Chapter Fourteen - Meeting opposition
* Gremory Mansion, Hell *
Issei awoke to find Rias and Akeno still curled tightly onto his body. He had slept the night without entering his mindscape. It was a rare occurrence that the Saiyan didn't train during the night but he hadn't entered the realm of Ddraig for two reasons really. Firstly it would have been immensely rude to the two women he had confessed his love to and made love with. Secondly and possibly more damning was that he had drifted off to sleep so peacefully and with the intoxication of the night before he hadn't even thought to enter the white world of his mind.
Issei expected to be feeling the affects of the dreaded hangover but thankfully it had not come to pass. He actually felt fully refreshed and ready to face the day. He looked into himself and found his Ki reserves were slightly depleted. He suspected that the energy within him had neutralized the poisonous alcohol far more effectively then the human liver normally would. Hence no hangover. It was another thing his Saiyan heritage gave him to be thankful of.
He smiled to himself and savoured the feeling of both the women he loved pressed against him, causing him to think back to how his life had been before the fateful date with Raynare. He had felt out of place in his own skin and was too nervous to really approach someone for fear of something strange occurring around him. Of becoming ostracized and outcast. Now, well now, he felt so complete and perfect that he truly believed nothing could tear his happiness down. He kissed each girl softly on the lips to wake them up while smiling at the cute expressions they made as each was torn from the land of their dreams.
"Good morning my two loves. Would you like to shower with me?" Issei asked in a soft voice.
He was unsure of whether the girls would be suffering from the after effects of the previous night's intoxication. Smiles that reached the furthest corners of their faces spread across both beauties and they climbed up off him.
"Of course." Akeno replied.
"But only if you don't hog all the hot water." Rias slid in slyly.
The two girls nimbly climbed from the bed and walked to the en-suite while Issei watched their naked figures move across the room before, lazily, he too pulled himself out of the bed and followed their sensual swaying hips into the soothing warm water. Having showered and dressed, the trio made their way down to the dining room to enjoy a good hearty breakfast. At the sight of the food Issei's stomach let out a growl comparable to a roar from the fiercest of lions. It was close to eight in the morning and it seemed that Issei, Akeno and Rias were the last to arrive. Around the table sat the other members of the Peerage along with Xenovia and Irina. Conversations barely pausing as the three lovers entered the room.
"Good morning you lazy bones. How was the date?" Asia asked with a voice full of curiosity from across the far side of the table as she munched on a piece of toast with marmalade.
"Really good." "A lot of fun." "Fantastic." The trio all answered at the same time.
"I am so glad you guys had fun." Asia beamed back in earnest before returning to her previous conversation with Kiba.
Everyone was chatting happily as they ate but Akeno noticed that both Sara and Koneko were being even more quiet then usual. For Koneko this wasn't too odd. The girl was usually quiet but Sara always had something to chat with Akeno about and yet this morning she hadn't made a peep other than a simple 'Good Morning' and answering Akeno's questions quietly without engaging in response.
Akeno decided to confront them both and root out the cause before they left to track down Kokabiel.
"What's up with you both?" She asked in a concerned voice.
Neither girl responded to her. She noticed that Sara's face blushed as she looked away while nibbling on a piece of apple.
"Seriously, why are you both so quiet? Have you fought, feeling mad or sick or something?" She reiterated, starting to become slightly annoyed.
Her voice had raised a fraction and now the rest of the table was looking their way. Akeno was going to speak again when Koneko decided to just answer bluntly, the easiest way to clear the air in her view.
"The walls here are thinner then you would think."
The effect of that statement was instantaneous. Akeno shut her mouth abruptly and began stumbling over apologies. Rias squealed and buried her face in her hands while Issei simultaneously spat out all the food in his mouth, all couple of kilograms of it, and choked as his lungs contracted at the same time.
It took the rest of the table only a moment to put all the pieces together from the reactions of the trio and the statement that Koneko had made. An awkward silence filled the air but was broken by laughter that came from Kiba and Asia. The other couple just couldn't contain it at the looks of sheer embarrassment on the faces of the dating power houses. The laughter was contagious, soon both Xenovia and Irina were laughing. Initially they hadn't known what was going on but Xenovia pieced it together almost as fast as Asia and Kiba had, and so thus had whispered it to Irina. With the laughter spreading Akeno and Issei found themselves joining in. There was absolutely nothing they could do but embrace the situation, there simply was a time when they had to own their own embarrassment. Koneko and Sara followed in quieter tones with only Rias left not laughing. She simply looked around mortified at the whole group knowing that she had lost her virginity the night before. She looked first to Issei and then Akeno. As she looked at their laughing faces she realised that no one was criticizing or judging her. This was simply one of those moments in life. That revelation caused her to break down into fits of laughter as well.
A voice cut the laughter away. "What's got you all so jovial this morning?"
Everyone stopped laughing as they looked to the source of the voice. Standing in the doorway was Sirzechs with Grayfia and surprisingly to everyone else Ravel stood beside them as well. Michael's spell had worked for her quite well it seemed.
"Well everyone was just laughing at Issei, Akeno and" Irina began but a quick glare from the offending trio, namely Rias, caused her to shut her mouth abruptly.
Grayfia cottoned on immediately and began speaking before her husband, who was now glaring at Issei, could interject.
"Well either way I am glad everyone is in high spirits because I have all your documentation and itineraries ready for your various trips abroad. Also we will have someone else travelling with your group Akeno."
Akeno looked at the Queen of Hell curiously who stepped aside to reveal Ravel fully from where she had stood behind the Satan and his wife. The youngest Phenex appeared awkwardly before the group. She wasn't necessarily shy as she had both fought against them during the rating game and then told them the painful truth of her brother's betrayal yesterday. It was just simply that she felt as if she didn't quite belong in this group. Grayfia continued to speak again after revealing the girl,
"Lord Michael's magic appears to have been quite successful in healing the damage that she has sustained. Ravel insisted on joining the search for her brother and as she is an aggrieved party in this situation, we feel she has that right. She has been briefed up entirely on the approach that will be taken. I have full faith that she will put the job first and not let her emotions cloud her judgement."
Ravel turned to Grayfia and Sirzechs promptly. "You have my word My Lord and Lady. I will redeem house Phenex' honour and do everything within my power to ensure that my brother is captured for a just trial."
She spoke with a practiced composure of someone who had been groomed for high society and yet there was the heavy traces of personal commitment to the mission as well inlaid in her tone of voice. Ravel then turned and addressed the two members of heaven directly,
"My name is Ravel Phenex. Youngest daughter of Lord and Lady Phenex. I hope to work well with you both." She introduced herself in the same very formal manner.
"Xenovia.", "Irina." The pair said of each other. There was no real need for elaborate introductions as far as they were concerned.
Ravel remained where she was while Grayfia produced a pile of manila folders on the table in a space clear of any food or plates. Each folder then floated up into the air and traveled delicately over to its respective owner. Issei pinched his out of the air and opened it to reveal its contents. Inside was a passport, visa, an itinerary list and a travel card. He opened the passport and checked the particulars of it. It used a photo that appeared to have been taken very recently of himself. The Saiyan didn't remember the photo being taken, in fact he knew that he hadn't taken it but he also knew that with her magic, it would have been a simple thing for Grayfia to achieve.
The visa was a simple tourist visa and granted him passage within Russia for a total of thirty days. Next he checked the itinerary and travel card. They had been booked into a hotel in the heart of Moscow, The Moscow Marriott Grand Hotel, the booking was for a week at the moment with the option to extend their stay also available at any time. He had a set of tickets flying from Tokyo international directly to Moscow. His flight left at a quarter past four this afternoon and arrived at eight thirty that night. It was listed as just over ten hour flight time with the shift in time zones accounting for the difference.
Issei groaned internally at the long flying times with human aviation technology. In the grand scheme of things he had been a true Saiyan for only a fraction of his lifespan and had achieved the ability for personal flight for even less. Yet still he could still cross the distance so much faster and he knew it as well. It was a necessary measure to stay below the detection threshold while transiting internationally as he had been told but that didn't stop it being frustrating. Finally the itinerary listed his travel card as having ninety thousand rubles pre-loaded onto it. He had no real reference to know how much money that was and so pulled his phone out to quickly check on a world's currency application that came pre-installed. Almost one hundred and fifty thousand yen. Grayfia and Sirzechs had been quite generous with the allowance that they had provided for the job.
Issei finished looking over his documents, secured them within the folder and then shifted his eyes over too take a quick glance at Rias' and Akeno's. Rias' was identical to his minus her personal particulars. That made sense as they were travelling together. Akeno's flight left at midday on the dot and arrived at Paris right on half past five this evening.
After everyone had read over and double checked that their documents were correct, they all left the dining room to pack the belongings that they would be taking for their respective assignments. As all the devils' weapons were supernatural constructs created by magic they had no reason to worry about packing anything that might get caught up by human customs officials and as such they focused on packing clothing, toiletry items and any other personal belongs they may need or want. Xenovia and Irina used a small portion of magic to transmute their holy swords into a pair of innocuous elaborate writing pens for the duration of the flight so as to remove any hassle of travelling internationally in the human world with what would easily constitute as a deadly weapon.
Once packed the entire group met up in the parlour room to be seen off by both Grayfia and Sirzechs.
"I am sure you will all do well. We, both us and Michael have every faith in all of you to succeed.' The Satan said with a smile before the Gremory symbol flashed below the group and they reappeared inside the Hyoudou residence.
Issei checked the time on his phone, almost ten in the morning.' The transport for Akeno and Kiba's groups would be arriving shortly. Both groups' flights left within fifteen minutes of each other however Kiba's arrived at their destination significantly later with a much longer flight time.
The Saiyan and his girlfriends made themselves comfortable on the long couch central to the living area while Kiba and Asia went off toward the entrance way to be alone together. Xenovia and Irina sat awkwardly on a soft 'love seat' two seat lounge in the room. They had been able to adjust to the Gremory Mansion in Hell due to it having a rather business like feel to it for them however Issei's home was far from it. The girl's could easily describe it as homely. They could see the personal possessions of the three residents and knowing that they were inside the home of two devils and a Saiyan was something that was quite frankly beyond odd for the both of them.
Koneko searched briefly around the couch pillows before finding the television remote wedged under Issei. She gave him a disappointed look as he handed it to her which elicited giggles from both his girlfriends. Issei chose to ignore her response as she turned on the television and flicked through the channels until coming to watch One Piece. The choice of show instantly caught Sara's attention. The young girl sat beside her nekomata friend and began chatting happily with her about the show as children of her age are likely to do.
"My favourite character is Boa Hancock. She is so noble and pretty ya know. I would just love to be like her." Sara exclaimed.
Ravel sat beside her while clicking her tongue in her mouth at the girl's statement, "Boa Hancock just treats people terribly under the guise of protecting her citizens. She is more vicious then anything." Ravel's voice showed that she felt she was being more corrective then offensive.
Koneko and Sara turned toward Ravel. Koneko's face held its neutral gaze with a hint of annoyance where as Sara's looked ready to defend her favourite character. The sound of their bickering steadily rose as Sara and Ravel retorted back at each other. Koneko remained quiet for the most part but let it be known that she sided with Sara, while she knew very little about One piece, she was rather simply bent on opposing Ravel's point of view.
Akeno watched the three members of her group bicker incessantly which caused her to groan. If this continued then her job had just became much more difficult and tiresome. Rias giggled while Issei simply smirked, "Good times in team Akeno." The Saiyan remarked humorously.
A buzzing caught Rias' attention causing the heiress to pull out her phone.
"Yours and Kiba's rides are here." She said to Akeno in a soft almost sad tone. They knew that it would only be a week at most but spending even that much time apart caused an ache to form in Rias' chest. Akeno looked at Issei and Rias, it was plain for the pair to see that she felt the same way as Rias. The trio hugged and exchanged a soft loving kiss before Akeno wiped at her eyes briefly and turned.
"Alright you lot. Stop bickering. Our cars' are here." She spoke cheerfully and it warmed Rias and Issei's hearts to see how comfortably she took to being in charge.
Akeno led the way as Sara, Ravel and Koneko followed her waving to Issei and Rias as they left. Xenovia and Irina left after them. The pair felt awkward as they went to say goodbye to the powerful saiyan and heiress of hell, simply choosing to smile and give a curt wave which the sitting pair returned. Asia and Kiba called their salutations from the entrance way as they left with their fellow team members.
The front door to the house clicked shut confirming that Issei and Rias were alone for the foreseeable future. Rias let out a sigh which Issei immediately knew the meaning behind. She went to speak but her boyfriend cut in before she could.
"They will be totally fine." He said in a confident, firm yet reassuring tone.
Rias relaxed back into the couch leaning her body into Issei's. Dropping her head against his head she remained there until she dozed off with Issei holding her as he watched the television absently, not really absorbing the show but simply letting time pass as he waited.
* Desolate Plain, Issei's Mindscape *
Ddraig swung his left claw forward at a blistering speed toward the dancing blur that was Issei. The young Saiyan warrior ducked under the strike and closed the distance in toward the dragon's exposed underbelly. He prepared to strike into the softer flesh of the dragon when his partner twisted around, throwing his tail out against him. Issei contorted his body left at the midsection and crossed his arms in a brace so as to absorb the power of the lashing tail. The tail crashed into his arms driving Issei backward but was unable to cause him to lose his balance in flight.
Issei grasped a thick barbed spike protruding from the tail and pulled back towards himself bringing the dragon emperor around toward him. In his free hand he pooled Ki which he unleashed toward his monstrous opponent.
The perfectly formed sphere of blue white energy sped toward the dragon who unleashed a torrent of incinerating flames which immediately neutralized the blast while further scorching the ground on which the two titans of power dueled. What had started as a grassy open field was now scared by miles of scorch marks and thick gauges. The collateral damage of the clashing of the pair. If this has been observed by an outsider, the aggression and power that the Saiyan and Dragon had unleashed against each other may seem to indicate a desire to kill the other. Closer inspection though showed a massive grin across the teenager's face and an equal expression adorning the mammoth dragon.
Issei darted right and upward away from the searing flames. Ddraig spun his head around in search of his prey. He looked at the boy just over a hundred metres above him. Neither could take the other by surprise as both were able to track the others energy perfectly.
Issei channeled his reserves of energy into himself once more causing large wads of land to float into the air at the gravitational pull that his increasing Ki created.
"Multiply six." he bellowed with the red aura of his Kaio ken erupting further out from himself in a violent flare of Ki. The sudden increase in power causing the floating masses of terrain to drop back to the ground in a cacophony of crashes and vibrations.
With his power at an all new startling height, the Saiyan plummeted down at speeds vastly exceeding the sound barrier and crashed his fist into the overhead strike thrown his way by Ddraig. Sound ruptured from around their strikes as the duo traded blow for blow with neither gaining nor losing even a quarter inch of ground. Over the last few weeks, Issei's development and mastery of his strength coupled with his experimentation with the Kaio ken had allowed him to fight the red dragon emperor on an almost equal footing. To have a mortal that could rival his power was something that in the past Ddraig would have mocked and been furious of. However now he only felt pride at the strength, speed, endurance, skill and fortitude of his host, partner and close friend.
Ddraig could feel Issei slowly begin to press his guard and deliver strikes that were harder and faster, threatening to break through. On deflecting a right cross, he unfurled his wings and beat hard creating a blast of wind that pushed Issei away, creating space and distance between the pair. A deep breath allowed Ddraig to channel his power in a way he had not had to in a millennia. With a dark crimson aura feint on his skin, the dragon charged up an energy fueled shot of flame before firing it forward directly at Issei.
The boy in question watched the dragon charge his attack and cupped his hands by his side in his signature claw like sphere with a smirk of pure enjoyment on his face.
"Gaaaaaliiiiiick Guuuuun." The saiyan chanted as a purple aura flared through his red Kaio ken.
The shot of charged flame approached and Issei used the milliseconds to funnel more energy into the destructive mass of Ki in his hands before throwing his them forward to release the beam with a shout of, "Fire!"
Purple energy erupted from the saiyan and crashed headlong into the explosive flames. Sparks erupted as the two violent counter forces battled against each other. Issei could feel his beginning to lose momentum and get pushed back toward him as it did with his showdown against the phoenix Riser. That would not happen this time though.
"Multiply seven!" Issei bellowed as he pushed his Kaio ken multiplier to a new height with a bearing of strain on his body that threatened to tear it asunder.
His body held though, just so, which allowed Issei to channel the new power along the beam from his outstretched hands and into the blast that fought against Ddraig's.
The blasts haltered their movement against Issei and then, quite slowly at first, began screeching back the other way toward the dragon. Beating his wings to gain height Ddraig funneled further power into the attack he wielded causing a deadlock once again. Neither could tell you how long they stayed in that deadlock pushing to and fro against the other but with neither gaining ground.
An energy signature they both knew appeared quite suddenly in their realm and both fighters relinquished control of their attacks immediately causing the flaming, pulsating mass of energy to fire up and away into the never ending reaches of the mindscape where it exploded in a grand yet inconsequential manner.
Issei turned his head to the energy signature as both he and Ddraig once again set foot on the ground. Rias stood before them with a mixture of pride, awe and interest on her face.
"That was really impressive. You can stand your ground against a heavenly dragon. I don't think anyone else ever has." She spoke happily to her boyfriend as she approached.
"We stopped when we felt you enter. Didn't want to accidentally hurt you. Are we almost there?" Issei asked between great gasps of air. Now that he has dismissed the Kaio ken his body was ravaged by the after effects of utilizing the powerful technique.
Rias nodded to him while she looked between the two. Issei was exhausted but although Ddraig sat comfortably it was possible to tell that he was also heavily fatigued by the large rise and fall of his chest.
"How much were you holding back against the knuckle head?" She asked jokingly but the dragon simply smiled subtly instead of answering.
Issei poked a finger at Ddraig as he commented in a relaxed offhand manner,
"Ah he'll never tell. Let's get going."
With that the pair waved to the dragon and then vanished from the white realm. As they left Ddraig slumped down into a lying position while the terrain vanished and only the white remained.
"Less then you might think." He muttered before chuckling.
* Team Akeno, Paris, France *
Akeno arrived in Charles de Gaule airport with a headache. The throbbing had nothing to do with jet lag or the transition of time zones and everything to do with the incessant bickering of her team mates. Sara and Ravel had not gotten off to a good start. Koneko while staying relatively neutral still held animosity for the ex-member of Riser's peerage, almost entire for her knockout at the blonde girl's hand in the rating game. Multiple times Akeno had intervened when the young pair began bickering with each other. Finally Akeno had sent a small jolt of lightning into each through skin to skin contact on the plane. The sharp yet minimal pain caused both younger girls to behave for the remainder of the flight.
Now sitting in a small coffee shop of the Latin Quarter, both girls refused to look at or acknowledge the other. This was perfectly fine in Akeno's opinion. The silence let her contemplate how best to move forward. Currently the girls occupied a large rectangular table in Strada Cafe. The small locale had very quaint, modern and cosy vibe to it while also holding a tucked away location along Rue Monge. Akeno had chosen to bring her group here after reviews mentioned of the secluded shop offering the best coffee in Paris with the minimal of nosy crowds. A claim she simply had to check. She enjoyed the taste of her vanilla latte and allowed it to calm her head.
Now that they were here she needed to work out a way to locate either Riser or Kokabiel without being detected themselves. The group had discussed various methods and the only one that Akeno saw as viable was to get in contact with the local devils. If she could convince them to work with her then that would help their cause greatly. But that posed a subsequent issue, how to get to touch with them?
"We could try and draw them to us." Sara suggested as she drank a thick shake through a straw.
"How?" Koneko asked genuinely.
"Um well. You guys are really strong from training with Issei. Maybe just unleash your power and wait for them." The youngest girl suggested with a few pauses for thought.
"No way," Ravel interrupted, "Sure. I'll admit that Koneko and Akeno are impressively strong for their class but that has to be a simply terrible plan." She said harshly.
"You're just saying that because it's my idea." Sara bit back.
"No, I'm saying it because ..." Ravel started fiercely.
"Enough bickering." Akeno shot in. The look in the oldest girls' eyes said there was no room for compromise.
The girls quieted immediately and Akeno let them sit in silence for a moment before addressing Ravel.
"Now, what problem do you see with Sara's method."
"Well if we just unleash a heap of power won't it just seem threatening? If the rolls were reversed, wouldn't we see it as an act of aggression?" Ravel spoke thoughtfully and it was clear to Akeno that the girl's upbringing allowed her to assess situations thoroughly.
Akeno had to agree with Ravel's observation however Sara also had a point that utilising their strength would bring those they needed to find to them.
"What if we found a way to use our strength as a beacon without being intimidating?" Akeno pondered out loud.
"What? Like hunt down a rogue?" Koneko responded.
Akeno smiled at the idea. It was simple, to the point and showed that they meant no harm to the local hierarchy.
"That's perfect Koneko. A fight with a rogue will be the beacon we need while showing that we don't want to upset the balance. Rogues are also a lot easier to find." Akeno stated with a smile as she finished the last of her latte.
With dusk come and gone, the darkness of night fell across the vast metropolitan sprawl of the French capital. The neighbourhood of Saint Germain glowed like a well decorated and pristine Christmas tree. With its rich architecture and upper class residents the four girls stalking the streets seemed almost out of place. The group of girls slowed down in front of a richly adorned set of black iron gates. Swift jumps later and they had easily scaled the eight foot barrier.
Slowly and silently the group approached the large building. Half way across the spacious grounds, Akeno pointed to either side of the structure and her team members spread out. Koneko went left to the eastern side of the building while Ravel went right to the west. Both girls gave a thumbs up indicating an easy way into the building. To the front, the northern side, Akeno and Sara approached.
Originally they had planned to infiltrate subtly however the rogue they were tracking was known to be quite strong. To combat its strength they decided to implement a sort of pincer blitzkrieg tactic. They would strike its lair hard from three cardinal points and in the commotion of three loud entries, with any luck the beast would be too confused to effectively defend its realm. If things became hairy then Akeno and Koneko would engage it in combat utilising their enhanced training from Issei while Ravel and Sara supported them.
Both flanking girls released a small wisp of colourful magic, yellow for Ravel, white for Koneko, back toward the side of the building that Akeno and Sara waited at. This indicated to the pair that their allies were ready. The coloured energy only held for a second before dispersing as if it had never existed. At seeing it Akeno blasted the main doors to the mansion open with a great burst of wind magic. The doors ripped clean from their hinges and crashed across the floor. Loud bangs rung out as the hard wood pounded down onto the thick, dust laden floor boards.
At the same time the loud piercing of glass shattering filled the air as Koneko and Ravel entered as well. Akeno strode confidently into the large interior with Sara by her side. A roar was heard from deeper within the first floor and both girls made haste directly toward the noise. If their prey wasn't a rogue then Akeno would have worried for traps but against those that had lost their minds such concerns were rarely warranted.
Heavy foot falls could be heard approaching them but then a loud crash broke the air along with further growls. Akeno bolted through a doorway into a spacious kitchen. Shattered glass, splintered wood and debris littered the room. Scorch marks outlined a large panther like creature that was climbing to its feet. At the other end of the room in an adjacent doorway stood Ravel. Her hands outstretched from having clearly cast a bolt of flames at the oversized feline. Akeno settled her gaze back onto the rogue beast that had caused terror to the local Parisians. The hulking muscular mass was over seven feet long with powerful limbs and black fur. Red and yellow faintly streaked through like subtle tiger stripes.
Very few humanoid features remained. The shape of the eyes and ears. Little else. It was clear that this rogue had survived for a long time. Years, maybe a decade or so. That would be put to an end now.
Ravel fired a follow up blast of fire and yet despite still regaining its feet from being blind sided, the feral creature was able to leap aside nimbly. It spun around on it's haunches as it did so and whipped a long razor like tail at the Phenex girl. Ravel dropped back raising her arms to protect her face. The tip of the tail grazed across her arms and cut smoothly yet shallowly. Despite the tertiary nature of the cut, blood still dripped from the precision wound. Clearly that tail was a dangerous weapon.
No time could be wasted though and Akeno began engaging the foe, unleashing an arc of lightning into her enemy. The electricity rippled from her fingers and burned into the creatures flesh with a sinister sizzle. The muscles of the predator spasmed involuntarily however the creature didn't falter in its movements, turning toward the new adversary so as that it could follow up by lunging with outstretched paws at the Gremory queen. Akeno retaliated with another powerful gust of wind that met the creatures pounce head on and caused it to crash into the ground prematurely. Thick clawed paws raised and swiped at the black haired beauty who ducked aside cleanly but not with as much finesse as she would have hoped.
The oversized panther was clearly focused on Akeno who posed the biggest threat. The black haired girl was causing it constant pain and discomfort with lightning that she continued to produce, like a magical chain connecting the pair. Much to Akeno's annoyance the power of her spell was doing far less to slow or damage her opponent than she had hoped. However with its attention honed in on the oldest girl, Sara darted around and began firing wisps of green energy at the monster in the form of long darts. The darts punctured its hide before erupting painfully. Ravel added to this assault by unleashing a barrage of fiery blasts that singed the fur of the beast and caused burns to blister on the skin around the entry wounds of Sara's darts.
To the untrained it would seem that the creature should be easily overwhelmed by the combined powers of the three girls however all three could tell that their combined attacks were having a very minuscule affect on its stamina. A lunge and quick strike with a paw slammed Akeno back causing her lightning to stop flowing. The beast followed up on its opening by pouncing with an open maw to bite down on the young woman before it. Akeno felt fear etch into her as she considered whether this hunt had been a bad idea. The jaws were within milliseconds of clamping onto her when a foot connected with the snout of the creature and sent it careening backward into the floor behind it. Crashing into one of the few remaining pieces of solid furniture, a cabinet that had, in times past, contained various cooking utensils.
Koneko landed smoothly onto her feet and adopted her cat like defensive stance.
"Heh, sorry for the late arrival. I guess I chose the wrong side to come in." She said in a serious yet carefree manner as she kept her eyes locked on to the oversized predator before her.
A smile very reminiscent of Issei's took hold of her face. In training with the battle loving Saiyan, Koneko had found herself developing a sense of relishing enjoyment for the challenge of a good fight more and more. The panther bounded back to its feet and assessed the fighters around it.
The one it had attacked previously was now guarded by the new arrival that edged closer. The weaker two stood close together but dislocated from their friends. It was an easy choice for the panther and it bounded at Sara and Ravel. The pair of younger girl's eyes went wide with fear as the monster charged at the both of them and Ravel found herself with a tight knot forming in her belly at the monster's charge. Close combat was not her forte. The creature never got the chance though as Koneko intercepted it with a clean right cross to the jaw followed by a left hook and driving knee. She had crossed the distance between them at a speed approaching and almost breaking through the sound barrier itself thanks to her training with enhanced gravity.
The beast staggered back shaking its head. As Koneko went to move forward in her assault the panther opened its great maw and spewed forth a thick choking haze that irritated the eyes while clogging the throat.
Koneko began to choke with her eyes, ears and nose burning. Tears filled her eyes in an attempt to drain the toxin away. Before she could muster a defence though a powerful claw crashed into her side running from her shoulder, down her ribs and then onto her hip. Her skin split and tore creating long gashes with thick streams of blood oozing from the broken flesh.
Akeno watched as Koneko became disorientated by the thick toxic cloud and the beast went in to cripple its opponent. Before it could respond however the Gremory queen thrust her hands forward forming a sideways T shape. Tremendous winds erupted in the room from Akeno. They ripped fixtures from the walls and shattered windows, causing glass to scatter everywhere. The panther was caught by the magic and thrown back while being unable to resist the torrential onslaught of wind. The winds focused on the beast slamming down on it and causing it to be unable to rise up. Unfortunately the spell also caught Koneko as it dissipated the thick choking smoke while also catching the disorientated girl in its grasp. Koneko was launched like a rag doll through the air, passing through a shattered window and crashing down outside in the spacious back yard.
Akeno felt a sympathetic stab of guilt for the collateral pain she had caused her friend yet knew now was not the time to worry about it. Focusing her magic in on the feral rogue devil she kept the beast firmly down while Ravel approached it with a large burning scythe of flames.
With her foe held firm the drawbacks of such a powerful yet unwieldy weapon were obsolete and Ravel dropped the long razor blade harshly into the fiend, severing its head while cauterizing both wounds.
Akeno released control of the powerful spell. Instantly upon her doing so the wind vanished as if it had never existed. Her thoughts went to Koneko as she moved around the corpse of their departed foe. Leaving the building with Ravel following close behind, the pair found Sara tending to Koneko. Her involuntary flight hadn't broken any bones but did cause the deep tears to her flesh from the panther's claws to sunder further. Thick dark red venous blood oozed from the wounds. It was a small miracle that the wounds were not arterial, however they were still quite dangerous.
Sara bandaged the wounds with torn pieces of Koneko's top but this did little as the blood continued to flow through. Ravel moved past Akeno and approached their white haired companion.
"Move aside. I can do this quicker." She directed toward Sara. Sara was about to protest but the look Akeno gave her silenced any protest before she could voice it.
Sara moved aside begrudgingly while she watched on with Akeno as Ravel knelt down beside Koneko's left side.
"This will hurt." She stated bluntly to which Koneko merely nodded. Internally she steeled herself against the expected pain.
Ravel's hands began to heat up, steam actively rising from her flesh. Instantly everyone knew what was about to occur. Ravel pressed her super heated hands to Koneko's flesh. To her credit Koneko didn't scream or make a sound as her muscle, sinew and flesh cauterized. The smell of the wound searing was strong and threatened to cause Sara to gag. The young girl turned away to avoid losing her lunch.
"Tougher then I thought." Ravel stated as she finished her quick work. Her voice showed some admiration however it was clear that she wasn't skilled at giving compliments.
Koneko looked up toward her and was about to reply when her gaze travelled past her companions and landed on something beyond them.
Before she could say anything a voice broke out from behind them.
"That was impressive. Well impressive for Japanese devils."
* Team Kiba, Lima Peru *
Kiba and crew had landed in Peru to a situation similar to Akeno's gang, that is to say also not quite sure how they would track down their quarry. They needn't have bothered though. It was less them twenty minutes when they found themselves in the Plaza Mayor, the symbolic birthplace and heart of the city. The plaza was a beautiful mix of red brick work and feature gardens. What got their attention though was a large crowd cheering and chanting loudly in the centre of the historic area.
Pushing through the crowd Kiba couldn't believe his eyes to find the very man that he was to be hunting, Freed Seltzen, standing on the small stone wall of a beautifully manicured garden plot while preaching ravenously. He thundered his words with spittle flinging from his lips from the frenzied manner he spoke from atop his figurative soap box. Luck had only favoured team Kiba so much though as the moment the Gremory knight pushed forward, the mad exorcist turned and recognized him immediately. The psychopath screamed at them in Spanish. The two devils understood however Xenovia and Irina didn't. But understanding the words wasn't needed for what he was saying.
"DEVILS! DEVILS! THERE THERE THERE! KILLLLL THEMMMM! KILL THE SHITTY DEVILS!" He screamed as he pointed at the group while bouncing from foot to foot.
The effect of his words was instantaneous. Hands grabbed at and struck toward the four. The crowd turned on them abruptly. Their faces showed glazed over expressions as they attacked the new arrivals. Despite their numerical advantage, Kiba and Asia were able to break free without too much difficulty. Their enhanced devil strength gave them the advantage needed to escape the enraptured humans. For Xenovia and Irina it was a different story, as the pair while being skilled fighters were unwilling to harm the clearly bewitched innocents.
Having broken free and moving faster then their pursuers, Kiba looked back toward their struggling allies.
"You go on ahead my love." He called over to Asia, "I will be right behind you with those two."
At that and before his girlfriend could reply or protest he turned, breaking into a sprint back toward the crowd against him. He knew enough about magic to know that these people had no control over their actions. However that wouldn't stop him striking them. He wouldn't kill them but he would use enough force to incapacitate them in protection of his allies.
With as minimal a use of force as he could muster, Kiba knocked, smacked, pushed and shoved aside all those that got in his way. His speed and strength allowed him to handle those that approached him with absolute ease. He reached Xenovia and Irina less than a minute after turning back, that time however was enough for the masses to have grabbed a hold of the two girls firmly. He lost only a fraction of speed as he dropped into a rough replication of Issei's fighting stance. Kiba, being a swordsman, had only a rudimentary knowledge of hand to hand combat however he had spent enough time watching the Saiyan combat protege fight to pick up some useful pointers. His ability to replicate the style would only work to the untrained eye but that was all he needed at this moment.
Lunging forward he drew back his left foot before unleashing it in a vicious roundhouse kick that broke the ribs of the victim and used that man's body to dislodge a further three from Irina. Landing nimbly on his right foot he shoulder charged forward into the clumsy masses delivering blows with a series of strikes and pushes that succeeded in breaking Xenovia free. With a hand holding a wrist of each of the girls, Kiba sped away from the crowd dragging the two holy warriors who struggled to keep pace with the athletic devil.
Leaving the plaza, the three ran in the direction Kiba and Asia had taken before he turned back. Minutes went by and with their pursuers far behind the group began to slow.
"Up here Kiba." Asia's voice rang out from above. Looking up they saw the blonde devil standing atop a four story apartment building with her wings folded neatly at her back. She jumped off and landed gracefully beside her compatriots.
"I think we should go up on rooftops. It's harder for humans to follow up." Asia said simply. Internally she did laugh at the fact that she referred to the race she had spent her life as a member of, in a tone that indicated they were fundamentally alien to her now.
The logic of her idea was apparent to all present and so with his own wings unfurled Kiba flew up carrying Xenovia while Irina was carried by Asia.
Once safely perched on the building's roof Asia went to work healing the wounds of her friends. The two holy warriors may not deem the young devil their friend however to Asia they were. She found trust in those she met and was always eager to build friendships.
With the healing complete the group rested.
"What now? We found him but he has so many people bewitched." Irina asked in a voice that showed she was disheartened at the condition of the local people.
"I'm not too sure. Magic isn't my forte. Any thoughts gorgeous?" Kiba replied while directing his last words to Asia.
"I want to help these people." The former nun replied, "I'm pretty good with my magic. I don't want to fight the local people but I think I could return their minds to them with some of my twilight healing. I would need to get really close to them though or ..." Asia spoke sincerely and in a manner that showed to all present that helping these people was important to her before trailing off into her thoughts.
Both holy warriors were taken aback slightly. They had been raised, trained and conditioned to believe devils could only ever be possessive, cunning and manipulative. They had believed that the actions of the all Gremory devils, both Rias' peerage and Sirzechs followers, to be motivated by simple self survival so far but while to some degree they were correct, that came into direct conflict now however with Asia's desire to help the local people. People that had no bearing on them or their assigned task. It was something that simply didn't line up with what they knew of devils. As such they remained silent and listened to the two peerage members discuss the course of action that they would take.
"Ok. So you have a plan I take it?" Kiba inquired, placing trust in the girl he loved.
"Yep." She said simply with a coy smile, "It's a bit out there and a pretty dangerous one though." She laughed nervously as she thought it through. It would certainly be a bold move.
"When are the plans we end up a part of not dangerous?" Kiba asked rhetorically which Asia nodding in agreement as she her nervous laughter ended in a chuckle.
With that Asia began relaying her plan in detail to the group. The look on both Irina and Xenovia's faces said that they thought she had completely lost the plot however Kiba kept a look of confidence in his girlfriend despite the unorthodox nature of what she was proposing.
"Does anyone have anything better?" He asked when she finished. The silence that followed cemented that they would be going with Asia's plan.
"Well then we had best go find somewhere to lay up and rest before we do this I think." Kiba stated as he began leading the unlikely group along the roof tops.
* Rias and Issei, Sheremetyevo International Airport, Moscow *
Issei stretched out the stiffness and soreness that his muscles felt after being crammed rather tight and uncomfortable into the airline seat for the duration of the flight. Rias was far more comfortable having spent her time stretched across her seat and her boyfriend. Sleeping soundly with her head on his chest.
It was only when a flight attendant had awkwardly woken up the red headed beauty that she had briefly entered his mind to fetch the Saiyan warrior from the bliss of his eternal training. Issei's body had ached in relief as he made his way out of the plane.
Leaving the aircraft, the pair walked through the airport with eyes glancing at and following them. Having dealt with it for so long, Rias found the lustful stares of strangers easy to ignore but Issei hadn't quite reached her level of comfort in it yet. His muscular body attracted looks of desire from women that he found awkward. Issei was very comfortable in his relationship with the Gremory heiress and so the looks she received didn't bother or annoy him overly much. In fact he found it mostly humorous how quickly the perpetrators would look away as if something else was suddenly the most interesting object in the world when they realized he had caught them ogling his girlfriend.
As the pair strode out of the airport and into the freezing night air of the Russian capital, Rias squeezed Issei's hand and turned to him.
"You have a plan for tracking down this Saiyan?" She asked simply while keeping her voice low.
"Yeah." He replied in his usual blaise manner, "It's pretty simple, I'm just gonna go straight to the highest Ki signature, well specifically for finding this target, the highest Shoki, that I can sense which … right now is not all that far from us to the south east."
Rias looked at him perplexed for a moment before replying. Clearly she was thinking through a thought before getting a slightly cranky expression to her face.
"How long have you been able to sense Ki energy?" She asked in a manner that immediately told Issei he had dropped himself in.
"Ah ... well a while." He replied sheepishly at the same time as scratching the back of his head with a soft chuckle.
Rias puffed her cheeks out at him.
"Nice of you to inform your girlfriends." She said in mock outrage.
Issei went to speak but decided to trump her irritation with actions. He ran his hand up onto her cheek and brought her into a deep kiss. As they broke apart he smiled cheekily at her.
"Forgive me?" He asked already knowing the answer.
"Of course I do you big dummy." She replied in an appeased voice with a slight blush to her cheeks that had nothing to do with the biting cold.
With their bags of belongings slung over his shoulder Issei led the way to where a large number of taxis waited along a narrow strip for customers.
Issei, only speaking Japanese and English was unable to communicate with the locals however Rias spoke flawless Russian to the elderly man who happily took them to their hotel while chatting away with the red haired beauty. Issei was always amazed at some of the useful abilities being a Devil granted. The one he wished to find a way to replicate was their instantaneous understanding and mastery of any language they encountered. It was something that the fighting talents of Saiyans so far did not help with in any regard.
With their belongings safely secured in the almost overly opulent Marriott room that Grayfia had booked them, the pair crept stealthily up to the roof where they could take to the sky. Flying in the dark of the night above the lowest clouds was by far the easiest way for Issei to follow the glowing beacon of the greatly above average Shoki signature that shone in his mind before him.
Approaching the vicinity shortly after taking off the pair dropped down into an alley that appeared unoccupied. Only one minor energy signature registered and Issei instantly identified it as a heavily intoxicated man who appeared close to being rendered unconscious. It didn't really matter if the guy did in fact see them land down beside him. No one would believe someone as drunk as that man was.
With the pair landing near to him, the man's half lidded eyes opened wide with shock as he did a slow double take before he slurred something incomprehensible and passed out. Rias' wings vanished as Issei led her out of the alley and along the front of the buildings. Issei checked out the buildings as they walked along the footpath. Most appeared to be the grey concrete square structures that were typical of the soviet period. It was clear that these buildings had originally been constructed for industrial use. What they were used for now was something Issei neither knew nor cared for.
Music permeated the air the closer they got to the source that Issei was honing in on. The music had strong beats with thick guitar riffs. Despite the foreign language of the lyrics, Issei could tell it was punk music, a genre he was familiar and quite the fan of. Bright neon lights contrast with the dark almost non existent street lighting as the mixed smells of smoke, alcohol, sweat and vomit filled the air around an extra large warehouse. The building itself came close to the size of three of its neighbours. People dressed in dark leathers, jackets, metal chains, boots and checkered belts milled around outside. Four large men stood by the doors taking payment and stamping the hands of those entering.
Issei looked to Rias and she took the lead approaching the bouncers. A short exchange of Russian and money later resulted in the pair being stamped and admitted entry.
The bouncers ogled Rias blatantly as they entered despite Issei's presence. The men were physically bigger then him but as humans they would be folded instantly like a pretzel if they were foolish enough to try anything. Luckily for them, they had enough professionalism to only look while doing their job.
Inside the noise, smells and crowds were exponentially thicker. As someone who enjoyed heavy music, Issei found himself bobbing his head to the beat and rhythm as they moved in. Before reaching the crowd he glanced at a poster of the main act of the night. A black background with a white skull sporting a Mohawk. Purgen written above it in a messy scrawl.
Rias was not as enthused by the music as her boyfriend but followed him closely. Music she didn't enjoy was irrelevant when completing the job at hand. That being said though, the quicker they left then the happier she would be about the whole situation.
Issei pushed through the thrashing masses. Some seemed irritated by his rough barging through but none tried to block the muscular figure. Ten metres, eight metres, six metres. The crowd parted and Issei laid eyes on someone he had been pursuing but not the one he had hoped for.
In front of him was a devil he recognized from Grayfia's briefing, Vali. The young man wore a thick black leather jacket over a dark under shirt. Black and maroon pants, thick black boots and multiple chains. His silver hair was spiked up into a rough Mohawk similar to most true punk styles. The man danced within the crowd, but as his body turned, his eyes rest upon and registered Issei. Issei's smirk grew as he saw surprise flash briefly in his opponent's eyes.
"So I take it that you must be Vali." Issei stated blandly but in a voice loud enough to easily break over the thrum of the music. He was itching for a fight but he wanted to make it clear that he considered fighting the devil to be a trivial matter. A task almost completely beneath him. The second flash in Vali's eyes showed that he did indeed pick up on Issei's attitude.
Issei continued before he could present a response.
"So tell me, where are you keeping your Saiyan friend?" He asked nonchalantly as if looking for another of his race was part and parcel of any day.
This definitely wasn't something Vali had expected to be asked and it clearly took him by surprise. How could anyone know about the Saiyan race? The Angels and Devils they had fought previously were completely unaware of the nature of the foe that they had foolishly stood against. They had been completely bewildered when they fell to him so easily.
Vali was about to question this new intruder when he felt a pull of familiarity and a voice spoke to him. He smirked before addressing Issei.
"So you're the red dragon's vessel huh. Pfft I expected more. Albion and I were hoping for a challenge when we finally met." Vali's voice dripped with arrogance and a desire to antagonize similar to Issei's own.
Issei laughed at this. Rias for her part simply watched the two interact. She knew a fight was brewing. If not for the attitude of both warriors than simply because Ddraig and Albion have always been destined to fight. She thought surely it wouldn't happen here though. In this building. A crowded concert full of witnesses. But then again, Issei was Issei.
"If you think a devil like you can even land a blow on me. Then come on, let's go." Issei stated in an offhand mocking manner.
For a brief moment Vali considered what race or faction Issei could be from if he considered a devil below him and then merely dismissed this fact. The fight would be what determined who won. He knew he would be stronger, faster and more skilled then Ddraig's partner
In an instant Vali shot forward toward the cocky warrior with his hand pulled began and delivered a powerful punch toward his opponent's head.
Air. He only struck air.
Issei watched as Vali was momentarily surprised. His display of superhuman speed had caught the attention of those dancing around them who backed up immediately.
"Missed." Issei commented with a chuckle.
Vali turned. The taller warrior stood behind him with his arms crossed as if nothing had happened.
Again the devil shot toward Issei with his knee swept back for a kick. Once more Issei dodged effortlessly. More people moved away and the attention of the thick crowd was landing heavier on the fighting pair as those around them watched the two moving at superhuman speeds. To all the humans watching it would seem as if Issei was narrowly dodging the blows and strikes however the Saiyan warrior was lazily dancing around Vali's attacks much to the increasing frustration of the white dragon's vessel.
"Man. I thought you would able to fight. Guess Albion must be a poor judge of character." Issei taunted as he dodged under another wild cross thrown by the now thoroughly enraged Vali.
Vali saw red at Issei's comment and stopped attacking briefly to scream loudly, "Balance breaker!"
Instantly white plate armour almost identical to the red armour Issei trained with in his mindscape covered the devil's body. The green crystals of Issei's armour were replaced by blue on Vali's and blue crystalline wings formed behind him.
Cheering began to erupt from those watching the fight and soon the crowd was screaming for the match to continue. It was plain to see that many of those attending the concert considered this to be an excellent form of entertainment with so many pulling their smart phones out to record the incredible sight. Rias would be lying if she said she wasn't a bit intimidated by Vali's transformation but she knew it meant little to Issei. So far he had been outclassing Vali so totally that this was of little consequence. What did annoy her however, was that neither boy seemed the least bit concerned by their public and crowded venue. She knew there would be repercussions for their foolish judgement.
"I've got you now you quick bastard." Vali spat at Issei.
Once again it was Vali who started the melee a new by firing himself toward Issei however this time at a vastly enhanced speed, much greater than he had previously demonstrated that he was capable of. His armoured fist flew at Issei. Vali expected that he would either drill Issei with the strike or Issei would dodge again.
The outcome was neither as Issei met his fist with one of his own. A tremendous boom ripped through the air as saiyan flesh connected with dragon plate gauntlet. For a moment the pair were at a stalemate vying for dominance of strength. Spectators had been thrown back by the concussive wave of the strikes connecting. As Issei broke the stalemate by pushing Vali back and striking out with a spin kick of his own the crowd erupted in louder screams and cheers. Vali managed to block the kick deftly with his arms crossed to his side but to Issei, this left him open. The Saiyan wasted no time and capitalized on the opening with a left jab followed closely by a right uppercut that took the devil off his feet. The successive strikes knocked Vali into the air almost a dozen metres and he struck the ground sliding toward the feet of the spectators that ringed their impromptu fighting arena.
Flicking his body, Vali propelled himself onto his own feet. This time he didn't rush Issei. He stared at the cocky warrior standing lazily with his arms crossed before him. Only one person had ever been so much more powerful then he was and that was the one guy this fighter seemed to be searching for. In an instant it clicked in Vali's mind. The superior attitude, casual calmness and love of a fight, the sheer strength and power.
"Where's your tail?"
As Vali asked the question, Issei chuckled and uncoiled his tail from around his waist and it waved through the air behind him in a very casual manner. Shocked expressions emanated from the crowd at the appearance of the extra appendage.
"Figured it out. Good. Not as dumb as you look then." Issei stated more to himself as he dropped into his fighting stance, ready to recommence the fight.
Vali thought fast, he would have to continue to fight this Saiyan but now he also realized that he was at a massive fundamental disadvantage. Maybe he could buy some time though. He could utilize his divine dividing technique but he wasn't sure if it would work on this opponent. It had never given him any hope in the sparring matches he had undertaken with his Saiyan counterpart. He settled for a more subtle course of action as he charged a small burst of magic in his right hand before dispersing it toward the ceiling in invisible tendrils.
Issei disregarded the odd behaviour as anything other then him preparing a possible trap while Rias was more interested in the display of subtle magic. After the magic passed through the ceiling a bright flare flashed momentarily in the sky before vanishing.
Issei moved at blistering speed to appear behind Vali and delivered a strike to the rear of his helmet causing the two to once again begin a clash of melee combat. The crowd roared their approval. The concert had transformed into an impromptu fight club style match and the crowd were loving it. The band and event staff themselves watched just as enraptured.
Blow for blow the pair traded strikes back and forth. They moved at phenomenal speeds however as the minutes passed Vali began to slow and fatigue with Issei showing absolutely no signs of exhaustion. Rias knew that both fighters were holding back the lion's share of their power, a tactic she believed was for the benefit of their audience and location whilst also allowing them to study each other's fighting style. Despite this suppression by both, it was obvious that Issei still wielded a far greater power in this fight.
A right cross that found nothing but air yet again left Vali open and Issei stepped into his guard before delivering a series of concussive blows to the white dragon's chest plate. The fourth strike caused the plate to crack and Issei followed it with a driving uppercut. As Vali lost his footing, Issei grabbed a hold of his ankle and swung him, like a troll swinging a club, down into the ground. Blood spurted from Vali's mouth as he struck the ground only for Issei to begin to pull him back into the air to strike into the ground again.
Vali twisted and swung his foot out against Issei. The metallic boot connected with the Saiyan's head stunning him momentarily and allowing Vali to break free of his hold. As Vali landed on the ground, he dropped down to one knee with his head spinning and the world becoming fuzzy. He knew he was definitely suffering from a concussion. He looked up at the double image of the Saiyan that approached him.
"You fought well I guess." Issei stated to his downed opponent.
He prepared to deliver a blow to would incapacitate Vali and end the fight.
With his fist drawn back and his focus completely on Vali he didn't notice the potent Ki energy signature approaching their location rapidly. Brick and concrete shattered, blown inward and crumbled by the force of the object driving through it as a figured rocketed toward Issei sheathed in a blinding white aura. A powerful blow struck the Saiyan and propelled him back over the crowd and through not only the adjacent wall but also two further buildings.
Rias watched as the aura stopped in front of Vali and a hand pulled the white dragon's vessel to his feet.
"Glad you got here." Vali commented with a mild slur while dismissing his juggernaut armour. Blood trickled from his mouth and right ear. Heavy bruising was evident on much of his exposed flesh. Suppressed fight or not, he had taken an absolute beating.
The figure didn't say a word and simply watched the opening that he had propelled Issei through. As if on cue the Saiyan shot back through the opening and landed beside Rias. His own white aura raging.
Both warriors dismissed their auras and sized each other up.
The first thing both Rias and Issei noted of this new arrival was the tail that swished identically to Issei's behind him and the 'oh so familiar' grin on his face.
The new Saiyan had messy brown hair that stuck up at odd angles along with chocolate coloured eyes. He wore a red Chinese style fighting Gi along with a yellow under shirt, boots, gloves and sash belt.
Vali stood beside his ally as he addressed Issei and Rias in a voice that sounded slightly drunken from the blows he had just received.
"Now that Bikou's here, I guess it is two on two match if the … the uh … the Gremory is willing to fight." Vali stated as if he somehow he had the authority to decide such things.
Rias went to state that of course she would fight by Issei's side but her boyfriend beat her to it.
"No. This is a fight between just me and him. You will both stay out of it." His voice totally serious as his eyes never left the first of his kind he had ever met or faced in the real world.
Neither Vali nor Rias got a chance to protest as the Saiyan who Vali addressed as Bikou finally spoke in a deep yet seemingly carefree voice. Despite the nature of it, everyone present could tell just how completely serious he was at this moment.
"You won't interfere Vali. If you do I will strike you down myself."
It was clear that Vali wasn't too pleased to be sitting out of the next fight but he respected the wishes of the new Saiyan arrival and simply moved through the crowd, which parted hastily before him as he walked, albeit slightly unsteadily, up onto the stage. He held his hand out to the singer in an expectant manner, taking the microphone from the man he addressed the crowd in Russian. Rias translated to Issei.
"Have you all enjoyed the fight so far?" He yelled out to a chorus of raucous cheers.
"Good. Now for the main event. I know that none of you know it but before you all is something that hasn't been seen in almost an eternity. Two warriors of an ancient race, Saiyan warriors, facing off against one another. This fight to the death will be one for the ages."
Again the crowd jeered and screamed their approval. Vali turned to the band, "How about getting some music for the fight huh."
At that the band began to play heavy beats and loud aggressive music appropriate for such an event.
White Aura's erupted around both Saiyans as they began to float into the air at equal heights to each other.
Still facing his new opponent Issei spoke to Rias who was as equally as frustrated as Vali at being left out.
"Rias." Issei stated in a firm voice, "Can you get rid of the roof?"
Collateral damage was something that concerned him. Issei knew that this fight would be an all or nothing affair. He wasn't about to insult a fellow Saiyan by suppressing his power and he expected the same of his new opponent.
Accepting the request, Rias produced and shot forward a small pulse of destruction magic that evaporated just the roof above them on contact without even a speck of debris dropping down into the building. With an open sky above them the two Saiyans floated higher. As if on cue both bellowed out and thick raging white auras encompassed them moments before they clashed in a flurry of blows. If Vali thought Issei had been moving fast before, then it was nothing to the speed he was utilizing now. Many of the spectators saw nothing more then slight blurs and the images of the two as hits connected along with feeling the mighty shock waves that tore through the air and threatened to cause buildings in their immediate vicinity to collapse. This didn't stop them from filming the whole fight avidly as the grungy punk music mixed with the sounds of the two combatants.
Issei blocked a left cross and countered with a right knee that was promptly blocked as well. Fractions of a millisecond later he arched back as Bikou threw a right hook. The blow caught Issei's head, causing pain to surge through his cranium. The successful blow left Bikou's defence open momentarily and Issei took advantage. He planted his fist firmly into the other Saiyan's stomach before delivering a spinning right kick that propelled his opponent toward the ground. The impact of the other Saiyan striking the ground never came though as he caught himself mid fall and shot back into the air to recommence the brutal melee.
Bellowing booms of pure carnage echoed for kilometres as the two Saiyans fought through the air. Steadily the pair began moving faster and faster, becoming impossible for human eyes to track. Fortunately for the buildings around them, their fight moved higher into the air and away from the industrial club they started in. Many of the buildings would have fallen had the combatants fought at or close to ground level.
Rias unfurled her wings to the shock of those around her before taking to the air. She followed the pair at a distance. Although she was a powerful devil in her own right, the insane strength that Saiyans seemed to wield at ease made hers pale in comparison. Landing on a nearby rooftop, she was joined shortly by Vali, his wings also unfurled, who kept his eyes on the lightning fast blurs.
"How did a Gremory get a pet Saiyan anyway?" He asked in a deliberately argumentative manner. His words slowly becoming more stable as his body began to gradually heal from the beating he had taken.
Rias had enough understanding of politics and dialogue to know when someone was goading her. Despite that she wouldn't let this outcast speak that way of her relationship with Issei.
"He is not my pet. He happens to be my boyfriend and how we met is none of your damn business." Rias let venom fill her words as she ensured that she didn't look at the man beside her.
"Hmm whatever. Doesn't matter. He can't beat Bikou. No one can." Vali stated in a very manner of fact style.
This also irked Rias yet she let her voice be more civil as she turned to address him directly for the first time.
"You don't know a damn thing about what he can do. He thrashed you so easily. It was pitiful to watch really." It was Rias' turn to be harsh now.
Vali didn't respond yet merely scowled at her words.
In the sky above the devils, Issei dove with a knee that Bikou dodged, twisted and delivered a double kangaroo style kick to the Gremory Saiyan's chest in response. Issei was launched back by the powerful strike. He twisted himself to face Bikou and channeled a blast of Ki into his hands which he then released in a toss toward his opponent. Bikou reacted with a blast of his own. Bikou's Ki sphere of green white energy crashed with Issei's blue white one and as the two detonated, traces of light scattered through the night sky in an almost mesmerizing manner.
Both Saiyan's shot forward and engaged once more the moment the particles of the exploding Ki cleared. Fist met fist while leg struck leg as each instantaneous attack was met by another before even a second could elapse. The pair parted breathing heavily, fatigue affecting both supercharged warriors. Their exhaustion didn't change their mood however as both smiled broadly.
"You fight well Bikou." Issei stated with tones of respect in his voice.
"As do you ..." Bikou responded and it became evident that he didn't know his adversaries name.
"Issei." The Gremory Saiyan replied to the unasked question.
Bikou's smile twisted to a smirk.
"Good. I always like to know the name of my opponent before I destroy them. Now let's take this up a level!" He roared as his white aura quadrupled in size and ferocity. Flares of white Ki rippling off like rogue flames.
A vicious uppercut caught Issei under the chin causing him to be propelled skyward only for a double hammer fist to drill him back toward the ground. He impacted in an explosion of dust and debris.
Issei pulled himself out of the rubble of the wrecked bitumen road that he had slammed down into and looked up toward his enemy. If Bikou thought such an increase in power was all that was needed to beat his opponent than he would be heavily mistaken as Issei screamed out toward the heavens and called forth the vast majority of his Ki reserves. His white aura exploding forth like raging flames as he shot skyward once more to clash with his opponent yet again.
This time neither Rias nor Vali could keep track of the Saiyan's movements. Only catching momentary flashes as blows struck guards or further blows.
The soviet era buildings closest to where the two fought frayed and crumbled around the two titans as they became hell bent on destroying the other. Fortunately this area was mostly abandoned and the tremors that had begun since the fight started had scared away any locals in the area.
Issei dodged under a left cross and drove his right elbow into Bikou's face, the Saiyan stumbled back. Issei didn't miss a second by following up with a combination of jabs and knees to the stomach. The strikes folded his opponent at the midsection. He wouldn't waste this further opportunity, capitalizing on it by delivering a powerful driving kick to Bikou's face that launched him upward in a manner similar to his strike on Issei. Two Ki blasts appeared instantly in Issei's hands before he fired them forward. The Ki orbs struck true and an explosion erupted around Bikou.
Issei caught his breath as he watched the smoke and dust settle. He knew through his Ki sense that Bikou was still very much alert and capable of continuing.
As he came into view, the look of rage and anger on Bikou's face twisted his handsome features. Blood dripped from just below his left eye and speckled his face. Bikou brought a cupped hand toward his chest tightly where thick green Ki began to channel.
"This will end you." He spat at Issei.
Moments later he threw the growing green blast forward which expanded immediately to a monstrous size and fired down toward Issei as a powerful beam.
"ERASER CANNON! He bellowed at the Saiyan below.
Issei reacted instinctively by cupping his hands to his side in a familiar claw like style.
"GALICK ... GUN ... FIRE!" He chanted as he collected as much energy in the attack as he could.
Purple and green collided in a momentous meeting of power. Both Saiyans bellowed as they channeled further Ki into their attack.
Vali had to admit he was impressed. When Bikou used his eraser cannon, none ever survived and yet here was an opponent utilizing a similar technique to hold the deadly destructive beam at bay.
"I've never seen someone stop the eraser cannon before. Plenty have tried. None ever succeed, not even for even a second." He admitted more to himself than to Rias.
"I hope that's not all your friends got or when Issei gets serious, this fight will end really quickly." Rias commented enjoying the slight nervousness it created in the outcast beside her.
Bolts of energy arched from where the two powers clashed in the air. Green pushing down on purple. Issei felt the power of Bikou's beam while his purple aura faltered. He would have to change the situation or he would be overwhelmed. Thankfully he was prepared for such an occurrence.
"KAIO KEN!" He bellowed above the roar of the clashing sparking pure Ki energy. Instantly his aura erupted red as he felt the relieving and revitalizing strength of the powerful technique.
He doubled his flow of energy into his galick gun. The change was instantaneous as the tide of the struggle shifted with his beam quickly eclipsing and outclassing the green onslaught of energy. The meeting point of the two attacks rushed up despite Bikou's best efforts before colliding into the Saiyan himself. The explosion that erupted was monumental and many below in Moscow feared that a meteorite or some other devastating calamity had born down onto their city.
Bikou plummeted and crashed into the ground tearing the bitumen of the road he hit apart while his body generated an incredible crater.
Vali couldn't believe his eyes as he shot forward with Rias hot on his trail. Despite their speed, Issei easily beat the pair to the crash site landing down with his red aura still burning around him. The thick residual Ki left in the air from the attacks distorted his extra sense and he was unsure of what he would find. Laughter reached his ears moments before Bikou floated out of the crater to land in front of him still laughing heartily. His clothes torn and frayed from the attack he had just survived. His Gi was ripped along the top and pants while the under shirt bore tears that showed flesh. Flesh that was grazed and bruised but not overly damaged however.
"Brilliant." The outcast Saiyan laughed.
"It has been so long since I have fought someone who can match me. But at the end of this you will realize that your little transformation there is only a cute copy. A poor replica." Bikou talked clearly enough to show Issei that he was far from defeated. Battered, bruised and bloody yet still fighting ready.
Issei merely raised an eyebrow at Bikou's comments.
Bikou's smirk grew deeper.
"Allow me to show you a true transformation of our people."
With that he bellowed and yelled out toward the heavens as incredible waves of Ki fully overwhelmed Issei's senses. The shock sent through his body rendered him stunted, rooted in place and only able to watch as a series of brilliant flashes of golden light erupted from his opponent. As fast as it had begun, it ended, Bikou's aura flared out brightly, dazzlingly so, in a monumental tower of pulsating gold.
Edited on 08 January 2021