AN: Sorry this chapter took so long. It was going smoothly, but then… See, my mom has digestive issues. When on the road, she needs to use the bathroom often. This has been happening for years (starting not long after she got her gallbladder removed) but it's been getting worse lately. She went to the hospital the other day and they had her swallow a camera to see what the problem was. But that camera got lodged into at her appendix, getting caught on some scar tissue, and they had to remove it. So she had to have surgery. After that, they had to keep her at the hospital to recover but there have been issues, such as blood clots in her lungs. I've been so worried that… I haven't been focusing on my writing, or anything other than keeping the house together and the dogs fed. I couldn't even go see her because of COVID-19. Thankfully, after over 10 days, she was finally released on the 11th. She still a little weak, but doing much better than before.
Izuku rubbed his butt for the umpteenth time as he and Rias walked back home. He won't be able to sit down for a week now. "I know you're trying to become a hero, but you can't go after every injustice you find, Izuku," Rias admonished, sticking her nose up with her eyes closed. "Just because you have the power to do so, it doesn't mean you can every time."
"I know. It's just…" Izuku sulked. "Yuuto-san is still looking for Freed and Valper. There's a chance he'll run into this Kokabiel guy. He's going to need our help," he insisted.
Rias sighed. There was no denying that. As her Knight, Yuuto was her responsibility and she needed to deal with him. And Izuku's sense of justice wouldn't allow things left unchecked the way they are. "Yes, I can't argue with you there," Rias agreed. "I only heard stories about him from my brother, but Kokabiel was as ruthless as he was powerful during the battle against the angels and the fallen. His lust for war was what got him expelled from Heaven, so it's likely that he has already made his move."
"I've already asked Mizu-san to look for Yuuto and the exorcists. Once they're found, we'll figure out what to do from there. If Kokabiel is indeed planning on starting another Great War, then we would have no choice but to break our agreement since it would be too dangerous to stay on the sidelines. In the worst-case scenario, we may need to get the Satans' help."
Izuku smiled at Rias. As pragmatic as it sounded, he could tell that Rias wasn't letting this situation be. "You're really kind, Rias," he said once they reach their apartment's door.
Rias momentarily blushed and stuttered, not expecting a compliment like that. "J-Just open the door."
Izuku laughed as he opened the lock and entered inside with Rias right behind him. Once in, they were greeted by a very unexpected surprise.
"Izu-kun, Rias. Welcome back."
"Welcome home…"
Both Pawn and King starred in total shock at what Ochako and Ibara were wearing. Both were dressed in aprons with nothing underneath them, being completely naked otherwise. Ibara's apron was white with a green floral pattern, while Ochako's apron was pink. Both girls looked very shy and coy in the position they were in.
"Ububu… what's going on…?" Izuku stuttered after his brain shut off for a moment before it rebooted.
"…A-A friend of Ibara's explained that this is essential to h-help a male friend after they've had a hard day," a blushing Ochako answered.
"W-Who t-told you that!?" Izuku asked.
"It was Aika-san…" Ibara replied meekly, looking down in embarrassment as she fiddled with her fingers.
'That girl is worse than Mineta!' Izuku mentally declared.
[You have to admit, though. She has good taste.]
'Ddraig, please, just don't.'
"My, my," Rias muttered thoughtfully as she appraised the other two. "So that's how you both want to take it. It looks like I underestimated you two. You're both going to become wickedly sexy she-devils someday." Rias praised.
"Uh, thanks," Ochako honestly couldn't tell if she felt flattered or embarrassed.
"Eh? But I don't want to be a sexy devil," Ibara said in worry.
'Then don't wear it! In fact, please stop listening to Aika-san!' Izuku thought, really worried about the vine-haired Bishop. He shook his head. "A-a-anyway, you two should hurry up and change before mom sees this-"
"Oh! I love these clothes!" Inko's voice said as everybody turns to see Inko coming out of the door. "Welcome home, Izuku. You're later than usual."
Izuku's blood ran cold, panic setting in as he tried to come up with an excuse. "It's not what it looks like, mom! This is- Ah! They- They didn't know how to wear-"
"I know, which is why I helped Ibara-chan and Ochako-chan."
…
"…What?" Was the only thing that came out of Izuku.
A nostalgic, flirty look appeared on Inko's face. "I remember doing this with your father once or twice when we first got together. He had the same look you do now."
"Are you kidding me, mom?!" A completely mortified Izuku yelled. That's it! He was never going to learn his parents early years.
"Well, if it's alright with you all I need a minute to freshen up," Rias said, taking off her shoes before leaning to Ibara. "You two did a good job, getting the first move on me." She whispered before walking off.
'I'm almost afraid to know what she's up to,' Izuku mentally lamented. "So… why did Aika-san give you this idea?" Izuku asked them.
"Um, well, we knew that something was bothering you," Ochako began.
"Aika-san suggested we wear these, saying that… doing this sort of thing can help a boy relax," Ibara explained.
Izuku sweat-dropped. The naked apron thing was defiantly having some sort of effect, though not the one Ibara and Ochako had in mind. 'This is relaxing how?'
"Izuku-san…" Izuku turned back to look at Ibara with a worried expression. "Do you not like it?"
"N-no! Of c-course not…! I-I mean…! Y-You both l-look great," Izuku stuttered.
Both girls blushed a little but smiled, flattered by Izuku's answer. But Ibara's smile was soon replaced by a downcast look.
"Huh, Ibara?" Ochako asked, she and Izuku having noticed the change in Ibara's demeanor.
"…You're still bothered by what Xenovia said the other day?" Izuku guessed.
"Yes," Ibara nodded. "I don't regret becoming a devil. Even though I can't abandon my faith, there are people whom I love more than I love the Lord," she continued. "Buchou, everyone in the club, my classmates at school, your mother, and… you, Izuku-san. You're all very precious to me."
"Ibara…" Izuku muttered.
"I never want to be alone again!" Ibara exclaimed as she hugged Izuku making the boy surprised.
Ochako smiled. "We'll always be by your side, Ibara, no matter what!" she declared as she hugged the two.
In between the girls, Izuku was having a small mental breakdown… again. While he started to get slowly accustomed with the female attention he's been getting, he still had his limits when it came to this sort of thing. The fact that he was sandwiched between a nun and a witch, both of which were wearing only one piece of clothing each, well…
"Ye-yeah, it's fine you two," Izuku stuttered, his face already turning red. Both of the girls blinked in confusion.
"Oh dear, seems like I've become the third wheel already," Inko suddenly said, her head sticking out from her bedroom, "I'll go to sleep and leave you three to your 'dinner' in the kitchen. Just be careful, okay? I don't want any accidental grandkids."
"MOM!" Izuku shouted, his cheeks completely flustered along with Ibara and Ochako's. Inko just gave a mirthful laugh as she left.
"Oh my, already having fun?" Izuku looked over as Rias came into view, dressed only in a red apron over her nude body. "Well, what do you think? Does it suit me?" she asked, showing herself off in full view with a playful wink.
Izuku's already steaming and red head got redder as blood leaked from his nose. "…Wow…" was all he could mutter.
"Oh you," Rias giggled, looking amused at his expression. "It's getting pretty late, so let's make something quick and simple."
"Right!" Ochako affirmed.
"Y-yeah!" Ibara nodded. "I promise not to mess up!"
Responding to Rias' suggestion, the three nude apron girls started preparing dinner in the kitchen. As they moved around, Izuku instinctively averted his eyes in embarrassment, burying his face in one of his hero notebooks… which he held upside down.
'What has become of my life?' He thought to himself.
The blizzard raged unforgivingly, yet he could not stop. His body was getting weaker, yet he could not stop. His feet sank into the snow with each step he took, yet he could not stop. The young boy, around the age of 13, with short blond hair and wearing just a dirty shirt with tattered jeans tiredly walked through the frozen wasteland, coughing up blood that splattered into the snow. The pain in his chest was unbearable, but he continued to match on through the middle of nowhere. Thankfully the snow-covered ground gave way to a brick layered road. He had finally reached civilization it seemed.
But then his legs failed him as he suddenly collapsed, his hands just barely catching him. Coughs continued hammering out of his mouth as more blood fell and his vision began to weaken.
"No... not yet…" he whispered weakly.
His legs were too exhausted to keep going, so he crawled his way through the ice and storm. His focus seemed to return slightly, just for a moment, when he thought he heard a pair of footsteps approaching him. He thought he was losing his mind now but then noticed a pair of winter boots walking up before him. Looking up, he saw a shadowy figure with long hair flowing in the wind. The most distinct feature he noticed most of all were a pair of demonic wings protruding out of their back.
"A Dark One…" he whispered, his voice becoming hoarse. His heart began to sink, "So… I've been damned…"
Why did this have to happen? What did they do wrong? He and the others were trained to the best of their ability to master the holy swords to fight for the will of the Church. They were promised that their suffering was only part of His trials. That one day soon, they would earn their place in the world. That was what they were promised.
Then those same people who made those promises gathered all of them in a tight, cramped room that could barely fit all of them where they were told that they were deemed as lost causes and ill-equipped to serve God. In the midst of shock and confusion, the gas came and covered everyone. With the last of their strength, they staged a rebellion and managed to break out of the gas chamber and fight off the people that they trusted. It was for naught, of course. Many had already succumbed to the gas. Those who didn't were cut down without mercy. But they knew that they were all done for. It was a distraction to get at least one of them to escape, to expose what happened at the facility. Their one last hope.
But it would appear that God had no use for him either.
"What do you desire?"
The Dark One spoke, in a gentle voice. He gave a small, bitter smile as blood dripped from his mouth. "It makes sense… for one who left his comrades to die to lose his blessings… but despite that… I still want to live… just… once more…"
His consciousness disappeared soon after that.
Yuuto woke up with a start, gasping as he took in his surroundings. He was in a small cave, sunlight shining in through the exit into the cave. The then remembered the events of the previous night, about how he had gone after Valper and Freed, chasing them into Endoru Forest Park. He lost track of them somewhere near a lake. He had gone into this cave to see if they were hiding here, but he must've fallen asleep.
Shaking off the drowsiness and the dirt and rocks that stuck to him, Yuuto stepped outside. 'I haven't thought back to that day in a long while…' In front of him was Endoru Lake, the largest body of water in the park. The rising sun gave the lake an incredible beautiful shimmer. Yuuto couldn't help but smile at the sight.
Rias and the others would love to see this. His eye then caught something shining on the other side of the lake. There, hidden by trees and overgrowth, stood an old manor, likely built during the park's industrial past. Yuuto narrowed his eyes, though. If there was anywhere those two monsters were hiding, it was there.
The new day went on and still no word from Yuuto or the exorcists. That alone was enough to cause worry. Rias and the others had their familiars looking throughout the city for them, Mizu doing the same. Of course, this resulted in her class being canceled for the day. But that didn't mean anyone could relax. The Sports Festival was only a week away, as such some in their class had gone to train at the school's gym.
Unfortunately, the heroics students of the ORC couldn't partake in any after-school training for the sports festival. They had far more pressing matters to deal with.
"Still nothing?" Izuku asked, he and everyone else in the ORC clubroom, with Yuuto being the only exception.
"No," Rias shook her head. "And Mizu hasn't found the exorcists either."
"What should we do?" Momo asked.
"Let's meet up later tonight. We'll come up with a plan and head out to look for them."
Later that night, out on the street in front of the Midoriya apartment, Rias started to set up a plan to start their search for Yuuto, the ORC having gathered, all of them prepared to head out.
"You didn't have to come, Kyoka-san," Izuku said to the sole human of the group.
"I'm part of the club, aren't I?" Kyoka asked rhetorically. "I wanna help in any way I can."
"We appreciate the help, Kyoka," Rias smiled. "We'll need to split up in groups of two so we can cover more ground."
Ravel suddenly clung onto Izuku's arm, making him blush. "I'm going with Izuku!" She proclaimed.
"No fair!" Ochako hugged Izuku's free arm. "I wanted to team up with Izu-kun first!"
"You already had your turn," Ravel shot back.
Just then, a hostile presence filled the air, causing the teens to tense up. "It seems we won't need to split up after all," Rias said, turning her head to the source of the presence. Down the street, they saw Freed walking towards the devils, his normal sadistic smile present.
"Freed!" Izuku growled.
"Sup, dickwads?" Freed casually said, waving theatrically. "You don't look all that happy to see me, do ya? Did I catch you in the middle of an orgy?"
"What do you want?" Rias demanded, already tensing up for a fight.
"Will you guys chill out? I didn't come for a fight… yet," Freed chuckled. "My boss just wants to have a word with you," he said, pointing his thumb to the sky. As soon as he did, an overwhelming presence coming down on them. The ORC looked to the air, and illuminating from the light of the moon was a figure of a man in a black suit, long black hair with side bangs, piercing red eyes, and ten black wings on his back.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Rias of Gremory," the fallen angel smeared with faux politeness. "Your crimson hair is as lovely as they say… it reminds me of that meddlesome brother of yours."
"A pleasure to meet you as well. I take it you are Kokabiel of the Grigori?" Rias asked. She was putting up a brave front, but she could feel the impure holy energy coming from his wings, and it chilled her to the bone. The rest of her servants and Ravel behind her looked just as nervous was they quickly realized the kind of strength Kokabiel had. Even Kyoka, who couldn't feel latent holy energy, was able to feel his power through instinct alone
"Formerly of the Grigori," Kokabiel corrected, an amused smirk on his face. "I am the instigator of the Excalibur thefts."
"Yep!" Freed laughed. "And thanks to some dumb bitches, I have anyone lovely Excalibur in my collection!" He reached into his coat and pulled out a familiar katana. Everyone in the group, Izuku especially, reacted instantly.
"That's the Excalibur Mimic!" Izuku exclaimed. "What did you do to Rinchan!?"
"Oh, don't worry. I'm sure they'll turn up eventually," the stray priest said, putting the sword away.
"What are you after, Kokabiel?" Rias demanded.
"Why that's simple, little girl. I want to bring about another Great War!" Kokabiel declared, causing the young devils to inhale a breath in shock. "Ever since that damned ceasefire, the so-called 'peace' between the Three Factions has been utterly dull and boring. Azazel and Shemhazai weren't keen on another war. Not only that but Azazel spends all his time collecting Sacred Gears and even unique Quirks. He always gets completely immersed in whatever he's collecting. The only thing that makes this peace worth a damn is the fact that it's far from stable. One small tremor and-" Kokabiel snapped his fingers, "this glasshouse will shatter into pieces. So I decided to take a hammer to it, instead."
"That's why you stole the Excaliburs? You actually want to start a war?" Rias asked in disbelief and with hatred directed towards the warmongering fallen angel hovering above them. "Then why come to Musutafu of all places?"
"A precaution. I had hoped that stealing the Excalibur pieces from the Church would be enough to be the flame I needed to start the fires of war. But instead of chasing them in full force, the Church instead sends three measly exorcists after them? It makes me wonder if they actually cared about the blades in the first place." Kokabiel admitted, shaking his head in disappointment. "And so, if the angels weren't willing to start a war, then… perhaps the devils might instead."
Izuku's eyes widened before they narrowed. "I knew it… You were after Rias all along!"
"Wh-what?!" Rias blanched in disbelief, but the cruel cackling above them immediately confirmed his suspicions.
"Very perceptive, Red Dragon," Kokabiel complimented. "That is correct. The sister of the great Devil King, Sirzechs Lucifer, and the sister of the great Serafall Leviathan, Sona Sitri. I imagine that killing one or both with an Excalibur would be quite the match I need to ignite this war. The school where the younger sisters of Lucifer and Leviathan study, and where the Symbol of Peace teaches, will be the perfect stage."
"You wouldn't!" Rias shouted.
"Oh yes I would!" Kokabiel sneered back, "Of course, ravishing and killing Sirzechs' kid sister has its own merits since it would definitely send him coming after me, but that alone isn't very fun. Freed?"
"Yeah, boss man?"
"Do you still have them? As you'd like me to keep my word, I'd rather you keep yours as well."
"Yeah, yeah. It's all right here," Freed huffed slightly before opening his robe. On the side, there were three swords glimmering with holy power. The holy radiation from the swords was unmistakable
"Those swords… those are the Excaliburs?" Momo gasped.
"Ain't my boss totally awesome? Really makes me glad I teamed up with him. He's just cruisin' for a bloody brawl just like me! Not to mention he's letting me play with lots of spiffy new toys!" Freed laughed as he pointed at each of his swords. "You already know Excalibur Rapidly, this one is Excalibur Nightmare, then there's Excalibur Transparency, and we can't forget about Excalibur Mimic. I was hoping to get my hands on Excalibur Destruction, but that damn spider-bitch couldn't deliver. I wanted a complete collection, but oh well! And the holy factor Old Man Valper gave me makes me feel pretty fuckin' invincible!"
"Indeed, Valper's research is starting to show its merits," Kokabiel noted. "You've done well."
Rias' teeth gritted. "And you think that the leaders of Heaven and the Underworld would let you get away with this? Not even the fallen angels will forgive you."
"I'm counting on it! If you want to stop me so badly, then meet me at your school! I look forward to it!" Kokabiel smirked as he finished and disappeared in a snow of black feathers before Rias could have said anything.
"Don't keep us waiting, bitches!" Freed also disappeared after throwing off his flash-bang.
After a few moments of mulling over what Kokabiel just said, Izuku spoke up. "Buchou, what should we do?"
"We don't have any other option," Rias decided after being silent for a moment. "We're going to have to get back to U.A. before Kokabiel can destroy it. If he does, there's no telling what the reaction would be."
There really was no stopping Kokabiel from entering U.A. ground. And given just how big U.A.'s campus was, he could be anywhere. However, there was still something that could be done to prevent innocent people from being caught in the crossfire. Rias had contacted Sona, Kudelia, and their peerages, telling them what was going to happen. Rias and her peerage were going to confront Kokabiel and stop him while the other two peerages would erect a barrier to keep the battle contained on school grounds. With two devil peerages keeping the barrier in check, there was a greater chance of keeping the battle from spilling out of control.
"We need to be careful of any faculty," said Kudelia. "Any commotion Kokabiel will make will get the heroes' attention."
"We would also have to worry about any camera drones," Sona added. "They often patrol the school grounds after-hours. There's also the possibility some teachers or students could still be present. If any of them were to see this…"
"Don't worry about that," Mizu suddenly appeared, walking up to them. "I just made a quick stop at the security room. Any camera drones that patrol this area are currently recharging and all surveillance footage is under a loop. Once everything's over I'll set it back. And it looks like the entire campus is empty. We don't have to worry about anyone seeing us."
"Mizu," Rias greeted. "Have you heard anything on the exorcists?"
"I just made contact with Griselda," Mizu said. "They'll be here in a few minutes."
"What about Kiba," Tsubaki asked, helping her fellow members create the barrier. "Have you heard anything from him?"
"No, but I've got a hunch that he'll be here to confront Valper." Mizu told her.
"Do you know where Kokabiel is?"
Mizu nodded. "Kokabiel and his cronies are not attempting to hide. They're at the P.E. Grounds. And Valper has already started some kind of ritual with the Excaliburs."
"It's still not too late, you two," Kudelia said to them. "We still have time to call your siblings for aid."
"You know that my family situation is… complicated." Sona chuckled, seeming reluctant to go into further detail. "But it is undeniable that your brother loves you, Rias. He will come if you call."
"There's no need." Before Rias could answer, Momo called out to the three pure-blooded devils. "I've already contacted Sirzechs-sama and he's agreed to help us."
"Momo!" Rias scolded her Queen with annoyance. "How could you do something like that without asking me first?"
Momo flinched slightly, but Mizu quickly got in-between them. "Rias, I know you're upset and that you don't want to disturb your brother unless absolutely necessary…" the sorcerer spoke calmly. "But our enemy is a leader-class fallen angel! He's not someone any of us can beat on our own. Besides, if Momo hadn't done so, I would've. That's why, even though I normally try to leave him out of this sort of thing, I called the Doc for help."
"The Sorcerer Supreme? You told him the situation?" Sona asked. "What did he say?"
"He's a bit busy at the moment, but promised to get here as soon as he can," Mizu explained before turning her attention back to Rias. "But that's how serious this situation is. We need all the help we can get."
Rias stared at the two in silence for a few seconds before sighing heavily. "Well, I suppose I can't argue that point. I guess I've lost to you both this time," she relented with a slight nod.
Momo sighed in relief as Mizu gave a small at Rias' concession. "Thank you for understanding, Buchou. Sirzechs and his troops will be here in just about an hour."
"That's how long it'll take Kamar-Taj to get here too," said Mizu. "We'll have to stall Kokabiel until then."
"We can easily hold the barrier until then as long as nothing excessive happens," Sona said.
"Kaichou, Kudelia-sama," the two pure-blooded devils in question turn to their servants, Tsubasa and Milia.
"What is it?" Kudelia asked.
"We want to help," Tsubasa answered.
"We weren't able to catch Freed or Valper when we could. Let us rectify that, please," Milia begged her master.
Sona was tempted to tell them no, wanting as much help they could get to keep the barrier up. But Kudelia had already beaten her with an answer.
"I say we let them," said Kudelia, to Sona's surprise. "We already have more than enough to keep the barrier up. Besides, they're trying to become heroes, right?"
Sona gave a small smile. "Very well. I suppose this will be their way to make up for their earlier mistake."
Both hero students smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Kaichou," Tsubasa nodded.
Nearby, Kyoka and Momo were talking. "There's no way Kokabiel doesn't know," Kyoka whispered to her girlfriend. "You need to tell them!"
"I know, but…" whatever words Momo was going to say died in her throat. "This… isn't the best time or place."
"Momo…"
"Momo, come on. We're heading in!" Rias called.
Momo looked to her master and friends, then turned back to Kyoka. "Wish us luck," she gave Kyoka a quick kiss on the lips before joining up with everyone else. Kyoka could only watch in worry as Sona and Kudelia created a large, blue, and purple transparent dome around the school, Rias and the others inside.
"Izuku, do you think you can use your Balance Breaker?" Rias asked as they made their way to the P.E. Grounds.
"I'm not sure," Izuku admitted. "I'm still not entirely sure how I did it the first time."
"I see," Rias sighed. "We'll have to work on it later. For now, I'll need you to be in support for this fight."
This made Izuku raise an eyebrow. "Support?"
"I want you to increase your powers so that you can transfer them to the rest of us to increase our strength."
"If that's the case, we'll watch his back," Tsubasa proclaimed, Milia nodding in agreement.
Ravel then asked Rias, "So does that mean the rest of us are going to be doing the fighting until he transfers power to you guys?"
"That's right," she responded with a smile, looking at Momo and Koneko. "I think we'll be able to stall them for that amount of time, don't you?"
"Yeah, I think we can manage that," Momo said.
"Absolutely," Koneko replied.
"Are you sure about this," Izuku asked. "I want to be able to help you all in the fighting."
Rias looked over her right shoulder to smile at him. "Yes, I am, and you will be helping us," she said. Then, she looked over to her peerage. "Alright, everyone. Our target is Kokabiel of the fallen angels. Our objective is to stall him and keep him from destroying the school before reinforcements arrive. Let's be careful. He intends to do whatever it takes to destroy everything and we can't allow that to happen!" She raised her fist up into the air, "We cannot hesitate! If we see an enemy before us, we must destroy it!"
"Right!" her servants all nodded fiercely.
Izuku closed his eyes and Promoted to Queen. Now the real fight will begin.
Hyde gave out a long yawn as he walked home, having spent a bit too much time at U.A.'s gym training. "Man… I didn't realize Iida took training so seriously. Then again, he takes everything seriously," he muttered, rubbing his aching shoulder. He was going to be sore for days, he just knew it.
As he walked, a figure suddenly appeared before him. "Huh? Who're you?" He couldn't tell who it was as they wore a black hooded coat that hid their face. They were about the same height as him, just barely taller by a centimeter.
"Wait a minute… You're that guy Iida told us about!" Hyde realized. Iida had told his classmates about the mysterious figure who helped him during the USJ incident. "Why are you here?"
The hooded figure remained silent. Instead, they pointed up toward U.A. Hyde looked up the hill, and saw that some kind of energy dome had appeared over the main building. "The hell? How did I miss that? When did you…"
Hyde blinked in surprise. The hooded figure was gone.
"Okay… Got serious ninja vibes there," Hyde looked back up at U.A. Something told him that something bad was happening there. And he needed to get there now.
Sitting on a golden throne that was floating in the air by a magic circle was Kokabiel. Before him on the ground was Valper in the center of the sports field. He stood in the middle of an ominous magic circle with four of the Excaliburs circling above him. The disgraced archbishop had his arms raised from side to side with his gaze aimed directly at the holy swords, his ritual needing a lot of focus. "How much longer until they are merged?" Kokabiel asked.
"Not much longer," Valper said, not taking his gaze away from the swords. "Five to ten more minutes at least."
Kokabiel smiled. While this was entirely unnecessary for his plans, it would be quite entertaining to see. But that wasn't the only reason he was smiling. Several presences were moving through the school grounds, reaching them in the center. "So tell me. Is Sirzechs or Serafall coming?" He didn't even bother looking at them. "Or is it the Sorcerer Supreme? Or All Might? Frankly, I don't care which."
"Right now, we're the ones ready to fight," Rias said defiantly. "That's all that matters."
Kokabiel frowned and rose his arm before pointing it forward. A ray of light shot out from his hand and darted over the group. It hit the gymnasium behind them, causing a devastating explosion as it blew up brightly. Shock was etched on their faces at the display.
"How disappointing… I came to face warriors and here I am confronted by children," Kokabiel growled.
Izuku couldn't help but stare at the crater left in the wake of Kokabiel's attack, chills running up his spine.
[Are you scared, partner?] Ddraig asked.
'After seeing that, yeah. I am,' Izuku replied. 'But I won't let that stop me.'
Ddraig chuckled. [There's the Izuku I know. Just be careful. He is a veteran from the great war who fought against both the Devil Kings and God.]
"I think I'll let you kids play with my favorite pets. It should provide some entertainment for me at least," Kokabiel declared before snapping his fingers. As he did so, a bright light erupted from the floor beneath him to reveal a new magic circle which soon after spouted a large plume of flames into the air.
A large, black-furred paw stepped out of the fire and was quickly followed by the rest of its body. It emerged out of the flames to reveal itself as a 10m tall, black-furred dog. It had four thick legs, each with a set of sharp claws, but the thing that concerned Izuku the most was the fact that the massive beast had three heads, each with a set of razor-sharp teeth.
The sudden appearance of the beast shocked everyone, especially Mizu. "Cerberus!?" she exclaimed in shock as the three-headed dog roared loudly in their direction.
"Wait…Cerberus!?" Izuku asked, unable to take his eyes off the beat in question. "As in the same Cerberus who guards the gates of Hell!?"
"The very same," Mizu explained, watching as another Cerberus started to climb out, revealing there to be more than just one for the group to fight.
"Summoning them to this realm is forbidden!" Rias stated with anger in her voice.
"I'll take the one on the left," Mizu drew the Yukinoha. "You guys take the one on the right!"
"Hai!" Momo, Ochako, Ravel, and Koneko nodded as they sprang into action.
"Izuku, Ibara, you two stay with Milia and Tsubasa. Charge up your Boosted Gear," Rias ordered as she joined her servants.
Izuku bit his lip as he watched his friends fight the demonic beasts. 'If only I could use Balance Breaker, or was at least stronger, then I can help.'
[Boost!]
Rias, Momo, Ravel, Ochako, and Koneko attacked Cerberus with gusto. Koneko inflicted blow after enhanced blow against it while Momo shot it with her lightning and Rias, Ochako, and Ravel attacked the beast with their own magic. If this wasn't enough of a challenge, they also had to contend with the balls of fire which the large dog fired from out of its three mouths, but Ravel was able to deal with those easily.
Nearby, the Cerberus that Mizu was fighting had already lost a head, frozen solid by the Yukinoha. Mizu had also created a sword of pure plasma, which she used with deadly effect as she sliced up another head with ease.
As he watched them battle the Cerberus, Izuku couldn't help but think of All Might's offer. If he had One For All right now, would he be able to help?
[Boost!]
A sudden roar and scream from behind him brought Izuku out of his thoughts. He spun around to see Ibara, Tsubasa, and Milia looking behind them as two more Cerberus lunged at them with, ravenous hunger in their eyes.
Acting quickly, Ibara used her vines to ensnare one of the giant, demonic beasts. It desperately tried to break free to no effect as its sibling continued its charge. Milia, however, used her Quirk to stab the eyes of the other Cerberus, the hellhound howling in pain as Tsubasa, having absorbed the concrete ground, grabbed the Cerberus' hind leg and spun around, before throwing the Cerberus at the one Rias and the others were fighting. "Nice one, Yura-san!" Izuku cheered.
Just then the Cerberus that Ibara was holding began to break free form its vines. The Cerberus growled at them as it was about to leap at them again when the middle head howled in pain for a second before its head separated from its neck and fell to the floor where it disappeared in a plume of flames.
"What the…" Izuku exclaimed with confusion before he noticed a glint above him. He looked up to see none other than Xenovia soaring above the large demon dog, her Excalibur of Destruction in her hands.
"Xenovia-san!" They shouted.
"Thought you could use a little help, Zuku!" Izuku looked up in time to see Irina, wielding a regal-looking longsword, flipping in mid-air and bringing her holy sword down on the demon below her, cleaving it right through its middle. The two halves of the demon fell to the floor, its heads howling in pain for the last time before they followed the middle head's lead and both parts of it became engulfed in flames before disappearing.
"We did it!" Irina cheered, eliciting a small smile from Griselda as she joined them.
"Don't relax too soon. We still have more-" However, any and all levity was halted when Griselda suddenly noticed a small blur in the corner of her eye.
"Irina! Watch out!"
"Eh-" Before Irina could react, another Cerberus jumped at her from behind.
*Slice!*
Only for it to be split in two by dark red energy. Once the two half fell to the ground, a familiar duel-toned teen was seen standing behind the demonic beast.
"So is this a private party or can anyone come and play?" Hyde asked, placing the Insulator on his shoulder.
"Kido-san!?" Izuku gasped. "Why are you here?"
"It's kinda hard to miss how a giant glowing dome is covering half the school," Hyde replied. "You okay?" He asked Irina.
"Yeah, thanks."
"That's an interesting sword you have," Xenovia commented.
"Xenovia, focus!" Griselda shouted, firing several arrows at another Cerberus, all of which exploded upon hitting the beast.
"Right, sorry!"
As the fighting went on, Valper caught notice of the four newcomers. Or rather, he caught notice of the replacement holy sword that Irina was welding. If his memory was right, that was the Hauteclere, a holy sword owned by Olivier, a legendary paladin who served under Charlemagne. So she had an extra in stock in case she lost her Excalibur it seemed. How clever. But how was she able to even use it? Only those with a pure heart could even touch Hauteclere, let alone wield it. Plus his research only extended to the Excaliburs. It shouldn't be possible for her to use another holy sword unless…
"Roooooooooaaaaaaaaar!" three animalistic sounds called out in unison.
Izuku and Ibara looked up to see another Cerberus leaping towards them. Instinctively, Izuku wrapped his arms protectively around Ibara and was about to jump out of the beast's way, when…
"Rashomon: Agito!"
Two black blades suddenly bisected the Cerberus. Ibara and Izuku gapped in shock as the dead beast landed in front of them.
Behind the Cerberus stood Akutagawa, Higuchi and Raynare beside him, surpassing a cough and his hand outstretched. "R-Raynare?!" Ibara trembled upon seeing the fallen angel. Raynare for her part, merely glared at them silently.
Izuku, though, could only stare in shock at Akutagawa. He saved them. Why? "Why did-?"
"Don't get the wrong idea, Welsh Dragon," Akutagawa said. "I only saved the Twilight Healer. If she were to die, our chances of defeating the Cadre greatly diminish."
Raynare took the moment to examine the battlefield, but her eyes were quickly drawn to one individual in particular. "L-Lord…K-Kokabiel…" Raynare stuttered, her body trembling at the sight of the Cadre, who sneered at her.
"Raynare, focus," Higuchi reprimanded.
Raynare shook her head and took a deep breath, forming a spear of light as she and the other Mafiosi were ready to enter the fray.
Just in time, too, as several more Cerberus appeared, surrounding the group.
"More of them?!" Irina exclaimed.
"Just how many of these beasts did Kokabiel summon?" Griselda asked.
"I despise dogs," Akutagawa growled as he calmly stepped forward, and then… "Rashomon!" His cloak grabbed each of the Cerberus' and lifted them into the air before converging, taking up most of his coat until all that was left were some fabric around his wrists and waist. "Higanzakura!"
The Cerberus' all cried in pain as the Rashomon suddenly exploded into several finely developed flower spikes. Akutagawa promptly retracted his coat, the bodies of the Cerberus' falling to the ground, dead.
"What the hell?!" Hyde gasped, along with everyone else.
"He killed my pets with such ease. He certainly lives up to his name as the Rabid Dog," Kokabiel commented with an excited grin. Akutagawa's ability reminded him of a Sacred Gear called The Scarlet Letter. Kokabiel recalled how one wielder of The Scarlet Letter currently worked for the Church in North America. He would love to see this 'Rashomon' and The Scarlet Letter fight if only to see who was stronger.
"It's finished!" Valper suddenly exclaimed. Because everyone was preoccupied with clearing out the monsters from the field, he had the free time to continue with his ritual uninterrupted. The four swords had slowly merged together into one single sword, combining in a brilliant golden flash. The sword slowly planted into the ground, its power drawing into the magic circle underneath Valper. "The ritual to unite the Excaliburs is now complete. In the next twenty minutes, the might of this sword will obliterate this city into rubble." The reaction of the opposing side was predictable horror.
"Twenty minutes?! Sirzechs and the other's won't make it in time!" Mizu exclaimed fearfully.
"Ho? So your research has reached this far then," Kokabiel said, looking very impassive over the news.
"There is a way to stop the ritual, however," Valper said, pointing up at his master with a sinister smile. "Should you be able to slay Kokabiel before the time limit, the city will be spared."
Kokabiel looked over to his right and gave a small sigh. "Freed, you want to cross blades with them, don't you?"
Freed, who was watching the battle from a nearby tree, dropped down and walked over to the sword with a fidgety grin plastered on his face. "That's right! That's right! Can't tell you how excited I am, boss man!"
"Then go ahead and play. This will be a suitable test for the four united Excaliburs before the war begins," Kokabiel ordered.
"Hehehe! FINALLY!" Freed laughed as he took the sword into his hands and gave it a few swings. And then he took off with the new Excalibur, ready to sate his bloodlust and other desires. He already had a target in mind.
Freed leaped into the air, right over Griselda. The green-haired woman gasped, unprepared to be targeted so soon. "GOTCHA, BITCH!" he laughed loudly. Quickly, Griselda rolled out of the way of the rouge exorcist's attack. Freed quickly swung his fused Excalibur at her. Griselda quickly parried Freed's sword with her bow.
"My boss sure knows how to put his henchmen to work, amirite?!" Freed grinned wickedly as he forced pressure to push her back. "But it ain't such a bad deal since I get to play with an awesomely awesome sword! Excalibur and I are gonna have a hell of time slicing up devils into itty-bitty pieces!"
"That sword doesn't belong to you!" Griselda spat in disgust.
"Well, it feels fine to me. Just like my sword!" Freed thrusting himself at her. Griselda quickly broke the deadlock and jumped back, seriously not liking the gesture.
"You son of a bitch," Griselda cursed, notching an arrow. "You've soiled Excalibur. It can hardly be called a holy sword now."
"Oh ho, what a mouth you've got," Freed retorted crudely. "I wonder how it feels wrapped around my-"
"Rashomon!" Rushing in out of nowhere, Akutagawa's Quirk came rushing toward Freed, forcing the ex-priest to quickly raise his sword to block the attack. But Rashomon proved stronger as its attack sent Freed flying. The mad priest tumbled through the air before landing on his feet, only to jump out of the way as several black blades attempted to skewer him.
"You're fucking annoying, ya know that!" Freed yelled before smiling. "But you're also slow!" Using the power of Excalibur Rapidly, Freed zoomed past Akutagawa's attacks, closing in on him within a split second.
"Here I come-!" Freed exclaimed jumping in midair, with the Excalibur raised intend to cut the Rabid Dog down.
But Akutagawa smiled, something Freed noticed too late as a giant black maw appeared behind Akutagawa. "Rashomon: Gokumon Agito!" The giant maw closed down on Freed, a sickening crunch sounding from it. As the maw receded, Freed's lifeless body fell.
But the body quickly disappeared. "An illusion!" Akutagawa quickly realized, the real Freed appearing being him, swinging his blade. Akutagawa didn't have time to fight back.
"Devoured Space!" A red glowing barrier stopped Freed's attack right as he was about to cut off Akutagawa's head. But that didn't stop Freed from drawing his gun and shooting Akutagawa in the leg. Due to the pain, Akutagawa was unable to concentrate and his shield dropped.
Cackling like mad, Freed quickly kick Akutagawa, sending the Rabid Dog hurtling into a nearby tree. "Akutagawa!Senpai!" Raynare and Higuchi cried out, the latter running to him as he emptied the contents of his stomach.
"Oh~? What's this? Don't tell me that little kick was all it took to take you out?" Freed teased.
As Akutagawa sat there, a familiar feeling crept over him, like he had been in this situation, or at least this position, before. Then he remembered something that happened not long after he first joined the Port Mafia, nearly 6 years ago.
Akutagawa coughed blood, his body badly bruised as he laid on the ground. It was dark in the warehouse he was in, the only source of light being the moon. His head felt to be on the verge of splitting open any second, and blood was dripping from his nose.
In front of him, expectation in his eye, was Dazai. He wore a black coat as a cape and a black suit, and bandages were wrapped around his right eye. "You're Quirk is pathetic. Not only is it slow to activate, but you also get headaches when you use it for any amount of time. Your opponent won't be polite enough to wait for you to recover or attack."
Akutagawa knew that Dazai was right. Before Dazai recruited him into the Port Mafia, the most Akutagawa ever used his Quirk for was repairing his clothes on occasion, which always took a toll on him. Even now, he needed to rest to use his Quirk effectively again. But Dazai wasn't the type to wait.
"Get up. Answer back with your Quirk."
Slowly, Akutagawa stood back up. With a yell, Akutagawa concentrated, willing his Quirk to create a small black streak. It shot out of his coat and charged at Dazai.
Dazai simply lifted his hand and blocked the streak, which immediately retreated back to his coat. Before Akutagawa could react, Dazai ran up to him and kicked him in the stomach, sending the young Mafioso flying into some crates, coughing out more blood.
"A weak attack like that won't be enough to survive in the Port Mafia!" Dazai yelled. "Your Quirk is basically a muscle. The more you tear that muscle, the stronger it becomes. That's the only way for you to get stronger and discover your Quirk's full capabilities. If you can't do that, then you're better off going back to the slums as a stray dog."
Shakily, Akutagawa pushed himself and stood up, determination in his eyes.
"Excellent. Let's go again."
"Guess you're nothing more than a weak motherfucker pretending to be strong," Freed taunted. This nearly resulted in him being split in half as one of Rashomon's blades came charging at him. Freed quickly dodged the attack, glaring at Akutagawa.
"Senpai!" Higuchi called out, but she and Raynare didn't go to his aid. Something about him was different.
Akutagawa no longer had an indifferent expression. Now he looked utterly pissed. "Rashomon! Renmon Agito!" Several jaws shot out of Akutagawa's coat, rushing toward the mad exorcist.
Freed laughed as he effortlessly avoided the jaws from Akutagawa's attack. "Is that the best you got?" Freed laughed… only for an arrow to pin him against a tree by his coat. "The fuck-?!" Was all he could say before the arrow exploded.
Freed cried in pain, part of his face burned and scarred from the exploding arrow before he glared hatefully at the one responsible: Griselda. Beside her were Irina and Xenovia.
"Oh right, I nearly forgot about you three!" He gripped the fused Excalibur. "Let's have a fourway!" Freed proclaimed as he charged ahead at the three, just then the blade of the sword shifting and changing as if it was alive before the priest swings it like a whip and the blade extant.
The three exorcists dodge the attack as it hit the ground, but the blade extant again as it went to Griselda, and the exorcists parried before it could stab her.
The blade then rose up before the tip change into something fork-like as three extant blades went after the three, one on each. Griselda parried again, Xenovia blocked it as it bounced and Irina dodged one before parry. Irina growled at how her Excalibur Mimic was being used against her. Turning the blade back to its original self, Freed then charged ahead. "It'd be more fun if we had more people!" As soon as he said that, copies of him appeared out of thin air, all charging at them at once.
Hyde, who was watching from nearby, exclaimed in shock. "He can clone himself?!"
"Illusions," Xenovia corrected. "The Excalibur Nightmare has the ability to create illusions and manipulate dreams."
As Freed and the illusion clones were charging, the blade of the swords disappeared, a sign he was using the power of Excalibur Transparency. "We won't be able to see the blade! Get ready!" Griselda warned.
The squad of Freeds cackled in unison as they all swarmed around the three of them, slashing around with bladeless hilts. All three of them clumsily flinched and backed away from the swordless slashes, unable to tell which one was real. Each time they struck back, a version of Freed vanished and another took their place.
"Which one's the real one?!" Irina cried out.
Nearby, Izuku and Rias ran up, stopping next to Hyde. "One has to be real," Rias squinted her eyes. "But I can't tell which one."
"Midoriya, now's a good time for your big brain to come up with an idea!" Hyde told him.
Izuku squinted his eyes, looking at each Freed carefully. All of them were perfectly identical, making it impossible to tell them apart. They even casted shadows. But then one of the Freeds, in preparation to attack, kicked up a little dirt. It was a small amount, easy to miss, but Izuku noticed.
"That one!" He pointed at the Freed in question.
Nodding, Hyde ran ahead, gathering dark energy in his Insulator. "Black Orbiter!" He fired a ring of dark energy at the Freed.
Freed gasped when he saw the Black Orbiter coming for him, having barely enough time to block the attack. The illusions of Freed all vanished as the real Freed was pushed back.
"You little…!" Freed charged forward, aiming the invisible fused Excalibur at Hyde, intent on stabbing him in his stupid face. Hyde, realizing he didn't have many options, stabbed the Insulator into the ground.
"GYRE VORTEX!"
A massive burst of dark energy caught Freed off guard, sending him flying back, crashing into a tree. Hyde's attack had left a small crater underneath his position, and Freed was covered in rubble. "Whoa! Nice!" Irina cheered.
Rias agreed. Hyde was stronger than she thought. She quietly wondered if she could add him to her peerage as her second Knight.
"What the hell was that?!" Freed hissed as he got back up. "What kind of sword does- Huh?!" Freed then saw that the light his fused Excalibur was normally emitting was darker in certain places, the same dark energy Hyde uses in his attacks apparently consuming it.
"What the fuckity fuck!? This black stuff is eating my Excalibur's holy aura!"
"What?! That's impossible!" Valper exclaimed.
Kokabiel, on the other hand, looked on with sudden interest. "I see, so the boy has it."
"Has what?!" Valper looked back at Kokabiel. "What's so special about that blade?!"
"I remembered something from Azazel's lectures," Kokabiel started to explain. "There's a Sacred Gear called The Void, a black blade that can cut through anything. He explained that if The Void were to evolve into a Sub Species it could become a Longinus, and that the blade can easily cut through and destroy anything in its path, even the soul. He called this Sub Species: Void Red, the Indulgence of Insulation."
If he remembered right from Azazel's lectures, the Longinus Sacred Gears, from the True Longinus to the Boosted Gear to Telos Karma, all have one thing in common: They are all powerful enough to kill Gods. When rumors of new Longinus that weren't part of the original thirteen, Azazel had been quick to study it. Kokabiel wished he had paid more attention to his lectures because now he was seeing one of these rumored new Longinus firsthand. "A blade with the potential to surpass Excalibur," Kokabiel chuckled darkly. "Very interesting."
"I don't care what that is!" Freed hissed, glaring hatefully at Hyde. "All I care about is slicing up that clownfish boy into piec- eh?" A wave of swords shot out from the ground and roared towards Freed. Freed quickly jumped back, avoiding getting skewered. Looking up, he sneered from the direction it came from. "Huh. Took ya long enough."
"Pardon my lateness," Yuuto said, slowly lifting his hand from the dirt as he stood from the ground. "I took a small detour on my way here. I didn't realize how long it would take."
"Yuuto, you're back!" Rias said in relief, happy that her servant was safe.
"Sorry about worrying you, Buchou," Yuuto said, walking over. "But I found myself preoccupied exploring an old manor… a manor with plenty of incriminating evidence. I just want to confirm what I found."
Upon hearing this, Valper perked up his head, walking towards the blond-haired boy. "Ah, Little Isaiah. I heard about one of the subjects managing to escape… I just had no idea you would become something as disgusting as a devil," he frowned angrily before grinning evilly. "But thanks to you and all the other defects, I was able to complete the project."
Yuuto's light-blue eyes widened at that saying. "Complete…?" he asked.
Valper's eyes turned malicious. "All of you subjects didn't have enough of the gene to use the Holy Swords. Knowing that, I concluded that the only way to go forward with the project…" His entire face turned completely evil as he finished. "Was to extract the genes of the subjects!" Yuuto gasped in horror. He could feel his palms shake and his skin crawling at hearing that fact. "And thus, we were able to crystallize them!" the Genocide Bishop added as he took out a blue crystal with a glowing light-blue center.
"This is what it looks like, all of their genes from that time I had them crystallized," the blonde-haired boy gasped in horror again as his eyes grew wider in complete terror. "This is the last one though." He was nearly in tears, shaking even more.
Freed laughed once more and added. "All the others besides me died halfway through because they couldn't take their genes~! Thinking of it that way~, I am just so special, don't you agree~?"
"No… you didn't…!" Izuku yelled angrily.
"Here. I'll give this to you as a reward for all the data I collected from you and your friends. It was invaluable to me, after all," Valper laughed, dropping the crystal in front of Yuuto. "That is the last bit of cells I extracted from your group. Now you can finally have them close to you again before the end. I don't need it anymore as we can mass produce the crystals."
"T-this is…" Yuuto inhaled a breath, trembling as he reached forward and took the crystal of light in his hands.
"That…" Xenovia peered an eye back at the two, her attention taken by the flask. "That looks like what the church uses to bless those given the right to wield an Excalibur piece… like the one Irina was blessed with."
"So the blessing I received… was actually the crystallized genes of those unfortunates…?" Irina took a step back, clutching herself as she laughed nervously. "No… that's a lie… you're lying…" The entire time she thought she was blessed by God to be one of his chosen warriors to protect His children. Instead, she was the byproduct of lab rats who couldn't cut it.
Valper clicked his tongue. "Those hypocrites. They banished me from the church for my research, but still ended up using it to create their own Excalibur wielders," Valper scoffed, a small smirk edged at his mouth. "Though considering it was Michael giving it, I doubt that he killed anyone doing so. He's more human than I'll ever be, after all."
"This… this is all that's left of them…?" Yuuto muttered, pushing off the ground and standing up, holding the flask close to his chest. The flask began to shine, several figures taking shape around him. "I'm… I'm so sorry, everyone… Every day, I couldn't help but wonder if I deserved to be the one to survive…"
The other devils, the Mafiosi, Mizu, and Hyde all watched in shock at the sight as the figures began taking shape.
"Uh… What's happening?" Hyde asked.
"People…?" asked the white-haired Rook.
"That's what it looks like…" Izuku answered, unsure but awed.
"I may be wrong, but it's possible that the various powers on the battlefield…" Mizu began explaining, being absolutely serious. "…and the trembling within Yuuto's heart freed the souls from the crystal." The spirits then formed into people, some younger than others.
"I… I wasn't the one with the biggest dreams or the most heart… I wasn't the one who wanted to live the most out of any of my friends, either. I just happened to be the one closest to the exit. I would have given anything to let one of the others survive in my-"
Yuuto felt a small tug on his shirt, freezing for a moment before looking down, suddenly taking notice of the figures gathered around him. He trembled as he saw their faces, tears streaming down his face as he bit his lip. "Everyone…"
One of the souls, a little girl with brown hair, tugged on his sleeve and made him look down. She smiled at him, making him even more shocked. The souls then dissolved into shooting-star-like rays, flying all around him and making him slowly feel at ease. "It's okay…" said one of the female souls to him, making him look at her.
"If everyone gathers together…" said another, now the boy looking at her.
"Take us in…" stated a male soul. Yuuto began looking at all of them, absolutely shocked and… happy.
"It's not scary," said the little girl spirit. "Even if there is no God…"
"Even if God doesn't watch over us…"
"Our hearts will always be…"
Yuuto closed his eyes and cried, yet it was out of sheer happiness and relief. He smiled genuinely as he finished. "One." The souls then dissolved into him, making him glow blue as he absorbed their spirits, finally at ease and his tears ceased.
From afar, Rias and Momo smiled warmly at the sight. Koneko was also nearing to tears, smiling a little and commenting. "It's a heartwarming sight…"
"Beautiful…" Ochako said as she, Ibara, Tsubasa, and Milia watched in tears.
Griselda smiled at what she was seeing. She then closed her eyes and put her hands together in prayer. "Go, children," she said softly. "Be at peace."
[He's done it. The Knight has peaked.] Ddraig noted.
'Done what?' Izuku mentally asked.
[Remember how I said that a Scared Gear is affected by their user's feelings? When the feelings and the wishes of the possessor does a dramatic change that it changes the flow of this world, the Sacred Gear reaches it.]
Izuku's eyes widened as he realized what this meant. "You mean he's…?"
[Yes. Yuuto has achieved Balance Breaker.]
Both Valper and Freed watched with disgusted looks on their faces. Kokabiel, on the other hand, looked on with sudden interest as he witnessed new power emerging from the young Knight.
"Aw man… this sappy bullshit is really making me hurl on the inside," Freed groaned as he rubbed his nose. "This is all giving me goosebumps. So just hurry it up so that I can cut out your insides with my Excalibur!" he shouted as he brandished his sword.
Yuuto didn't respond to Freed. Instead, he closed his eyes as the glow around him started to fade slowly. "My life as it is now is all because of my master. However, I still could never forget the regrets I felt when I left my friends to die, or the hatred I had for holy swords…" he opened his eyes as he looked over at his peerage. "But I made new friends, bonded with them, went on dangerous quests with them. I managed to find a new life with them. My old comrades wouldn't want me to take revenge on their behalf, however," he shot a glare at Valper. "There is no way in hell I'm letting an asshole like you come out of this alive!"
"Go get em, Yuuto! Tear Excalibur to shreds!" Izuku shouted out.
"Yeah! I don't know what that was about, but teach those asshats a lesson!" Hyde cheered.
"Yuuto!" Rias shouted over to him, "As your master, I order you to surpass Excalibur! I know you can do it!"
"Go for it, Yuuto-kun!" Momo added in encouragement.
"Fight on, Yuuto-san!" Ibara nodded.
"Yuuto-senpai!" Koneko followed.
"You can do it!" Ochako encouraged.
"Take em down, Kiba!" Tsubasa cheered.
"Go, Kiba!" Milia shouted.
Nearby, the Mafiosi mealy watched in surprise, Akutagawa being the only one indifferent to this. Though Raynare at least was glad that the devil had moved on from his past.
Valper looked unimpressed at the display of heroics. "Such naivety. Do you not realize that the key to success is to make necessary sacrifices?" He turned away from them with his hands behind his back. "Freed, end them."
The order given, Freed grinned nastily as he approached with the Excalibur dragging behind him, the blade digging through the dirt. Yuuto stood calm as his hands started to glow, his left side white and his right side black. "I am one with the sword. My friends from long ago, join me and respond to my will. Our hopes and dreams that we failed to reach before, now is the time to make them reality! Sword Birth!"
His hands grasped together as a new sword began to form from a flash of light and dark in his hands. It was a sword that gave out a divine light from its blade and an ominous aura from the red inscriptions on the middle of the blade. Holy and demonic aura could be felt from the new weapon.
"Balance Breaker: Sword of the Betrayer!" Yuuto announced as he readied his sword. "Holy attribute and demonic magic, united in a single blade! This will be your demise!"
As soon as he heard this, Valper looked at Yuuto, shock on his face. "What did you just say?"
Freed paid no mind to Valper's reaction and went on the attack. Yuuto moved in and crossed his sword against the priest's. Both young men clashed their weapons together, moving at brisk speeds. With the power of Excalibur Rapidly and Yuuto's Knight traits, both of them were moving in blurs of speed. Both of them were matching blow for blow.
"What's the matter, bucko? Having one sword waving in your face not enough for you? Well, try a BUNCH!" Freed shouted as the blade morphed and extended like a flail whip. Yuuto started to blurred all around, swiftly avoiding all the blade strikes. Freed's eyebrows started to twitch in annoyance. "Don't fuck with me, you little shit!" he yelled as he retracted the sword back to normal. A squad of Freed copies appeared again with the blades turning invisible. Both of them roared as they all charged at Yuuto.
"That's not gonna work," Yuuto frowned, "I can read your bloodlust like a book!" He rushed through all the copies without care, reaching the copy that was second to last. As soon as the copy gave a thrust, Yuuto raised his foot and slammed it down. An audible thunk was heard, and the blade of the sword phased back into reality. All the copies vanished, leaving the real Freed left in shock.
"Damn it, the hell?!" Freed shouted. He kicked Yuuto off of him, lifting his sword as he glowed in holy power. There was a problem, though. The light from the sword wasn't as strong as it was before. "Huh?"
"You're wide open!" Irina shouted, jumping up with Hauteclere in hand. As soon as she landed right beside Freed, she gave a hard swing. Freed rolled over to the side to avoid getting bisected. Xenovia came down after her with an overhead swing from her Excalibur Destruction, prompting him to jump away again. Xenovia didn't seem to be concerned as she planted her sword down next to her and extended her right hand into the air.
"St. Peter, St. Basil the Great, St. Denis, Virgin Mother… lend thine ears to hear my humble request!" Space started to distort around her as a hole appeared in front of her. Xenovia reached inside the pocket dimension and pulled out a sword, a uniquely shaped broadsword with a blue blade and a golden edge. The sword had a semi-circular guard on the left side of the handle that extended to the bottom just above the pommel, with a small extension on the right side of the handle. Standing from the tip of the blade, the sword was slightly taller than her, just by a few inches.
"In the name of the saints living in this blade… I set you free! Holy Sword Durandal!" she shouted, brandishing the sword before her.
Everyone but Irina and Griselda gasped in shock at the sight of her blade. Kokabiel even appeared startled. "She had another holy sword too?" Ochako asked in disbelief.
"Durandal?" Yuuto whispered.
"Is that another holy sword?" Izuku asked.
"It is," Rias confirmed. "Durandal is a holy sword that's said to be on par with Excalibur, able to cut everything in this world," she explained.
"Impossible! The research that the church seized from me didn't look into Durandal! I can buy someone wielding Hauteclere, but not that blade! No one should be able to use that thing!" Valper exclaimed in disbelief.
"You're wrong. Unlike Irina or Kiba, I am one of the few natural-born Holy Sword wielders. I'm capable of using any holy blade without the use of the light attribute crystals," Xenovia hoisted the large blade with ease, pointing it at Freed and smiling. "This blade is ill-tempered. Despite being mine, I can't always fully control it. It's like a wild dog that will snap without my permission at times. Carrying it alone would be dangerous, so it is stored in another dimension for safety."
"Hah! You think I'll buy that bullshit?! No way that hunk of junk can match up to my baby here!" Freed laughed, the golden blade of his fused Excalibur illuminating as it changed shape. Several long streams of metal sprouted out from the edges, shooting forward at Xenovia and the others to stab them through.
"Humph!" Xenovia merely narrowed her eyes, raising her blade and swiping out at the strands. With a single slash, Durandal cut through the blades like butter, the Stray Priest gawking at the display. "As I thought," Xenovia sighed. "You've corrupted Excalibur through your bloodlust. It's no match for Durandal."
"Are you fucking kidding me!" the mad ex-priest hissed as his blade reverted back to its original form. Once it had done so, he disappeared into a blur in an attempt to flank Xenovia and cut her down where she wasn't expecting. Unfortunately for him though, Yuuto expected this and also disappeared into a blur as he engaged Freed in combat. They fought ferociously for a few strained seconds before Yuuto's holy devil sword shattered Freed's Excalibur into pieces, knocking the insane exorcist to the ground. This time, the fused Excalibur did not revert back to its original appearance.
Freed landed on the ground with a thud, before sitting on his knees and glaring hatefully at Yuuto. "Are you fucking serious!? Are you really fucking serious!? The legendary Excalibur shattered into pieces!? Shattered by lame devil scum, no less! I refuse to accept it!" He drew out his gun and aimed. "I refuse to be defeated by-!"
*SHINK!*
Freed screamed in pain, dropping his gun as a black blade pierced his arm. He glared hatefully at the one responsible, Akutagawa. Akutagawa gave a small smirk, as if mocking the rogue exorcist.
"You son of a bi-!"
More black blades pierced Freed's body, lifting him in the air for a brief moment before they retracted back to Akutagawa.
"Now play dead, like the mad dog you are," Akutagawa commented.
Yuuto gave a victorious grin, "We did it! We finally surpassed Excalibur!" The adrenaline was still pumping through him as victory continued to sink in. His goal, after all this time, was fulfilled.
"A sword that uses both holy and demonic power…?" Valper whispered in disbelief. "That can't be possible… to think that both opposite forces would be united in such a way…"
Looking forward, Yuuto glared at the source of all the tragedy he had to endure, pointing his sword at the Genocidal Archbishop. "You're next, Valper Galilei… I hope you're prepared."
"Of course! It all makes sense now!" Valper exclaimed, not even responding to Yuuto, who began to approach him. "Holy and demonic… now I understand! This is the result of the balance between good and evil being shattered! In which case, not only the Devil Kings but also God-!"
Not wasting any time, Yuuto quickly sped to Valper. With a single slash, he bisected the Genocide Bishop at the waist. Valper's eyes trembled as he looked at Yuuto, dying within seconds as the blond knight looked down at him with a look of satisfaction.
"With this… I can be free," Yuuto, taking a deep breath, flicked his blade to the side, ridding it of the man's blood.
"Yuuto-san, are you okay?" Izuku asked.
"…Yes, but not because I was able to kill him," Yuuto admitted, looking up at Izuku and the others with a smile. "It's because I was reunited with my friends that I feel this way. Thank you, Izuku. You and everyone else."
Izuku smiled and nodded.
"No time to celebrate yet," Mizu reminded everyone, glaring up at the Cadre above.
"That certainly was amusing," Kokabiel smirked. "It's impressive that Valper came to that deduction. But his usefulness has come to an end." He rose up from his throne and slowly descended down. The unconventional allied group steeled themselves for a fight against the Cadre.
"Well done, all of you," Kokabiel praised, the grass underneath him folding under his feet as he touched the ground. "That was certainly quite the show. Now, Red Dragon Emperor, transfer your increased power to someone. I don't care who. Hurry up and do it."
"Are you saying you're giving us a chance? Don't be ridiculous!" Rias proclaimed.
"You're the one being ridiculous if you honestly think you can take me on like that," Kokabiel remarked. "You'll need all the power you can get if you want to stop me."
"What do we do now?" Izuku asked.
Rias glared at Kokabiel. As much as she hated that Cadre's arrogance she couldn't afford to waste any more time. She grabbed hold on Izuku's right hand and squeezed it tight. Izuku blushed in reflex. "We don't have much time left. Izuku, transfer the power to me."
Izuku nodded. "Okay. Here it goes…"
[Transfer!]
Rias gave a soft gasp as she felt the sudden rush of energy flow into her, her power rising to a much higher scale than she could have hoped for. Green light illuminated around her body, gaining every last drop from Izuku's boosted power in one moment.
Once she had absorbed all of the power into her body, her entire body radiated pure, demonic energy, covered by the green aura from the Boosted Gear, the very space around her began to shake from the enormous power she now wielded.
Kokabiel didn't seem fazed by Rias' sudden increase in power. In fact, he seemed to find it amusing. "Come on, sister of the Lucifer Satan! Show me what your combined might is capable of!" Kokabiel dared as he stretched out his arms to paint a target on himself.
AN: Man, this took forever. A lot happened that helped delayed this. I'm so glad I managed to finish this chapter. Valper's officially dead, and Freed may be dead. Now the unlikely group of the Gremory Peerage, Tsubasa, Milia, Mafiosi, and Hyde have to face Kokabiel.
Until then, stay safe and stay healthy. See you next time. Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!