The entire battle paused at the mere presence of the new arrival. Akane stood motionlessly in between the two opposing forces, completely relaxed and uncaring. Her eyes were only on the safety of her younger brother and her supposed new sibling. The fact that she loved being an older sister was evident to anyone who knew her. She turned her back on Kokabiel and knelt in front of the now-collapsed Shin.
"Ara, Shin-chan, you got beat up pretty badly," Akane said. Her eyes burned with an unending fury upon seeing her brother's numerous wounds. She placed her hand on Shin's to increase the pressure on his torso.
"Hmph, this is nothing like the beatings Onee gives me during training," Shin chuckled.
Akane smiled. Even under all that pain, her brother always found something witty to say. Her eyes darted over to Asia. "What a cute girl. I take it she's our newest family?" Akane asked.
"Um…"
"Asia-chan! Come here," Akane said, beckoning her over.
Asia pointed to herself. Akane nodded and the girl ran over.
"What… are you…. Vermillion Star. You dare to ignore me!" Kokabiel seethed. He created a massive spear of light and threw it at Akane's unprotected back.
A gleam of silver light flashed for the briefest of moments. Kokabiel's eyes widened in shock. His light spear had been destroyed. Reduced to harmless shards of light in the mere instant that he threw it. He didn't even see her move.
Onee's speed is still as impressive as ever. She didn't even draw her sword for that… or did she? Shin thought.
Asia stopped and knelt next to the two.
"Asia-chan, can you please heal Shin-chan while I go clean up?" Akane asked. "Lady Jingwei, please watch over them."
Jingwei flew off her shoulder and landed on Shin's face.
Asia nodded mutely. This woman was terrifying beyond words. She had seen Fallen Angels as strong as Kokabiel and madmen as terrifying as Valper. But to compare them to the girl in front of her would be like comparing an ant to a dinosaur.
Akane's face softened at Asia's quivering form. She reached out and softly stroked Asia's head. "Don't be scared. Onee will protect you."
Those words were enough to calm Asia down.
"O-Onee?" the words registered inside her mind. Her green eyes lingered in the older girl's warm smile.
"You're so cute. Don't worry. I already told Tou-san and Kaa-san about you. They're excited to meet you," Akane said.
Asia just nodded and focused on healing Shin.
"Akane," Riser called out.
"Riser, I'm back for our date," Akane said. She stood up slowly and gripped the hilt of her katana. "Don't worry dear. I'll finish this in no time flat."
Riser just nodded and sighed. This was going to be a bloody mess.
"Riser. Go grab Shin," Vivi said.
"Right," Riser responded. He jogged over to their location and helped Shin to his feet. Asia continued to heal Shin as they walked back over, leaving Akane behind.
As soon as they arrived, Shin sat down on the ground and let out a sigh of relief.
"Shouldn't we help your sister?" Rias asked, glancing down at him.
"We'll only get in her way," Shin said. "Onee is… the strongest person in the world."
"Surely, you're exaggerating," Rias replied.
"Shin's not lying. Her codename, Vermillion Star, is well known across the world. She is an existence that all Gods scramble to hire. A being who can bring an entire pantheon down to its knees all by herself. You heard of the incident at the Grigori four years ago?" Sophia asked.
"Yeah, Onii-sama scrambled with the other Satans to strengthen our borders but nothing ever came of it. Why?" Rias asked.
"Onee was the one behind that. She defeated all the Cadre, Azazel, and all of the Grigori's most elite team, Slash Dog all by herself," Shin said. "So this is technically round 2 for Kokabiel."
"Still, we need to-"
"RIAS!"
The group turned to see the Sitri Peerage running up to them. Sona slowed to a stop and panted. "The barrier was shattered all of a sudden and… what's going on?" Sona's eyes rested upon Akane's still form in the distance.
"Akane is here to fight Kokabiel," Rias said.
"What? By herself?" Sona asked.
"Don't worry. You should be worried about Kokabiel… and not my sister," Shin answered.
"Vermillion Star. It's been 4 years," Kokabiel said, straightening his body.
"4 years? Oh right. It has been 4 years since you and the other Cadre got in my way of killing Tobio Ikuse. Though, I've also had 4 years to get over it. I have to say that my homicidal urge to kill Tobio and the rest of Slash Dog has subsided," Akane said, relaxing her body.
"Have you come to interfere?"
"Of course," Akane said. "You march into my home, wreck my school, and hurt my brother. That's unforgivable."
Kokabiel froze. The girl's aura had shifted and he saw it. Behind her was a massive eldritch entity with multiple mouths and eyes. A horror beyond belief. This was the manifestation of the girl's killing intent. The beast roared in his face, sending waves of absolute terror through his body.
The red light in Kokabiel's eyes pulsed and washed away his fears. He grinned instead. "Four years. I've prepared for four years in anticipation that you might interfere. Even if it is you, Vermillion Star, I will not let you get in the way of progress. To stem the advance of Entropy, I will start this war for the betterment of the world. Only the strong can stave off Entropy and we will survive. Even if I can't see the world that will be produced in the future."
"I don't care about that. I've heard enough speeches from Gods and Devils about higher causes. All I care about… is clipping your wings and burying you six feet under," Akane said.
Kokabiel created two light swords and widened his stance. A bead of sweat trailed down his forehead. This girl. Her arrogance had grown in the past four years. He bit his cheek.
The wind blew Akane's hair back. Kokabiel rushed towards her. His swords inched closer to her chest.
Kokabiel's eyes widened when he was knocked back.
The scabbard of Akane's katana sent his blow in a different direction. She spun around and kicked him back, sending him sliding several meters.
"Slow," Akane said. She took a step forward.
The very motion caused Kokabiel to jump back and throw a spear of light at her.
Akane caught the light spear with her hand and twirled it around. She placed her katana back in its strap and she assumed a familiar stance that caused Sophia and Kokabiel's eyes to widen considerably.
"That stance!" Sophia gasped.
"What is it?" Shin asked.
"That's Uncle Azazel's Stance for spear combat. How does she… How is she…?" Sophia looked to Shin for answers.
"The Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu, or the Void Demon Killer Style, is an ungodly style born from my sister's mastery of the Onigari-Ryuu," Shin said.
Akane widened her gait and shot towards Kokabiel.
"The core of this style revolves around my sister's impeccable and perfect combat senses. The Perfect Battle Analysis. The core technique of the Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu and it's something only my sister has. She can discern every little detail to predict, copy, and evade the moves of her opponents."
Akane swiped the tip of the light spear at Kokabiel.
He tried to raise his swords to block the attack, but her speed was too much. A cut appeared on his cheek and he stumbled back.
She thrust the spear forward, impaling his torso and causing Kokabiel to scream in pain.
The Cadre raised his arm and shattered the light spear.
"With every move, every breath, even the way the hair stands up on their skin to the microscopic vibrations caused by their movements, my sister can take in all that detail and simulate countless scenarios in her brain in the span of an instant. Her predictions are… pinpoint and scarily accurate to the point where I think she can see the future."
Akane raised her hand and deflected the light sword. She jumped back and gripped the hilt of her katana.
Kokabiel rushed towards her and began to slash and hack at Akane furiously.
Every swing was met with a block.
The sound of metal clashing on hardened wood resounded through the school.
Sparks flew with every clash.
Yet Kokabiel could not gain a single inch of ground.
He roared and swung his blade down atop her head.
Akane deflected the sword and her hand flew rapidly to her blade. She unclicked the sword with her thumb. A flash of silvery-white light filled Kokabiel's vision and his honed senses went haywire.
He, by some stroke of luck, managed to block the strikes. But the force of the blow was great. Greater than it was four years ago. He was sent flying into the ruined Kuoh Academy where he crashed violently into the ground.
"Now, I know why Tobio and the others lost," Sophia said.
Everyone turned to her for an explanation.
"Even if I trained for thousands, no millions of years straight, there's no way to bridge that generational gap between us. Your sister's combat ability is something… it belongs to an entity that should not exist in this world," Sophia remarked.
"All those times you said Aka-nee could probably split the Moon in half… that's not a lie is it?" Issei said.
"Looks like Akeno has her work cut out for her," Yuuto joked.
Akeno blushed furiously.
Akane landed amidst the rubble silently. The dust around her remained in place. Her red eyes rested on the rubble with blood on it. A few black feathers floated gently in the darkness of the school.
She clicked her sword and sliced apart several light spears that flew in her direction.
"Mmmm?"
Several more light spears flew at her from all directions.
She sighed and partially unsheathed her blade. All the spears were reduced to harmless shards, sliced at perfectly impeccable angles.
"Stop hiding in the shadows and fight like a Cadre. I thought you were supposed to start a war," Akane called out. She walked down the ruined halls of Kuoh.
Kokabiel hid behind one of the doors.
Her strength is more absurd than it was four years ago. Her ability to copy and predict my moves. She even used Azazel's spear stance on top of her ability to cut even empty spaces. That's something not even the strongest swordsmen in the world can do! Their swings aren't as precise to be capable of severing the photons in the air! He ground his teeth.
"Hmmm?" Akane clicked her tongue. She gripped her blade and closed her eyes. "Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu: Shin'en Senkou."
For others, it was a flash but for her, time might as well have slowed to a crawl. She drew her sword and slowly sheathed it. But the motion was too fast for everyone else. All they saw was the end. The flash of silver as the sword briefly left from their point of view.
The school was cut in half with a trench that went deep into the earth.
"RAAAGGGGHHH!" Kokabiel burst from the door and slashed her face.
Akane moved back, dodging the attack by the width of a strand of hair. She backflipped, kicking Kokabiel's sword into the air.
She landed with the grace of a gazelle and rushed towards Kokabiel in an explosive manner.
"Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu: Himatsubushi." She disappeared from his sight. Her speed was too great for his unconscious animal brain to even detect. Several dozen copies of her appeared around him.
The copies all swarmed him. But these copies were not clones. These were afterimages. Afterimages with solid mass.
The images all attacked Kokabiel, fading after each swing. The sheer number of them and their speed left cuts before the nerves in his body even registered the pain. The final afterimage shot past Kokabiel, slicing his torso open.
Blood sprayed all over the interior of the school, forcing the Cadre to fall to the ground. His natural divine power began to slowly heal his wounds.
Akane stood behind him. Her eyes looked bored as if she were looking down on an insect.
"You… You're toying with me. Those attacks should have killed me the moment you used it," he spat.
"Of course. I'm dragging this fight out," Akane said.
"You bitch! Don't get so conceited!" Kokabiel created a massive greatsword of light. He swung it at her.
Akane blocked the attack. Her feet didn't move back a single micrometer.
"You think just because you're a prized mercenary! You think because your parents are members of the Seven Stars! You think because you are referred to as a Godslayer! Do you think that makes you capable of looking down on me!" Kokabiel roared.
"Are you… Are you coming on to me?" Akane asked.
"W-What?"
"You're saying all those nice things. I'll have you know that I have a boyfriend and I'm pretty sure he has a bigger dick than you," Akane answered.
A vein burst in Kokabiel's forehead. An overwhelming amount of divine power focused into his fist. He slammed the fist into her torso, sending her flying out of the school.
Akane righted herself in the air and landed softly on the ground. She stretched her neck and dusted herself off.
"Wowow! That was a hit! I almost actually felt that!" Akane said cheerily.
"Onee! Just finish him already!" Shin said.
"Shin! I haven't had a good fight in a while! Tosca's in the Vatican and Caspian's doing some weird magic fuckery in Romania!" Akane retorted.
Shin sighed.
Kokabiel shot into the sky and raised his hand. A massive amount of divine power amassed into the palm of his hand, lighting up the night sky and outshining the Moon.
Akane just stood, watching silently in anticipation.
"This fight is over. Even you cannot possibly hope to block this! Even Sirzechs Lucifer wouldn't be able to completely deflect this," Kokabiel cackled.
Akane's smile grew wider. "I guess I do need to get a little serious. Oh, you've made me seriously grip Sakura for the first time in five years. How exciting," Akane said.
A massive number of light spears formed in the skies above. Each of them were so bright that they each outshined every star. There was no way to easily count all of them, at least for the ones watching. The glimmering lights above Kuoh had caught the attention of all the residents, who now looked to the sky in awe. To put it short, the spears of light were now bright enough to illuminate an entire country and still have enough power left over.
"With this, I can take you out too and start this war. A war for our survival," Kokabiel said. He thrust his hand forward and all at once, the spears turned and pointed their tips at Akane.
All of them sped towards her like a swarm of angry wasps. Each one shattering the sound barrier several hundred times over and the end result would be the complete and utter destruction of Japan.
Time slowed for Akane. She closed her eyes. She breathed and gripped her katana tightly. For the first time since the fight began, she adopted her own stance. Akane's legs spread out. A blast of wind escaped from her body, knocking her spectators back.
Her eyes flashed open and an errant leaf that fluttered in her line of sight was cut in twain.
"Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu: Shin'en Kogeki."
In a gleam of metallic light, Akane rapidly drew her blade and slashed the empty space in front of her as the spears rapidly approached. Her slashes numbered in the thousands, nay even tens of thousands. And it all happened within the gap of one instant. Air and light were expertly severed down to their base constituents.
In a flourish, she performed one final cut before sheathing her blade slowly.
Time resumed and flowed at its normal pace. The world was split apart at several angles, resembling cut glass. The numerous light spears that threatened to obliterate the entire country were sliced into several harmless specks of light.
The glass pieces of reality slid back together as the vacuum spaces where air and light used to reside were filled.
Kokabiel vomited blood. His body was littered in slash marks and three of his wings had been severed.
"H-How…?" Kokabiel asked.
Akane relaxed her stance and stared up at the sky. "You're so weak."
"What!?" Kokabiel's anger skyrocketed. He had just been humiliated by this mere human female. His strongest attack which he guaranteed that even a Super Devil would have trouble deflecting was so easily sliced apart by this girl.
"Can you hear me better now?"
His eyes widened. Kokabiel whirled around. Akane's boot filled his vision. The impact of the blow dispersed all the clouds in their immediate vicinity.
Kokabiel impacted the ground in an explosively violent fashion. He shakily got to his feet. Blood dribbled from his mouth and poured down his forehead. His clothes were tattered and most of his remaining six wings were broken.
Akane landed in front of him. "You know I could've killed you 1000 times over before you even noticed but I didn't."
"You bitch!" Kokabiel spat.
"Don't be like that. You lost. Plain and simple," she replied.
"You're still looking down on me. Just because you defeated the entirety of the Cadre and Slash Dog four years ago?" he growled.
"Hard to look down on you. You're so far below the dirt I have a hard time even seeing you," Akane responded.
"Do you want the power to start this war?" A voice whispered into Kokabiel's subconscious.
What?
"Entropy has laid its claws in this town. Your Mother sacrificed herself to seal Entropy in another Universe and these heathens spit on your ambition to honor her sacrifice. Are you really going to let them get in the way of your ambition?" the voice continued.
"No…" A red mist wafted off Kokabiel's wounds and body.
"That's…" Sophia said.
"It's like what happened with Yuuma. The Red King!? Onee, that's the-"
"So this is the famous Red King?" Akane raised an eyebrow.
Kokabiel's obsessive desires and mania morphed into an unbridled psychosis. His one moment of triumph. He lashed out at Akane, attempting to use his light sword to bisect her.
"Heh," Akane smirked. She popped Sakura from its sheath.
Kokabiel's swing arced across the sky.
Akane rapidly unsheathed her blade in a quick draw slash.
Blood sprayed across her face. Kokabiel's right arm past the elbow had been cleanly severed from his body.
Kokabiel stumbled back and fell on his back. Blood poured from the stump on his right arm. He coughed, looking up at his opponent.
"It's over," Akane said. She stamped her foot on Kokabiel's chest. "Time to die, Angel of Stars." But her sword never pierced his body. Instead, Akane sliced the air behind her.
A white figure slid back, clutching their left shoulder. Their armor resembled that of Issei's Balance Breaker. White, segmented scales wrapped around their body and covered their face. Instead of a green visor, theirs was colored gold. Blue gems decorated the armor and pulsed dimly in the night. On their back were a pair of blue draconic wings made of pure light. Their left armor had been damaged severely by that single strike. Blood flowed freely from their wounds.
"Were you going to wait that long to jump in, Vanishing Dragon?" Akane asked.
"You… Damnit, why are you here?" he asked.
"Hmm? I live here," she responded.
"Vali? What the hell!? What are you doing here!?" Sophia called out.
"Vali? Oh! You're that small child from four years ago. That small devil child," Akane said.
"I'm here to retrieve Kokabiel on Azazel's orders. He's stepping out of bounds and is currently jeopardizing peace talks with the other Faction Leaders," Vali said, standing up and gripping his shoulder. "If you get in my way, Vermillion Star…"
|Don't fight her, Vali. The gap between you two hasn't closed a single centimeter. The gap between you two is as vast as the space between the Milky Way and the Andromeda| a voice said.
[That voice…] Ddraig said.
"What is it?" Issei asked.
[The White One is here.] Ddraig said.
"The White One? Sophia… wait, you said Vali? That guy is your nephew, right? He's the Vanishing Dragon?" Shin asked.
"Buchou, what can the White Dragon Emperor do?" Issei asked.
Rias glanced over to her pawn. "While you, the Red Dragon Emperor, doubles your power and transfers it to other objects or people, the White Dragon Emperor divides power and hoards it for themselves."
"That's right but, against your sister, Shin, can he even?" Sophia asked.
"I don't know," Shin replied.
"You talk big but your body is shaking. Is it out of excitement? Or perhaps fear?" Akane said. Her foot ground against Kokabiel's skull, causing the Cadre to groan in agony.
"..." Vali said nothing and began to power up.
Akane raised an eyebrow and sighed. "I'm not going to fight you, Vanishing Dragon. Here." She grabbed Kokabiel by the back of his neck and tossed him at Vali. "Take him. He's gonna die from blood loss anyway."
"You're going to give him to me just like that?" Vali asked.
"Of course. My part is done. Azazel phoned me while I was barreling here from the airport like a lunatic. I do owe him for the damages and for Slash Dog's life support. I heard that Natsume has a false eye now and that Lavinia's left arm is a prosthetic," Akane said.
Vali clenched his fist but the terror inside his body prevented him from moving. The shroud behind her was weighing down on him like some omnipotent god.
"Can I take the stray priest as well?" Vali asked.
"I don't mind. Just get them out of my town," Akane said.
Vali nodded and flew over to where the downed Freed was. He landed in front of the others and picked up Freed.
[Are you going to stand there and ignore me, White One?] Ddraig said.
The others looked down at the gauntlet. The newfound tension in the air was palpable.
|Oh? You're still alive, Red One?| the wings responded.
[Hmph. I was wondering when we would meet again, Albion. Though, I wonder. Why wouldn't you fight Shin's older sister?] Ddraig said.
|Our battle has nothing to do with her. It's our fight you need to worry about.| Albion responded.
[I agree. We are still fated to fight. It is…]
"Inevitable."
Issei froze and stared at the armored figure before him. He clenched his fist and stepped forward.
"Issei, don't," Shin said, placing his hand on his shoulder.
"You still lack strength. Therefore, I understand that you don't know what's happening," Vali said.
"Lack strength?" Issei's body shook in anger. He was right. The fight had shown Issei that he was utterly lacking. Training with Shin and Rias was nowhere near enough to prepare him for a fight of this caliber. And seeing Shin and Sophia perfectly hold their own for a time against an opponent of that level made him feel all the lower.
"Yes. Fighting you like this… holds no meaning. Heal your wounds. Become strong. And one day, we'll have our fated battle, Arch-Rival," Vali said.
"Why don't we just fight right now?" Issei asked.
Vali ignored him and grabbed Freed.
"No. The Vermillion Star will surely stop me and I don't feel like being ported back to the Grigori in a body bag by Big Sister so… let's meet again. Sooner than you think," Vali said.
With that, Vali disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Issei frustrated and confused. Issei fell to the ground, defeated.
Shin watched and sighed. His words were obviously a huge blow to Issei's pride. His pride of being the Gremory Peerage's Trump Card.
"Issei," Shin said, sitting down next to him.
"He's right," Issei said.
"It's only been a month. You'll be fine. Let's get strong together," Shin said, raising his fist towards him.
"Are you going to leave me out of this?" Yuuto asked, coming up behind them.
"Cassanova. That's a pretty badass sword you got. Vivi even gave you Excalibur too," Issei commented.
"We're the only guys in this so we got to stick together right?" Shin said.
"Yeah. Let's do this. I'm gonna prove that White bastard wrong. Let's get strong together," Issei said. His smile returned to his face.
The gathering at Hatch Potch was nothing more than a celebration of survival. The very fact that they survived after facing such an imposing foe was nothing short of a miracle. Rias bowed over and over and even kowtowed in front of Akane before heading over. The Sitri Peerage was invited to come along but Sona declined in favor of arranging the necessary paperwork to fix the school.
Shin sat behind the counter, watching the others with his older sister.
"You did good," Akane said.
"Really? Does this look good?" Shin asked, pointing to the various bandages on his body and face.
"Better than before but you said it yourself right? Kokabiel's hits compared to mine are nothing," his sister replied cheekily.
"Things are going to change from here on out, right? The Three Factions aren't going to take Kokabiel's actions lightly," Shin said,
"No, they're not. The talks were already going underway from what I heard while I was employed by the Church. Things will be different from here on out," Akane replied.
"Onee, I have a favor to ask you," Shin said.
"Hmm? A favor?" Akane asked. "You don't need to ask me for favors. I'm your sister."
"Then… teach me. Let's continue where we left off," Shin said.
"...?" Akane raised an eyebrow.
"Teach me the Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu." Shin looked at her with determined eyes.
Akane let out an exasperated sigh. A small smile graced her delicate features and her red eyes gleamed with a newfound determination. Or was it sadism? Either way, Shin did not like the look in her eyes.
"Hmmm, alright. But let's talk more about it later. I think there's someone who wants to talk to you," Akane said. She walked off to find her boyfriend, leaving Shin alone at the counter.
"Shin."
He turned around and saw Akeno sitting on a barstool with a smile on her face.
"Hey, we didn't get a chance to talk in all of that. How are you doing?" Shin asked.
A bitter smile formed on Akeno's face. "I'm doing fine. Just…"
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I know that… judging from what Kokabiel said and your reaction, it's hard to talk about," Shin said.
"Hmph. It is but… with you, I feel like I can talk about it," Akeno replied.
"So Baraqiel huh?" he said.
"Yeah, Baraqiel. Are you disappointed?" she asked.
"About?"
"Learning about that. I'm just… one of them," Akeno said.
"No, not really. If anything, I don't really care about that stuff. Wings or no wings, to me, Akeno-senpai is Akeno-senpai- OW!" Shin rubbed his forehead. Akeno had flicked his forehead.
"I said don't call me, Senpai. Just call me, Akeno," she said.
"Besides, I know a thing or two about having bad family members," Shin said.
"Bad family members huh? I guess we're two peas in a pod," Akeno said.
"Yeah," Shin replied.
The two sat there, watching the others celebrate in comfortable silence. No further words were said between them. Just feeling the other's presence was enough for them.
Akeno stole glances from Shin discreetly. The fact that Shin didn't care if she was a Fallen Angel or not made her feel happy, even happier than when Rias accepted her into her family. She didn't understand why but she felt like she could do anything when Shin was with her.
"You know, Shin. I'm kind of jealous," Akeno said.
"Jealous?" he asked.
"You and Sophia can match up so perfectly in combat but… if I interfere, I feel like I'll just get in the way," Akeno said.
That fight made her feel helpless. But not only that, the fight made her feel insecure about her relationship with Shin, whatever it may be.
"Don't say that. During that fight, I don't know it's…, uh," Shin trailed off. How was he supposed to say that the fact Kokabiel made Akeno cry made him mad? That the reason Secace was created was that he didn't want to see Akeno cry? His thoughts were a jumbled mess and prevented him from controlling the words that came from his mouth. "In combat, even if you're not there, just knowing that you have my back gives me the strength of a hundred people."
Akeno's eyes widened and a light blush dusted her cheeks.
"Really?" her tone became teasing. "My being there gives you the strength of a hundred people?"
"Shut up," Shin said, laying his head down on the counter.
Akeno giggled and patted his head. "Aw, I'm flattered that you feel that way but…"
"But?" Shin peeked an eye out to stare at her face. Her eyes were rather pre- He banished such thoughts from his head.
"I want to be able to stand next to Shin too," Akeno said.
Shin remained silent and sat up. He smiled. He raised his hand and patted her head. "Akeno, you're already plenty strong. Don't put yourself down like that because you're already standing next to me so let's move forward together."
Akeno's eyes widened momentarily before a fit of laughter overtook her body. She shook and laughed at Shin's words. "Dear Satan, you're so cheesy."
"What? Eh? I was? Wait, how was I cheesy?" he asked.
Akeno just continued laughing. She wiped a tear from her eye and let out a satisfied sigh.
Yes. Those words were just what she needed to here. And this place was just where she wanted to be.
The fight against the Cadre Kokabiel was a spectacle to behold. The Vermillion Star had shown up in time to save the day. Retrieving the Queen of Conquest was her first priority. The Red King had numerous proxies and decoys that made it nearly impossible to track his main self. Her blue and red eyes gleamed as she watched over the sleeping town of Kuoh. An opportunity would present itself.
"Mother, what would you do?" she asked, opening a locket.
Inside was the picture of a woman with white hair and cobalt blue eyes. There was a streak of pinkish-red going down her ponytail. She had a warm smile on her face.
She closed the locket and sighed. "Sleep well, Queen of Conquest. I'll be here for you soon."
The world glitched around her and she disappeared into the night.
Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu
An ungodly variation of the Onigari-Ryuu and a Sword Style that devours God and Satan whose name means Demon Killer Style of No-Conception.
It is the unique swordsmanship style created by Akane Faulkner after mastering the Onigari-Ryuu to the highest degree.
It is the profoundest of the profound.
A heresy beyond heresy.
A sword art without parallel across Heaven and Earth.
That is the Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu.
[]
Vali Lucifer
The White Dragon Emperor and Grandson of the Morning Star.
A prodigy amongst his generation without equal.
His power eclipses that of his aunt, who wields the omnipotent force of Death at her fingertips.
His destined rival is the Red Dragon Emperor.
Yet, deep beneath that calm demeanor, lies a thirst for vengeance against the sire that tore apart his family.
We have arrived at this chapter. Following this, there will be two interludes. One for Tosca and one for Vivi because Vivi needs closure and Tosca needs to be properly introduced. Alright, you can all get it out now. Akane was a little motivated in this chapter yes. With this, the arc is at the halfway... well not halfway, the last 40 or so percent of this arc is the Peace Treaty and after that, we start the Furude Family/Ryuu Matsuri Arc.
With that being said, I'd like to thank everyone for the 30k views we've received! That was a big achievement for this story so far. I'm having lots of fun writing it, especially Akane since she's supposed to be the epitome of skill and combat in this story. She is the Vergil. The Lucia. The Adam. The Yuujiro Hanma. The Edelweiss. The Nanami Yasuri. Well, she fits Lucia, Nanami, and Vergil more. And the title of this chapter is her theme! It's a pretty cool theme. It's Hikari from Punishing Gray Raven and it's Lucia's theme.
You all know the drill with this. Please leave a review! And remember to have a great day/night or not, the choice is yours.