Independent of how strong he might be if Nico was mentally problematic Castiel would rather fight alone instead, it was safer than having a crazy beast that was failing in hiding his killing intent for a while now. He'd rather not have to deal with any sort of attack on his back, thank you very much.

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... Oh, he did NOT just say that.

It took a large amount of Nico's willpower to keep his emotions from showing on his features, though his ears twitched slightly. Something Castiel noticed but didn't comment on. 'Oh, he did NOT just say what I think he said!' the male roared mentally,, his patience wearing thin as well as his Ghoul Instincts being sent into a frenzy. He had had it up to here already with Zelretch's shenanigans, they had tested the male's temper with what he had done to MAGES., though he had successfully reined himself in before anything regretful could happen. But to hear this guy demean him like that, even if he didn't mean to insult him, really made him just want to lose it and just destroy everything around him. It was only through sheer willpower (plus some chanting in his head) that he had not fallen to those instincts.

'COME ON KING, SHOW HIM THE FUCK WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ARE INSULTED LIKE THAT! THIS MOCKERY CANNOT STAND! HE MUST DIE, HE MUST HAVE HIS ORGANS RIPPED OUT, TO HELL WITH CONSEQUENCES!'

'Normally, I would not hesitate to disagree with your Ghoul side on these matters, but right now would be a decent time to make an exception. Someone just spoke down to you even though they have no clue what you have went through. They haven't seen the things that you have seen, they haven't had to do the things you do on a daily basis. However, we must not act rashly, for that is the quickest way to an early grave, even for a DPU such as yourself. Lets learn about this 'companion' of ours and see if he can bite like he barks. Initially, we should hold back a bit for our assessment. If he is killed then we may have to face off against the wrath of Zelretch, which would be catastrophic.'

Both his Aspects agreed with him on this one, and as such Nico took a deep calming breath, steadying the rage that flowed through him and tempered it so he could think logically. Right now wasn't the time for him to beast out yet, not when things would be considered 'civil' right now. Glancing to the side, the male's eyes narrowed, causing the blonde Heir to arch a brow. "If you wish to know whether or not I am strong enough, I could just say that I am. Though I doubt that would completely quell any doubts you may have." Nico replied, evenly. He then gestured to the space near them, one that looked relatively free from monster corpses. "Therefore... how about we go over there and let actions do the talking? Actions speak louder than words." he suggested.

Castiel looked at the space, and weighed the options in his mind. He still had plenty of energy to spare, as he had the time needed to rest and regain his power from that bit of 'stress relief' which he called the massive slaughter that he had committed. In addition, a wave of annoyance swelled within him at the rather 'savage' suggestion Nico had offered. Some words of reassurance wouldn't have quelled all of Castiel's doubts true enough. He was a leader after all, he had to be absolutely SURE that he could rely on those he fought alongside to watch his back. However, that annoyance was also mixed with something else...

He soon felt what that was when he felt... something, pulse within him. 'Hm? What the?' the Heir thought when he mentally scanned himself. He soon found out what was wrong though, when he sensed a familiar tug within from a certain weapon of his. 'Clarent? What are you...?' he wondered, before he looked to where Nico was standing and waiting for is answer. His eyes lit up in understanding afterwards when eh sensed a surge of demonic power within. He had seen that there were two power sets within Nico's body, one of them being that of a monster, and the other that of a Demon. However, he didn't think that this demon and monster power was anything like the ones from his world, as they both felt unnaturally strong. Plus, there was something in his Demon powers which seemed to resonate with Clarent, something which dared to challenge its rule as the king. It wanted to meet that something head on in a clash, just like the heroic spirits of old did in their first lives. 'Clarent must see something I don't, which it wants to fight... Well then, that makes this MUCH more interesting.

On Nico's side, the redhead male wasn't unknowing of this feeling either, as he felt something resonating within Soul Edge itself. It was like hearing the warning growls of a predator, a predator which had found itself within another predator's domain. Something about this Castiel Emiya Character made it want to fight him, to bring it out so Soul Edge could utterly crush it under its monstrous blade. It wanted to absolutely crush everything about it, not just it, but everything it represented, its ideals, its pride, its existence as a weapon. This... agitation within the blade itself, Nico felt its recovery rate skyrocket thanks to its own bloodlust, boundless rage and overflowing hatred enhancing it. It would not be long now until the sword would be at its full power and glory once again, but until then... Nico would have to wait, distract Castiel until the time was right.

"Well?"

"Very well then. Lets get this over with. Follow me, I know a better place." Castiel replied, hopping off the corpse he stood on before walking away. Nico made to follow him, when he looked at the pile of corpses... and an idea struck him. 'Biko, do you sense any of that energy in those corpses?' he thought to his Demon Persona, who answered.

'I do, unfortunately. However, I do believe that your idea may provide benefits to us later in the future, especially with our ability to resist certain attributes. I will monitor them closely, and I will inform you when it would be best to stop what you're planning.'

Nico nodded at this and, unbeknownst to Castiel, released a little something special, something which EAGERLY devoured the corpses around them with the blood included. He reached about 3/4's of the way before Biko told him to stop, when he did. Unfortunately, it appeared that something had gotten to them first, because when they devoured the corpses the two noticed how there was literally NOTHING in them. No blood, nor energy, as if something had already devoured them first. Something which had to have existed within Castiel, the redhead Spec Ops Agent figured. With an increasing annoyance, Nico followed the young Heir to where they would be fighting.


Chapter end!

Hey guys, here's the first of the crossover chapters. If you want to understand everything fully, you should have read Heroic Heir in DxD by King Carlos. Nevertheless, even if you haven't, the previous Bio King Carlos made for me to post should help you along with that, so look it over if you just skipped it.

In any case, me and him are posting these chapters on our own respective stories, as this is indeed a crossover between them. Thus, if you've read both and seen the updates, don't be too confused about seeing the same content.