A Mother's Determination

Damn it all! If I find the damned traitor I will personally introduce him to all of Father's preferred punishments for blasphemers!

Baraqiel could only curse has he found himself wounded and isolated from his allies. A fierce scowl adorned his face while his bloodied body stood defiant against his attackers. All ten wings were revealed in their dark splendor, and an oppressive aura of light dominated the fortress, or rather what remained of it.

When the attack initially commenced, the Progressives stormed the gates using only the Himejima techniques. Once the youkai of the Oniyama-Kai and their stray devil allies began to organize a counter attack, Baraqiel took advantage of their distraction and unleashed the might of a Grigori Veteran from the Great War from above. A terrible barrage of divine light spears and lightning tore through the fortress, bringing down large sections of the roof and walls onto the heads of the defenders.

Realizing their mistake, the youkai reinforced their undamaged sections of the fortress and fell back, leaving the lesser stray devils to be slaughtered. After a few probing blasts proved ineffective against the reinforced segments, Baraqiel descended, and leading his allies forward, charged into the inner sanctums of the fortress, only to be caught in a magical prison. It would only hold him for a moment, but it was all that was needed before he was struck in the gut with a peculiar magical bolt.

A sense of filth and wrongness coursed through Baraqiel as be destroyed the prison with the raw power of his divine aura and proceeded to slaughter the youkai and devils that foolishly charged him upon breaking free. But they kept coming, and over time Baraqiel noticed his reactions were slowing, his blows waning in strength.

Impossible, I should not be so fatigued so soon. And this sensation, I haven't felt it since… Oh, I see…

"It has been a long time since the end of the war, Coward of the Valefor family. I should have known one as disgraceful as you would have used this poisoned magic."

To that, an unseen callous voice echoed from afar.

"Discretion is not cowardice, Fallen filth."

"But abandoning your family is. You are a shameful disgrace that not even devils could tolerate. You dishonor everyone here with your mere presence."

"Bold words Fallen, but who cares if it is dishonorable? After all, victory washes away all dishonor."

"Then I find it baffling that I wasn't able to smell you as we began our siege."

The voice snarled, and let loose several purple bolts of magic, reeking with poison. Baraqiel, despite his weakened state, parried them away almost effortlessly and with a dark scowl, walked forward menacingly.

This will be a tedious battle.

I hope dad comes back soon…

Ritsuka soared alone in the air above her home. It was a beautiful evening, the final dying lights of the twilight could be seen in the distance, while the brightest of stars were just beginning to shine, heralding the coming of night.

Anxious about her father, she begged her mother to allow her to fly to calm her mind, which despite enjoying the coolness of the wind as she leisurely flew about, failed to achieve. Sighing, she closed her eyes slowly and began to descend, stopping to hover a few meters above the yard.

Maybe I should just play with Nozomi and Akeno. Uncle Az gave us a new game sys-

Ritsuka never finished that thought, as a bright purple bolt tore through her chest followed by immense pain. She almost didn't feel the pain of plummeting into the ground. She felt her heart pounding in her chest, with each beat causing the pain to ever escalate within her body. While a strangely familiar blackness began creeping up in her vision, she wondered why she felt so wet on the ground. Weakly lifting her hand to her face, she saw it dyed in red.

That's not good… Mom, I…

Looking into the distance, she saw 16 oddly dressed men leisurely flying towards her in the air. Her eyelids became ever so heavy, and slowly they closed. The last thing Ritsuka heard was her mother's screams before finally succumbing to the ever blackening world.

Shuri sat alone at the kitchen counter, watching as Nozomi and Akeno try the new game system gifted to him by Azazel. Initially Shuri had been hesitant to allow her children to play it, but seeing Azazel's heartbroken expression at her rejection, she eventually caved. But even as she watched her children play some sort of racing game with turtle shells, her mind was elsewhere.

Souta has been arrested and imprisoned by the Family Head. And at the worst possible time, with almost all of our able practitioners with Baraqiel, all the progressive families are feeling exposed. Without Souta's calm leadership, we are on the verge of panicking.

Her thoughts were interrupted upon hearing a loud thump from the backyard alongside her daughter's scream. Running outside, she was greeted once more by a scene from her nightmares: her daughter once more crumpled onto the ground in agony, only this time in an ever enlarging pool of her own blood. Screaming in horror, she almost rushed forward until she saw a group of men mirthfully flying towards them, their smiles promising nothing but misery. Their smiles were growing ever brighter as they heard the tiny screams of Akeno and Nozomi, who ran out to follow their mother. It took all that Shuri had to suppress the urge to recklessly run out towards her daughter.

Devils… it is my first time seeing an entire peerage like this. They must be here for revenge against Baraqiel. After all, how best to hurt a man by killing his family? They are still outside of the house's boundaries, so I can raise the barrier. But will it last long enough? Devils are evil but not stupid. They wouldn't come here unless they had a way to make sure we were defenseless. But how would they know? Unless…

Cursing, her eyes narrowed in fury at the thought of the Family Head being so cruel and callous. The devils could not have made it this far into Himejima territory without members of the family being complicit. But discovering how deep the treachery went was a question for later. Breathing deeply, she turned towards her eldest and most reliable daughter.

"Akeno, do you remember the hidden path I made to escape the sights of spirits?"

Akeno tore her eyes away from her bleeding sister and looked at her mom in confusion.

"Yes?"

"It should work against any supernatural being. Take it and run to your cousin's Suzaku's house and get help."

Akeno's eyes widened in disbelief.

Why is mom sending us away? Shouldn't we be going to save Ritsuka now?

"Mom! But what about-"

"Now is not the time Akeno! I cannot protect us and save Ritsuka at the same time. I need you to get help from your cousins before the shrine falls!"

Against her mother's unusually stern glare, Akeno's resistance quickly crumbled. Looking at her feet, she could barely mutter her next words.

"I… understand mother…"

Seeing that her eldest daughter was placated, Shuri knelt down to look Nozomi in the eyes. The protective girl's gaze flickered between her mother and the fallen Ritsuka, eyes filled with indecision on what to do, on who to follow and protect. Sensing Nozomi's inner turmoil, Shuri spoke with a tone of steely determination.

"Nozomi, my daughter, can you protect Akeno for me? I can rescue Ritsuka, but I need you to protect Akeno so I don't get worried. Can you do it for me?"

"Yes mom…"

"Good, now go! As soon as you make it outside of barrier limits, I'll activate it. Whatever happens, don't let any of the devils find you. Get to Suzaku and get help. NOW GO!"

With hesitation in their faces, the pair ran into the house and into a hidden path in the back.

Satisfied, Shuri stood back up, closing her eyes and filtering her energy into the environment around her. Once her senses encompassed the entire shrine, she smiled as her daughters obeyed her and began running down the path.

Once she felt the pair leave the boundaries of the barrier, Shuri channeled all of her energy into the ground beneath her. The pulse of her spirit throughout the grounds caused all the talismans and anchors throughout the area to glow in power, bringing to life an unseen protective dome around the shrine.

Oh? What is this? Some sort of barrier?

Begmal Valefar, a blue-haired devil with dull fuschia eyes, one of the last surviving members of the 'extinct' Valefar. He and his father, Olran Valefar, were disowned by their family for betraying their values during the Great War. After all, how can one embody the concept of honor among thieves when they revel in dishonor and all of its forms?

He stared at the barrier, curious yet unwilling to touch it. He nodded at one of his pawns who fervently shook his head in a frightened defiance. Annoyed, a magic circle appeared next to him, and a crimson aura appeared around the pawn. Shaking in fear, his body unnervingly flew into the barrier, his screams of pain bringing a smile to the callous devil's face as the poor man was slowly incinerated by its pure energies. The other pawns in his peerage could only look on in horror, while the other pieces watched with resigned indifference.

"So that's what would happen if we were to touch it. Oh well, in war you must sacrifice pawns in order to gain victory. Good thing they can be easily replaced."

Looking at his unmoving peerage, his eyes flashed in rage, and his aura flared.

"Why are you all just watching? There must be a weakness. Find it!"

The devils under his command scrambled, firing their magic into the barrier, probing it for weakness, while others descended onto the ground, searching for possible anchors powering the barrier. All the while, Begmal arrogantly floated above, staring at a spare pawn piece he hid in his sleeve.

What better way to break a man than by enslaving his woman. Granted, I'd need to offer her something to take the deal, but if I word it cleverly enough, I can kill her children AND make her my mistress. At least until I am bored with her.

Licking his lips, he watched as the woman scrambled outside to fetch her child and carry her inside, the child's blood staining her clothes.

Soon…

This isn't good, those monsters poisoned Ritsuka as well…

Urgently, Shuri wrapped the wounds of her daughter with blessed bandages, easing her pains. However, they did little against the bulging purple veins spreading outwards from the wounds. Once the bleeding was adequately staunched, Shuri once again picked up her daughter and carried her into a deeper part of the shrine. It was a dark room, lit only by the burning incense and the gentle glow of the Kanji written on the walls, representing the four divine deities that safeguarded the cardinal directions. Talismans hovered in the air, each one humming in power, begging to be used.

Gently, Shuri laid her daughter in the center of the room. Lines brimming with power appeared on the floor, spreading out in geometric circles away from Ritsuka as the floating talismans descended and placed themselves on key points in the array, glowing brilliantly. In the light of this sacred glow, the air itself seemed to be cleaner, a purity rarely seen in the modern outside world. In this blessed place, the bulging purple veins receded, the corruption of their weak potency cleansed.

Seeing her daughter recover, Shuri sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness, the Purification Room works against even a devil's malady. But at this rate, it will take about 30 minutes for the bile to be purged out of her system."

As she spoke to herself, the telling thuds and vibrations from the destruction of the various anchors could be felt throughout the shrine. Running outside the room, Shuri sealed the door behind her with an ofuda before running throughout their home, activating various wards and enchantments to strengthen the shrine's walls. Then she ran to Azazel's workshop, or more accurately, the guest room that Azazel modified without permission into a "workshop". There she found two dozen talismans that her kin left behind before going with Baraqiel.

Gathering all that she could, she ran back to the entrance of the Purification Room before dropping them on the ground and running back for the others. After the third trip, she ran to her own room to don her practitioner's robes and gohei. Every device left behind by Azazel and herself to help deal with the angry spirit was primed to fire as she spread her conscious throughout her home. The barrier was flickering as the final anchor was destroyed, and the devils in their arrogance flew lazily towards the shrine, confident in their victory.

"To think these devils would have the gall to waltz in and strike down MY daughter… They will learn the meaning of true hell."

Smiling sadistically, she activated the traps Azazel laid should the spirit ever properly materialize. His machines whirled into life as a field of divine light began emanating from the very grounds of the shrine, constantly burning the devils as it attempted to purify the evils found within their souls. The weaker devils immediately fell unto the ground, writhing in pain as their bodies disintegrated before the raw power of the Fallen's light.

Enraged, some of the devils launched their spells at the shrine. But instead of seeing the walls crumble beneath the volume of their attacks, there was barely a scratch, the dim glow of Shuri's Ofuda bleeding through the walls. Without the little patience they had when they arrived, the remaining devils charged the house.

Begmal only watched on with wary eyes as he saw his peerage fall one by one to the traps. Devils that served him will for decades were collapsing under the strain of the Fallen's Aura saturating the air, while those who served for centuries could not hide their desperation as they charged the shrine. The fallen devils' cries for help were quickly drowned out by eruptions of light spewed from the ground as Azazel's machines unleashed their holy wrath upon the invaders while ofuda and protective talismans of the Himejima gleamed defiantly against the onslaught of his bishops' magic.

Impossible, what kind of trickery is this? Not even the most fortified shrines of Japan has defenses like this. I heard of the paranoia of Baraqiel's wife, but even this is too far. The mere safety of mewling spawn should never warrant this level of traps and defenses. Still, it will ultimately mean nothing. I may have lost over half of my peerage, but the survivors are grizzled veterans who are about to storm through the doors. One mortal of her stature could do little against veterans of the Great War. However, this resistance means I'll have to be extra creative while I break her in my b-

Begmal never finished the thought, as his eyes widened in shock at the absurdity before him. His rooks, veterans of the Great war tore down the doors barring their path, only to be immediately struck down by a barrage of spears of light. His surviving peerage paused in shock at the sight.

A costly mistake.

From one of the windows, more spears erupted forth, striking down a motionless knight and the last surviving pawn.

"F-fall Back!"

Begmal's peerage broke, retreating back towards him while spears of light peppered them from the shrine, grazing the survivors. Once they fled beyond Shuri's reach, they took a sigh of relief before making their way to Begmal.

Covered in countless cuts and burns, the remaining devils survived the ordeal, only to be greeted with their king's most displeased scowl.

My peerage, savaged by a woman. A single mortal woman! Useless, my entire peerage is useless! All that remains is a knight, a bishop and my queen! Veterans of the war reduced to such weakness. Bah! The foolishness of the current 'Satans' is infecting and weakening all of devil kind, even those that stayed faithful to the old ways…

Frowning, Begmal looked towards the shrine, flecks of light still rising from the ground.

Regardless… how did a mortal woman manage to create spears of light? Something odd is at play here…

Panting, Shuri leaned against the door protecting her daughter before sliding down to the floor.

That was… intense. Firing all those talismans drained everything I had… It's good that they didn't press the attack. I would've been too exhausted to fight back.

Slowly righting herself, she struggled to spread her senses throughout her home.

Most of the defenses have been burned out, the holy aura is still active so it will weaken the devils once they return, but based on their last assault, it won't do much against the survivors. They are well beyond an average devil. Still, I bought 20 minutes. If I can drive them off one more time, I can flee with Ritsuka.

Losing herself in that innocent wish of saving her daughter, Shuri smiled before closing her eyes. Taking a few moments to indulge in that dream, she eventually opened her eyes and began patrolling her house, looking for anything that she could use to slow down the invaders.

Tsk, looks like I used up everything that I could already...

Wandering close to the door, she noticed the burned out talismans littering the floor.

Only 6 left, all but one of which can only produce spears of a mere 2 winged angel. Wait… what about…

Shuri immediately broke into a run, dashing to Azazel's workshop. Upon reaching it, she walked to a familiar desk, opened a drawer and found several talismans: the flawed prototypes that would explode if too much energy filtered through them. Smiling sadistically, Shuri ran out of the room and returned with an Ofuda, pried from one of the walls of her home. Carefully, she attached it to the bottom of the talismans and rigged it to filter her power on her command.

Now all I have to do is leave enough evidence that they will come to this workshop. Between talismans and the other equipment left by Azazel, it should make a potent explosion. I feel a little bad for Azazel though, some of these artifacts were rare if I recall correctly. Oh well, I'll just blame the devils for tampering with his workshop, not like he needs to know that I caused it.

Shrugging, Shuri removed more ofuda from the outer walls of her home to reinforce the inner walls, especially the walls separating Ritsuka from the now explosive workshop. Nodding at her handiwork, she once more sat in front of the room housing Ritsuka and waited, as she sensed the devils invading once more…

Begmal and his peerage flew once more towards the shrine at a leisurely pace. The holy aura was still in effect, but a high class devil of his stature could easily shrug it off. His weakened peerage on the other hand, were suffering greatly, panting and sweating at the effort to resist being purified.

Pleadingly, they looked towards their king to allow them to charge posthaste to storm the shrine, but Begmal scoffed and kept his leisurely pace. The message was clear:

You have disappointed me, this is your punishment.

The knight, a man who served Begmal since the beginning collapsed from his wounds. Shielding others, he bore the brunt of several holy explosions to enable as many as possible to survive, only to be peppered by lightspears as he shielded his weaker comrades during the retreat.. His burnt and scarred form squirmed restlessly on the ground as his body slowly turned to ashes, his desperate eyes pleading to be saved. His comrades looked on in remorse at their powerlessness, while Begmal turned his back, callously abandoning the man who served him unflinchingly the longest.

Resigned to his fate, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before fading to ashes in the soft breeze.

Eventually, the three arrived at the Shrine's destroyed doors. Begmal's queen and bishop initially hesitated in entering, fearful of another trap that could lay waste to the rooks, but the furious glare of their king convinced them to push forward. The pair rushed in, magic formulas forming in their hands as their weakened and exhausted bodies trembled from the strain, only to be greeted with silence. Hesitantly, they released their formulas as their king followed in behind them, observing the scene of their rooks' failure.

Odd, I see no traps here. There are no signs of the wards used by the grigory or any of the machinery Azazel produced during the last years of the war to support his kin in battle. Only burned out ofuda and talismans.

Walking slowly, Begmal continued to inspect the room, before eventually picking up one of the spent talismans.

Odd, I can feel the fading presence of light here... Wait, are those grigory sigils mixed in with the Himejima symbols? By the Satans, this isn't merely Baraqiel's home… this is a weapons laboratory for the Grigori. Of course there are countless layers of defenses!

"FOOLS! This place isn't merely Baraqiels home! It's a testing ground and workshop for Azazel! All it took was one glance to figure this out and the LOT OF YOU COULDN'T REALIZE THIS?! Maybe I should kill you both so I can start anew with my peerage"

The two survivors shuddered in terror. Terror of their tyrannical king and the slowly encroaching purification. Disgusted at their pathetic sight, Begmal's aura flared and his eyes flashed red.

"Perhaps you may wish to prove you have still marginal worth by seeking out the workshop while I deal with the bitch who ravaged you."

Nodding, the two scrambled down the hallway, ransacking the place to find ANYTHING that could appease their mercurial master. Sighing in contempt, Begmal casually walked down a different hallway, unwittingly towards Shuri and the purification room.

Shuri sighed in disappointment as she sensed the two approach the workshop.

If only all of them went there… oh well. Beggars can't be choosers.

Smiling sadistically, she willed the ofuda to activate, triggering the talismans. A thunderous explosion rocked the house as light and wood shrapnel flew in all directions not shielded by the ofuda reinforced walls. A full two thirds of the shrine collapsed, burying the irate Begmal in the rubble.

Breathing deeply, Shuri once more stood up. Drenched in sweat, she could barely keep her herself from panting in exhaustion, but once more, she raised her gohei and the 4 talismans between her fingers, primed to fire.

A roof falling down on him will not be enough. Once he emerges I'll have one chance, one shot to take him down. I don't have the strength for a prolonged fight.

On cue, Begmal erupted from the rubble, screaming in rage as his magic ignited the wood with purple flames.

"YOU BITCH! I'M SO GOING TO ENJOY BREAKING YOU TENFOLD ON MY BED!"

To that, she responded with multiple spears of light that punctured his arms, torso and legs. Flinching, he stumbled forward, blood flowing from his wounds.

But he did not fall.

"It will take more than that to stop me wench. Don't worry though, I'll show you a good time after this."

Smiling ferally, magic formulas manifested in his palms as he charged forward shrugging off the following spears of light Shuri fired. The two began a deadly dance, as an exhausted Shuri staved off the attacks of Begmal, who laughed sadistically as he saw the wounds pile up on the woman.

He's toying with me… good. He's letting his guard down. The fool hasn't even noticed that his own reaction times are dropping as the holy aura of the shrine saps away at his strength. All I need to do is hold out a bit longer. I still have two cards I can play, two chances to turn this around. I just need to last long enough to use them.

Throughout this entire debacle, there was one who could only watch as the battle raged before her. An unwilling witness, Jeanne Alter watched the desperate struggle of her master's mother to defend Ritsuka.

If only I could intervene… Shuri used up all the defenses to keep me at bay on the devils so I can safely materialize now… if it wouldn't kill my master. The wounds on her is grave, she wouldn't survive summoning me as she is right now with poison coursing through her. She'll need a week to recover enough to summon me. Damn it all!

And so Jeanne watched. She watched as Shuri rescued Ritsuka right from under the noses of the devils. She watched as Shuri converted her home to a fortress. She watched as Shuri sacrificed more and more of her home to buy much needed time. She watched as Shuri wreaked havoc on the invaders, taking gallons of blood for every inch lost. She watched Shuri's unyielding determination against all odds.

She reminds me of the people of Uruk, staying strong against all odds, knowing that at the end all will probably be lost, but resisting with every fiber of their being all the same. All for the hope that there will be a slim chance to save the future, if not the present.

Smiling softly, Jeanne reminisced during the lull in the battle. Her mind recalling the month spent in Babylon during the reign of King Gilgamesh. Of the strength of its people during the apocalypse and how despite all odds added Chaldea in restoring the Grand Order. Any resentment Jeanne once held against Shuri's attempts to exercise her flowed away, as hatred for the Devils that dared attack their home surged in its place.

At least I'll be able to talk to Ritsuka when she wakes up through our mental link. I'll be able to guide her to safety while Shuri holds off this devil. She'll most likely die, but I'll avenge her all the same. It's the least I can do.

As the final bout between Shuri and the sole remaining devil began, Jeanne felt a tug at the back of her mind, which soon became a question.

Ugh… what happened?

Jeanne's eyes widened in relief as she heard her master once more.

Master! I'm so happy you're awake, but now isn't the time to celebrate. You need to run, now!

Jeanne? What's going on?

Devils, bad guys have come to kill you because they want to hurt your father. Your mom asked me to guide you to safety while she holds them off.

Really? I thought she didn't like you.

She doesn't, but right now it's more important to get you to safety.

Silence reigned between the two as Jeanne quietly hoped that Ritsuka would believe her little lie.

Ok, but afterwards will you go back to save mom?

Yes, I will do everything I can for her once I know you are safe.

Ok, I believe you!

Jeanne could only smile sadly, thankful that Ritsuka could not see her.

Ok, master first thing we need to do is… MASTER GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR!

Without hesitation, Ritsuka dived away from the door before exploded into a thousand different pieces. Skittishly, she peaked her head through the ruined door to see her mother, bloodied and wounded, standing her ground against an blue-haired man with his back against the door.

"Mom?"

Master, you idiot!

The pair paused in their battle upon hearing her voice, and the strange man glanced at her with a manic grin before grabbing her by the throat and holding her before her mother.

"Submit bitch, or watch as I snap your little girl's neck."

"Ritsuka! You monster!"

Chuckling, Begmal tightened his grip on Ritsuka's throat, making her squirm and flail in desperation.

"Throw your trinkets at my feet, and I'll spare your child. Or do I need to squeeze harder?"

Glaring, Shuri tossed her talismans and her Gohei at his feet. Never breaking eye contact, she ignored the triumphant look on his face has he gloated about his superiority and all the obscene things he would to to her and her daughter in his infinite mercy..

Keep talking monster, I haven't lost yet.

Author's notes

Heya peeps! It's been a while!

Sorry for the delay in writing, I was hit with a wombo combo in real life. I had final projects due, final exams to take, fell ill immediately after said final projects and exams, and in one of my part time jobs lost a months worth of timesheets so I wasn't paid. Still waiting on getting paid to be honest. So yeah, December's been rough to say the least.

That aside, this was a hard chapter to write. I wasn't quite sure how to write this chapter because all the cool stuff happens next chapter, and I was so focused on that it made it hard to write a worthy prologue to it. I hope you guys found this chapter satisfactory.

Oh right, and only 4 of you noticed this, but I put a poll up on my page about what story you guys want me to focus on next. By focus on next I mean whenever I lack inspiration for my current 3 stories where to direct my imagination towards. And no before some of you ask, I haven't abandoned a Boulder in the Path of Conquest, it's just that more people are begging me for this story and a Certain Heroic Reality so I put it in the back burner for now until I need a break from these stories.

Oh and hypothetically speaking, if someone wanted to make a thread to debate how spells of different franchises would interact on SB or SV, where would that fall under? The mods on those sites scare me at times and the normal users have a tendency to utterly ignore my questions and my existence. I'd rather not make a noobish mistake and get dogpiled again.

Nothing else to really talk about for now, other than Smash Ultimate is fun. I wonder if I played against any of you guys online? Right then, off to start writing some more stuff. The fans of a Certain Heroic reality have been getting antsy, lol

Editor Notes:

Life. Sucks. Scraped by with grit and the power of college angst. Even so, as I edited this piece at less than 50%, I tactically decided to leave the AN alone because existing hurts. If Kovaras sounds less intelligent than usual, thank me later.

But, the delay is mainly due to predicaments on both ends. Kovaras had jazz to deal with so he wasn't able to write much, and when he was able, my existence began to dive for worst. One month delay, but hey. We're alive. Somehow. Maybe. Potentially. Okay, I don't know if I count as "alive" at this point.

In other news, Azur Lane has me swooning over Tirpitz. She may not be at my baby Enterprise's level, but she put Graf and Illustrious down a spot. Her 2D Live skin was sooooo worth.

Anyways, be happy with life friends. I.e., don't be me as I'm editing this.