Chapter 68: Prelude to Collapse
The Vali Team had little time to rest, for their next mission was merely days after. They went to the Shadow Walkers deserted village in the Akita mountains to investigate. They browsed in silence, with Rizevim's situation still fresh in their minds.
"Hey, what's that?" Adelaide pointed into the ruins of a home.
Moving rubble aside, she brought out a heavy black scale. It was faint, but it pulsated with Sorgamark's dark powers. Vali looked at the bracelet, holding it to the scale as it began to glow brightly.
"Looks like the bracelets work."
Suddenly, the scale dispersed into dust, scattering to the winds.
"In all my lifetimes, the power of Aviturs could linger, but would disintegrate with time." Issei didn't want to confirm the survival of the Aviturs, but he felt that it was no longer an impossibility.
The three continued to search the debris and found more pieces of parchment that bore the symbol of Rizevim's teleportation circle. They were like keys that could sneak past detection for select areas that Rizevim had a hand in. Issei refused to believe that Rizevim was guilty. As far as he was concerned, someone was framing him. Someone had to be.
"Don't give up." Issei gently held Vali's hand as she clung onto the parchment.
"I know, but…what if…" Vali muttered.
This wouldn't have been the first time Vali was thrown into a situation questioning the morality of her family. Even though it was fake, the words that her brain-washed parents had said to her had hurt horribly. Thankfully, it was from manipulation. This time, evidence pointed in the other direction.
"Don't go down that rabbit hole. Let's find out all we can first. Don't lose hope." Adelaide gently patted Vali's shoulder, hoping she could make her feel better.
As time went on, the Vali Team was sent out on missions to uncover more and more of Rizevim's tracks. Mixed in with those missions, were several deployments to the front lines against the Novella Caelum.
After another session with Enki, he had news for the Team.
"After much investigation, we might be able to make a case for Rizevim. I've been looking into matters and it looks like someone's been planting fake transactions and evidence." Enki put one of the teleportation papers on the table.
"If we use time magic to reassemble the paper, the shreds form the symbol of the Lucifer Clan. However, thanks to the work of the Mage Association and Sun Wukong's help, we've got a better grip on things. If we continue to use time magic and reverse the state of the paper, it changes."
True to Enki's words, the paper ripped into shreds again as his spell continued to reverse the state of the paper, creating a new pattern on the paper. Now, the paper had the symbol of the Novella Caelum.
"The Novella Caelum must've used these to get past barriers and then they destroyed the paper to change its state of being and then reformed it and then put the Lucifer symbol on the paper. They were hoping that we'd stop right at the Lucifer's symbol and then accuse Rizevim to lead us into internal collapse. They almost had us."
"What does this mean for us?" Vali asked, almost accusational.
"Rizevim is still being investigated for formalities' sake. However, with this new info, we've got a stronger case of proving his innocence. We still need to clear his transaction history but with this, things will be easier."
"When can we see my family?"
"I don't know. Maybe in a few days. Your family's not out of the woods yet, Vali. For what it's worth, new discoveries could happen any moment now."
Just like that, Vali's mood dropped again.
"Still, things are looking up." Enki smiled for a few moments before resuming his neutral expression.
"Now, since we're here, we have important news to talk about. Your new mission is to help out at Sona's new academy, Auros Academy."
Vali's eyes lit up a bit. One of her childhood friend's dreams had come true.
"It's still a secret from the public, but Sona Sitri's hard work has come to fruition. You're going to go help her safeguard the Academy's touring day for the children as well as help her in any way that you can." Enki passed out packets to read.
Issei was wondering why a foreign deity was giving them info, and not someone from their own government.
"I'm doing this as a favor to Rizevim, since we all know about his situation." Enki seemed to read his mind.
"I see."
Later, Vali couldn't help but call Sona.
"I just heard you're about to open your school!" Vali had to rein herself in.
"Yes, I am. It's going to be in two days." Sona smiled, but Vali could see just how hard she was fighting to keep happy screams in.
"I'll be there. What do you need?"
"We just need extra pairs of eyes to help watch the kids. Also, if you don't mind, would any of you be willing to give a lecture for the children and prospecting teens? It would mean the world to me. I want children to learn from people from all walks of life."
"Of course, I'll ask." Vali was all too happy to agree.
Issei left the room, deciding to walk and do some thinking.
'What's on your mind?' Rexis asked.
'Why frame Rizevim but have such a small impact?' Issei felt like he was being eaten by this question.
'True. It was too easy to uncover this. Still, I don't think it's enough to ruin Rizevim nor is it enough to clear his name.'
'What Sun Wukong said is bothering me too. I've got no idea who to trust.'
'What do you think?'
Issei stopped walking, drowning in his thoughts. It was true that the accusers had a point. Rizevim had gathered him, Vali, and Adelaide under his banner. Bahamut, a symbol of power and trauma from a bygone era and the two people who could influence him were under Rizevim's control. Who wouldn't be scared? The answers and reasons were obvious but the problem was finding out who. If there was careless suspicion, then the foundation of the Alliance would collapse. As for Rizevim and the rest of the Lucifer House, they were completely silent.
'I…don't know.' Issei felt so out of depth and outpaced.
He was in new territory. No past memories to give him clues how to fight or who to fight this time.
'It's rare for you to be so lost without a retort."
'One wrong move and things blow up in my face, Rexis. For now, I'll wait for more evidence. The first move would have to be rounding out who'd want to frame the Lucifer House and then narrow down the people most afraid of me.'
Just then, Issei felt a tap at his shoulder. He turned around to see Vali smiling brightly at him.
"What's up?" He asked, resuming his cheery demeanor.
"Sona wanted me to ask if you could give a lecture at the event in two days."
"Me?"
"Yep. She said that since you remember so many lives, she wanted to ask you to give a lesson to the kids."
Issei thought about it for a short while before agreeing.
"Alright."
"Great! I'm gonna go ask the others."
Issei watched as she walked away. He decided to keep silent. It'd been far too long since Vali had actually been happy. Sure, she'd laugh and smile, but this was probably the first time in a while where she was smiling without something weighing on her mind. At least, that's all Issei could assume.
And so, the day came for the Tour of Auros Academy. Due to the Rating Games officially being held in Agares territory, Sona worked long and hard to secure a spot near it for her Rating Games school.
The campus was massive, with several buildings standing a few stories high with interconnected walkways.
"That's no school…it's a college campus." Issei dramatically stood by the gates.
"Well, duh." Kuroka facepalmed at his poor joke.
"Anyways, let's not keep Sona waiting."
Sona wore a business suit, welcoming the Vali Team, who were all dressed formally per her instructions.
"Welcome to Auros Academy, everyone. I hope you're prepared for the day."
"Ready as can be." Vali shook her friend's hand.
"The Academy is divided into six buildings: physical training, magical studies, creature studies, magic herbology, crafts and smithing, and life studies." Sona pointed at each building.
"I thought this was a Rating Game school?" Bikou asked.
"Yes, it is. However, a dual education in academics is also taught here. While learning the Rating Games trade, the children will also be given traditional education. I won't have the future generations only learn about how to fight."
Without further ado, Sona had her peerage direct everyone to where they were to give lectures. For a good chunk of the morning, Issei was teaching the devil children social studies and human history. Given how more and more humans were choosing to reincarnate into devils immediately now, Issei was asked to teach social norms for humans.
On his lunch break, Issei was visited by someone he hadn't expected to see.
"It's been a long time, Issei."
Grayfia Lucifuge walked over, dressed in more casual clothes.
"Mrs. Gremory." Issei bowed.
"Don't worry. I don't care much for formalities. Today, I'm just a mother."
"What brings you here today?"
"Millicus wanted to see Auros Academy, so I thought I'd bring him here to learn. Ever since the incident a few weeks ago, I think he needs some time away from all the drama."
"Is everyone doing alright?" Issei's demeanor dropped.
"Yes, they're doing fine. The one who's being hit the hardest is Rizevim. As things stand, there are people trying to revoke some of his privileges. Others are arguing for his innocence. The investigations aren't stopping but with Enki and Azazel's recent findings, we have a stronger case now. The trials are still continuing but as it stands, Rizevim might get off with the 'innocent until proven guilty' clause."
Issei wondered why she came to talk to him. Maybe it was just to tell him this, to give him a bit of hope.
"I understand, thank you."
"I know how it feels to have friends and family persecuted." Grayfia's expression softened, even giving him a reassuring smile.
"Huh?"
"My family's served the original Lucifer Clan for generations. In the Civil War, my family sided with the Old Satan Faction, but I defected to the new system after I fell in love with Sirzechs. Naturally, I was also called into question since my brother, Euclid sided against the government. So, hold onto your faith in that things will get better."
"Do I look that troubled?" Issei chuckled.
"Yes, you do. Your eyes say a lot, Issei. Sirzechs also gets that look when he's bottling up his troubles. That's when you should confide in the people that you love."
"I guess that's my problem here. I've got no idea what to do."
"Sometimes, waiting is the best course of action for you while fate handles the rest of the work."
Grayfia immediately left after that.
'Fine lady.' Rexis chuckled.
'How was that helpful?'
'Think about what she said. Maybe instead of worrying over something that you've got no power over, you wait for the right opportunity. Things may look bad, but fate is still at work. Let's wait and see instead of rushing like before and planning for things that we can't expect.'
Rexis did have a point. Being on the reactive side wasn't something Issei was comfortable with, but he had to recede his point.
"You okay?"
Issei snapped around to find Vali behind him.
"I'm alright."
Vali raised a brow, demanding that he be honest. Issei could only sigh in defeat.
"I'm worried about Rizevim."
"You're worried about what people are saying, aren't you?" Vali could already tell what his troubles were.
"I've had a really bad feeling for a long time. I don't know why, but I can't shake it off. I hate this. I hate having all this trouble and not being able to do something. I want to find out the truth but if I do, then it could be used against us."
"I know how you feel, Issei. I want to do the same too, but if we get careless, then it could make things worse. For now, we need to buy our time and think of a plan. I know you hate sitting around, but that's the safest choice right now." Vali held his hand.
"But standing around does nothing. We've done too much of it already." Issei groaned.
"I know, but sometimes, little things are followed by big things. You know that. I want to hunt down the people framing my grandfather too, but like you said, it could be used against us. If we go in guns blazing, then that could be all the proof the enemy needs to put us on the execution stand." Vali tried to calm him down, holding down her own anxieties.
Issei sighed in defeat.
"Alright, I'll keep waiting. I'm sorry I've been so useless lately."
"I know you feel like you owe us, but we took you in because we wanted to help." Vali gave him a gentle kiss on the lips.
"What would I do without you keeping me sane?" Issei sighed as he touched foreheads with her.
"Be crazy." Vali giggled.
That was when magic circles appeared by their ears, only for them to distort with static.
"Come on. I bet Sona's waiting." Vali took Issei by the hand and walked to the Gymnasium.
"What's up?"
"We've got trouble. Security around the Academy's gone silent and we can't get into contact with anyone outside. We need everyone to investigate while we begin sending the children home." Sona looked sweaty, as if spooked.
Sona wasn't one to take risks. For all guards to go silent and no communications to work, it just screamed of trouble. Vali knew better than to argue with Sona's predictions.
"On it."
Issei's spine began tingling, a warning sign of danger.
"Too late; trouble's already here."
A barrier appeared around the Academy, cutting it off from the rest of the Underworld. Issei went into Balance Breaker, firing a beam at the barrier forming. Dozens of Novella Caelum ships teleported into the campus, their guns aimed right at the children and parents.
"How'd they get in here?" Sona growled.
"Magitech. They must've found a way to open gaps in warding spells to sneak in. It's like a new virus sneaking past outdated antivirus." Vali explained.
"We can't teleport the kids and parents out." Saji ran over.
"We need to deal with the enemy first. We've got no choice but to gather the staff and civilians inside the gymnasium. We'll form a barrier while others will fight the enemy. The Satans will have noticed something going on and will try to get in from the outside. We just need to shatter the barrier and get a distress signal out or we buy time for the Satans to reinforce us. Either way, we're going to have to be on the defensive since lives are depending on us." Sona turned to Issei.
"Issei, we're going to have to rely on you to break that barrier."
Without another word, Issei entered Balance Breaker, flying into the sky.
"Everyone proficient at barriers is to form one around the school. All others who can fight are to engage the enemy from a distance. The enemy has airships that can potentially kill you if shot." Sona continued to relay orders, with everyone else scrambling to do just that.
When Issei flew out to engage the enemy, he paused as something teleported into the area. A massive ship that dwarfed anything else that the Novella Caelum had deployed before.
"Those crazy bastards!" Issei gasped.
He recognized it as one the scariest warships of the old galaxy, the Sky Breaker.
"The hell is that thing?!" Kuroka could be heard yelling in shock.
"It's the Sky Breaker. It's a magitech superweapon. It has shields that redirect blasts. It's got homing missiles, railguns, magic cannons, turrets. It's a flying military base." Issei cursed.
He couldn't go all out without risking collateral damage.
"You're saying we've gotta get in there and take it out from the inside?" Bikou wasn't pleased with the idea.
"That's if we can get close enough. I'm going to try."
Before Issei could make good on that, the enemy began speaking.
(Hiroyuki Sawano – Ashes. Play Song.)
"This is Commander Kilesis of the Novella Caelum. We have you sealed off from the rest of the Underworld. There will be no communication with the outside. All of our ships have their weapons aimed at you. Surrender now and none will be harmed. If you resist, we will use force. You have civilians with you, so do not risk their lives lightly." A woman's voice echoed from the ship.
Issei was disappointed when he heard that name. Kilesis had once been his commanding officer when he was Ardjis. It was already sad enough to know that Iltana had joined the enemy. For Kilesis, a steadfast and strong woman to bend to the sweet words of Irae, was something Issei never wanted to have realized.
"Kilesis, I'm Issei Hyoudou, formerly Ardjis."
"I know you are." Kilesis cut him off. The resentment and anger snappy voice spoke volumes of how she felt.
"We don't have to do this. There's no reason for us to fight."
"If you come with me, then we'll leave everyone alone. I swear that we won't touch a single hair on anyone down there. Just come with us so that we can get you away from those people, Ardjis." Kilesis' tone quickly changed from demanding to pleading.
Slowly, someone walked out into the open. A tall young woman in a military uniform appeared. To say she was beautiful was an understatement. She had long emerald hair with amethyst eyes with a curvaceous body that was enough to make even deities obey her.
"You shouldn't even be here, Ardjis. You should be with us." Ardjis didn't look angry. Instead, she looked desperate, even hurt.
"Kilesis…" Issei floated closer to her, opening his helmet to show his face.
Kilesis bit her lip, regretting their circumstances.
"We were happy, all of us. There was a time when we didn't need these weapons. Now, look at us. We all died and we're living in a galaxy that's a shadow of its former self."
"That's no reason to declare war."
"It was going to happen sooner or later, Ardjis. We didn't ask to get dragged into it, but we did. We went extinct, Ardjis. Why are you with those monsters?"
"I've lived through countless lives and I know that they were horrible, but they changed. Everyone's changing. So many are moving past that. Can't you see? This war is senseless. If you'd just tell us what your goal is, then maybe we can achieve it without any more dying." Issei was so desperate for her to see reason. He hated this. The fact that so many people he knew were fighting for a pointless cause for a monster who loved using empty promises and sweet words sickened him.
"I want our old lives back. I want our utopia back. I want all of my family back. So many of the people I loved are gone, several didn't even make it into this Galaxy because their souls were destroyed. Are you just telling me to let it all go?"
"No! But this doesn't undo all that."
Kilesis shook her head.
"This war isn't happening over simple vengeance, Ardjis. It's so that those events don't happen again. The Khaos Brigade was already proof that things aren't going to work out. The Aviturs started waking up and nobody lifted a finger. Even now, your Alliance is ready to cave in from all the paranoia. It's only a matter of time before history repeats itself."
Issei groaned, frustrated with everyone's inability to let go of the past.
"Kilesis, if you all keep this up, you'll become the exact things you hate." He forced himself to remain calm, but even now, he could feel his own irritation fueling Bahamut.
"Our reasons are different, Ardjis. Before you say all that to me, think twice about who you're helping out." Kilesis scoffed at him.
"I'm begging you and everyone else we know, please don't do this." Issei got closer.
"This is going nowhere, Ardjis. Stand down and surrender. I promise we won't hurt anyone if you just do this simple thing. If you come with us, there might be a way to fix everything. Everything can go back to the way they were and we won't ever have to worry about wars like the one that ended the original galaxy. Don't you want a lasting peace that'll never be threatened? Don't you miss our home?" Kilesis stepped closer, begging now too.
The two stared at one another for so long, no one had an idea of how much time had passed.
"I can't, Kilesis. That's the past and there's no way to bring it all back. Please, just walk away from all this. Enough people have died."
Kilesis lowered her head in defeat.
"I'm sorry, Ardjis."
When she looked at him again, she resumed her stern expression with a painful sigh.
"You have ten seconds to surrender or we will begin bombarding the school. I'm not going to keep wasting time with you."
"I'm sorry, Kilesis." That was all Issei could say as he flew backward, aiming his weapons right at the Sky Breaker.
(Hiroyuki Sawano – Ashes. End Song.)
"Open fire!"
Issei changed into [Blitzer] mode, changing his Balance Breaker into a thinner form for speed, and zipped down to the school. He returned to his normal Balance Breaker, charging all of his power to fire four massive beams from his wings and hands, countering the incoming wave of attacks.
Issei knew that if he carelessly shot at the Sky Breaker, the blast would fly right back at him and the school. Flying out to help him was the Vali Team and several security guards from the Sitri family.
"We're going to use Caliburn to cut through the barrier's enchantments and get the civilians out. In the mean time, hold the enemy off." Sona was sweating bullets. There was no way out of this situation. The civilians would either be hostages or collateral damage.
Outside, everyone who could fight were deflecting the armada of beams and projectiles assaulting their shields.
"Damn it!" Tsubaki yelled as she was knocked to the ground.
"She's okay! Keep your focus on the barrier!"
Sona cursed as she realized how much she underestimated the power from a single shot of the enemy's cannons. Vali spread her wings, entering Balance Breaker.
With this situation, Vali had no other choice but to use Argent Raiment.
(Gundam Unicorn OST – Full Frontal. Play Song.)
"I am the Heavenly Dragon who has demolished the principles of domination and received enlightenment. I will guard the dream and purify the infinite. I shall become the Empress of the White Dragon. You will obey my royal decree."
"Juggernaut Imperial Overdrive! Argent Raiment!" Albion declared.
Vali's armor turned radiant silver as her sapphire gems constantly glowed.
"What's that?" Sona had to pause at the new level of power radiating from Vali.
"It's a new form she mastered from Juggernaut Drive. Vali developed it to destroy anyone who tries to hurt us, or more specifically, Issei." Kuroka felt a small bit of relief. She knew firsthand how strong that form was and with Vali leading the counterattack, they could turn their situation around.
Vali stopped in front of the ships, spreading her wings.
"[Compression Divider]"
Grasping the area around the ships with her will, Vali began shrinking the size of the enemy ships, some of them disappearing from sight.
Issei took the chance to volley a storm of exploding spheres from his wings.
"Focus fire on Vali Lucifer." Kilesis summoned new ships to replenish her fleet.
Vali wrapped her wings in front of her, forming a magic circle.
"[Reflect]"
The incoming attacks ricocheted, barraging the ones who fired them in the first place.
"You're telling me she became this strong because of love?" Sona was amused.
If Vali had been this strong when she was in the Rating Games, there might've been no doubts about her winning.
"That's what happens when someone you love is in danger."
"Arthur, any luck?" Sona turned to said Knight.
"Almost there." Arthur was pointing Caliburn at the barrier the enemy put up.
Kilesis sighed in annoyance at the turning of the tables.
"Continue barraging the barrier. I'll engage the enemy."
Kilesis used magic to levitate toward Vali, sizing her up.
"Let's see if you're as strong as the rumors say."
Vali was at a disadvantage for now, not knowing what Kilesis could do. She flung a shot of magic at Kilesis, who flicked it back at her. That stunned Vali. She wasn't trying to be arrogant, but she knew that attack was enough to significantly harm a High-Class Devil. Yet, Kilesis flicked it away without any trouble.
"The people of this time are weaker than they were in the old era. Since you've forgotten everything, Princess, I'll reeducate you." Kilesis spread her arms.
Vali immediately felt herself get yanked to the ground. She tried to flap her wings, but even they were too heavy to move. Kilesis came down like a cannonball, kneeing Vali into the ground.
Vali tried to move out of the way as Kilesis came rushing down again, but again, she was struck into the earth. Kilesis motioned her hand in the air, as if pulling Vali back toward her. Vali took the chance to attack, volleying another surge of magic at her. Kilesis effortlessly maneuvered around, kicking Vali away with enough force to shatter one of the school buildings.
'Telekinesis?' Vali was trying to guess what Kilesis' ability was, judging by all that had happened.
"[Transcendence]"
Vali teleported next to Kilesis, who had to block her hand that was shrouded in a sharp aura.
"[Divide]"
Kilesis merely scoffed as she punched Vali in the face, staggering her back. She had to admit that Kilesis was a lot stronger than a lot of people she'd faced before, maybe rivalling herself and Adelaide. That warranted a stronger response. Vali knew that she had to aim not only at Kilesis, but her fleet as well. Argent Raiment already consumed tons of stamina. Fighting for much longer would only make things worse for herself.
"Too slow, little girl." Kilesis snapped her fingers again, blasting Vali backward with invisible force.
'Can't say I've fought a lot of telekinetics.' Vali shook off the dizziness in her head.
'Brawling isn't your forte, so don't waste your strength. The best way to deal with a telekinetic is with speed and discovering the weakness of the enemy.'
Vali had an idea. She teleported next to Kilesis again, this time, she hit her point-blank with a sphere of magic. Right when Vali was about to connect, Kilesis dropped her to the ground again with some invisible force. However, Vali's magic sphere didn't go with her, exploding in front of Kilesis.
When the dust settled, Vali was annoyed to see that Kilesis was unscathed. In her hands, was a metal scythe covered in magic symbols with a long crescent blade. It glowed with a pale lilac light, with the blade being eerily long.
"You've got a good head for ideas, but that's not enough." Kilesis seemed a bit proud, given her smirk.
(Gundam Unicorn OST – Full Frontal. End Song.)
Vali didn't know if Kilesis was trying to get her to drop her guard, but she felt that Kilesis wasn't trying to kill her.
"It's a shame that you and Ardjis refuse to understand us."
Kilesis didn't even give Vali a chance to talk, attacking her again. The moment her scythe struck Vali's gauntlet; the blade clinked into it, the tear growing. Vali gasped as she managed to punch Kilesis back. Kilesis stifled her groans as the pain settled in. Vali inspected the damage on her left gauntlet. It wasn't easy to break her armor, let alone cut clean into it.
'Vali, from the looks of it, she has a limited range for her magic. Keep your distance and bombard her.'
Albion had a point. Vali's usual mix of melee and magic wasn't working. She tossed two spheres of magic at Kilesis, who dodged and weaved around them like an untouchable feather. With a swing of her scythe, she cut one of the spheres apart. She darted over like a torpedo, nearly striking Vali. The two danced through the air, with Vali firing away at the enemy while Kilesis would close the gap between them almost instantly.
As they fought, Issei was shooting down the enemy ships alongside the others. Thankfully, Arthur had managed to cut through the enemy's barrier with Caliburn.
"We're free, get them out!"
Unfortunately, their charges had to leave in batches. The first to leave were the children.
"Reseal the barrier." Kilesis merely scoffed at the action.
As she said, the barrier around the school campus strengthened, nearly stopping Sona's group from evacuating the last of the parents.
"Sona?" Issei asked.
"We got everyone else out before the barrier closed again. All that's left is to buy more time and get rid of the enemy."
It was time for their offensive. Issei breathed a sigh of relief. There was no longer a need to hold back. Taking aim, Issei let loose, obliterating dozens of ships with beams that raked through the air.
"I'll take care of the Sky Crusher." Issei immediately flew over, only for Kilesis to fly right over and slash at him with her scythe.
"I can't let you get closer, Ardjis."
"It's Issei, not Ardjis, Kilesis. You and the others have gotta let go of the past!"
Kilesis kicked him in the neck before cutting at one of his wings, slicing some of the metal off. Vali caught him as the two took a moment to catch their breath.
"I know you're hurting, Issei, but this is the battlefield. As things are, reasoning with her isn't an option right now. We've gotta focus on survival and escape." Vali had to be stern, even if she understood where he was coming from.
Issei gave a defeated sigh.
"I'm getting tired of all this." He muttered to himself.
Kilesis backed up to give herself a few moments as well. It'd been beyond her expectations for Vali to be this strong, but she could still handle her. The issue was Issei. He had enough raw power to obliterate her fleet. She had to find a way to keep that from happening.
"Why aren't you using your new form, Ardjis? I heard you took a new form that let you defeat the Aviturs."
The truth was, Issei couldn't. That power was currently sealed off from him. Much like Balance Breaker, Issei needed a significant emotional state to activate it, as it was directly linked to Bahamut.
Kilesis glared at Issei for his silence.
"If that's that case, then let's hurry and end this. I taught you better than to hold back when you've got something that can help you win, Ardjis." Kilesis began rapidly spinning her scythe.
"You also taught me not to waste energy on gratuity."
"What's the deal with her scythe?" Vali asked.
"Kilesis can manipulate gravity. Her scythe can apply bursts of gravity to increase its cutting power and weight. She was the commander of the Royal Army and my former superior."
"You all talk too much." Kilesis scolded them as a small black sphere formed at the center of where her scythe spun.
Issei fired his cannons point blank at Kilesis, knocking her backwards. Much to her relief, the black sphere absorbed most of the attack. It whistled into the air, creating an explosion. The sphere burst to life, having become a black hole.
"Oh shit!" Vali gasped.
She had to think quickly. Using [Compression Divider], Vali tried to shrink the black hole, but to her frustration, the black hole was devouring her mana faster than she could shrink it.
Kilesis flew behind her, poised to slash her. Issei rushed in, blasting her back. At the same time, the enemy fleet began resuming their bombardment, preventing the others from helping as they tried to shield themselves.
'This is looking bad, Rexis. There's gotta be something we can do.'
'Use the Knights to immobilize Kilesis. If Vali can't shut down the black hole, then she can. Let go of your attachment and stop holding back.'
Issei didn't retort.
'I know you've been holding back because you don't want to hurt her. She's not extending you that courtesy anymore. People are going to die if you don't get serious.'
(Sword Art Online OST – Swordland. Play Song.)
With great reluctance, Issei decided he would have to actually hurt Kilesis. Spreading his wings, he beelined at his former superior. Issei knew that her gravity powers were perfect for fighting physically, but they weren't infallible. She had a hard time using gravity on mass that wasn't physically concentrated. That meant mana was almost impossible for her to manipulate.
Sending out six Knights, the ghosts of the Round Table attacked her from all sides. With deadly precision, Kilesis beat them all back, swiping her scythe in a sharp dance that whisked away at the Knights. The moment she turned around, Issei zipped over, punching her in the stomach.
Kilesis gagged but not before slamming her hand on his chest. A magic circle swirled to life before Issei plummeted to the ground within the blink of an eye.
"Damn it!" Issei tried to wrestle himself free from the gravity spell.
"Issei!" Vali dived in, only for Kilesis to slam her into the ground with a gravity spell too.
Kilesis gave them no quarter as she layered dozens of gravity spells on them, pinning them motionless.
"Restraints, now!" Kilesis signaled for drones to come rushing in.
Drones deployed a barrier around the two, completely helpless to free themselves.
"I can't teleport!" Vali tried to wrestle herself free but not a single trick was working. She couldn't even muster up any mana.
Kilesis merely watched as the two struggled. She knew how powerful the two were and had spent months planning her confrontation with them. The gravity spells she'd used on them were specifically tailored to be effective against them. She even put anti-dragon magic as well as hundreds of restraining spells into the circles. If her observations were correct, then she needed to get them to more secure bindings soon before they found a way to break free.
"I'm sorry, but this is the best way to remove you two from the equation before things get crazier." Kilesis mumbled as she turned away.
(Sword Art Online OST – Swordland. End Song.)
While the Vali Team was attending the Auros Academy's Tour Day, Adelaide was back at Alliance HQ, passing time alone. She tried to do some reading but her thoughts kept sidetracking to Rizevim's situation and her own.
She stared at the bracelet on her wrist.
'If I'm part Avitur, then shouldn't I be able to tap into this? What if I try to establish a link to find them?'
Adelaide was hesitant to try this idea. She was terrified of her personality being overwritten with Vetrazin's. Ever since she and Issei defeated the Avitur's mind, she'd had no troubles. However, she was scared of the Void's power changing her. She wanted to believe that the Void had no hold over her and had little reason to doubt otherwise. If it did, the Abyss would've destroyed her…Right?
Adelaide gave up trying to read and decided to take a stroll through Headquarters. After some missions and help with the Alliance, she could finally walk around without having to worry about someone breathing down her neck. Even so, she felt the fearful glares directed at her. She was used to being ignored but being stared at wasn't something she liked.
"Feeling restless?"
Adelaide turned to see Sun Wukong smoking his pipe on a bench.
"I guess."
"Come sit. It's been a while since we chatted."
"What brings you here?" Adelaide emphasized that last part. He had to have been following her to just appear out of nowhere.
"Still don't trust me?"
"Trust isn't exactly plentiful right now."
"True."
An awkward silence passed between them.
"I've already spoken to Issei. I figured I should talk to you too. Someone's moving in the shadows."
"Not surprising."
"I need you to stop responding and listen this time." Wukong changed his tone to being dead-serious.
"I know Rizevim. He's pushed for peace and cooperation for a long time. Now, someone's found a way to take him off the board. That means the only real protection for you three is gone. Even if only temporarily, Rizevim can't protect you three right now, and that's a chance that only a fool would pass up. Be careful of everyone around you. If I start acting strangely, then you should also be cautious."
"Is this certain?"
"I'm not sure. I don't know who's working behind the scenes, but I know that this is the most dangerous period for you three. If something goes wrong, then stay with Issei."
"Why him?"
"The Abyss would never sit still and just let one of its prized weapons be misused. Bahamut's soul may be chained, but it's still too powerful in the wrong hands. You weren't there, but hundreds of gods tried to get their hands on him." Wukong scoffed.
"So, what? We just run?"
"That might be your only option till you can figure something out or the Abyss actually speaks. It shocked the world when you all said it appeared on that train. It never directly appears."
"Then why waste time?" Adelaide stood up.
"If you three run now, it'll be used against you. The smallest action can start a downward spiral that can be endlessly exploited. I advise you wait till you have no other choice." Wukong stood up to leave but paused when he sensed a shift in atmosphere.
Adelaide was as still as a mountain, staring off into space.
"What's wrong?"
Adelaide clutched her heart. Her blood went cold as she began to feel a sense of urgency and fear.
"Something's wrong."
Issei was in danger. Vali's distress was also blaring alarms in Adelaide's head.
"Is it Vali?" Wukong had his suspicions, given their connections.
"Yes."
Wukong only smirked.
"It's game time, then. Where?"
"In the Underworld. Issei told me that they're attending Sona's school for demonstrations."
"Then let's go. The others won't complain if I go with you."
Wukong tapped his staff on the ground, transporting them directly to where Issei and Vali were.
When they arrived, the two were staring at the very barrier that the others couldn't break out of.
"Damn. They really got us this time." Wukong quickly tapped the barrier with his staff, causing sparks to fly with the smallest contact.
"This is lost magic." Adelaide inspected it, recognizing the aura it had, along with its coloration.
"They're slightly displacing the location from the local space-time and partially putting it into another dimension. They're also layering all kinds of protective spells over each other. It'd take masters of barrier magic to crack this thing." Wukong cracked his knuckles.
"What're you planning?" Adelaide moved back.
"I'm not called the Victorious Fighting Buddha for nothing. Let me show you kids how to break a barrier."
Wukong rapidly spun his staff, forming a dozen magic circles with different symbols. Drawing a ring around them, he stamped them against the barrier, causing the dome to shine brighter and brighter.
"What're you doing?"
"You kids always try the brute way through. That's why you kids get caught off-guard so much. I'm finding the weakest spot in the barrier and cracking a hole in it. All barriers have an invisible weak point that you can find if you take the time to look." Wukong smirked as found exactly what he was talking about.
"Once you find it, capitalize on it. Make the weakness bigger and bigger and then…"
As he spoke, the barrier began to glow brighter and brighter before the dome began cracking.
"You give one big push with the minimum effort and save yourself some trouble." Wukong took a puff of his pipe as the barrier shattered into fading particles.
"There's no way it's as simple as you make it sound." Adelaide folded her arms in disbelief.
"It might not be, but we'll talk more after we deal with this situation. I need to see to those running away right now. You go help out your boyfriend and twin sister."
Adelaide flew as fast as she could to where the armada of warships were shooting at. Her heart began thumping like a million pistons as thoughts ran through her mind. Were the others alright? Was she already too late?
She stopped short of the enemy's notice, taking a quick look at what was happening. All of the enemy ships were bombarding a barrier about to give out around a school. On another part of the battlefield, Issei and Vali were trapped by a familiar face. Both situations were pressing and Adelaide knew she couldn't be everywhere at once.
Amassing all the power she could, she decided to deal with the situation in one fell swoop. She spread her wings of light, an ivory aura growing around her.
Kilesis noticed her power, stopping all action.
"All ships focus fire to the West at 90 degrees!"
Kilesis knew that if Adelaide charged up [Limit Law], then they'd lose outright.
"Commander, please retreat. We'll deal with this." One of her soldiers spoke up.
"That's not an option." Kilesis began spinning her spear, creating another black hole.
Adelaide could already feel the incoming fire and Kilesis' magic. With one massive burst, Adelaide combined [Limit Law] with [Rejection Zone]. An ivory ring washed over the entire area, dispelling the barriers that were around the warships before being disintegrated by Adelaide's [Limit Law].
Dozens of enemies began falling from the air as the Novella Caelum's warships were destroyed.
"All hands, retreat." Kilesis scowled. They'd been so close to achieving a big win.
She gave one last look to Issei. The two shared a silent apology to one another before Kilesis and her soldier disappeared.
Issei took a deep breath before he looked up to see Adelaide quickly descending. He rushed over, catching her in midair.
"Sorry. I'm pretty tired."
Adelaide had put a ton of power into her magic and now she had to pay for it. It wasn't an easy feat to get rid of barriers on so many giant vessels. On top of that, she went further and destroyed them. Saying she was tired was like saying fire was warm.
"You saved us, but how'd you know what was going on? Did the SOS get to HQ?"
"No, I had a feeling through you and Vali. Sun Wukong and I rushed here as soon as I felt a disturbance."
Issei chuckled.
"You saved us. Vali and I were about to be hostages again."
"Someone's gotta watch your backs." Adelaide pinched his cheek playfully.
After hours of writing a report, something Issei never thought he'd have to do, he could finally rest. He'd been cooped up in an office ever since the attack on Sona's school happened two days ago. It really gave Issei some perspective when he had to pick up work that Rizevim did. Vali got to skip out on it since she had to heal by Enki's orders.
Issei felt like he favored Vali and Adelaide more. He'd engage in more sessions to monitor their emotional and mental states more while only checking Issei's body for any abnormalities. Enki was apparently always a bit obsessive about his research, with Vali and Adelaide's connection being fascinating to him.
With all that said, Issei reclined in his chair, thinking about recent events and where to go from here. The Alliance's leaders were meeting to determine where to go from here at this moment.
'What're you planning?' Rexis already one or two ideas.
'A trip down memory lane.'
'How so?'
'It's time to stop beating around the bush. I've gotta find the blank spots in my memory.'
'I take it you're gonna run off again?'
'Yes. Given all that's happened, I need to keep my cards close to my chest.'
'Let me guess again; you're not gonna tell the others.'
'…'
Issei had sworn he wouldn't hurt his friends again. The last time he kept a secret, he nearly set things on a path to crash and burn.
'Sometimes…you can't tell others.' Rexis sighed in defeat.
'I thought you'd advise against it.'
'I want to, but not with this. We both know how dangerous this is. The more people we tell, the more people will notice. We don't want the wrong eyes on us.'
'That's also what amuses me. Some gods can see into the future or look beyond their surroundings. Either they're being lazy wads or something's blocking them. I can only think of two things.'
'The Void and the Abyss.'
'For all the power I'm supposed to have, I can only blow things up and heal quickly. It's frustrating. I want answers but I can't make any moves.' Issei groaned.
Before Issei and Rexis could continue talking, a knock came at the door before it slammed open. Vali rushed in, panting.
"What's wrong?"
"The Council's decided on my grandfather's sentence."
Issei and Vali rushed over to the Meeting Room where Enki and Sun Wukong wanted everyone to gather.
"As you all know, Rizevim and the Lucifer House sans Vali were put under surveillance in secure facilities. Several instances of evidence accusing Rizevim were found, suggesting his colluding with the Novella Caelum. Monetary transactions from his alias accounts were found along with tags that allowed enemies to sneak in and out of important areas. With that being said, we've done continuous research, with my team and I working against the words of divisions in the Alliance." Enki regarded Wukong.
"We've concluded that Rizevim was framed by an unknown factor in the Alliance. We presented our case and evidence and after hours of deliberation, Rizevim was declared not guilty."
Cheers rang around the room as the Vali Team breathed a long sigh of relief.
"The evidence was already quite abrupt and perhaps weak, but it still caused a ton of trouble. The people who accused Rizevim are now under investigation thanks to some digging from our dear Sun Wukong. Regardless, 24 hours is the time limit until the Lucifer family's release. You have my congratulations." Enki regarded the Team before clearing his throat to show he wasn't done.
"Don't think we're done here, just yet. While Rizevim's name is cleared for now, we can't be certain everything is as we see it. There are still those that no longer trust Rizevim and the Four Satans. I'm sure this damage in reputation will continue for a long while. The enemy can be very persuasive, so your friend today could be your enemy tomorrow. Continue your vigilance." Enki then left the room.
"Don't let him bum you kids out. Enki's just cautious. Now, I've pulled some strings and did some talking and I've secured your return to the Lucifer Mansion. Make sure to enjoy this brief moment of respite. You're still kids, after all. Enjoy your youth while it's here." Wukong chuckled before he also left.
"So, I think this calls for celebration." Bikou was the first to speak up, hoping to lighten the mood.
"After all this commotion?" Izalana deadpanned.
"Why not? It's been crazy recently. Nonstop missions, our vacay got interrupted, and our world got flipped upside down. We're seeing more action than a ton of people dozens of times our age."
"While it's true that we've been doing a lot, it's also wartime. Partying might not be the best course of action." Arthur chimed in too, much to Bikou's disappointment.
"If we keep going, we're gonna break down again." Kuroka sniped at Arthur now, disappointed in his statement.
"But if we keep taking these breaks, we'll never settle this." Lianshi groaned, putting her head on the table.
"Well, what do you say, Mom and Dad?" Kuroka looked at Vali and Issei.
The past several weeks were unkind to the Team. To Vali, the wellbeing of her team and family were above all. To Issei, the mission was beginning to take precedence, as all this time off was hampering their progress. Even so, they wanted to savor moments of peace whenever they came.
"Alright, we'll do a short party to celebrate Rizevim's clearance." Issei softly spoke, to which Vali gave an approving nod to the Team.
Kuroka stuck her tongue out at Arthur, who merely frowned.
Yes, for now, they could try and get through a peaceful day off. Issei felt that at least this much could be allowed. War was now on their doorstep and he wanted everyone to savor these times in case they were lost.
