Yuuto and co. slowed to a stop outside of the school. By the time the school had come into view, the group could make out the petite silhouette of the Student Council President, Sona Sitri. She and her peerage had their hands splayed out, struggling to maintain the barrier. As if she had sensed their arrival, Sona glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes drifted to a black haired woman with glasses.
"Tsubaki, I need to talk to these people. You and the others maintain the barrier," she said.
"But Kaichou!" A scruffy boy with blonde hair and grey eyes called out to her.
"Not now, Saji. Focus on maintaining the barrier for as long as possible. This battle must not reach the town," Sona scolded.
"Sona-sama," Yuuto said, running up to her.
"Sona," Riser said, following closely after.
"Yuuto. Riser. What are you two doing out here? I thought you were inside with Rias and her peerage?" Sona asked.
"We intercepted Freed Sellzen at the church but he escaped using some teleportation spell. He's inside the school with Rias-sama and the others," Yuuto said.
"What? Freed Sellzen? Tch." Sona bit her cheek. Her eyes gleamed in the light of the slowly rising moon and the fading sun. She turned back to the barrier and closed her eyes. "Rias will need all the help she can get. We'll focus on our job. You focus on yours." She held one hand out and drew a circle with her other. A circular opening appeared in the barrier before them.
"We'll keep in touch, Sona," Riser said.
"Yeah, I don't know how long we can hold this. If this goes down, we'll go in after you," Sona said.
Yuuto watched the exchange between the two kings impatiently. This was it. The moment of truth. All his choices. All the suffering he had been through. This moment was the culmination of all his efforts and suffering made manifest. Yuuto clenched his fist tightly and took a deep breath. Vivi's presence made itself known next to him. His greyish-blue eyes stole a glance at her face.
There was an emotion there that Yuuto couldn't discern. Sadness. Guilt? Remorse? Anxiety even? It was something he couldn't read.
"Arthur…" He heard her whisper. "If you were alive today, what would you think of this?"
Yuuto turned his gaze away and focused on the pillar of light before him.
"It's now or never," Irina said.
"Yeah. We need to go in. Now."
The only thing that was present in Issei's mind was the instinct to survive. The need to run was screaming, blaring even at his conscious self. He had never seen anyone move that fast in his entire life. Not Yuuto. Not Riser. Not even Shin could move that fast. It was like he had teleported but he felt the rush of air seconds after Xenovia had been impaled.
He looked back at her. She was conscious but in pain. The familiar green light of [Twilight Healing] worked its magic, fixing her external and internal damage.
Issei's hazel eyes drifted from the blue-haired girl to the monstrous raven before him.
[Fear is a natural response when facing an overwhelming threat, Partner] Ddraig said.
I… Fuck, I'm about to shit myself, Ddraig. How are we even supposed to beat him? Can we even win?
[Your King said as much didn't she? She's stalling for time. Your opponent is someone whose name is recorded in history. Someone who survived a war against Lucifer and God. He is not to be messed with.]
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Issei said. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face. He wondered if Rias was just as nervous as he was for this.
[If it gets serious, we might have to enter your Balance Breaker and force it to go into overdrive. After that, there's no guarantee that you'll make it out without sustaining serious internal damage but… it will force him to take time to recover. By then, hopefully, the Maou will have arrived] Ddraig said.
"Well fuck me sideways," Issei muttered. He stopped talking when he heard Kokabiel's voice ring out.
"Hmph, of the people standing before me, only two of you draw my interest. The Red Dragon Emperor and…" Kokabiel paused for a few seconds. "Hmm, how interesting." The bloody discoloration in Kokabiel's eyes pulsated ever so slightly. "Baraqiel's daughter. To think that-"
"Don't you ever compare me to that man," Akeno spat. The air around her became charged with electricity. White lightning crackled off her body.
That power… is just like his. But there's no way… there's no way Baraqiel's daughter could have… Kokabiel thought.
"Lord Kokabiel. There appears to be some adjustments I need to make to the spell," Valper said.
"Adjustments?"
"Just a few minor ones. Give me five minutes. Freed, drop all your Excaliburs in here except for one," Valper said.
Freed shrugged and tossed all the Excaliburs except for Excalibur Mimic into the circle. He brought the odachi close to his face. "I've never used this one before. I wonder how it works." An unsettling grin appeared on his face and twisted his features. The sword morphed into a segmented whip.
"I'll provide assistance for you, Freed. Make good use of it." A small ball of light appeared in Kokabiel's hand. He tossed it at the gymnasium. The light ball rapidly expanded into a light spear the size of a three-story building. The gym was destroyed and reduced to a pile of scattered rubble.
Rias and Akeno raised a barrier, blocking the shockwave.
Kokabiel clicked his wrist.
"I tried getting a Cerberus from Hades but… that old bag of bones wouldn't let me have one even after I said it was to kill Sirzech's sister so I… stole one."
An ungodly howl echoed through the entire school, causing the ground to shake and quiver. A canine of gargantuan size rose from the ground, rearing all three of its heads to the sky.
"Is that a three-headed rottweiler?" Issei asked.
"A cerberus? Are you trying to go to war with Greece too?" Rias asked. "Taking one of Hades' dogs… you're insane."
"Hades won't miss this one. This one was just guarding Asphodel," Kokabiel said. "Freed. Cerberus. Protect Valper at all costs."
"Does that mean I can do whatever I want, boss?" Freed asked.
Kokabiel said nothing to his question. Instead, he said, "We're here to complete an objective. Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri are the stepping stone to a new era. Give them a warrior's death and don't play with your food."
"Bummer but…" Freed cackled, "I guess I can find enjoyment in a fast kill. Hey Cerby! Let's split them in half. I'll get the banished Nun, loli, Issei, and that blue chick. Since you're still a growing dog, I'll let you eat the redhead and her queen," Freed said.
Issei tensed his body. In a flash, Freed vanished and reappeared next to Koneko. So fast!? When the hell!?
Freed's leg connected with Koneko's forearm. However, the force of the impact was not what she had expected in the slightest. Koneko's eyes grew wide when she was sent sliding several meters back. A dull pain throbbed in her arm.
"Ehehehe. You like it?" A golden metal chain was wrapped around his leg. "Mimic can become whatever I want it to be."
"Koneko!" A green aura burst from Issei's body. He dashed towards Freed and threw a punch at his unprotected back.
Freed sensed his attempt. The chain around his leg took on an amorphous form. The liquid Excalibur surged around Freed and created a hand that blocked Issei's punch. "Ooh, not so fast."
Freed turned around to face Issei.
Issei struggled to let go. Being in contact with one of the holiest weapons on the planet was beginning to hurt.
"Let him go!"
A light dagger flew past Freed's head, narrowly missing his eye. The sheer unexpectedness of the knife caused Freed to drop Issei in surprise.
He turned to see Asia standing with her hand outstretched.
"So you can fight?" Freed asked. He jumped, avoiding Koneko's punch. "Let me finish speaking damnit!"
"..." Koneko's wings unfurled from her back. She jumped into the air and tried to perform a heel drop on Freed.
Mimic transformed into a shield that broke upon impact.
Freed landed on the ground and reformed the sword in his hand. "Looks like your King is having a bit of a hard time on her hands."
Issei's eyes traveled past Freed and saw Akeno and Rias double-teaming the Cerberus. The beast shook off some of their attacks and launched a meteoric burst of flames at Rias.
Akeno appeared in front of Rias with her knight speed and blocked the attack.
"Tick tock kid. You're not gonna beat me in time for Valper to adjust his spell," Freed said.
"Well… I can try, you dingy European Bastard!" Issei roared.
[Boost]
With a newfound surge of energy, Issei rushed towards Freed, launching a haymaker at Freed's face.
Freed grinned and raised the sword to block.
However, it was a feint. Issei quickly switched stances and threw a devastating left gut shot at Freed.
Freed felt the air forcefully escape from his lungs when Issei's fist dug into his abdomen. In a sickening crunch, Freed was sent flying into the Cerberus.
Both Freed and the Cerberus flew across the field and landed violently on the ground.
"Thanks for the assist," Akeno said.
"Issei, can you still do that transfer thing?" Rias asked.
"Yeah. Why?" he asked, panting slightly.
"How many?" Rias asked.
"About 4-5 before I pass out. Shin said that it'll get better with time," Issei replied.
"I'm going for it," Rias said. "All of you. Cover me while I go for Valper. Then we all go rush Kokabiel." Rias glanced over at them. "On my mark. Get set… now!"
Rias flew in a burst of speed towards an unfazed Valper. He regarded her calmly and looked to her left. Her eyes nearly missed the golden gleam of a holy blade. Rias drastically altered her trajectory and flew into the sky, narrowly avoiding the segmented whip blade of Excalibur Mimic.
"Ow! Fucking! Fuck!" Freed said, walking out towards Valper.
Cerberus followed shortly after.
"You…" Issei clenched his fist.
"Whatever. Cerberus, bite their heads off while I fix this wound for a second," Freed said.
White foam frothed at Cerberus's mouth. All three pairs of eyes glowed an eerie shade of blue. It opened its mouths.
Issei felt a slight tug and saw a series of black wisps gathering into a small violet ball in front of the three heads.
"Our shadows," he heard Koneko say. "It stole our shadows."
He looked down and saw that his shadow had been stolen by that dog. The orb rapidly expanded in size and a powerful pulse emanated from the orb. The pulse blew them all back a few inches. The dog roared and fired the orb at them.
"Everyone! Get behind Akeno!" Rias yelled.
"No need. I'll deal with this."
Issei turned around and saw a flash of blue slice the orb in twain. The two halves crackled before exploding violently in the middle of the field. The explosion would have engulfed the entire school if not for a containment barrier that Rias had cast at the last second.
"X-Xenovia-san!" Issei gasped.
Xenovia gripped a massive blue broadsword in her hands. She let out a slow breath before raising the blade above her head. A golden aura engulfed her body. Her eyes shined a bright shade of gold.
"Durandal," Kokabiel said.
"She's Durandal's current wielder?" Rias said.
Ddraig, what's Durandal? Issei asked.
[Durandal is a powerful Holy Sword used by Roland, the Paladin of Charlemagne. He is said to have defeated a legion of 10,000 men with that sword. It is a sword that can cut through virtually everything, even the scales of Dragons] Ddraig explained.
That kind of thing exists!? Issei thought.
"Let me take care of the Cerberus," Xenovia said.
"What-"
Rias never finished her sentence. Xenovia took off in a burst of speed and swung the sword in a single ruinous slash. The sheer level of power the sword released displaced the air around Xenovia and created a burst of wind on par with a tornado.
Everyone was sent flying back except Valper, who was protected by the aura of the Excalibur Fragments, and Kokabiel, who watched with utter amusement.
The Cerberus was sliced in half down the middle. A golden light had separated the monstrous mutt and left a large fissure in the ground that spanned the entirety of the school.
Xenovia swung the sword with a flourish and brought it back to her side. She glared defiantly at the man who stabbed her in the torso with his hand.
"You had quite the dangerous secret up your sleeve, Child of Man," Kokabiel said.
For the first time since the fight, Issei noticed that Kokabiel's demeanor had changed. For once, he had taken an interest in them. And for Issei, that was not a good thing.
"Is this you fighting at your best?" Kokabiel asked.
Xenovia smirked. "I heard that this sword wounded you gravely in the Second World War. How much do you want to bet that I can do it again?"
Kokabiel clicked his tongue. "Well, well, how cheeky. Valper. Is it ready?" Kokabiel asked.
"Unfortunately, something beyond our control happened. We don't have enough holy power to summon the remaining two fragments. I can only make the calculations to summon Ruler here and combine it with the other five," Valper said.
"That's fine. We can retrieve Ruler later," Kokabiel said.
Valper nodded and began to chant. The magic circle underneath grew brighter and brighter until the sky split open like an egg. A golden beam of light pierced the ground. A two-handed silver and red longsword sat, stabbed into the ground. The sword released a white-blue aura.
"Freed, drop Mimic here," Valper said.
"Gotcha doc," Freed said, tossing Mimic into the circle.
"Stop him!" Rias yelled.
[Promotion: Queen]
Xenovia and Issei shot forward towards the Archbishop.
Freed stepped in front of them and fired several shots from his light pistol.
Xenovia raised her sword and deflected the bullets, allowing Issei to dash past Freed.
"Hey, asshat!" Issei yelled. He had a red orb in the palm of his gauntleted hand.
Valper regarded him calmly and merely smiled. A flash of light blasted Issei back. Issei rolled to a stop by Xenovia. His skin was steaming slightly but the light was mostly negated by a blue barrier that surrounded Issei.
"It's done. My life's work, finally finished!" Valper yelled.
In the circle, where the six Excalibur Fragments once stood was a sword. The sword was the color of dirty gold. The blade had a curve to it with the handle resembling the disfigured head of a raven. On its pommel was an iridescent gem that shone eerily in the moonlight.
"Freed," Kokabiel said.
"Yes, Boss?" Freed said, giddy at what he was going to say next.
"Use that Excalibur there. I want to see if the weapon still lives up to its original self," Kokabiel said. "It will be wonderful entertainment at least before we go forth with our plans."
"Pawn of Rias Gremory," Xenovia said. "Can you still fight?"
"Of course, I can," Issei said.
"Then is that offer to destroy Excalibur still on the table?" Xenovia asked.
"You should be asking Yuuto that instead of me," Issei said.
Xenovia grimaced. "Unfortunately…"
"No time," Issei said. His body glowed and he appeared in front of Xenovia.
[Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker: Scale Mail]
Issei punched Freed's nigh instantaneous sword swing. The force of the impact sent Freed sliding back. "Oh?"
[Boost] [Boost] [Boost] [Boost]
Issei rushed forward and began trading blows with Freed.
Freed grinned and used his enhanced speed to more than easily keep up with Issei's attacks.
"Excalibur has augmented Freed's physical capabilities. I doubt that even the half-baked Red Dragon Emperor can keep up with Freed's skills and augmented power," Valper said. He grinned at the results.
Issei's eyes widened as he was nearly beheaded by Freed.
Xenovia appeared above Issei and brought Durandal down on top of Freed.
The Excalibur in Freed's hands morphed and stretched into a whip that wrapped around her legs. He swung the whip and slammed her into the ground violently. The sword retracted back into its regular form.
"Ahahahaha!" Freed laughed evilly. He dashed towards Xenovia.
Issei appeared at the last second to block the attack with his body when…
"YOU PRICK!" A shrill voice rang out.
Issei opened his eyes and saw Freed get blown back by a white-hot jet of flames.
Irina landed in front of him. "You two alright?" she asked.
"Issei-kun, sorry we're late," Yuuto said. He landed next to her.
"Rin! Casanova!" Issei said in relief.
"No greeting for me?" Vivi asked, manifesting next to Issei.
"Irina, Knight of Gremory," Xenovia said, getting to her feet.
"Sorry, we're late. This asshole blew up the church and brought it down on top of us," Irina said. Fire raged at the tips of her fingers. "But now-" Irina brought her hand out in front of her and summoned a sword. The sword was made of pure living flame with a curved blade and sharpened metallic feathers decorating the handle. "Even if I burn down Heaven, I'll get this asshole back."
"Shuhadaku."
Everyone looked up and saw an impressed look on Kokabiel's face. "To think that someone as young as you would be able to manifest one! The Church was hiding a prodigy like you? Wait no, this aura… it's hers! That ancient God! The sister of our Mother! You… you're the Contractor of the Goddess, Shamash!"
Issei looked to Irina for clarification but found none. Instead, he saw a wide smile on her face. Her eye color went from that sweet lavender that he loved to a blazing orange.
"Yeah, I am. My Sponsor is Shamash," Irina said. The entirety of her hair lit ablaze. Her orange-chestnut hair was now a raging inferno in the shape of her usual hairstyle. She took a step forward but was stopped by Yuuto.
"No. I'll fight Freed. You two. Take care of Kokabiel with Buchou and the others," Yuuto said.
"What? Are you serious? I'll have a much better chance fighting Freed than you will in that state," Irina said.
"I've waited too long," Yuuto said. "For the sake of… no, for my own sake and theirs, I will destroy the Excalibur."
"Then, we'll do it together," Issei said, standing next to Yuuto.
A roar rang out from behind them. The Cerberus that Xenovia had split apart was slowly reconstituting itself. An eerie red power was connecting its body back together. For all intents and purposes, Cerberus was supposed to have died from Durandal's all-cutting strike.
"Aw shit," Issei said.
"We'll take care of it," Riser spoke up.
Ravel flattened her hand. Fire coated her hand and created a searing hot aura that resembled a scalpel.
"Us too. Don't worry about support. We have you covered. Focus on Freed," Rias said.
Vivi watched the fight unfold before her with growing anxiety welling up inside her stomach. That boy, Freed. He had an unnaturally powerful aptitude for this abomination they called the Excalibur. As much as she hated the sword, that sword was her child. She felt its pained spirit cry out to her for freedom.
And she felt something else. In the fat man's pocket and in the priest's chest, she felt it. The soul of a child crying in despair. Begging to be freed. Begging for rest. Begging for it all to end. The sounds of the cries of children trapped by some eldritch machination born from the mind of a mad man.
She bit her lip.
Freed's Excalibur morphed into a series of tendrils that faded from view. The group that had fought him was slowly becoming overwhelmed by Freed's natural skill and the clever use of the Excalibur.
Issei screamed in pain when he felt an invisible tendril stab through his armor and through his thigh. Irina sliced the tendril apart, causing Freed to retract the blade to its normal form.
Freed grinned and swung the sword at her, sending a volatile wave of destructive power.
Xenovia appeared in front of Irina and blocked the sword with the flat of her blade. The force of the blow caused her to slam into Irina and Issei.
Yuuto rushed towards Freed. From Vivi's eyes, he had poured every ounce of demonic power present in his body to create a veritable field of swords along the way. He grabbed a few and threw them at Freed.
Freed raised his Excalibur and halted the blades in mid-air.
Ruler's ability to subjugate and command phenomena and living things. Only I and beings with strong wills can resist Ruler, Vivi commented.
"Oh? So this is what Ruler-chan can do~?" Freed asked. He twirled the blade like a wand and pointed it at Yuuto.
Yuuto halted in his tracks. His body would not obey. His mind and will were being eroded away.
Freed's twisted smile grew larger when he raised his other hand. He mimicked holding a blade.
Yuuto began to do the same. With the hand that held [Repression Calm], he raised the blade and pointed it at his chest.
[Dragon Shot]
A red beam of energy shot past Freed and pierced through his abdomen, breaking his concentration and the link between Yuuto and Freed.
"Gah! You pathetic!" Freed thrust Excalibur towards Issei, sending a cascading wave of cutting power.
The aura was consumed by a wall of white-blue flames. Irina hovered in the air above Issei, using wings made of flames.
Yuuto let out a gasp and retreated back to Issei, Irina, and Xenovia.
"How? How is he so strong? Is this the power of Excalibur?" Yuuto asked.
"No, even if he was made into an artificial wielder, it takes months, nay, years to properly wield their abilities! There was one exception to that rule but still! I've seen the process! Irina's lived through it! There's no possible way!" Xenovia yelled.
"Oh ho ho~! Well, would you pea-brained fucks like to find out how?" Freed asked. His wounds were healing at an abnormal rate. "Hey! Old Man! Tell them the results of your little science project!"
"Hmph, it's only fair. They will all be dead in a matter of minutes thanks to Lord Kokabiel and Excalibur. Well, other than the Exorcists present, do any of you know of the Holy Sword Project located at the Santa De Maria?" Valper asked.
Yuuto stepped forward with a burning hatred in his eyes.
"You? A Knight of Gremory? It's to be expected. Rias Gremory is, after all, the sister of-"
"No. Not that. I-61:1."
Valper's eyes widened upon hearing the serial code. He squinted his eyes and took a proper look at Yuuto. A look of recognition flashed across his eyes and he sighed. "You're the escaped test subject they told me about. I-61:1. It seems that my disappointments that day were twofold. Both you and D-4:4 were both nuisances that somehow managed to escape termination," Valper said.
Yuuto's eyes widened. Tosca's… alive?
"But I digress. Are you aware of what we were trying to do?" Valper asked.
"To create people who can wield the Holy Sword Excalibur. When you took us all in, we were told it was a righteous endeavor! To become someone who would reach God! That was all a lie!" Yuuto snarled.
"Hmph, calm yourself. Think of it boy, isn't it fate that we were reunited like this? You, me, and your friends?" Valper asked.
"W- What are you saying?" Issei asked, feeling a sense of dread building in the pit of his stomach.
"Pfft! Ahahahaha! They really don't know?" Freed threw his head back and laughed.
"Now, now, Freed. Devils and those of religious persuasion simply do not understand the might of human ingenuity," Valper reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bipyramidal crystal that shone eerily in the light of the rising moon, "While I doused the failures in toxic gas, I came to an epiphany during the termination. If I couldn't find the necessary elements needed to wield a holy sword, then why don't I just extract the small amount that they possess and meld them together?"
Irina's face paled. She began to shake. "Th-That means that…"
Valper's grin became more and more sickeningly triumphant by the second. His eyes gleamed with a madness and lunacy that should never exist in the eyes of any being, even that of the Devil himself. A red glow emanated from deep within his pupils. "Yes! With a bit of ancient magic, I managed to extract the souls of these children with the light element and collect it within this here crystal! The results were far more than what I could ever hope for! Nigh-perfect compatibility with Exca- no, any holy sword in existence! As of right now, Freed is currently nearly on par with King Arthur himself in terms of Excalibur compatibility!"
"Y-You're a monster," Issei said.
Yuuto's rage was palpable. His demonic aura surged from his body as he glared at Freed and Valper with an unending rage and hatred.
"And to think that the Lord Yeshua ordered this project to be shut down! How callous of him! He and Lord Michael even had the gall to steal my research and D-4:4! If I could have extracted her DNA, then… but no use crying over spilled milk. After I terminated your friends, I used their genetic material to produce clones of them and to give birth to more souls to extract.
"Bah, the Church even had the idea of doing what I did but all they did was take genetic samples from people with light affinities and cultivate them into artificial cores. Hmph, but it appears even with the Miracle System and God's power on their side, they can't even replicate it the way I have," Valper said, shrugging.
"Y-You! You defiled their bodies! You forced my brothers and sisters to relive the trauma over and over again by cloning them and trapping their souls! Ezekiel! Ethan! Mary! All of them!" Yuuto roared. He took a step forward but stopped when he saw Freed tightening his grip around Excalibur.
"I see that this incident has affected you greatly. As I am a Priest, it is my job to do nonmaleficence to the flock, so here. As a consolation for participating in this, I'll give it to you. Not that it'll be of any use to you anyway," Valper said, carelessly tossing the light crystal at Yuuto.
Yuuto ran forward and caught the crystal in his hands. Tears streamed down his face as he hugged the Light Container close to him. "Brothers, sisters, just how long have you suffered?"
The others who had already finished fighting the resurrected Cerberus, watched on in shock and horror. Valper had gone mad.
"How many?"
Valper turned around and saw Vivi staring at him with a blank expression. "How many children did you sacrifice just for a chance at wielding that sword?"
"I… Hmm, that's a good question. I lost count at around 20. But this isn't the end. I'll just make more. Then we'll take Durandal from that girl's corpse and create an army of Holy Sword Wielders! Like Kokabiel said, war is the only way to save us from becoming a shadow in the annals of history! Through war, we will evolve. Heaven. Hell. God. Lucifer. Azazel. They'll see," Valper said.
"Can I finish them now?" Freed asked.
"Go ahead. I've said my part," Valper replied.
"You…" Yuuto stood and gripped the light container tightly. The faint holy energy it radiated was burning the skin on his hands, "None of them deserved what happened to them. We were just kids…" A blue aura began to surround Yuuto.
Kokabiel narrowed his eyes and watched with interest.
"They all deserved to live long lives. Even more so than a coward like me. I…"
The light container shattered in Yuuto's hands and a myriad of blue and yellow wisps escaped and swarmed the space around Yuuto.
"Are those…?" Irina's eyes widened.
[They're souls. The souls of all the children that bastard trapped inside the Crystal] Ddraig said.
"Yuuto," Issei said.
The spirits of two boys appeared in front of Yuuto.
"Ethan, Ezekiel," Yuuto whispered.
"Don't look at us with that sad face," Ezekiel said.
"If you cry, I'm gonna come back to life just to punch you," Ethan remarked.
"But… I shouldn't have… why did you…?" Yuuto asked.
"You're an idiot," the spirit of a little girl said. She appeared in between the two and grasped his hands. She couldn't have been more than 13 years old.
"Athy," Yuuto said.
Athy smiled a warm smile. A smile that reflected an age beyond her years.
"Don't ever think for a moment that your survival was a mistake. Tosca told us that if anyone had to get out, it had to be you and we all agreed. You were… our one and only baby brother," Athy said. "So keep your health and always be happy. Even if you think you walk this path alone in life, just know…" She brought a spectral finger and playfully poked Yuuto's chest. "We are always with you. We will walk this path beside you."
The other specters spoke.
"Isaiah…"
"Don't worry about us."
"Athy said it for all of us."
"That's right you blockhead."
"Alone our powers might not have been enough that day…"
"But now… together…"
The specters began to disappear one by one. Each became a strand of blue light that entered Yuuto's body.
"As one," Yuuto said. He looked down at Athy's fading hands. She smiled brightly.
"We will finish our foul legacy with our own hands. Isaiah, live," they said.
"Isaiah, if you find my sister, tell her that... I'm always with her and that I love her," Athy said. She gave him one final smile.
With those words, Athy turned into a stream of light that entered Yuuto's body.
Issei, Irina, and Xenovia were blasted back by the sheer power that exploded from Yuuto's body.
"What's happening!?" Irina yelled.
"Ddraig!" Issei demanded.
[Partner, that Knight has broken his limits. When Sacred Gear Wielders reach a state of emotional apeiron, the thoughts of the wielder will rebel against the laws of this world. With that, they shatter their limitations like you once did] Ddraig said.
"You mean that-"
"That child has reached his Balance Breaker," Vivi said.
"Wow… so emotional! So while you were just standing there speaking to smoke, you left yourself wide open! Even if it's a Balance Breaker, this is the power of an Excalibur that's nearly complete! The power of Six Fragments!" Freed rushed towards Yuuto in a burst of speed. His intentions were clear. He was going to kill Yuuto before he finished crossing over into his Balance Breaker.
"Yuuto! Watch out!" Rias screamed.
Yuuto opened his eyes to block the attack when he saw a shadow take the hit for him.
"Vivi!" Issei yelled.
Yuuto watched with wide eyes when he saw Vivian standing before him. The Excalibur Blade pierced her abdomen and was mere centimeters away from his own body.
"W-Why?" he managed to utter.
"I'm not going to let this sword take anyone else. You… Your resolve reminded me of myself on that day. Like you, this wretched sword took away everyone I loved. Everything I loved. But… unlike you, I became a monster that destroyed Camelot in a single day. After that, I shattered the sword and refused to take responsibility for it, all the while knowing that this sword would attract the greed of others. I'm sorry," Vivi said.
"I caused your grief. I caused your misery. This is the least I can do for you..." Vivi spit blood from her mouth.
Vivi gasped when Freed pulled the sword out of her and kicked her to the ground.
"Vivi!" Yuuto caught her in his arms. She smiled. It hurt. It really hurt. Taking a blow like that for a Devil. But for her, the pain would last momentarily.
"Awww… she went down just like that?" Freed asked.
"Valper! Freed!" Yuuto yelled. He gently lowered her to the ground. Yuuto held his arm out.
A contradiction that shouldn't exist erupted from Yuuto's body. A stream of red demonic power and white divine light shot into the sky, twisting and snaking around each other before turning around and plunging into the ground. Amidst the pillar of iridescent light, Kiba reached and pulled out a sword.
It was a pure silver blade with a golden crossguard. In the middle of the crossguard was the Light Container. Its handle was black and white, intermixing together in perfect harmony. The sword let out equal amounts of demonic and angelic power.
"The Sword of the Betrayer. A blade born from the aspirations and desires of my friends, brought together by the power that brought me back to life. I will cut you down with this blade, even if I die trying," Yuuto said, pointing the sword at him.
"Kukuku… AHAHAHAHA! Do you really think that puny sword is going to be able to take down the Excalibur?" Freed said, laughing maniacally.
"Not by itself," Vivi said, struggling to her feet. Her wound was slowly healing. Her body was absorbing moisture from the air to repair her body.
"Vivi?" Yuuto said.
"You… Excalibur Wielder. Do you really think that that Excalibur is the strongest there is?" Vivi asked.
This time, Valper spoke, "Why of course. This blade is the closest thing we will ever get to the Original. Once we get Blessing from the Church, we will have the True Excalibur."
"Then you don't mind fighting the True to see if you can actually remake it by forging all the fragments together?" Vivi said.
"What are you-"
The air glitched around Vivi. She brought both her hands together as if she were grasping something.
"What is she…?" Issei asked.
"That aura," Xenovia muttered.
"It feels like Excalibur," Irina commented.
Yuuto took a step back. The blue light around Vivi grew more and more intense.
"Arthur," Vivi said.
The image of a man with auburn hair appeared in her mind for a brief second. He smiled to her and nodded.
"I think it's time I stopped blaming myself as well and moved on. Knight of Gremory," Vivi said. She turned around and smiled. "Thank you. Allow me to offer what assistance I can at this moment."
In her hands, the world warped and shattered like glass. Streams of iridescent cosmic blue light coalesced and took the shape of a blade. It was no special blade. It was a plain silver one. It had no grand design nor any grand aura about it. It was a simple silver blade whose hilt had a large hole in the center with two small embellishments that were simply not noteworthy to begin with. Its handle was wrapped in a small grey fabric with a pommel that had no gem nor design of divinity.
All in all, it was an unimpressive blade but its name was what caught everyone's attention.
"It's been so long since I've last made you, Old Friend. I'm sorry for my animosity all these years but… I need you to help destroy the mockery of which you have become." Vivi's eyes glowed and she ran her fingers along the blade. The blade hummed to life and glowed with a faint blue light. Without so much as a warning, she tossed the sword to Yuuto.
Yuuto caught it with his other hand and instantly felt a flood of energy far greater than anything he had ever felt flowing through him. "W- What is…?"
"Excalibur never had seven abilities," Vivi said. "It only had one. It's not a grand blade like Caliburn nor was it a destructive sword like Durandal. Its status as a Great Sword baffled me but… its ability when used by Arthur was probably what gave it legendary status. Excalibur was known back then as the Sword of Blankness. It has the power to take on any magical attribute it encountered and assimilate it into itself for combat. Right now, I fed it my power like I did before."
Yuuto looked down at the sword he despised so greatly. The more he gripped it, the more memories flowed into his head.
"That is… the True Excalibur?" Valper said. He looked to Kokabiel for answers.
"I guess it has been a while since I saw the real form of that sword," Kokabiel said.
"Who… who are you?" Valper asked, pointing at Vivi.
"Me? I am Vivian, the one who granted King Arthur the Divine Sword Excalibur," Vivi said nonchalantly. Her wound was nearly healed.
"Are you done gawking?" Yuuto asked.
"What…?" Freed stopped staring at the True Excalibur and turned his attention to Kiba.
"Because it's my turn now," Yuuto said. With newfound speed, he vanished from Freed's vision.
Freed felt something cut his cheek and he turned around. Yuuto was right behind him.
In a fit of rage, Freed turned and swung the Fused Excalibur at Yuuto. Yuuto's body disappeared and reappeared behind Freed.
His senses saved him. He managed to block Yuuto's strike from the Sword of the Betrayer.
Kiba kicked him in the stomach and sent him sliding back. He raised Excalibur into the air. The sword glowed blue and a ring of swords surrounded Kiba. "Pristine Rain of Blades for Slaughtering An Army."
The blades all fired at hypersonic speeds towards Freed.
Freed used Rapidly and Ruler to try and block the swords. His eyes widened when Ruler didn't even cause the swords to slow down. Numerous small lacerations appeared all over his body and he fell to one knee, using Fused Excalibur to support himself.
"How…? I have Excalibur!?" Freed snarled.
"So? I do too," Yuuto said. He raised both swords and brought it down towards Freed.
Freed raised the Fused Excalibur to block the attack.
His attempt was met with utter failure. The sound of the fused Excalibur shattering into a million shards rang through the entire battlefield. Yuuto's swing did not stop. The swords cut through Freed's arms, severing them from his body. Blood sprayed all over the pavement as Freed fell face first to the ground. The crimson essence pooled around him and his red eyes tried to get a glimpse of Kiba before it all went black.
Yuuto looked down at the shards triumphantly. He gripped both Excalibur and the Sword of the Betrayer in his hands and took a step towards Valper.
"You're next." Yuuto's voice was cold.
The plus-sized Archbishop, who mere moments ago was recanting the pride he felt, fell pathetically on his rear. He backpedaled away from an approaching Kiba.
"I-Impossible! The Lady of the Lake and a sword whose existence is contradictory to this world! That Light Container should have killed you! What you did goes against the very Laws of this world!? That should have never happened unless-"
In the face of impending death, an epiphany had struck him.
"No, that's impossible… The System still works but… no, that means that God is-"
Valper never finished his sentence. In a split second, Kokabiel was behind him with his arm outstretched.
The speed at which the action was performed didn't even allow Valper nor the others to fully register what had happened until Valper's head began to slowly slide off his shoulders.
His head hit the pavement with a moist smack and rolled slowly towards Kiba. In the end, his mouth was still in motion and he mouthed three words that caused Kiba's eyes to widen dramatically.
"I guess in the end, this secret had to come out someday," Kokabiel said, looking disdainfully at the bodies of his subordinates. "To think that Lady Vivian would be here as well but I guess you already knew that answer didn't you."
"I thought it was impossible at first," Vivi said, floating in the air. "But if that's so, then…"
"The reason that boy can fuse two opposing elements together. A feat only possible by two people in this world and one of them has left us," Kokabiel said.
Rias's eyebrows furrowed as she connected the dots. Her eyes flew to Riser. It seemed that he realized it as well.
Only two beings in this world were capable of fusing demonic and holy power together. The Original Lucifer, who resided in the Underworld, and the God of the Bible. And by Kokabiel's words, Rias had come to a horrible realization.
"Impossible. No Devil or Fallen in existence could have possibly killed Her! You lie!" Rias said. Her mind was in turmoil. Then… who was that woman at the Church? Rias wondered.
"That's right! Ahahahahaha! Michael and Yeshua did such a good job making it appear so! But even with them, it is no substitute for her power. Without her, the Laws of this world lack an enforcer! The Seven are asleep and Infinity and Dreams do not care. I guess what I'm trying to say is that GOD IS DEAD!" Kokabiel cackled.
Elohim
The White God who is beloved by Mankind. She represents the Order of Light and Heaven.
Mankind describes her as a God who lives in a world where concepts such as Death and Heaven can be visualized.
Like a mother hen, she watches over Mankind and often interferes in their affairs.
Her heart was too soft for the atrocities of the world. When her Sons declared war on Her, she hardened her heart and cut herself off.
But in the throes of death, her heart opened once more before passing in the arms of the one she loved most.
[]
Excalibur
The Sword of Blankness and the Royal Sword of Kingship.
Born from the concept of Holy Sword
It is a blade forged by the Lady of the Lake, Vivian, as a present for her dear friend, Arthur.
A sword whose power was to take on the characteristics of other magic and assimilate it into itself.
Under the use of Arthur, it held the power of Reconstruction, allowing him to dominate Britain with the power of Vivian.
The original wielded numerous abilities due to encountering different magics over the years.
But now, in the hands of Yuuto Kiba, the sword returned to its original state to destroy the mockery of what it has become.
[]
The Sword of the Betrayer
The Balance Breaker of the Sacred Gear Sword Birth.
A power born from the fusion of Holy and Demonic powers.
It holds the power of the Holy Sword Children and the demonic powers of Yuuto Kiba.
It is an existence contradictory to the Laws of the World itself.
"Keep your health and always be happy for we shall walk this path with you."
The final words that Yuuto heard from his brothers and sisters before he was granted the sword.
Here we are. The moment we've all been waiting for. God is dead. Kiba getting the Sword of the Betrayer. Vivi creating a new Excalibur. Irina's sponsor identity. The Kokabiel part of this Arc is almost over. Which begs the question? Who was the woman that everyone calls the "God of the Bible"?
Also yes, I did name this chapter after a Touhou Soundtrack because that's what was on. Praise mommy Junko.
Congrats to everyone! We've reached 30,000 views and peaked at over 120 reviews! I know that this is just a rehash of canon... for now. But know that, I had to do it. It was an essential part to set everything up for later and I know that some people don't like that. But! We are moving from Canon after this Arc! After this Arc, it'll be mostly original content with some canon volumes sprinkled here and there just to keep the timeline. We'll even see the Children from DxD Ex! Hopefully!
I'd like to thank everyone whose read this story so far. I know that my story's kinda slow but still, you all read it and for that, I'm grateful.
So I'd like to take this time to recommend a few people. These people might not get much due to my view count and the fact that this is M-Rated but here we go!
High School DxD: Alternate by Another_Jojo: This is a massively amazing fic that follows Vin Corsetti! An Italian American who was taken in by the Church after they discovered that he had a Sacred Gear. This story does a really good job at highlighting some things that DxD never really shows. The OCs are a treat to read about because the way they interact with the cast without ever breaking the dynamics that were already there is just amazing. It's like they were a part of that universe the entire time. Also, it made Michael far more cunning than he appears in canon. Of the three factions, the Church and Angels get the least screentime and personality as opposed to the Grigori and Devils.
Cat Got Your Tongue? By NecroGodYami: It's just a one-shot but it's a really cute and fluffy one-shot. It's about a boy named Taro Yamada and his interactions with Koneko. I recommend that you read it. It's really cute and is warmth for my cold and dead soul.
Now let's close this chapter! I hope you all review. Please. Please review. And remember to have a great day or not, the choice is yours!