I do not own Highschool DxD nor do I own Diablo. All rights respectively go to Ichiei Ishibumi, the series' creator, and Blizzard Entertainment, the company who made Diablo.
OP: Larval Stage Planning – Triple -innocent of D- (Highschool DxD OP 1)
(Like the original OP, Rias, Akeno, Koneko, and Asia are shown before the screen is briefly covered by the title of the show before it flashes to Rias standing on top of the ORC clubhouse with her wings open, staring at the red moon, which then shifts into the Gremory magic circle)
(The title is shown as Highschool DxD: The Prime Evil)
Majiwariau sen to tooku yobikakeru sora (The Dark Wanderer trudges the wastes of Pandemonium with the wind blowing behind him as his coat flies by while the camera zooms in onto his black-veined jaw during the second half of the line, showing a red glow by his forehead)
Juuji no shita de mau senritsu no koe (Rias is shown at her desk in the ORC building looking at the Red Soulstone shard as the shadow of Diablo watches her from above and behind)
Yowasa nado kimi ni misetaku nai kara (Asia is shown by the fountain like in the original OP as she turns to the camera and smiles before it veers to the left to show a stained glass window of the Eternal Conflict)
Kaze wo ukete furikitte susume (Raynare is shown first as Fallen Angel before she turns into a Demon which follows Aidan and her in battle)
(Aidan is then seen thrusting the Red Soulstone into his forehead just as the chorus plays and screen briefly turns white)
Shoudou wo tokihanate! kakemeguri tsumoru ishi (Rias is shown firing a Power of Destruction at the screen before it switches to the Dark Wanderer turning around as his Sacred Gear, the Al'Diabolos Claws, are shown briefly)
Sono me wo wasure wa shinai (The Wanderer, revealed to be Aidan as the light shines on his face, is shown with Rias in the background staring to the east)
(Rias is shown three times just like in the original OP)
Kioku wo yurasu DrawxDelete ashita ni kaeru ima wo (Aidan and Riser battle; before Kiba, Akeno, Asia, and Koneko are shown in the ORC room like in the original OP)
Mata rinne suru tomoshibi sotto hoho wo tsutau kurenai (Aidan, with a red power aura enveloping him, screams as the soulstone in his forehead glows and his body begins to mutate, with spikes, claws, and horns protruding as Diablo assumes full control and possession. He roars and charges at the screen before slashing with three claws downwards)
(Like in the original OP, Aidan is met with other members of the ORC rallying around him outside, except Rias, who looks down from the second floor of the clubroom with a smile. The camera zooms in to Rias' left eye before the last scene shows a King piece and the Red Soulstone on a chessboard)
WEEPING HOLLOW…
"The crown must be close," Koneko said once they traverse down to the second level of the mausoleum.
"The chancellor kept it safe for many years," Aidan noted. "He had hoped that Leoric would never again rise from the grave."
The next morning, everyone ventured to the Weeping Hollow
When Aidan had told the nephalem that the Skeleton King had been raised from the grave, they were not surprised. When they were figuring out why Tristram was under siege for six days and not destroyed yet, they figured that the one behind all of this wanted to make the townsfolk suffer first before they were killed. And to command an undead army of this scale had to be someone who held such influence over them even in death.
In order to defeat Leoric, he had to be contained in his physical form. With him as a ghost, he would be unstoppable. And the only way to bind him to the world of the living was to find his crown, located within his chancellor's tomb, and place it on his corpse, thereby fusing both flesh and spirit together.
The ORC had walked for only 30 minutes within the mausoleum of the chancellor. Apparently, the corpse and crown were buried far underground to prevent looters and tomb robbers form ever acquiring it.
Soon everyone came to a great hall where, at the other end of it, lied Chancellor Eamon's mausoleum and with it, the crown of King Leoric. It was a golden pointed crown, with its center point in the middle was the tallest.
"Is that it?" Asia asked.
"Looks like it," Kiba saw. "But something doesn't feel right."
"I agree," Akeno agreed. "I can sense many angry souls watching us."
"More importantly, where are the guards?" asked Koneko.
The group head up to the Chancellor's tomb and see the golden crown with five points. It looked as if it was ready to be taken without hesitation, no traps to be triggered and nothing to worry about.
But just as Aidan reaches and was about to touch it, a sphere of arcane magic surrounds the crown and some sort of wraith-like ghost appears from the statue holding the crown, appearing right behind the group as they turn around.
"No! I will not allow you to bring that monster Leoric back to this world!"
"Well of all the luck, the chancellor shows up!" Aidan said as he prepares himself for combat.
"That's okay, Aidan," Rias reassured. "I came prepared. Akeno!"
"Yes, Buchou!" Akeno said as suddenly, Akeno conjures up a blue seal which shines into the wraith's presence, making the wraith back off from the light. It was a light that burned brightly as the wraith screams from it.
Then, Akeno calls down her lightning from above.
*PZZSHH*
One powerful bolt of holy lightning and the wraith was mortally wounded.
And almost instantly, the wraith of Chancellor Eamon spun in a circle and was vanished into thin air.
Aidan was surprised. "How did she-?"
"I did not mention this before, but Akeno has special spiritual powers in which to exorcise spirits," Rias said. "She had inherited it from her mother, who was a spiritually powerful shrine maiden once."
Aidan did not want to pry anymore, for when he looked at Rias during her explanation, she bore a painful expression, one directed at Akeno. Something must have happened in Akeno's past for Rias to make such a face. Whatever it was, he did not wish to know.
Once Chancellor Eamon was laid to rest, Aidan walks forward to the altar and picks up the crown.
"We have the crown," Aidan said. "We should return to Tristram immediately."
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement as Aidan opens up a blue portal for everyone to step through.
TRISTRAM…
Once the ORC return to Tristram, the attacks have begun to slow down. Johanna was needed at the forge to help with the weapons and armor for the militia while Alrik and Li-Ming keep the defenses secured. Kharazim was once again at work helping the injured.
"Here is the crown," Aidan presented to Johanna.
"Alright let me see…" Johanna takes the crown to examine it. "Ahh, it needs a repair. But it should be no problem."
Johanna soon takes it over to an anvil and starts hammering away to repair the broken crown. After merely five hits on the crown, it shines bright as new. Was that really possible?
"There. New as the day it was placed on the Black King's head," Johanna hands over the crown to Aidan.
"Okay, so we got the crown restored," Koneko said. "Now what?"
"Now you just need to place it on the Skeleton King's physical body in order to fuse his soul to it. Only then do you stand a chance to kill him."
The plan sounded simple and easy enough. Although they did wonder how they were going to get there with so many undead between them and the Cathedral. Cutting through them all will be a waste of time and flying was no option due to the skeletal archers and their perfect aim.
*BOOM*
A massive explosion suddenly interrupted the group as they look to see that the town's gates have been breached.
"They've broken through the gates!" The militia captain called out. "Fall back! Fall back!"
"No!" Alrik said as he chops down a pack of undead with his axes. "If we fall back now, the town is destroyed! Hold your ground, men!"
Johanna knew then that there was no time to waste. He soon hands a scroll over to Rias.
"Take this to the waypoint," Johanna said as she gets on her Crusader armor. "It will bring you over to the Royal Crypts, located in the Cathedral. Within those crypts lies Leoric's resting place. Place the crown on the Skeleton King, and you'll be able to defeat him."
Johanna then leaves for the gates to rally their defenses. With the repaired crown and the scroll from which to reach the Royal Crypts, it was all smooth sailing as everyone heads to the waypoint and teleports away in a flash of blue light.
TRISTRAM CATHEDRAL: ROYAL CRYPTS…
Once the ORC arrive in a flash of blue from the waypoint, they find themselves in some sort of crypt that contained the sigil of the royal family of Khanduras. It was somewhat dark and had a green glow to it, giving off that feeling of undeath.
"This looks like a crypt for royalty," Akeno stated as they trudge through the hallway.
They then notice a massive amount and array of jars piled up on the sides of the wall.
"What's in these jars?" asked Koneko as she looks curiously at them with her hands on her knees.
"Ashes," Aidan revealed when he looked inside one of them. "They must've contained the remains of some of Leoric's nobles and loyal followers."
That was disturbing to say the least. These royal crypts must have contained so many royal subjects of Khanduras. To have them all be buried here underneath the Cathedral.
After opening the steel gate, the ORC come at last to a massive open chamber where a ghostly sword befitting of royalty, likely belonging to Leoric, laid within the ground.
"What is that?" asked Kiba.
No one was certain why a ghost sword would be there. As they cautiously move forward, Aidan carefully reaches for the sword, only for it to disappear in his hands even as he grasped the hilt.
*SHIING*
As the sword dissipates, ghostly figures showed of five loyal knights, with one of them dressed in silver armor and revealed to be Lachdanan. In the middle was King Leoric, at the height of his madness and surrounded by his own men.
"Keep your distance from him." Captain Lachdanan commanded as he approaches his king. "This burden is mine to bear."
As he approaches his fallen king, Lachdanan gives his last departing words.
"May death bring peace to your madness, Leoric."
*STAB*
With great sorrow weighing heavily in his heart, Lachdanan runs his sword straight into Leoric's heart. Leoric feels the pain and cries out as Lachdanan pulls out his bloody sword. Falling to the ground, Leoric still retained his insane mind and venomous tongue for he too had some final words to say to his royal guards.
"Traitors! Even in death, the armies of Khanduras will still obey their king! Even if you will not…"
With those last cursing words, Leoric slumps to his left dead. The ghosts of the past soon disappear, fading away as the memory is gone.
Thus ends the reign of the Mad King and the end of his kingdom and legacy.
Everyone had mixed opinions.
"A grim end to a madman," Kiba said.
Rias felt pity, however. "To think… a man of such holy faith would fall so easily to corruption."
"All mortals are corruptible, Rias," Aidan said. "Even the noblest of kings."
"He acted on faith but hope alone could not save him nor his kingdom," Akeno noted.
"Do you think the High Heavens could have aided him when they knew what was happening?" Asia asked.
"Not without breaking their truce of non-interference," Aidan said. "I suspect they did know what was happening but since they favor their ancient laws over interference on mankind's behalf, they would be content to do nothing."
Once the ORC continue to head downwards through the crypts, they came upon another room that had four large pillars and with three doors surrounding it. The door in front of them led deeper into the chamber while the side doors led to more crypts.
A rumbling soon occurs within the chamber as a teal mist emerges from the floor. And with it, a not-so surprising guest that everyone had already ran into before.
"KYAAAHHH!" Asia screamed as she went behind Aidan, cowering in fear from the ghost as Aidan shields her away.
"YOU DARE TO BRING THE WARMTH OF LIFE INTO MY TOMB?!" asked the ghostly Skeleton King.
Everyone prepares themselves as they beheld the specter. Leoric then summons the dead to his side and activates four pillars that constantly spawn the dead. Leoric soon departs through the wooden door behind him and deeper into the crypt.
A FEW MINUTES LATER...
Once the pillars were destroyed and the skeletons were obliterated, the ORC came to a large gate in front of them that only held more tombs.
They came at last to a large door to the far left. It was large and golden, with a lock mechanism that turns and shines a blue-teal light before the door opens. Two eagles were on each side of the ornate door, symbolizing royalty.
"Here it is," Aidan said. "The Crypt of the Skeleton King lies behind these doors."
The seal at the center of the door begins to turn once Aidan pushes on a small button. The seal glowed blue before a large flash of light occurs and the doors open with the most echoing sound of metal and rock. The path was now clear to King Leoric.
"Alright, everyone," Rias said. "Let's end this."
Just seconds in from entering into the Crypt of the Skeleton King, they find themselves beholding a large chamber connected via a bridge.
*SSHHBOOM*
The ghostly form of the Skeleton King appears once again, using his powers to destroy the bridge that he floated himself above.
"YOU WILL NEVER DEFEAT ME!" cried the Skeleton King before he laughs and disappears again, phasing through the ground.
"You were defeated the moment you surrendered to madness!" retorted Kiba.
"Now what?" Koneko asked concerning the bridge.
"We'll go around it. There's a gate there leading to another side." Aidan pointed.
Yet as the group reached the gate, it suddenly closed on them and soon, ghastly wisps enter into the ground, bringing up Leoric's royal guards as hideous skeletal creatures.
They then saw a massive skeletal corpse sitting lifelessly on a throne, carrying a large six-sided mace. It wore such heavy black armor yet a few bits of it were missing and a red tattered cape. There was even blue-silver hair on the corpse, both on the hair and on the chin acting as a beard.
"Is that…" Asia fearfully asked.
"The Skeleton King's body," Aidan confirmed as he took out the crown in his hands. "Are we ready?"
"We are," Rias confirmed as she and everyone else prepare. Kiba takes out his sword, Akeno prepares her lightning and stays close to Asia, Koneko readies her fist weapons she borrowed from Kharazim, and Rias empowers herself with the Power of Destruction.
Aidan takes a deep breath before he walks forward towards the Skeleton King's body with the crown in hand.
Aidan then places the crown upon Leoric's skull. As he does so and backs away from the throne, the entire room begins to shake. Then the Skeleton King's form begins to glow that familiar teal blue glow as the mist encompasses him, indicating that his ghost has now fused with his body. A few pieces of his armor attach to him like magnets, those being both of his knees and left shoulder.
The rumbling of the room soon stops as the Black King's right hand soon grabs his mace as he then wakes up and growls. Seeing his opponents before him, Leoric uses his mace to stand up and walk out form his throne, swinging his mace onto his shoulder and readies for battle.
The Skeleton King finally awakens.
"WELCOME TO YOUR TOMB! COWER BEFORE YOUR KING!" The Mad King roared as he empowers himself up with the souls of the damned and readies his gigantic mace for a massive swings, gripping it with two hands.
"Watch out!" Aidan and the others take evasive maneuvers as Leoric charges in so fast despite his incredible size, and with his mace, starts swinging it. Although it was slow, it was still quite powerful, able to reach a good distance to those who seemed they were close.
Koneko tries to go in with her speed to at least land a punch on Leoric.
However…
*POW*
The Skeleton King bashes her away with the back of his left hand, surprising the nekomata as she is pushed back from the punch and lands on her own two feet, skidding the ground.
"YOU CANNOT KILL THAT WHICH HAS NO LIFE!" Leoric taunted. He then brings his hand to the ground and, like he was grasping the dirt, summons up souls which then turn into skeletons. By the command of their king, they charge forth towards the ORC. Every single skeleton was equipped with a sword or bow and arrow. Their armor was rustic and shoddy and some even carried shields.
"Asia! Bring up a barrier!" Rias commanded.
"R-Right!"
With her Devil powers and An'Naresh, Asia procures a large white and blue barrier that keeps the skeletons at bay as some bounced off the wall and others charge in trying to strike through to no avail.
"That barrier won't last long," Akeno noted.
"Then we cut them through," Aidan said as he draws out SIlentium and deploys his Sacred Gear on his left hand with the arm blade extended. "Kiba, Koneko. You're with me."
"Right!" Kiba draws out his sword.
"Let's kick ass!" Koneko rushes forward at cheetah-like speed.
While the trio rush on to the barrier to deal with the skeletons at the front, Akeno and Rias stay behind to support Asia, blasting their lightning and Power of Destruction spells respectively at the skeletons at the back of the horde.
Aidan charges in and cuts down one skeleton with Silentium in a horizontal stash while cutting another with his left arm blade. One skeleton tries to get the jump on him but Aidan conjures up the Leviathan Axe and throws it at the undead warrior, shattering its bones almost in an instant as they fall to the floor along with the axe that is retracted back to Aidan before he disperses it away.
Aidan, Kiba, and Koneko push forward, trying to clear a path to Leoric who stands in the back.
"Go all out," Aidan instructed to the two. "Clear me a path to Leoric!"
"Understood!" Kiba responded as he swipes another skeleton away while Koneko rushes and bashes a few more.
*PZZSSH*
"Damn it, there's just no end to them!" Akeno cried as she fires away.
"No use complaining about it!" Rias stated before she turns to Asia. "Asia, how are you holding up?"
"Some…what…" Asia struggles to maintain the barrier, even with An'Naresh supporting her. As long as her flame of hope was still flickering, the barrier will hold.
Aidan bashes down on one skeleton before he sees a clear path towards the Skeleton King.
"Finally," Aidan mutters. He charges in towards King Leoric with Silentium in hand and does a downward cut.
*CHING*
But Leoric easily blocks the blow with the shaft of his mace. However, despite his incredible strength, the Skeleton King somewhat struggled against the might of a nephalem like Aidan.
"Can you never find peace within your slumber, Mad King?" Aidan said as he held his ground against Leoric's mace.
"THERE IS NO REST FOR ME, ABOMINATION," The Skeleton King retorted. "BUT MY MIND IS FREE."
Leoric then pushes Aidan away, making him warp out. But just as Aidan gets some distance, he sees Leoric's ghost leave his physical body, slumping as it does, and approach him at super speed.
"He's fast!" Aidan muttered. "A wraith walk ability?"
As a ghost Leoric could not do anything so Aidan would warp away. But that was what the Mad King wanted.
Leoric's physical form becomes present when his ghost comes up close to Aidan. And then, bringing his gigantic mace from the right side, Leoric roars with might, unusual for a skeletal corpse that was alive.
*BAM*
Aidan had no time to dodge nor block the unexpected and incoming blow. With the huge mace having met his chest head on, Aidan is sent flying, the winds procuring from the impact.
*BAM*
Aidan crashes into a wall of the crypt before he falls and crashes to the ground, destroying a large set of jars.
Rias gasped, "Somnus!"
"Aidan! Did they get him?" asked a shocked Akeno.
As the dust cleared, Aidan was alive but barely. He was already spewing blood from his mouth as he tries to catch his breath. But that blow hurt a lot to the point he was dazed and immobilized, ready for the Mad King's finishing blow.
The sight of Aidan wounded left Asia in a state of shock, like their one reliable defense was not utterly shattered. As despair begins to take root within her body and mind, the barrier begins to flicker, her concentration slowly breaking.
"Asia!" Rias cried. "Focus!"
But her words were fallen on deaf ears as Asia sees more blood oozing out of Aidan's mouth from where he laid. Her body shakes in fear as the light dies down.
"NOOOO!" Asia screamed as despair took over her. Her barrier began to crack from the skeletons bashing into it. The cracks only worsened until…
*SHATTER*
The barrier had fallen, and the skeletons poured through, swarming over the ORC as they fight them off. Though weak and easily killed, their numbers made the fight more difficult.
"The barrier…" Akeno saw to her horror as it was shattered.
"No! How could this be?" Kiba was shocked but he was then swarmed over by the skeletons. He tries to cut through but they were already cutting through into him, their swords piercing into his flesh.
Even Koneko struggles against the shields holding her to the wall. Though the shields were weak, their combined strength from their wielders held her back and immobilized her.
*SHING*
She feels a warm spot on her stomach and looks to see an arrow piercing into her. Koneko screams as the arrow is lodged deeper into her stomach.
"Koneko!" Akeno cried. "Hang on, I'm—AAGHH!"
"Akeno!" Rias cried.
Akeno was ambushed by the skeletons that rush in behind her. She struggles to get out of their grip, even as they stab at her back while holding her down.
"Get off! GET OFF! AGGHH!" Akeno cries as she struggles against the skeletons holding her down and stabbing her with their swords.
"Get off of her!" Rias furiously cried as she blasts the skeletons away with the Power of Destruction.
*SHABOOM*
The skeletons were blasted away but Akeno was mortally wounded. Luckily for Rias, she brought some Healing Potions for Akeno to drink.
Kiba roars as he furiously does a whirlwind with swords to swipe them away and leave some air to breathe. Though his clothing was tattered, and he was bleeding all over, he kept pressing forward, seeing Leoric going after the crater where Aidan fell when he was knocked away.
Kiba plows through to get to the Mad King, cutting down all the skeletons in his way with Sword Birth. Kiba conjures another sword as he comes face to face with the Mad King, standing in front of the immobilized Aidan.
"I won't let you near my friend, you fiend!" Kiba cried as he prepares himself, but the Skeleton King was unmoved by his threat.
"PERHAPS THIS WILL SILENCE THAT TONGUE OF YOURS!" Leoric mocks at Kiba.
Leoric's ghost then briefly leaves his physical body and charges at Kiba, who stands his ground ready to block the mace.
*BAM*
Or so he thought. When Leoric's body snapped to the position of his ghost, he swings the mace right onto Kiba from the left. Turns out Kiba had underestimated the mace as it sends him flying over and makes him crash into a wall, sucking the air out of him as it leaves and making him slump to the ground in a daze.
"Kiba!" Rias cried but the Knight did not respond.
Koneko moves in and goes after Leoric, dodging the Skeleton King's mace despite his strength and speed. She lands a couple blows on Leoric's skull and moves away from his grasp and tries to kick the Black King. But the undead warlord grabs her, tosses her, and bashes her away with the mace.
*BAM*
"GWAGH!" Koneko's air leaves her lungs from the impact as she is sent flying to a wall.
"SAY HELLO TO YOUR SISTER FOR ME," The Skeleton King retorted at Koneko after bashing her away.
*BZZSSH*
Akeno, in her tattered clothing that was ripped and bleeding from all the sword wounds from the skeletons, fires a bolt of powerful lightning at Leoric from behind him. But it did very little as Leoric simply shrugged it off.
The Skeleton King turns around and, with his soul magic, grabs Akeno tightly via a ghost hand before pulling it in. Akeno feels tremendous pain as it felt like her soul was being sapped out of her body, her lifeforce being drained.
"I NEVER LIKED YOUR ATTITUDE," Leoric sneers at the Queen.
*BAM*
Leoric thrusts Akeno away with his magic, making her crash into a set of jars filled with ashes, the dust covering her tattered form as she lies unresponsive.
With no other opponents in his way, Leoric finally looks back to Aidan. Although Asia was nearby to him, Leoric saw she was no threat, having been filled with terror in the wake of Aidan's wounds.
"FINALLY, A CHANCE TO EXACT MY REVENGE!" Leoric stated as he spots Aidan struggling to get up.
Rias sees where Leoric was walking and tries to blast her way through but there were too many skeletons between her and Aidan. They were without number and just kept coming.
Leoric then stands right above Aidan with his mace at the ready to deliver his vengeance. Aidan could only look helplessly as his death was imminent.
"JUSTICE FOR MY SONS!" Leoric declared as he brings his large mace up, ready to kill Aidan. "OH, AND FOR DRIVING ME INSANE!"
"No!" Rias cried as she runs out and reaches out towards Aidan.
*SHING CLANG*
A loud clang was heard and a surprised Leoric sees who it was that stopped his strike. He sees Rias below him with a sword drawn from her hip.
Even Aidan looked surprised. "Rias…?"
In her right hand that she held up with one hand was a long thin rapier with a devil wing ornament by the crimson red hilt, bearing the Gremory symbol. The blade had a bit of a dark red hew built within the metal, as if it was made with a few other metals besides hard titanium steel.
Rias soon remembers her conversation earlier with Johanna before the ORC went to the Weeping Hollow the next morning to retrieve Leoric's crown.
FLASHBACK…
Johanna comes to Rias with a sword sheathed away in its case.
"What is this?" asked Rias as she takes the weapon.
"Remember that weapon we were talking about back at my shop?" Johanna reminded. "This is it. It's called Heres Ultio, and it is meant to be drawn only in emergency situations."
"Why is that?" Rias asked as she examines the sword.
"The blade has been magically enhanced with great power, able to channel your Power of Destruction on a level similar to your brother's thanks to you unlocking your emotions when Diablo was unleashed. And that soulstone shard in your chest also acts as a power source that, while enhancing your magic, comes with a great cost. Without the sword, your power can quickly grow out of control, so it acts as a conduit."
*SHIING*
Rias then briefly takes out the blade of Heres Ultio and looks upon the blade. Forged from the shards of Dawnbreaker, the blade glowed a faint red and had the Gremory symbol etched near its hilt.
"It's so light," Rias noted.
"Crafted from the finest steel I could find and etched with materials that make the blade unbreakable. No chip will ever come out, no matter how hard you strike it. As light as a feather yet as hard as dragonscale."
Rias looks at the Crusader. "Thank you, Johanna."
"Just be sure to use it in emergencies," Johanna advised and smiled. "Use what you know of your training with a sword when the time is right."
END FLASHBACK…
Deflecting the giant mace, Rias fires a Power of Destruction blast from the tip end of her blade at Leoric in point blank range, sending the Mad King backwards. The Mad King crashes behind a wall yet gets up as if unscathed.
"WHO CHALLENGES ME?" Leoric demanded as he looks upon Rias with her sword drawn.
"I, Rias Gremory, shall be your opponent, O Mad King!" Rias proclaimed as she prepares herself. "Your reign of evil ends here!"
Leoric however seemed a bit amused. "DO NOT TROUBLE YOURSELF. MY EXPERTISE SHALL MORE THAN MAKE UP FOR YOUR SHORTCOMINGS."
"Expertise in what, exactly? Leading your people into ruin, or being slain by them?"
But that seemed like an insult to Leoric. "DO NOT SPEAK TO ME IN THOSE TONES!"
Leoric charges into Rias but Rias fires back with her sword pointed. The Power of Destruction, in a form more powerful than what she normally fires with, is blasted over to Leoric but the Skeleton King holds his ground as he swipes away each shot with his mace.
*CLANG*
Using what training she could from her sword, Rias uses both hands to stop an incoming blow from overhead by the Skeleton King's gigantic mace.
With the soulstone sliver buried in her heart, Rias decides to tap into its powers, emanating a fiery red and black aura of power that seemed almost demonic, as if it was something from the Burning Hells. She needed an edge at this point, knowing that against Leoric right now, she was no match.
Rias breaks out of the lock and sidesteps, only to narrowly miss an incoming left hand punch from the Skeleton King, sweat covering her face.
"Despite his hideous form…" Rias mutters to herself. "He has experience fighting."
Rias and Leoric go back at it again as the former unloads her Power of Destruction at the Skeleton King. She also empowers Heres Ultio with her power to give her a better advantage over the mace, perhaps weaken it.
"What is she doing?" Aidan muttered to himself as he struggles to stand. "She doesn't stand a chance against Leoric like this!"
*CLING CLANG*
Aidan then saw what looked like a red crystal fall from Rias and landing near his position. Crawling to it painfully, Aidan grabs it with his right hand to see, to his horror, that it was a shard of the Red Soulstone.
And it was calling to him, like a whisper of temptation. Short and quiet but audible enough or him to hear.
'Take it… Save her… Lest she die at the hands of a false king…'
Aidan recognized the voice. It was the same one with that long eerie call of a siren that emanated from the shard. It was not exactly Diablo's, but its essence was similar in the sense of the temptation for power.
'There is a way… There is a way…'
'You will become more than you ever were… more than you ever were…'
'We can help… I can help…'
'You will be more than you have ever been... and when the time comes, for what we grant you... you will become whole...'
A faint red glow then appeared on Aidan's left arm on the Al'Diabolos Terror Claws, making him look at it and the red soulstone shard. They seemed to have a connection as Aidan could feel the soulstone being drawn to it like a magnet.
Aidan knew then what he had to do.
Raising the soulstone shard with his right hand, he jams it to his Sacred Gear on top of his left hand.
*JAM*
"AAHHH AGH AAAAAAHHHHH!" Aidan screams as he feels the soulstone being integrated into his Sacred Gear, like it was made to be fit into it.
"Aidan!" Rias screamed as she tries to rush to him, breaking away her fight with Leoric who roars.
"Stay back!" Aidan cried with his right hand up to halt her.
Rias stops in her tracks and is forced to watch as Aidan is consumed by the power within. Flashbacks of Aidan's time being possessed by the Lord of Terror during the engagement party began to spring up in her head. The images she had locked away for a long time were now coming back much to her dread, especially the moment when she saw Aidan struggle
Those familiar black veins that came from his left arm lashed out and covered Aidan's body almost in an instant. Then a red glow from his forehead, from where the soulstone was before it was shattered, began to glow brightly. Aidan struggles holding his left arm, raising it to the sky in pain as the shadow of Diablo envelops him, his form briefly seen behind as the glow grows brighter.
"Nnnrrrrrgghh…UURRAAAAAHHH!"
*SCHBOOM*
A large implosion of energy ensues as Aidan is consumed by the light. Everyone briefly covers themselves as a few skeletons are blown away from the blast. This only lasts for about five seconds before it all dies down.
"Aidan…?" asked Rias but there was no response.
When the smoke clears, Rias beholds herself a new form for Aidan. He was in his Balance Breaker, Primal Terror Vengeance, yet there were a few changes. For one thing, spikes protruded out of his back and he had for himself a large red and spiky tail, eerily similar to Diablo's. His hands were clawed with large nails and his Sacred Gear on his left arm grew a bit larger than usual. He growled viciously like a dark creature of Hell, signifying the Lord of Terror's presence. The red soulstone shard that was jammed into the Al'Diabolos Terror Claws had fitted perfectly into the Sacred Gear, forming a diamond shape that glowed red with power, pulsating with Diablo's essence now lingering within.
Rias' mind briefly flashed back to the Terror Unleashed incident, back when she saw what Aidan had become when battling her brother. And the sight of seeing something similar left her frightened. Yet she cannot help but look in awe and in fear of Aidan's new form, as if he had achieved a level of power no one in her Peerage has achieved yet.
And she knew what it was. "Is this…his Balance Breaker?"
The eyes from behind the helmet glow red and leave a mist-like trail as Aidan marches forth, ignoring Rias as he takes the stage. The Skeleton King sees his most hated adversary before him and readies himself.
"I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD!" Leoric roared.
"Come and take it, old man!" Aidan cried in his demonic voice.
Leoric charges in as Aidan stands still with his arm blades deployed. His eyes glow red with Terror as Leoric swings his mace at him.
*CLING CLANG CLUNG*
Arm blades and mace clash together as the sound of metal rings throughout the crypt. But that last strike from Aidan was meant for Leoric's chest. Unfortunately, his armor was too tough for even his arm blades, sharper than any sword of steel, could not penetrate through.
Leoric swings from the left as Aidan barrel rolls out of the way to his right. The two glare briefly as Aidan gets up before he charges in. Grabbing an unbroken jar of ashes, Aidan throws it directly at the Skeleton King's face, blinding him temporarily despite having no eyes. When Leoric is able to see, he was unable to block a pointblank attack from Aidan's right-handed arm blade, aiming at his head.
*CHING*
"GAAHH!" Leoric roared for despite being made of bone, he could still feel pain. He stumbles back and regains his vision, feeling very angry now as he bashes Aidan away with his mace.
*BAM*
"Somnus!" Rias cried as she tries to aid him but the skeletons keep her back, an innumerable amount of them.
Aidan barrel rolls as Leoric kneels to regain his vision.
"I'm not use to fighting large opponents," Aidan muttered to himself as he gets up. He then prepares himself with his arm blades pointed at Leoric.
The two charge again and trade blows with one another, each deflecting and parrying their attacks. That is until Leoric's mace knocks Aidan away, skidding the ground before he comes to a halt. Aidan struggles to stand up as his fight with Leoric was exhausting him despite his newfound power. He pants as he faces the Skeleton King, charging at him with the mace in his hands.
*CHING*
"AAH!" The cursed nephalem cried.
Aidan tries to block the powerful skeletal swing from a downward strike with his arm blades, but the defense proved weak as he is knocked away and his arm blades broke, casting him far back with blood sprawling out from his left arm.
"Ggh… Nnrrgh…" Aidan struggles as his left arm had a deep cut from the mace. It was more than just a simple cut but a multitude of ones. It was most likely broken as he could not move it nor feel it.
Leoric however had far worse.
One of Aidan's arm blades was lodged into the Skeleton King's chest. The curse from the blade had weakened the armor of the Black King but it mattered little.
The Skeleton King approaches Aidan and could not help but be amused at the sight of his fallen opponent barely clinging to life.
"AND NOW…" Leoric grips his mace. "YOU DIE FOR GOOD, VILE CREATURE!"
*BAM*
With his mace, Leoric bashes it down onto Aidan's back, carving wounds and breaking apart his armor. Though any mortal would be dead, Aidan's armor from his Balance Breaker protected him somewhat. Still, that was just one bash.
*BASH*
*BOOM*
*BAM*
Leoric unleashes more swings at Aidan, laughing as he does. Blood comes out of Aidan's mouth as he spews it from every blow dealt with him. The blood only grew larger in size for every swing Leoric dealt to his back like he was being scourged.
"SOMNUS!" Rias screamed as she tries to reach to him but could not.
Leoric then decides to end it all.
"FINALLY…" Leoric raises his mace. "JUSTICE FOR KHANDURAS, FOR MYSELF, AND FOR MY SONS!"
Leoric then swings his mace, intent to end it all but before he could, two long white braids of cloth, glowing in blue runes, grab ahold of his weapon, preventing him from dealing the deathblow Aidan.
"WHAT?!" Leoric cries, looking to see who it was.
Following the braids, he saw Asia in her semi-Elder Angel form with An'Naresh holding Leoric's mace at bay. She was already struggling against the sheer weight of the mace yet held her ground for as long as she could.
"CURSE YOU, LITTLE GIRL!" Leoric was furious at the intervention. "EVEN LIKE THIS, I CAN STILL—"
"Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Chin, Retsu, Zai, Zen… Evil Spirit, begone!" Akeno cried as she fires a paper written in kanji at Leoric, hitting him on the chest.
*BOOM*
Leoric then felt a tremendous amount of pain in his soul as it was being prevented from leaving his body. Another lash was hit as he looked to see Akeno glowing yellow and using her powers as a shrine maiden to hold Leoric's spirit at bay. Leoric then looked to see some sort of seal slapped onto his chest written in kanji.
"SHE USED HER POWERS TO TRAP MY SOUL INTO MY BODY!" Leoric realized.
Rias, freed by Koneko and Kiba who kept the skeletons at bay, uses Heres Ultio to create leg bindings on Leoric through her Power of Destruction. Though her Power of Destruction is mainly used to obliterate anything in her way, Rias had managed, with the soulstone sliver in her chest, to create tendrils of the Power of Destruction with her sword acting as the casting conduit.
The Power of Destruction tendrils wrap around Leoric's legs, preventing him from breaking free. The three bindings will not last long against the Skeleton King, but they will be enough for Aidan to finish him off.
Leoric then sees Aidan rising up from the floor beneath him. He spits and curses at his most hated opponent, whose Demon essence had turned him into what he is in the first place.
"YOU BROUGHT THE WARMTH OF LIFE INTO MY TOMB JUST SO YOU CAN FINISH ME? YOU CANNOT KILL THAT WHICH HAS NO LIFE! I WILL RISE AGAIN IN TIME!"
Aidan however was unmoved by the empty threat. "Never again, O Mad King…"
Summoning Silentium into his left hand and empowering it with his nephalem powers, he repeats Lachdanan's words from when he performed the kingslaying. "May death bring peace to your madness, Leoric. This time, permanently."
*SHING*
And with that, Aidan thrusts Silentium into Leoric's chest, effectively killing the Skeleton King as the king of Khanduras roars in defiant defeat.
Aidan pulls his sword out of Leoric as Asia, Rias, and Akeno have reached their limits of holding Leoric at bay.
As Leoric was defeated, his body was raised high into the air as it twitches in pain. The Skeleton King is engulfed in a powerful soul magic as it grows exponentially, a haunting echo that is literally heard from within the crypt's chambers. Once it had reached its peak…
*BOOM*
Leoric's armor shatters as a pillar of light briefly appears, disintegrating his bones and leaving his armor, mace, and crown to scatter across the floor. The flash of light was so bright everyone had to cover themselves from the small explosion briefly.
And with Leoric's death, the skeletons began to crumble away, their source of power and life now gone with the death of their king. Every single one limped before their bones dropped to the floor, their armor and weapons along with it.
Back at New Tristram, the same thing occurred despite half of the town in flames.
Aidan depowers down and deactivates his Balance Breaker, his armor disappearing and the demonic body parts of Diablo reverting back within the Sacred Gear, rendering him to normal. He then brings his right hand over to his ear like he was calling someone on the comm.
"This is Aidan," Aidan calls out to his nephalem companions. "Leoric is down."
"Good timing, Somnus," Johanna said back on the comm. "All of the undead have fallen!"
The rest of the ORC wake up from their spots and look towards what little remains of the Skeleton King. They drag themselves onto their feet and limp over to Aidan.
But an exhausted Aidan falls backwards, only to be caught by Rias.
"Aidan!" A bloody and exhausted Rias catches him in time. As she does and brings him to the floor to heal his wounds with a Healing Potion, she remarks the outcome of the battle
'That plan went better than expected.'
FLASHBACK…
Back at Tristram, after retrieving the crown, Rias and Aidan had a discussion about how to deal with the Skeleton King once they reach to him. Everyone was already asleep while Aidan and Rias discussed the plan in the Slaughtered Calf Inn.
"I will act as the decoy," Aidan explained. "When the time is right, I want you, Akeno, and Asia to render Leoric immobile with your magic."
"How so?" asked Rias.
"Asia can use her Braid to hold Leoric's weapon while you hold Leoric's body. Akeno will then use her magic to keep Leoric's spirit contained within, allowing me to finish off the Skeleton King in one swift stroke."
"Three of us holding three different parts?" asked Rias in doubt. "Which means we only get one shot at this, Somnus. What about Kiba and Koneko?"
"I get a feeling either they will be knocked out of commission or they will have to deal with Leoric's skeletons that he will summon to protect him to even the odds."
FLASHBACK…
"I can't believe that had actually worked," Rias said as she helps Aidan drink the Healing Potion.
Aidan was grateful. "Yeah, thanks,"
"Please don't push yourself so much," Rias pleaded as Aidan sits up. "That fight made you go al out again."
"It's not that I think I can win just by pushing myself…" Aidan tries to justify.
But Rias was unconvinced, remembering of his struggles in the past.
"Somnus!" Rias cried as she helps Aidan up to his feet. "You said you wouldn't push yourself anymore!" Aidan then notices a few tears spilling down from Rias' eyes, as if she was still filled with remorse for what Aidan has become, what she unintentionally made him. "Please consider your own life more than the rest of us!"
"I'm sorry…" Aidan apologizes humbly. "It's because… I trusted you."
Rias sighed and smiled, looking at her nephalem. "You truly are such a helpless person."
Heading over to the rest of the ORC, they head back to Tristram and the threat was finally over for good.
ORC CLUBHOUSE…
A mere three days after the defeat of King Leoric, Aidan and the ORC returned with the crown of the Mad King as proof that the invasion had been halted. While that did prove that Aidan succeeded in the task, it did not convince the nobles of whether or not he was still being influenced by Diablo.
So Aidan had no choice but to reveal his Balance Breaker and the decision he made by infusing the soulstone shard into his Sacred Gear, showcasing his ultimate power. While parts of Diablo did show themselves emerging from his armored form, he still retained enough cognition to show that he was still in control.
All the nobles, even Sirzechs, were shocked that he had once again done something drastic with a soulstone but the former Gremory heir was able to see that despite the appearance and inevitable dangers, Aidan was still alive and not possessed as before. Convincing the nobles of this was not easy but they begrudgingly accepted it. Yet Aidan figured that some of them are not convinced and would likely try to find some way to kill him. If such a time ever came, then he and the others will be ready for it.
Although Aidan is no longer possessed, he can still hear the whispers of the Lord of Terror within him, trying to once again influence his mind to do terrible deeds in the name of evil. Luckily though, Sirzechs and the other Satans had manage to put some sealing spells on Aidan's Sacred Gear so as to ignore the whispers and use his power for more moral manners. Aidan feared that the seals may not be enough but then again, it will only be a matter of time until Diablo or someone of a similar power to him can destroy them and unleash Terror once again.
In the meantime, Aidan was all alone in the clubroom with the crown of King Leoric, reflecting on events. As he looked at the crown in his hand, he was not so sure what to think.
"From the east shall come a monarch whose rule begins in blood and ends in bone. In the light of an awakening he will die a third and final death at the hands of an unknown."
Aidan remembered that quote from the Zakarum tomes his Uncle had kept within his scholarly work. It recounted how Leoric would rise once again as the hideous Skeleton King in the wake of Diablo's resurrection underneath Tristram and would die a third and final time at the hands of an unknown. Having fulfilled some sort of prophecy unwillingly, Aidan could easily decipher that the unknown would refer to the Devils.
Why were they chosen to destroy King Leoric for good? That he did not know.
Aidan soon places on the table the old relic he kept from the battle. Leoric's crown, despite having been worn by the Mad King himself, was largely intact. Although a small crack was seen on one of its points, but it was largely unseen.
Aidan peers into it as if he was studying it. It could just be him, but he swore he heard a fainting echo of laughter emanate from the crown, like a sliver of Leoric's essence was there mocking him and swearing revenge.
"Somnus…?" Rias suddenly called out as she appeared form the doors, making Aidan turn as he is snapped out of his trance.
"Rias? How long were you standing there?" Aidan asked.
"Just arrived," Rias answered as she enters in and closes the doors. "I was wondering where you had went to after school was over. You didn't even come home."
"Yeah, well… I've had a lot to think about as of late. So I needed some time alone."
While half of Rias' mind understood and accepted, the other half of her; the one where she relied on her emotions; couldn't. This was not the first time Aidan had to leave to be alone to think as he had repeated the same thing when he went into self-exile in Entsteig. Yet even with the two of them together all alone in the clubroom, it was kind of difficult for them to even speak to one another. They didn't have any arguments or anything of the sort but rather the events conspiring around each other's lives, both individually and collectively, have left scars on their psyche that would be a constant reminder of how they got it in the first place.
Rias tries to lighten up the gloomy atmosphere.
"Did you know?" Rias asked. "I will be living in your house from now on."
"I take it Uncle Deckard approved of it?" asked Aidan.
"He did," Rias confirmed. "Almost immediately, I should say. And don't worry about moving for larger space. I have already made contact with some renovators who are adding an extension to the house."
A small part of Aidan was relived yet worried. If Rias was going to stay in his residence with his Uncle, then it is only a matter of time before others come in as well. First Asia, now Rias.
Who next will it be? Akeno may be most likely. Koneko is also a possibility. But of those outside the ORC, perhaps Kiyome Abe may also move in.
"Rias…" Aidan called out. "There's something I need to tell you. Confess, really. It's been eating away at me for months."
"Confess?" asked a confused Rias.
Aidan's heart felt heavy. This was not going to be easy for him to speak on.
"You know that whenever you are in danger, I would do anything to protect you. To save you from something you did not want no matter what your family thought of it."
"Of course," Rias responded. "I know you would. That's the kind of person you are."
But that did not change Aidan's facial expression and the mood he was conveying.
"That day, on the engagement party between you and Riser, the truth is…" Aidan hesitates for a bit. "My concern was not saving you."
"What…?" asked a confused Rias. She did not understand what he meant.
"What I wanted… what I truly wanted… was revenge. Revenge on Riser for not only defeating me but also humiliating me."
"Somnus, what are you talking about?" Rias asked disturbingly. She didn't like where this was going.
Aidan then gets up and looks out to the window, his hands placed on the ledge of the window as he stares out intently at the setting sun.
"As I said, I wanted revenge," Aidan began. "While a part of me may have been wanting to save you, that was not what I had felt. I will admit, I hated you for what you did at the end of the Rating Game. But I knew that it was not you who was at fault. It was Riser."
Flashbacks start to appear in Aidan's mind as he recalls the events clearly, even during his possession. He could recall the words he had asked Riser, those same four words that were a catchphrase of sort to Diablo.
How tastes your fear?
"That fool left his mark on me to the point I was boiling with revenge. My rage clouded over my reason and before I knew it, I answered Diablo's call. I wanted power and he gave it to me. And I gave Riser a lesson on fear that it left him with a fate much worse than death: eternal torment of the mind. I wanted to make him suffer for everything without giving him the chance to die. That's why I went after Ravel first to break him before I could destroy him."
Aidan could not help but chuckle, but not out of humor but of shame and depression.
"Don't you see?" Aidan said. "All I ever wanted… was revenge. I know it's not what you wanted for me nor for you. I know this could severely damage your reputation. But I…" Aidan's hands begin to bleed a bit as he grips them tighter. "I just couldn't control this feeling within me, as if I became a Demon in the process. And I took great pleasure in Ravel's death when I snapped her neck, even more so when I severely injured Riser. Anyone that got in the way was simply collateral damage, even you."
As Aidan's hands relax, he let the blood run its course, spilling out slowly.
Aidan then scoffs to himself. "Some nephalem I am. They were right. I'm an abomination that shouldn't exist."
To Rias, she could not blame Aidan for thinking this way, having learned that he had seen what was happening to him and what Diablo had caused. Even underneath Tristram when Diablo battled Rias did Aidan see it from deep within his mind. And worst of all, he was powerless against it.
Rias knew that Aidan did not like being powerless against any enemy that bests him. He would keep pushing forward always to ensure victory. However, he had never considered the cost of it all, a lesson Aidan had to learn the hard way. And Rias witnessed all of that. She had changed since the event and even more so underneath Tristram Cathedral. Her fate to become Diablo had been averted for now and is now contained within Aidan but it is only a matter of time before the Lord of Terror rises up again from within.
But Rias had enough of this. She was tired and wanted to rest, alongside her nephalem. She then comes over to the couch and sits on it.
"Somnus…" She calls out to Aidan before patting her thighs. "Come here, please."
Aidan was confused at first before he comes over and sits next to Rias. By her gesture from the patting of her thighs, he lies his head down, facing upwards as Rias starts to pet his hair. It felt very relaxing, like Aidan was sleeping on a fluffy cloud and getting some good comfort from all the stress he has had. All of that heavy weight lingering within him felt like it just got lighter.
"Somnus…" Rias said. "I do not blame you for what you were thinking."
Aidan was surprised. "You don't?"
Rias shakes her head while still smiling. "At the time, when I saw what became of you, I knew then that Diablo had enough influence within your mind that he made you free him. Take control of your body in the process through the soulstone. If Diablo were not involved, I know you would've come all the same just to rescue me."
Rias then takes the somewhat bloody hands of Aidan into her hands. They felt cold and wet, but she uses a bit of what healing magic she knew just to heal the scars.
"But Rias, I—" Aidan's lips were halted by one of Rias' fingers.
She shook her head gently. "Nobody in this room, not even the Student Council, not my brother, not even my family blames you for what has happened. You were just manipulated by something we thought a myth, a victim whose measure we should have taken into account for. Someone whom we should have kept a closer eye on. Especially…"
Rias then takes Aidan's left arm into her hands and lifts it up as she looks at it. Her memories of seeing the black veins of corruption still linger in her like it was nearly yesterday. While they were still present in the fact that it has not been purged, Aidan has adapted to its effects and uses them not as a hindrance, but as a power buildup. Still, she also knows of the soulstone shard that is now inserted into Aidan's Sacred Gear, granting him more power.
The question is at what cost to the point he becomes possessed again.
Rias however ignores it and continues to comfort her nephalem. "You always feel like you have to carry the whole world on your shoulders when you don't really need to. And while I can say I understand why you would think so since you are a nephalem, that doesn't mean it must be an absolute."
"Rias…" Aidan whispered.
Rias and Aidan look at each other eye to eye, the former smiling gently while the latter slowly forms one. His heartbeat quickens as she continues patting his head and playing with his hair.
"When you were disappeared, I felt a part of myself die that day. I was lost without you, Aidan. When I thought you were dead, it broke my heart. That's why I went to Tristram despite your letter warning me not to pursue you. I did not want to have that feeling of despair roil within me again. And when you came back from Entsteig, it was a miracle."
Little by little, Aidan's heart began to feel better as Rias comforts him.
"And you're not an abomination," Rias said. "When I learned you were nephalem, I was not so sure what to think. That a being of legend, half-Demon and half-Elder Angel, would be a part of my Peerage. I know that the duty of a nephalem is to the world without end. It's a burden I know you will always carry."
But sleep took over for Aidan as he starts to feel too relaxed. Rias of course did not mind this for it had been a long journey for the two of them. Although a small part of her felt a little ticked off that he fell asleep, but she ignores it completely.
"I doubted you once, Aidan, and I lost you. That's not happening again. So please… let me share your burden so that I don't feel alone without you."
And with that, Rias plants a kiss on Aidan's forehead. A gentle yet long kiss as if to leave a mark.
"Because I need you. More than you could ever know."
Sleep soon took over for Rias as she leans back and closes her eyes, still holding onto her nephalem Pawn's head. The moonlight shines onto the two of them as they sleep, their nightmares finally over…for now.
And now finally the OVA chapters are over. The Skeleton King is dead and now I can finally start season 2 of Highschool DxD. This took a hell of a lot longer than I thought it would but I am glad it is finally over.
How long until the next chapter? Well I do not know considering how long of a journey this has been. As ever, new threats and dangers will arise for Aidan and the ORC but they will face it together. No more Diablo universe at least for now but there will still be callbacks to it. It's possible I may take a short break from it to get my life sorted out but I will never abandon this story. So stay tune for more as we get back to the Highschool DxD universe for good this time.
So what does this mean for Aidan and what he did with the soulstone shard? Well he is not currently possessed by Diablo for the moment. If anything Diablo is sealed in the Sacred Gear, much like how Ddraig is to the Boosted Gear. But Diablo and Aidan will never get to be all buddy buddy like Issei and Ddraig because let's face it, a demon and nephalem becoming friends is nigh impossible. Instead, the Sacred Gear will act as a seal to contain Diablo's essence within and Aidan will not feel his influence nor whispers of corruption. With the Satans having placed seals, Diablo is contained once again...for now.
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