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The following is a fan-based
FICTION
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Chapter 43: Darkening Clouds
Night fell over the Japanese Capital, Tokyo being still alive even as midnight struck and the lights all around made it a very interesting place-
"This is boring." The comment came out from Rizevim's mouth, the Lucifer blinking placidly while staring at the sight given by the height they were standing on. The Tokyo Tower has been secured just hours earlier silently and quickly as this was but the first step of their devious plans.
Shalba Beelzebub sighed tiredly and tried his hardest to not attack the infuriating heir to the Lucifer's seat in the true Four Satans council. "Kokabiel might be a weakling compared to us, but to consider his role of delaying young Vali 'boring' would be a disappointing-" The Devil tried to explain but was once more interrupted by the silver-haired man.
"I was referring to the fact we have yet to begin the operation." Rizevim almost facepalmed out of utter annoyance. "Man, you sure don't know how to catch the drift, Shalbie."
The Beelzebub's scowl twitched, fury building up as he continued to deal with this deranged individual. It was already difficult to believe that finally the man would be able to cooperate with the other rightful Satans, but Shalba was more confused by the very plan the Lucifer had passed to them.
It was a risky, bold attack that could seriously end up badly if they weren't quick enough to secure the objectives set by the very impatient Devil. Yet the rewards were endearing, seducing in their individual state and rendered the prime target of their collective greed over the power they could gain from those.
To obtain such an edge over the pretenders ruling so stupidly the Underworld was not only essential but also a necessity by their prides as true Devils.
There was no doubt about it and that is why three quarters of the whole Khaos Brigade was going to be deployed to succeed in this mission. The Hero Faction was blissfully left unaware of the grand battle that was soon going to happen here in Tokyo, their ambitions clashing way too much with the dual mindset of the Old Satan Faction and the Qlippoth.
"A pity that Euclid couldn't us for the occasion." Shalba mockingly addressed the lack of the loyal servant of the Lucifer. "Maybe next time he will be more careful to not be out-played by a pitiful human-!"
The Beelzebub had just enough time to turn his head away from the swift punch that he found his cheek cupped and patted in a friendly manner by Rizevim, eyes widening at the grin on the fellow Devil's face.
It was rare to see the silver-haired joker look this much… infuriated by someone or something and the sight was far from pleasant even to someone like the brown-haired Devil.
"Ickle Shalba, trying to appear all mighty and confident." The Lucifer chuckled before turning to look once more at the sight of the city. "Euclid was just surprised, caught in the act. Just like you just a moment ago, ready to lose your head for… nothing."
Dread briefly froze Shalba's brain, but the man managed a nod. "Apologies, didn't wish to cause you any distress." His voice was well-composed but the narrowing eyes over his face were enough to unnerve him out from escalating the situation further.
"What a kind apology!" He sighed, still smiling as he continued to talk. "But sadly, I ain't him. Maybe you will do it personally, while bowing as lowly as your intellect is with that stick shoved up your-"
"Anyway!" The Beelzebub coughed with a seething look directed at the smug Lucifer, knowing that 'bickering' now of all times wasn't something they could allow themselves with. The invasion of the city imminent now. "I think we are almost ready-"
"Booring." Rizevim interrupted with a disappointed tone. "If it wasn't such a cliché villain move to attack the hero alone and then send in the army, I would have put it in my plan."
"The Magician Faction need time to-" Shalba tried to reason but he was stopped by a frown coming from the Lucifer.
"Wait, you mean to tell me the reason why we aren't attacking is… the Magician Faction?!"
He could sense the rhetorical element in that question, but out of confusion and slight fear, the man proceeded to answer nonetheless.
"Yes?" Rizevim facepalmed at the answer, the following groan muffled by the hand pressed on his face.
"Oh for Pops' sake, of course we are ready then- Let's go and pay them a… what is it called?" The grin was once more on his face.
Shalba blinked at Rizevim's question. "A visit-"
"A beating, yes." The man chuckled, deploying his Devilish Wings and taking off with his attention directed at a specific section of the city. "I will go and pay them a beating." A giggle resonated as he rushed quickly away from the location and right where he needed to be.
With those words, the entirety of Qlippoth began the assault, the servants of the Old Satan Faction forced to follow shortly after much to Shalba's chagrin, but the Devil didn't move at first as he continued to stare at the retreating Lucifer with an enraged snarl deepening in his face.
An upstart from the very beginning of their rightful war, someone that disgustingly waddled in the mud that was 'modernity' and 'personal greed' rather than traditions and royal rights.
But there are ways to deal with someone like him.Shalba reminded himself, the dark thoughts that were centered around the crazy monster that was Rizevim Lucifer strong enough to give him a reason to go forwards and…
Grasp the victory for himself!
I admit I never thought that I would have to wake up in the middle of the night at the sound of several explosions happening all around the city. I woke up instantly, panic and paranoia being what got me out of my sleepy self and urged me to see what was going on.
Kunou woke up the very moment I did and was quick to follow me around as we quickly put on proper clothes and rushed to the closest window.
The previously dark-clouded sky of Tokyo was now red at the fiery fires spreading all over the buildings. Screams were filling up the silence as monsters of various kind struck without hesitation, mercilessly and… almost aimlessly.
This can't be a simple attack. Too many attackers and the city is important too.
This was happening so suddenly and I was given too little time to properly think-
The moment I reached down the staircase, I was confronted by Baki, the rest of the group already dressed and ready to go and help around.
"Hoitsu-san, I need to check on Kozue a-and-" The Hanma began talking but I interrupted him quickly with a calm but stuttering tone.
Being shaken this much can do that.
"I-I will send you and someone else to-" I nodded frantically, ready to give out the plans for the defense but was interrupted by the vibration of my phone, the device quickly in my hands and displaying the newly-received message.
"It's the guards keeping a lookout for Kozue-san, she and her mother were already evacuated." I explained swiftly, getting a relieved sigh from the brunet but also a serious look on his face. The promise to make some people suffer for this uncalled assault was stark in his eyes.
We all regrouped by the living room and I started to dispense some orders about the defensive perimeters.
"Kuroka. You, me, Baki-san, and Teru-san will deal with the 'head'." I got some nods from the mentioned members and some frowns too, Kunou being the most displeased by the fact she wasn't in the same time as mine, but I couldn't have her in the main strike force.
"Akua, you will have Mio, Sho, and Kahlua. Your objective is to assist the evacuation of civilians and assist the any reinforcement from Grigori." The dark-haired vampire was already moving towards the door, the group of people mentioned following closely as I addressed the last members left without a team.
"Kunou-" Her fox ears perked at being named the captain, but I knew well-enough that she was the best prepared for this plan. "You will have Koneko, Maria, Mob-"
I paused a moment as I saw someone lifting their hands up and I glanced at-
"-Ophis?"
WHAT?!
The dark-haired girl blinked and nodded, silently walking towards Kunou and stopping by her side.
"Phis?" The blonde looked surprised too. "I thought you went back home-"
"I tried to." The Infinity Dragon muttered. "But I couldn't break through a barrier just outside the headquarters."
…Oh no! We have to move before-
The massive window that gave off to the sight of the city broke instantly as someone I was dreading to encounter decided to step in, the silver-haired man standing now without his Devil wings and smiling amused at the scene he was bestowed with as the reactions of everyone still present could be condensed in a single expression:
Oh shit!
"Hello there!" He proclaimed happily and with a familiar tone, one to which the reply was given out of instinct.
"General Ke- Wait, what?"
The Lucifer tensed at my half-reply, his smile giving way to an awed look.
"Y-You- You are a fellow memester!"
Shit, this is too early in the everything to be happening.
Brace for impact, this bastard is going to be super-crazy to deal with.
"Yes! Pops would have been a proud Memelord and you-"
He pointed right at me, his eyes glowing with power.
"You are just like him… but then again you aren't his reincarnation!"
ゴ
ゴ
ゴ
ゴ
I gulped nervously at the wave of raw energy coming from Rizevim, having only imagined how he would have sounded and be like- but this wasn't certainly something I had planned to ever face.
"K-Kunou, you will join up with Akua-"
"Sadly, Ophis can't leave the place, buddy." The Devil interrupted with a minor sigh. "She is kind of important for some rich boys and girls, like they want to take her powers and all of that."
…
"W-Why are you even spoiling your plans?!" I blurted out, the more I spoke with the man, the more I felt my brain hurt at how much cringe this was starting to begin.
"'My' plans?" The Lucifer parroted softly. "Ophis isn't certainly a target of mine, I just said that it was the plan for the three morons leading the rest of the assault."
The Old Satan Faction? It was a canonical thing to do, just not at this early and- it should have been Rizevim's ambition too!
'His power is… be careful, this will not be an easy battle. I don't think we can even win this one.'
He is a Super-Devil and he is proving to be crazy enough to adopt multiple plans at once mid-fight, only careful planning will-
"But alas my warning is just like a mere 'no-entry' sign, you may or may not respect it." He shrugged, his smile never faltering. "I don't care if Ophis remain free or not, I need to try and see what are you and why you look like dad."
I blinked, waiting a few moments as I silently weighed the situation.
An all-out attack would fail, I know he is faster than me and I would waste my energy in a single hit.
We need to get the others out before they get caught in the battle.
'I also sense fellow Dragons lurking around. I think… they managed to resurrect them somehow.'
I sighed tiredly and glanced back at the remaining people behind me. "Kunou, your group will join up with Kuroka and her team. Help her with the main task and don't look back."
She almost jumped in surprise at my tone but nodded, eyes twitching as I could see tears.
"I will be fine. Just be careful." Her shivering stopped just a moment and she gave a meaningful nod before leading the rest of the members out of the building while I deal with the grinning man in front of me.
"Why don't we make it spicier?" He spread his arms open, showing himself completely unprotected and ready to be hit. "Bring out your best quotes and we shall turn this in a fun day for the two of us."
To be fair, I don't think Rizevim could have been this much…
Carefree?
Demented.
I sighed again, this time staring angrily at the man and starting to walk towards him. "Rizevim!"
He blinked, surprised by this turn of events, but he was quick in realizing the reference and he sighed happily.
"Oh? You are approaching me, Hoitsu-kun?" He asked with an amused tone, a smug smirk visible in his face. "Instead of running away at the mere knowledge that Azazel failed to even land a serious hit on me, failing just like a little child trying to bring down a tall tree with a little kick?"
"I can't beat the shit out of you without getting closer." I replied with a determined tone, gaining a snort from the man.
"Oh ho! Then come as close as you like." And thus he started to walk towards me, ready to conclude this little act with the little clash of 'stands'.
He prepared a punch and threw it slowly. "MUDA-"
His face twisted in shock and surprise as my fist slammed right under his chin, my armored form already achieved as I sent him flying away from the building while giving chase with my propeller-wings aiding me in the flight. "ORA~!"
The Lucifer's smile widened even more, turning mad as he started to cackle at the sight of my new form. "T-That isn't a Sacred Gear! And yet it's similar, I can tell!"
I growled, the Twilight Joker armor reinforcing my entire being as I rushed towards him.
He dodged the first attack but was quickly forced to block the various hits I would send his way. His smile twitching in minor pain, but I knew that he had yet to show his full power.
"Impressive! You could easily contest Azazel in terms of power right now, especially with the constantly growing energy within yourself." He rolled away from a kick and tried to return the favor by launching a Dark-Type spear back at me. "The more we fight, the more you will get stronger!"
W-What is he talking about?
'The seals might be preventing the Draconic energy from leaving the gauntlet, but the energy that you gain from this triple synchronization is still mine, filtered and rendered unable to turn you in a Dragon.'
Yet… your reserves will grow the more energy is pumped in them. The growth isn't fast enough to make up to the draining effects of this form, but your body will still become stronger and stronger.
"This is so amazing! This is actually the first time I saw something like this happening in front of me and-" Rizevim blinked and chuckled. "Oh boy, I was letting myself go a little too much around you. I think it's time to step up our little game."
I flinched at those words… and then at the punch slamming right onto my armored face. The material groaned but held against the powerful attack, giving me the chance to counter this sudden escalation of aggressiveness.
The cackling was still there and I was starting to see how big the difference was between him and me. He was just far stronger than I was, faster and even more resilience as he was tanking some blows from me and I wasn't holding anything back.
"C'mon! You need to hit harder than this if you want to survive!" The Lucifer yelled as he delivered a kick right in my guts. "Hit me harder-"
He gave me an uppercut and sent me flying. "DADDY!"
I am fucking hating this piece of trash! And we have two more minutes before we are left without the armor.
Then we will hit him the hardest!
Snarling, I returned once more to the assault and the man's smile lessened as my stance changed from the previous one. Then his eyes widened. "You are planning something, I can see that-" My punch pressed deep in his stomach before sending him away for a moment.
"Has anyone ever told you that you are annoying!?" I screamed at him and he merely laughed in response.
What an infuriating bastard!
The Super-Devil looked ready to continue, barely winded by the battle until now and- I decided to step up my own game.
"Kaioken times 2!"
The sudden burst of new energy and the new drain on my muscles were good enough to wake me up from the tiredness of getting my ass whooped this easily.
Rizevim gasped as I zeroed the distance and started to barrage him with a flurry of punches and kicks, kneeling him just once as I moved a little bit away, just enough distance for the final act of this fight.
"Kamehame-!"
I felt the blue orb forming, I could feel my reserves coming close to zero and-
"HA!"
The beam rushed at the recoiling Devil, a wide-eyed expression on his face as the attack struck onto his body and a blinding light engulfed the entire city.
I let go of both the Kaioken and the Twilight Joker, instantly free-falling towards my ultimate demise.
I tried to move but my body refused to comply, the strain it suffered beyond anything I've ever felt before and my mind over-loaded by a sudden headache to actually formulate any thoughts.
My eyes slowly closed and I accepted this defeat with a lone sigh.
But as I lost all the hopes of surviving that fall, I felt the wind rustling and a sudden pressure materializing in the form of a… big red dragon-like armor coming to the rescue.
"S-Senpai, I got you."
Issei? I was glad, I was…
And in that moment my consciousness faded into nothingness, the toll over my whole being finally putting me to sleep.
Few minutes earlier, Kuoh Town…
Vali POV
Kokabiel died in mere moments, the Fallen Angel too much of an arrogant fool to understand that the odds of matching against Divine Dividing were abysmal.
It was an easy kill considering also that the prideful man had been weakened prior to his arrival, the culprit being the current holder of the Boosted Gear. The reports about Issei Hyoudou and the previous encounter were suddenly rendered outdated by the power his Balance Breaker was exuding.
It was strong, much stronger than few weeks earlier and Albion almost drooled at the idea of matching up against his rival in an equal fight. An odd notion since both young men hardly cared to entertain the idea of fighting one another, their reasoning different but the only connecting topic being all and the same. Hoitsu Sakakibara.
Vali sighed and relaxed in his Scale Mail while he contemplated if he should entertain the group of Devil led by Sona Sitri that contained bits of the Gremory's peerage. Just as he was about to compliment the strength of his fellow Sacred Gear holder, his heightened senses caught a sudden spike of energy, causing him to snap his attention to look… far away.
His reaction was copied by the young brunet, possibly feeling this sudden energy pattern that was much stronger than anything they had seen.
Someone descended between the two and the Lucifer blinked at seeing Baraqiel there… with a young blonde by his side. Was that the young girl Hoitsu saved back at the Gremory Mansion?
"What is going on?" An imperative question the Fallen Angel felt hesitant to answer… but still did.
"Tokyo is under siege." The man replied curtly. "The city was assaulted by the Khaos Brigade and-"
"S-Someone is fighting Hoi-nii a-and-!"
A seal formed underneath Baraqiel, Vali and Issei rushing towards it and… Akeno did the same.
"Akeno-san." Sona tried to stop the girl but… paused herself as the Himejima paused to glance back at her. Much indecision, her conflicting thoughts making the pause extend for a while before she truly answered.
The Sitri sighed. "Make sure he is safe." She asked, much to the surprise of Kiba and some of her own peerage.
A nod was what confirmed such promise and the girl jumped inside the circle as a great light shifted them out of Kuoh Town and…
In a war-zone.
Monsters of various kinds were storming the checkpoint, the area under control of a mix of Grigori's and Hell's personnel that were quickly aiding the various heavy hitters in the area.
Vali could see Sirzechs battling against the Asmodeus claimant while Serafall dealt with her 'role' counterpart. In the distance he could also see Ajuka and Falbium dealing with large hordes of magicians and Yokais.
This was what a real battlefield was supposed to look like, the city in ruins after the first assaults of the siege but the reinforcement was effectively kicking back the aggressors out of the capital.
But just as the host of the Divine Dividing was about to approach Azazel, the Fallen Angel directing some of the men in the reserve lines, a blinding light took them by surprise.
The Lucifer squinted rapidly, eyes quickly growing accustomed to the sudden illumination and his attention was fully taken by someone falling from the sky. He could see smoke as another being started to free fall but his eyes were all to the youngest of the two.
Ready to jump, it was the owner of the Welsh Dragon that rushed to the rescue of the seemingly unconscious Hoitsu and Vali felt annoyed at the situation.
It was his rival and he should have been quicker than merely stare like a fool as he fell. But knowing that showing annoyance at the circumstance would have favored him the least, the boy turned his attention at the other falling figure and his eyes narrowed in silent hatred-
"Vali." Azazel called out for him and he was suddenly taken away from thinking from his possibly dead grandfather. It didn't matter if he died by his hands or not, the important thing was… the present. "We need you to go and help out the group led by Akua Shuzen, she should be by the outskirts of the Nerima Ward."
The Lucifer nodded and started to fly towards the section of the city described by the Governor-General, while his mind slowly thought about Hoitsu and how the curious human managed to actually reach that impressive level of power.
Meanwhile, with a certain crazy memester...
Rizevim coughed blood as he tried to get off the ground.
His clothes were mostly torn, destroyed by his opponent's mighty attack.
Something he should have expected, the fact he had literally softened his skin to let some of the damage pass through, for the sake of the fight's thrill, and that quickly came to bite his ass.
A chuckle tried to go through his teeth, but his aching chest forbade him from going through with his 'plan'. Instead a groan was allowed, a sign of his current suffering state and… he didn't like being this bruised.
Shaking a little, he managed to stand up and the Lucifer was ready to walk away from the zone before being caught in the crossfire, feeling that his current mission was accomplished for now.
He managed just few steps before being forced to duck away from a blade of purplish light, rolling away as the weapon was then promptly move to come crashing down where he once was. The man coughed a smile as he stared at a familiar face.
"S-Shalbie, didn't see you in a long time now." He bantered mirthfully much to the Beelzebub's chagrin. "What g-got you this pissed? The beating you received from Ajuka or being forced to retreat while riding on a small werewolf?"
The enraged man paused just a moment to frown. "Y-You saw that?"
"I sure d-did." Rizevim commented calmly. "D-During my own fight, I was thinking of c-calling you B-Bella because of the whole long, brown-hair a-and werewolf gig you were pulling."
A snarl preceded another set of attacks all of those failing to get any damage on the highly-reactive Devil. "T-Tough luck, Bells." The silver-haired man taunted, then a serious look appeared on his face. "D-Do you think that there c-could be an open McDonald right now? I c-could go for a Crispy McBacon, i-if you catch my drift."
Once more, Shalba paused with a confused and exasperated look. "W-What-!?"
His entire body tensed as a blade pierced through his chest from behind, the Beelzebub claimant coming crashing down on the ground and off the blade held by an annoyed Euclid Lucifuge.
Dispelling the weapon, the younger Devil crouched and picked up the wounded Rizevim in his arms in a bridal carry, causing the Lucifer to cough a bloody chuckle at the scene.
"Y-You know I don't swing that way, Eu-"
"Finish that sentence, milord, and I will drop you here and now." The man interrupted, showing his irritation directed at Rizevim.
"R-Rough but still caring." The smile was there as the two moved towards a magical circle. "B-By the way, is there a McDonald nearby-"
"Already brought you two Crispy McBacon with big-size french fries and enough BBQ sauce for those, milord." Euclid sighed tiredly while nodding.
"M-My hero." The Lucifer commented happily. "My e-effeminate siscon o-of a hero."
The Lucifuge merely frowned, having long given up trying to stand up to the eccentric attitude of his lord. At least his usual mentioning of Grayfia wasn't as bad as-
"A-Also I have seen S-Sirzechs around, maybe there is your love interest around t-too-"
The circle worked quickly as they were suddenly taken away from the dangerous area and back to the HQ, fast enough for Euclid to hide away the murderous need to cease his lord's existence with a simple pillow.
What an infuriating Devil.
AN
Unexpected Action Chapter? Check.
Forcing part of my readers to shix brixs by announcing troll discontinuation of this story? Check.
Kill Shalba and most of the Khaos Brigade to create new group with canon DxD antagonists? Check.
Pointing out how much of a siscon Euclid is? Check.
I think we are done with this and… yep, I think I will collapse back to bed now.
For those who are in need of some explanation regarding my Troll AN: It's been a few days now that I've seen some strange Followers fluctuation and weird comments all around, so I decided to test the integrity of those who were criticizing this story. I was intrigued by the results (which are a secret for now.) and now I think I will proceed with the next Volume of the plot.
Yes, it's Volume 4 and it will be happening in Kuoh Town. With Tokyo destroyed, Kuoh is the best location to house the Omega Initiative, at least until the original headquarters are repaired (which will happen much after the story).
Now that there is only the Hero Faction to pick the pieces of what is left of the mostly-disbanded Khaos Brigade, their interest will shift away from pure chaos to… selling their services to certain deities.
And while the KB continue to exist with Cao Cao as the main leader, Rizevim will still be a… threat? His appearance in the Volume 4 is confirmed but the role he will have in it will be… surprising. Some of his words in this chapter should be weighed as they contain some meaningful messages about Hoitsu and his connection to Lucifer and- no, he isn't Lucifer himself.
Future milestone 1: 796 Followers and Favorites.
P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin
REVIEW Q&A!
Fuyuhara Sora: As a writer, it's for the story's best interest that I manage to mix Fluff/Character building with Action. Sometimes the MC will make space for some character to shine, kind of how it works in the DxD spin-off chapters.
Darkmaster10000000: I answer when there is someone asking something or if they are guessing a particular theory. Maybe a long comment. I can't inflate chapters with the RQ&A.
Blaze2121: This story is shining as brightly as I started it. I don't see the point in correcting the fact you mentioned two chapters of development to condemn this entire story. Guess you will not be around to see its epic conclusion and I'm sorry to know that you are forced to let go. I hope you will find happiness in the future then!
RedBurningDragon: There is an Arc in the Manga, the 'triple ?' arc where Mob is hit by a car and forced in his 'Triple ?' form. He literally causes tornadoes by merely walking and absorb all energy around him.
And for those that are reading to this point and don't see me replying to your reviews: I've long learned to reply to those who are: 1) asking questions; 2) giving out something meaningful (about the story itself); 3) theorizing about the plot. I read every single one of you, some brighten my days, others just bring me down for few moments, but in the end I care for all my readers. I hope to see more from everyone!