Kill Akeno Himejima.
That phrase stuck inside everyone's minds. And that same phrase which was meant to shock them into a stupor spurred them all into action. Issei abandoned his fight with Vali and shot toward Yaldabaoth's unsuspecting back with ferocious vigor. He cocked his fist back, Dividing Gear's gem glowing brightly and primed to sap her power.
Or at least, that was his intended goal.
A flash of silver and then Issei found himself staring at the sky.
Yaldabaoth had barely moved from her position.
"Tch! Akeno! Run!" Shin yelled. He dashed towards her and jumped into the air. He spun, slashing Hirume downward.
Yaldabaoth gazed up at him and blocked his Mystic Gear with the scabbard of her blade. The two locked eyes with each other. Red and blue unto blue and red. Sparks flew from their deadlocked position. Shin gained no ground. It was like trying to move a ship with just his hands.
"Your gaze is ferocious. Is that girl really that important to you? She's not even a girl anymore," Yaldabaoth said.
"Shut up! Akeno's done nothing wrong! I'm not going to let you kill her!" Shin yelled. He jumped back and fired several rounds at her.
Yaldabaoth swung her sheathed blade, deflecting the bullets as they whizzed by her. She waltzed in a dizzying fashion, gripping the hilt of her sword.
"Tetragrammaton Yod Form: First Flight: Piety." With frightening amounts of speed, Yaldabaoth drew her sword and slashed in a cross formation.
Shin was blasted back by the air created by the swing. Warm blood poured down his left arm.
"You believe that you alone are strong enough to protect that girl from me?" Yaldabaoth asked.
"..." Shin clenched his jaw and took a step forward. His hands had a white-knuckle grip on Failnacht and Hirume. His eyes glowed dangerously as he channeled more divine power from his body. Lines drew themselves in the air above Shin, tracing and creating rotating barrels. Automatic turrets hovered behind him, filled with Failnacht's rounds. "I am strong enough to protect her. With Onee's power and Vivi's, you won't get her."
"Power?" Her eyes widened slightly. The sound of gunfire filled her ears. An endless hail of Failnacht's bullets rained down on her.
Bolt after bolt zoomed past her. She swung her sheathed blade, blocking each and every shot with precise movements. Her feet shuffled in an intricate manner, weaving in and around each shot.
Yaldabaoth ran forward, deflecting and dodging each bullet. As she neared Shin, she suddenly twisted her body out of the way. Her eyes scanned the field for the attacker.
Pivoting on the balls of her feet, she turned around and caught the hammer with her bare hand. The force of the blow caused the ground beneath her to crack and crater.
"Run you idiot! Save that girl!" Yeshua said, straining to push against Yaldabaoth's monstrous strength.
"Yeshua, my little brother. You dare get in the way of my duty?" Yaldabaoth asked.
"The girl has done nothing wrong! We don't need to go so far as to kill her!" Yeshua argued.
"She is a clear and present danger to the world at large. Killing her will halt the cycle," she retorted. "But you've been too blinded by your debauchery and hedonism to see it, Carpenter." She pushed him back.
Yeshua landed on the ground. He didn't have time to react as Yaldabaoth's leg slammed into the side of his skull, sending him flying across the campus and crashing into the barrier.
"I won't allow this world to fall back into the Abyss," Yaldabaoth said. She turned around to see Shin only to find an empty space. A tired sigh escaped her mouth. Several attacks bounced off her, not even damaging her in the slightest.
"We won't let you get to them," Rias said, hovering above her.
"So you might as well give up here," Yuuto said, pointing the Sword of the Betrayer at her.
"Move."
The group in front of her stood steadfast, each one of them tensing their bodies. With a primal battlecry, they all charged forward.
"Akeno! Come on!" Shin said, appearing next to her. He grabbed her hand and the two ran into the school.
"Shin! What do we do!? What about everyone else?" Akeno asked.
"They're holding her off. We have to-"
Akeno ripped her hand from his grasp and stood in the middle of the hall. "This is because of me. Everyone's fighting that God because of me… I… I'm not going to leave them behind. The Gremories are my precious family."
"Akeno, don't be stupid. We have to get you out of here. Everyone out there is fighting for you! Are you going to throw away their efforts and just walk into her sword like that?" Shin asked incredulously.
"Yeah. I'm not backing down from this, Shin," Akeno said. White lightning crackled around her arms and around her eyes. There was a faint white light inside her pupils.
Shin gawked but his facial expression shifted into one of exasperation. He smiled at her. "Alright. Let's go," he said.
"You're all going to get in my way, my foolish younger siblings," Yaldabaoth said. The pressure around her began to grow stronger and stronger. The ground quaked beneath their feet and the effects of the Half-Dimension were being torn apart. "Just because you're all my family, doesn't mean I'll hold back for the sake of my duty..."
The Seraphs and Azazel all gripped their weapons tightly. Their bodies shook with either anxiety or fear. But none of them backed down. Yaldabaoth shifted her foot slightly and they all leapt into action. Lucifer summoned a flaming sword and dashed towards her, roaring with fury. Her actions against his children during the Great War were now replaying themselves inside of his head. The mountain of bodies she sat on was greater and higher than that of any deity in the world and that infuriated him. With a mighty swing, he brought down his Shuhaduku on top of her head.
His older sister raised her sheathed blade and blocked it. The ground beneath them shattered from the sheer force of the blow. Yaldabaoth balled her fist and punched Lucifer in the stomach, sending him rocketing into the sky.
A pillar of flames engulfed her entire body. Her mismatched eyes looked into the sky to see Uriel holding a massive stellar object above her head.
"True Flare!" she threw her hand forward, launching the orb at extreme speeds towards the God.
Yaldabaoth flicked her sword out of its sheath, sending a wave of air that sliced apart the flaming vortex and the orb.
The orb detonated violently, sending waves of heat and wind across the entire school. In a burst of speed, Yaldabaoth appeared behind Uriel and kicked her in the small of her back, sending her crashing violently into the ground. She slid for a few dozen meters before stopping.
"Sirzechs! On three!" Michael said.
Sirzechs nodded. On the third count, Michael and Sirzechs took off towards her, circling her and trying to find an opening. Ice encased Yaldabaoth's leg, causing her to look down for a split second. In that span between seconds, Michael and Sirzechs shot towards her, coating their hands in divine and demonic powers respectively. The two cocked their fists back and threw their hands forward.
Yaldabaoth caught both their fists. The impact of their blows created a violent wave of air that blew everything apart. The windows of Kuoh Academy shattered violently and some of the trees in the vicinity were uprooted from the sheer force of the blows. Yaldabaoth gripped their fists tightly, causing their joints to creak in an agonizing manner. Her eyes glowed as she slammed them together effortlessly. She threw Michael into the air and used Sirzechs as a bat to hit Michael away. She threw Sirzechs into the air before jumping. Infusing her fist with Divine Power, she delivered a devastating blow to Sirzech's liver, causing him to vomit blood and crash into the ground.
The speed and force at which he hit the ground created a large crater that was several feet deep.
"YALDABAOTH!"
She turned and saw a massive black sphere heading towards her.
A Singularity? Only one person could make this...
Her eyes glowed and she launched her sword from her sheath. She slashed her blade, tearing apart the dimensions in front of her and slicing the singularity in half. Reality resembled splintered glass as she sheathed her blade.
"Yeshua, you've gotten better at using the Law of Genesis. I see that you can do more than just turn water into wine," Yaldabaoth said, sheathing her blade. The splintered reality slowly sewed itself back together, swallowing the dispersed tatters of the dimensional singularity within itself.
"Big Sis's blows are really something else. You're a lot stronger than you were during the Great War," Yeshua said, cracking his neck. "Unfortunately for you, I've gotten stronger too." He held his hand out and created a massive hammer with a spiked head.
The spikes on the hammer's head sent chills down her spine. Her blood was reacting unnaturally to it. If she got hit by that... "Hmph, then come at me, Son of Man," Yaldabaoth said, widening her stance tightly.
Yeshua launched himself forward, swinging the hammer at full might.
Yaldabaoth dodged the attack slightly. The force of the swing displaced the air around them.
She kicked him back, sending him sliding a considerable distance. Her eyes glowed and she swung her blade, sending a wave of air rocketing towards Yeshua. The ground was torn up as the wave traveled across the air.
Yeshua raised his hand and the world rearragned itself to block the blow. The vacuum wave ripped through the barrier effortlessly but Yeshua was nowhere to be seen. She looked up and saw Yeshua summoning several spears with odd properties that were similar to the spikes on the hammer. The spears sped towards her at high velocities. Yaldabaoth danced and weaved around the spears but one of them managed to nick her on the side of the face.
She winced and jumped back. Her eyes looked widely at Yeshua, who had a smug look on his face. "You..."
"That's right. These light spears can hurt you," Yeshua said.
"You... You're using the Law of Genesis to alter the origin properties of the spear to have..."
"That's right, Dragon-Slaying Properties. These spears aren't light spears. They're dragon-slaying spears. So... let's see if you can escape from this, big sister. You should recognize this move. This move is the only reason we're all alive. Lucifer, you, me, Michael, all of us. This move is the reason we all survived the end of the Great War," Yeshua said. His golden eyes glowed brightly and particles of light began to collect around his body.
"That... move..." Yaldabaoth's eyes widened considerably. She clicked her tongue and shot towards Yeshua.
However, her path was blocked as Azazel slammed into her and pushed her into the air.
"Nee-chan needs to calm down and take a chill pill," Azazel said, grinning a bloody smile.
"Azazel, you fool!" Yaldabaoth roared. She elbowed the base of his neck, causing him to cry out in pain. She raised her knee and shattered his ribs, causing him to fly across the air.
A massive ball of golden flames came from her left and swallowed her body.
"Uriel, didn't you learn that these flames cannot hurt me?" Yaldabaoth said.
"The flames can't but the heat can. The heat isn't of Angelic Origin but a natural one. Eventually, the flames will overpower Sister's natural resistance to fire," Uriel said. "Serafall, encase her."
"CELSIUS CROSS TRIGGER!"
Serafall pointed her staff at Yaldabaoth, encasing the rotating flaming sphere in a ball of ice.
"Big Brother Lucifer!" Uriel called.
A spherical barrier of violet light encased the ice. Lucifer clenched his fist, condensing the ice and flames within the barrier.
"Yeshua! How much longer!?" Lucifer yelled.
"MOVE!" Yeshua yelled. The light condensed into an ultra-dense singularity that began pulling everything towards it. The singularity spread out and an entire cosmos unfolded before them, revolving around Yeshua as its center. Planets, stars, and galaxies began forming in the dimensional space around them. Yeshua knew this was their only chance. A one-in-a-million chance of defeating her for now.
From the window, Brahma watched with intrigued eyes. Akane caught his gaze and looked towards Yeshua. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Is that the..."
"Mmmm... Genesis Chapter 1, Verse 3..." Brahma began. "In the beginning, there was only Darkness and the Earth was without Form and Void, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the Abyss. And God said..."
"Law of Genesis: Let There Be Light!" Yeshua yelled. He took off like a rocket blasting off into space towards Yaldabaoth.
Yaldabaoth gritted her teeth and gripped the hilt of her blade. No, her blade would be useless here. Let There Be Light was their mother's penultimate technique that could be used in many different ways. And she would need... the space around her changed. Her thoughts had distracted her. She was in the middle of the Universe that Yeshua had now created. The dimensions had shifted from the space of the main Universe to this pocket universe Yeshua had created.
She looked up and saw him floating above her.
"You can use Let There Be Light?" Yaldabaoth asked.
"I spent 500 years trying to learn this technique. With Mother dead, I had to learn all by myself for exactly this moment. The moment Heaven's Trump Card would go against us and now... Sister," Yeshua snapped his fingers. The world glitched and warped as multiple winged creatures manifested around him, all holding Dragon Slaying Weapons in their hands. "These... Archons were specifically designed with you in mind. I spent years using the Law of Genesis to study, manifest, and create them. I'm not as good as Mother but... with this, even you would have a hard time escaping."
"You've gotten far more crafty, Yeshua. Was that lack of resistance all a facade? Have you finally lost your mind by protecting the Queen of Conquest?" Yaldabaoth asked.
"She's just a girl. She hasn't even awakened as the Queen of Conquest!" Yeshua yelled. "What happened to the kind older sister we had? The one who would show mercy even to her enemies! To give people the benefit of the doubt!?"
Her response caused his heart to clench in pain. Her smile broke Yeshua's heart. It was the smile of someone who had lost everything so long ago. And in a way she had. They all had. The death of their Mother had changed them all in more ways than one.
"That girl... That weak girl who relied on others for strength no longer exists. Now, I only have myself and the mission. Our duty to Mother. To overcome Entropy no matter the costs even if it means staining my soul by taking the lives of an innocent person. The moment they have the Core of Entropy within themselves, they can no longer live normal lives nor can they have the privilege of living any longer," she answered.
Yeshua closed his eyes. "Then I'm sorry... for what I have to do," Yeshua said. He gave the signal and the Archons charged at her. Yeshua watched as Yaldabaoth fended them off and left the Universe he created before she finished them all off. He arrived back at the school, turning around to watch the all-consuming black sphere that warped space and time around it.
"What now?" Sirzechs asked.
"We need to get her somewhere far. Somewhere far from here. That world created by Let There Be Light won't contain her forever. I'm not as strong as Mom so containing her in there is only temporary and... with her Authority, she can break out of it given enough time," Yeshua said.
The sound of glass cracking caught their attention.
"Impossible! She can't have broken out this fast, even with her Authority!" Yeshua exclaimed.
A flash of light cut through the air, slicing through Yeshua's shoulder and collar bone. He screamed and fell to one knee.
The singularity shattered, sending waves of cosmic stardust everywhere. The barrier around the school shattered and the sky was engulfed in a bright light that outshone the moon and all the stars. A devastating kick to the side of Yeshua's head, sent him face-first into the ground and groaning in pain. She blasted away the other faction leaders. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she ducked underneath Sirzechs' Power of Destruction infused punch and grabbed his neck.
Yaldabaoth gripped Sirzechs' throat tightly, lifting him into the air. Around her, everyone watched helplessly as she squeezed her hand. Sirzechs coughed violently.
"It was a valiant effort. Let There Be Light is a technique using the Law of Genesis to create Infinity from Zero. At the most basic level, you can say that Let There Be Light's true power is to create something from nothing and what better event in the timeline of existence describes that than the Big Bang itself. But your technique is flawed. It resembles the powers of Innovate Clear far more than it does Mother's Let There Be Light and I know... I've been within the Universe Mother created using Let There Be Light," she said. "All of your powers have failed so far, what can you do now, Christ? Crimson Satan?"
Sirzechs glared defiantly at her. He punched her in the side of the head, catching her off-guard. Her hand loosened and he kicked her back, sending her sliding across the field.
Yaldabaoth slid to a stop and straightened herself. Her mismatched eyes glowed in the moonlight.
"Round 2," Sirzechs said, dropping into a stance.
"..." Yaldabaoth widened her stance and held her hand over the hilt of her blade. She shifted on her feet, dodging a black scythe from Sophia.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She turned quickly, deflecting Durandal with her sheathed blade, and kicked Xenovia back.
Several blasts of demonic and angelic power barraged her, bouncing uselessly off her body. "Foolishness. I already said that your powers can't hurt me," Yaldabaoth said, standing in the middle of the smoke.
"It wasn't to hurt you…"
Her eyes widened. She turned around and Sirzechs's fist slammed into her face. The force of the blow sent her flying into the wall of the school, bringing it down on top of her.
"Tch, we can't hold out for long. Her powers outclass ours. Even if you have more demonic power than her, Sirzechs, her skill set is just too much for you," Lucifer said. "Have they gotten away?"
Sirzechs glanced over at his teacher. "I…" His eyes grew wide when she burst from the rubble and landed in front of them.
The God didn't move and instead relaxed her stance. "She's not here. It seems that…"
A bolt of white lightning slammed into Yaldabaoth, sending her sliding across the ground.
"Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu: Shin'en Kogeki"
A flurry of slashes battered Yaldabaoth's body before a powerful boom sent her crashing into a tree.
"Akeno! What the hell? We told you to run!" Rias yelled.
"Damnit! Get out of here!" Sophia said.
"That… That was a good hit. I was wrong. This is the extent of your power and the strength of your resolve," Yaldabaoth said, standing up. She dusted her clothes off and placed her hands on her hips.
Shin eyed her carefully as he stood in front of Akeno, guarding her from the deity before him.
"I won't let you have, Akeno," Shin said.
"Really? What if I make you a deal?" Yaldabaoth said.
"A deal?" Shin asked.
"Hand over the Queen of Conquest and I'll provide you with the ability to get stronger," she said.
"What?"
"Isn't that your dream?"
"My dream?"
"To reach your older sister. To overcome this… weakness you feel. A contract is a 2-way street. Just as you can see my memories through dreams as your Stigmata adjusts, I can see your memories during that process. You… aspire to be her. Yet while you admire her, you feel weakness. You feel inadequate. The Red Dragon Emperor's growing power is making you feel envious. Why is he, someone who has only known this world for a month at least, growing stronger so fast than I, someone who has known this world since birth?
"It rubs you the wrong way. You feel weak. Useless. Powerless. Everything about yourself. And when your Onee came to rescue you, everything came back. The incident from 4 years ago," Yaldabaoth said.
Shin stiffened.
"I know your thoughts from back then," Yaldabaoth said.
"Stop it," Shin growled.
"You felt useless to your sister," she continued.
"I said stop it," Shin said.
"You thought that your sister would be better off without you, right?" Yaldabaoth egged on.
Shin kicked off the ground, launching towards her at hypersonic speeds. The sound of metal clashing and grinding against another substance of equal strength echoed through the battlefield.
Yaldabaoth looked into Shin's rage-filled eyes. She swung her sword, pushing him back. He slid to a stop inches before Akeno.
"But what if I told you I can help you reach that dream?" Yaldabaoth said.
Shin's eyes widened and his arm lowered slightly.
"Don't listen to her, Shin!" Issei said. He launched himself at Yaldabaoth, only for another figure to slam into him and push him into the sky.
"Did you forget about me?" Vali asked.
"Can't you read the room and fuck off!" Issei roared.
Yaldabaoth ignored the battle above them and extended her arm out towards Shin. Everyone's eyes widened considerably. Shin looked down at her hand with a shock etched all over his features. The God had a smile on her face as she stepped towards him with her hand outstretched invitingly.
"Join me," Yaldabaoth said.
"What?" Shin managed to croak out.
"Join me and I can help you reach the level of power your sister wields. You won't feel this way any longer. As a Sponsor, I have to look out for you, my dear Contractor," Yaldabaoth said. "I sense a lot of potential inside of you."
"I…"
"Shin! Don't listen to her!" Sophia screamed. With a beat of her mighty wings, she shot towards Yaldabaoth. She spun in the air and her scythe traveled in an arc towards Yaldabaoth's neck.
The deity moved slightly, shuffling back and dodging the attack.
Sophia's eyes widened as the breath was knocked out of her body. She fell to the ground, clutching her stomach and dry heaving onto the pavement. Her pupils were constricted in pain. She tightened her jaw and fought through the pain. A ball of light formed in her hand and she thrust her arm forward.
Yaldabaoth stood still as the light dagger shattered upon making contact with her body.
"Daughter of Lucifer, is there no limit to your foolishness?" Yaldabaoth asked. She grabbed Sophia by the throat and lifted her into the air.
"Shin will never join you, you sick bitch. Akeno's our friend. We won't hand her over nor will we hand over Shin!" Sophia gasped.
"Let her go," Shin said, stepping forward.
Yaldabaoth raised an eyebrow and tossed her to the side. "So?"
"If I join you and I do get this power, what's the catch?" Shin asked.
"The catch? There is no catch. You'll learn from me and I will break you down and build you up. All you have to do to prove it is to kill Akeno Himejima," she replied.
"I see…" Shin turned around and faced Akeno.
Akeno's eyes widened and she took a slight step back.
"Shin?" Tears pooled at the edges of her eyes.
"Yeah… that's what I thought," Shin said. In a surprising burst of speed, Shin spun around so fast that his neck almost snapped. In one upward flourish of his blade, he swung it upward.
Yaldabaoth was caught off guard as Shin's sword dug into her flesh, sending blood spraying upward. She jumped back and glared at him in shock. The wound on her chest began to heal slowly.
"You can take your offer and shove it up your ass. I may want to get strong but there's no way in hell I'm trading Akeno for power. I'll become strong in my own way," Shin said, clenching his fist. "Besides, with Onee's training, I'm already growing stronger."
"Stronger? Don't make me laugh! You think that you've gotten stronger since I last met you? How laughable!" Yaldabaoth appeared instantly in front of Shin, running her blade through his leg. "You're rather confident in that style you're learning."
She pulled her blade out of Shin's thigh.
"Gah!" Shin stumbled forward. He bit down and ignored the pain. He widened his stance and put Hirume in a draw position. "Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu: Shin'en Kogeki!" He lurched forward, using his ki to enhance the speed and force of his blows.
Yaldabaoth looked at his attack in a disinterested manner.
Clang!
Clang!
Thwack!
A series of hypersonic blows were instantly deflected by her. Her sword was outstretched. The force of her last parry had blown Shin back.
"This is the skill you were so confident in? I've fought your sister and you are not her. You never will be!" Yaldabaoth yelled. She kicked Shin back, sending him skidding across the schoolyard.
Shin coughed and looked up. He screamed in pain when he felt Yaldabaoth's boot slam violently into his torso. Blood squirted from his mouth as he coughed violently against the force of her blow.
"Your own way? You're still putting up this pathetic facade? Don't make me laugh. You say you're learning. You say you're growing yet you cling to the strength of someone else. It should've been obvious to you from the beginning of learning this style but still, you continued at it. By deluding yourself that learning this fighting style is giving you strength, you quench and stifle that feeling of helplessness inside of you. That feeling that's been growing since you saw Kokabiel. Since you saw your sister effortlessly dismantle the Cadre before your eyes.
"You disguised your anxiety as praise for her. And now, as your friend battles the White Dragon Emperor, you feel envious of his strength. But there is a reason you're weak compared to them… the person who you want to be is not yourself. You have long since lost faith in who you are. Therefore, by clinging to this fantasy that learning a personal style that you can't even synchronize with, you feel as if you have the power to overcome that weakness you're feeling. You're just another weakling who's abandoned themselves in pursuit of power and a shallow dream. A husk with no purpose in life. You are weaker than everyone else…" Yaldabaoth finished.
"SHUT UP!" A sudden surge of power burst from Shin. Black and red crystals cut across the fabric of space and time, aiming to reduce Yaldabaoth to piles of minced meat.
Yaldabaoth glanced at the oncoming projectiles and swiped her hand. The crystals shattered, cut and ground into fine powder by a series of fragments resembling shattered glass. The space and time around them was distorted at such a microscopic level.
"Without your sister, without the Red Dragon Emperor, who are you really?" she spat.
Tears streamed down Shin's face as he beat his fist helplessly against her foot. He held his hand out and Hirume flew towards him.
The sword was stopped by Yaldabaoth's other foot, stamping her boot down on the blade.
"In the end, you couldn't even prove yourself to me, Shin," she said in a disappointed manner. Yaldabaoth raised her sword and drew it. "If only… you had accepted my offer…" She brought her blade down onto Shin's skull but stopped. She jumped into the air, flipping back as a series of vacuum slashes cut through the empty space around her.
"Vermillion Star… no, Brahma's Contactor. First of the Seven Star and representative of Karma," Yaldabaoth said, landing gracefully on the ground.
Akane landed on the ground, Sakura drawn and poised to strike at Yaldabaoth's heart.
"Are you here for round 2, God? Or should I call you, Yaldabaoth?" Akane asked. Power thrummed through her body. Her senses were at their absolute peak.
"So the Seven Stars and the Laws of the World are going to interfere in my mission to destroy the Horsemen?" Yaldabaoth asked.
"She is just a girl. She has done nothing wrong. Killing her would be meaningless!" Akane argued.
"You two are the same. The only difference is that… one of you has no sense," she said.
Shin grabbed Hirume and shot forth from his position. His sudden movement caught Akane off guard as he zoomed past her towards Yaldabaoth. Shin roared angrily, tears streaming from his face. Hirume was gripped tightly and glowing with the might of the Sun herself.
"Onigari-Ryuu Dai Ougi: Watanagashi no Mai!"
He sheathed the blade and drew it. Shin spun around, sending slash waves in every direction. The earth was torn up with slash marks as Shin neared Yaldabaoth. His eyes glowed brightly as he focused all his power into the final arc of the slash. The meaning of Watanagashi was "Intestine Drifting", in short "Disembowelment".
It was a Dance of Disembowelment.
Yaldabaoth narrowed her eyes. Her sword shot forth from its sheath and stopped the blade, mid-swing, mere centimeters from her stomach.
"In the end…" Yaldabaoth didn't finish. She swung upward, knocking Hirume out of Shin's hand.
Shin opened his hand and created Failnacht, aiming at her. But his movement was too slow. Yaldabaoth's foot planted itself in between Shin's liver and stomach, kicking him back with tremendous force.
He flew like a rocket across the school.
Akane disappeared from her spot and reappeared behind Shin, catching him before he could land. She looked down and saw her brother had been knocked unconscious. Akane growled and took a step forward. In a burst of speed, she appeared near the group and gently lowered Shin to the ground.
Akeno and Sophia knelt next to his unconscious body.
"I thought you were supposed to be neutral?" Azazel asked.
"No, this is personal. Besides, if Ourboros is interfering in the world, then the Seven have no more reason to remain neutral. Lord Brahma says that you can count on him for assistance. If you'll excuse me," Akane said. "I have a God to slay." Her tone sent chills down the spines of the faction leaders.
She disappeared and reappeared in front of Yaldabaoth. Akane sheathed Sakura and pulled out a black talisman.
"Wait… that's Ne-tan's Blaze Talisman! Is she actually going to use Setsuna?" Serafall gawked.
"The last time she used Setsuna. She rampaged across the Grigori. I wonder… though, can she take on Big Sis?" Azazel asked.
"I don't know," Lucifer said.
"You're going to stand in my way then, Representative of Karma?" Yaldabaoth asked.
"Kind of. But this is for my brother," Akane replied in a cold tone. "Kaengenpu - Setsuna. Kyu kyu nyo ritsu ryo…"
A swirl of black and red flames coated her right hand. The vortex raged violently, swirling and condensing into a long object. The flames died off, revealing a katana sheathed in a red lacquerware scabbard. The katana had a red tsuba with a distinct maroon fuchi located at the base of the handle.
Akane inhaled. A slight pressure wave exited her body, sending a gust of wind sweeping over everyone.
Yaldabaoth narrowed her eyes in intrigue as her hair blew in the breeze.
Akane drew Setsuna from its sheathe. An ominous black and red flame expelled itself from the katana. Its distinct red hamon glinted ominously in the light of the red moon. Akane's hair and eyes glowed brightly. Her left eye changed in color, lightening to fuschia, and a green ring manifested around her pupil.
"If you want this girl, Yaldabaoth, then come and take her," Akane said.
Yaldabaoth said nothing.
Akane took one step and appeared in front of Yaldabaoth, kicking from her position with the force of a comet. She swung Setsuna.
Yaldabaoth sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the attack.
She's fast, Yaldabaoth thought.
Akane darted into her personal space, her blade pointed backward. She spun rapidly on the balls of her feet.
Yaldabaoth drew her sword and blocked the attack, sparks flying across the field. She gritted her teeth, feeling the weight of the blows behind them. She jumped back, avoiding the last arc of Akane's attack.
But the girl relentlessly pursued her. Akane's glowing eyes had dulled in emotion. Her precise, deadly swings curved gracefully through the air silently, sending cutting waves in her direction.
Yaldabaoth kicked back, jumping back to avoid each slash wave.
Akane dashed towards her, locking blades briefly before kicking Yaldabaoth back.
Yaldabaoth slid back a few meters. She looked up and saw the diagonal cut coming from her left.
She parried the blade before jumping into the air to avoid a leg sweet by Akane.
The dimensions warped and solidified like glass. Yaldabaoth landed on the spatio-temporal platform, crouching and staying there as if gravity didn't exist.
"What is that?" Sophia asked. "She's warping the dimensions of the world as if it's nothing…"
"That's her Authority, Tehom. She can mold and distort space and time to her liking to create things such as platforms or portals. But the most dangerous thing she can do with it is during combat. She can perform absolute attacks of which there is no defense against," Yeshua explained, hobbling over to them.
"Then how can Akane even win? Even with her skill, aren't Yaldabaoth's powers broken?" Sophia asked.
"I don't know," Yeshua said.
Akane launched herself towards Yaldabaoth.
Yaldabaoth eyed her and launched her blade from its sheath. A flash of light glinted in Akane's eyes and she raised Setsuna at the last instant.
A wave slammed into her and sent her to the ground.
She landed and jumped back as the dimensions where she stood distorted and splintered like glass.
She… she can cut through dimensions. Her authority allows her to create cutting rifts which are absolute attacks with no possible defense against it, Akane thought. But… her range is-
Akane jumped. A white sword wave flew underneath her, cutting open space-time in its path. She kicked in the air, launching herself towards Yaldabaoth.
She swung her sword down, forcing the God to block. The force of her blow caused the ground beneath Yaldabaoth to crack and shatter violently.
"Your brother is different from you. Unlike you… he's-"
"Shut up about Shin! He's strong in his own way!" Akane swiped her sword to the side. Her leg connected with Yaldabaoth's temple, sending the god stumbling to the side and forcing her to drop her sword.
She landed on the ground and prepared to follow up.
Akane's eyes widened as she dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding Yaldabaoth's fist by the breadth of a hair.
Her movements are… adapting… it's getting harder for me to scan them-
She blocked Yaldabaoth's kick with the flat of her blade. Yaldabaoth pushed and kicked Setsuna out of Akane's hand.
Akane raised her hand and blocked Yaldabaoth's punch.
"Your Perfect Combat Analysis allows you to read my movements so… what if you can read them? All I have to do is adapt my speed to your scanning," Yaldabaoth said. "That is my true style. To take the Yod of Tetragrammaton and make it my own… just like you did with your family's sword style."
"I can see that. Your adaptive combat style is keeping up with my combat senses! But let's see how long you can keep it… up!" Akane pushed her back. She followed up with a roundhouse kick to the head.
Yaldabaoth raised her arm and blocked the blow. A shockwave displaced the dust and dirt around them. She twisted her arm and grabbed Akane's leg, lifting her up in the air and slamming her towards the ground.
Akane hit the ground violently. She felt Yaldabaoth tugging on her leg. She placed her hands on the ground and kicked Yaldabaoth in the chin with her other leg.
The blow stunned the god enough to catch her off guard and forced her to let go of Akane's leg.
Akane hopped to her feet and flattened her hands. She thrust it forward with tremendous speed.
Yaldabaoth gripped her jaw and dodged Akane's arm thrust.
Akane turned and swiped her hand towards Yaldabaoth's head.
The God leaned back, dodging the attack. A few strands of her hair were cut.
She's using sword techniques with her hand…
Yaldabaoth jumped back and deflected Akane's hand with a kick. She rushed in and delivered several jabs to Akane's side.
The girl twisted her body around the hits before closing her fist and delivering a downward spike to the side of Yaldabaoth's head.
However, Yaldabaoth saw the attack coming and delivered an uppercut to Akane's chin.
The two were blown apart, sliding across the field.
"I think I've been dawdling for too long. Let's finish this, Child of Man," Yaldabaoth said, gripping her jaw and spitting blood onto the pavement. She held her hand out and her sword flew into it.
Akane cracked her jaw before stretching her neck. "Yeah… let's," she agreed. Setsuna flew into Akane's waiting hand. "By the way, in a non-enemy sort of thing, swordswoman to swordswoman, what's the name of your sword?"
"My sword?" Yaldabaoth was caught off-guard by the question.
"I know you've been holding out. That's not your Shuhaduku," Akane said.
"Hehe. Ahahaha! Very well, Representative of Karma. My sword is named Saklas. It has drunk the blood of the Horsemen over the centuries and with this blade, I shall finish you with my strongest," Yaldabaoth said.
"Your strongest huh? Then allow me to reply in kind," Akane said. She sheathed her blade and breathed.
Yaldabaoth did the same and took a deep breath.
Ki surged through Akane's body. A distortion formed around her, causing the world to go into a greyscale effect.
"Akane's going all out on her. That's one of her guaranteed kill moves."
They all turned around to see Tosca and Brahma walking towards them.
"It seems that your sister… has one too," Brahma commented.
Yaldabaoth gripped her sword tightly, drawing upon the divine power in her body. A polychromatic distortion formed around her, warping space and time.
"Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu Hiden: Shin'en Minagoroshi!"
"Tetragrammaton HaShem Form: True Flight: Endless!"
The two distortions collided as Akane and Yaldabaoth dashed towards each other. The two disappeared, and clashing metal was heard from every spot within the clashing distortions at once. Trails of light became omnipresent within the sphere as their speed defied reason.
Rifts in space formed around and within the distortion as the dimensions were violently cut with each clash of the blade.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Each blow had split reality asunder, splitting open the Heavens and the Earth. The world resembled cut and fragmented glass, each one being shards of the World itself floating around the distortion with which Akane and Yaldabaoth traded blows inside. Time and Space were breaking down before their very eyes and would soon engulf the entire town of Kuoh in a vacuum decay.
Akane and Yaldabaoth appeared inside the spear, going in for one final slash. Their bodies were littered with lacerations and cuts, inflicted by each other's swords.
Their blades trailed across the air, splitting open time and space. As they were about to clash, the two were split apart by Brahma, who appeared in the middle.
Akane landed on the ground next to Brahma while Yaldabaoth landed a short distance from them.
"That's enough, Yaldabaoth," Brahma said.
"You… a Law of the World defending a servant of Entropy. Why?" Yaldabaoth asked.
"The girl isn't even Conquest yet and you're already moving to kill her?" Brahma asked.
"To protect the world, I will do what I must. The strength I've gained was from all of those moments. All of those decisions I've made. I've done your jobs better than you," Yaldabaoth said.
"If you move against her, I will be forced to act. That girl is under the protection of the Seven Great Gods," Brahma said.
Yaldabaoth's eyes widened considerably. Her body shook in rage. Her eyebrow furrowed in absolute fury. "Then…" she drew her sword and launched a vacuum slash at Akeno, "DEFEND HER THEN! LAW OF KARMA!"
The vacuum slash flew towards Akeno at rapid speeds. But, mere moments before it hit her, the vacuum slash was reduced to scattering leaves.
Brahma's eyes were now open and glowing brightly.
"The Law of Karma…," Yaldabaoth muttered. "A Law of the World that governs and is Causality itself. The counterpart to the Law of Absolute…"
"You recognize this? Elohim and Lotan have taught you well," he praised. "Surrender or I will be forced to act."
"..." Yaldabaoth sighed. "Fine… but remember this, you are making a mistake. That girl will be the death of you all. Sooner or later, you'll regret your decision."
Her body glitched before shimmering out of existence. But before her body faded, she said something that resonated deeply with her opponent. "Hear this, Akane Faulkner, First amongst the Seven. You are holding him back…"
In the aftermath of the event, Asia had spent her time healing the Faction Leaders. Yeshua had suffered a fractured skull from Yaldabaoth's kick and Asia spent most of her time on him, fixing the damage that occurred to his brain and head. Soon after the signing went smoothly and the faction leaders met behind closed doors to discuss the recent events.
But despite the peace they had attained, the ominous feeling never went away. Their peace was just a gateway to another battlefield.
Forces beyond them had revealed themselves to the world.
The Law of Infinity and her band of terrorists.
The God of Order and Chaos and her persistent hunt.
Shin groaned, feeling his head throbbing in pain. His body ached all over. Twilight Healing which can heal nearly all manner of wounds could not take away somatic pain. His eyes blinked wearily as he sat up, holding the side of his head.
"Shin, thank the Seven!"
He felt a pair of warm arms wrap around him. His sister's shampoo filled his nose and an overwhelming feeling of comfort filled his body. Shin leaned into his sister's warm embrace.
"Onee… did we…?" Shin asked.
"Mmm. Issei beat back Vali and I beat back Yaldabaoth," Akane said. "The leaders signed the Peace Treaty."
"I see…"
So Issei won. And Onee… Shin clenched his fists, balling his covers inside his hands. His body shook subtly, but Akane had seen it.
She looked at him with great worry in her eyes. "Shin-chan? Are you alright?" Akane asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just glad we're all safe," Shin said.
Akane smiled before looking down at the floor. "How are your wounds?"
"I don't see any so Asia must have healed me up pretty nicely. Though, I still feel some pain in my body. I heard that you can still feel phantom pains even after you've healed," he replied.
The two sat in silence, both having lots to say to the other but neither knowing how to phrase it. Shin stole glances from the thoughtful eyes of his older sister, wondering what was inside that enigma of a mind. He hated to admit it but the past couple of days, the conversation with Vivi and the verbal beatdown from Yaldabaoth, Shin felt as if he didn't know his Onee in the slightest.
"Hey, Onee…"
"Shin-chan…"
"Huh?" the two looked at each other and laughed a little. Shin gestured to his older sister. "You go first, Onee."
"Oh, thanks. Shin-chan, I've thought a lot about this and… I think you should stop trying to learn the Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu," Akane said after a few seconds of hesitation.
Shin felt his heart stop for a split second when she said that. His pupils constricted and his ears drowned out the next string of words that came out of his sister's mouth.
Why? Why is Onee saying that? Does she think I can't do it? I can do it. I'm not weak. Yaldabaoth is wrong. I'm not running from myself therefore I'm not weak. I'm strong. I helped Issei get into this world. I helped Asia survive. I held off Kokabiel and stood up to that God! I'm plenty strong! I can learn the style!
Onee! Onee! Please don't stop!
I can be just as good as you!
I can reach you!
Are you denying my dream?
You always said you'd help me!
You'd always be there for me!
Is that why…
"That's why I think we should both take a step back and see what we could both do to-"
Shin looked up at her with dull eyes.
"So you think I can't do it?" he asked.
"Eh?" Akane noticed the sudden shift in her baby brother's tone of voice. "Shin, what are you-"
"Hehe, so you agree with Yaldabaoth too? You think I'm too weak to learn your style?" he pressed.
"What? That's not what I said!" Akane protested.
"Really, Onee? Or are you just sparing my feelings because you're trying to be a good older sister?" Shin asked, glaring at her.
"Shin, watch your words," Akane said dangerously.
"Or what? You're going to stop teaching me? News flash, you already thought I wasn't good enough to continue learning your style!" Shin yelled.
Akane's eyes flashed angrily. "What? When did I ever say that? Stop confusing my words for something else! I never said you were too weak, all I said was to take a step back and-"
"And what? Stop doing things? Live a normal life for another four years? Wait til I can make 2… no 3 Holy Swords from King Arthur's arsenal? Onee! I've fulfilled my promise! Where's your end of the bargain?" Shin asked.
"Shin, I-"
"Oh, maybe then, you can go on missions free from the liability you kept taking four years ago! Was that how you felt during our missions?" Shin said. He didn't know where these words came from but he couldn't stop.
"What? Shin, listen to me! Let me explain-"
"And during the time after we defeated Kokabiel and during training, you were laughing at me weren't you? You were laughing at the fact that I couldn't even get one move down from the style!
"And now, you're going to stop teaching me because you think I'm a lost cause too, like Yaldabaoth said. A weakling hiding behind the legs of his older sister?" Shin started to laugh.
"Shin, stop. I don't know why you're mad. I'm not going to abandon you," Akane said softly, trying to placate her younger brother, all the while wondering why he was saying such things. Shin was strong in her eyes. They were flesh and blood. And she could see what others couldn't see. Her brother had potenti-
"Like you did four years ago when Tobio stabbed me with his scythe?"
Shin's head snapped to the side. His eyes were wide in shock.
Akane had her hand outstretched. Tears streamed down her face.
He looked back at his older sister. She… She had just slapped him in the face. Clarity returned and hit him square in the head like a truck hitting a pedestrian on a crosswalk. His mind replayed the past five seconds over and over again inside his head. "Onee, I…"
"How dare you…"
Shin flinched at her tone.
"Do you know how much I sacrificed for you? How much I went through for you? Do you know the lengths I had to go through to keep you safe!? I risked being executed by Azazel to get revenge for you after that ass stabbed you with his scythe! I emptied all the money I earned on missions to get you the best healers in the Underworld just so you could walk and eat again! I… I raised you when Mama and Papa were gone," Akane said. "I… I loved you and this is how you… this is how you…"
The tears flowed harder down her face. "You'd think I'd do something so horrible to you?"
"Onee… I'm…" Shin reached out to her.
Akane slapped his hand out of the way. She glared angrily at her younger brother and stood from her chair. "I see that's how you feel then." Akane began to walk towards the door.
"Onee! Wait!" Shin yelled, trying to get out of bed.
"Please don't talk to me. I don't think I can stomach looking at you right now… in this pathetic state," Akane said softly.
Shin's eyes widened in shock. His sister was… abandoning him? Anger bubbled inside of his chest. "Fine! Leave! Like you always do!"
Akane turned around, not letting Shin see her cry harder. She walked out of the room and shut the door softly behind her. After she left, Shin fell to his hands and knees, punching the wooden floor over and over again. The floor splintered and his knuckles were bloody. He didn't notice the door open and the sound of footsteps rushing in.
"Shin! Shin! Calm down! What happened? Aka-nee just came out-" Issei and Irina helped him to his feet.
"Shin-chan, are you alright?" Irina asked.
"Do I fucking look alright?" Shin asked.
"Dude, calm down. We're just asking if you're okay," Issei said.
"Calm down? Calm down? My sister just abandoned me," Shin said.
"What? Aka-nee? Aka-nee would never do that. What the hell happened?" Issei asked.
"Onee told me she'd stop teaching me the Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu," Shin said.
"And you two got in a fight over that?" Irina asked.
"Maybe… she has a point," Issei said.
Shin's eyes widened a little.
"I mean, you've been going at it for days without stop. I'm worried you're going to break yourself. I heard from Azazel and Sophia that her fighting style is impossible to learn because of how personalized it is. I just think that you're beating at a dead-"
"So, you think so too?" Shin asked in a hollow tone.
"What?" Issei looked up at him.
"You think the same thing Onee thinks? That I'm too weak to learn it? You think just because you beat the White Dragon Emperor that you can judge me like that? Do you think I'm nothing without you too?" he asked. "What are you even? Oh right, you're just a worthless pervert who managed to get lucky and awaken a Sacred Gear-"
Issei growled and lunged at him, punching him in the face.
Shin looked back at Issei angrily. "Get the fuck out of my room."
Issei clenched his jaw and glared into Shin's brown eyes. "You're always fucking like this even back when we were kids. We're just trying to fucking help, you stubborn bastard! Stop going at everything alone! Aka-nee was just trying to help you! Irina and I are just trying to cheer you up!" Issei yelled.
"And what a nice job you're doing," Shin said sarcastically.
"Shin-chan, we're just trying to help you. I know how it feels to be helpless. Let us help you-"
"Shut the fuck up, Shidou. We all know why you're here. You're just here to be Issei's sidepiece-"
For the second time that day, Shin's head snapped to the side. He and Issei looked at Irina in shock. She glared at him angrily. With tears pooling at the edges of her eyes, Irina turned around and promptly left the room, wiping her tears angrily. "You want to be alone so badly? Fine… I hope you're fine with what you just said, asshole."
Issei looked between Shin and Irina. "You need to get a grip, Shin. Everyone here is just trying to help," he said. He followed after Irina.
With his face aching from receiving two slaps and a punch, Shin sat down on his bed and sighed. The argument replayed itself in his mind over and over again. The pain had given him clarity.
The sounds of pitter-patter echoed through the room. Ran entered the room in her shiba inu form. She whined, sensing her master's distress. Bounding over, Ran hopped onto Shin's lap.
"Oh, Ran… I think I just fucked up," Shin said.
"I heard," Ran replied. "Vivi-sama heard too. She's… handling the downstairs."
"Fuck… I really messed up this time," Shin said, laying down and staring at the ceiling. "But… Ran, you don't think I'm weak do you?"
Ran pondered her answer for a few seconds before responding. "You are."
"So… you're like everyone else-"
"But not in the way, Yaldabaoth thinks."
"Huh?"
"I think you've just lost yourself," Ran said, curling into a ball. "That's what made you weak. I don't know how to word it."
Shin looked up at the dog before sighing. Today was a day of victory for the Three Factions. Yet for Shin, he had just lost more than he bargained for. Closing his eyes and letting sleep take him, Shin didn't dream that night. All he felt was emptiness.
Yaldabaoth walked the same path she always walked. The Law of Karma and the Law of Infinity were both playing as they saw fit. All while Entropy's servants grew in power. What would she even say to her? Yaldabaoth shook her head and stopped before a massive glowing mass. Lines upon lines of indecipherable arcane text rotate and wrapped around the glowing mass.
The beast inside was horrific to behold. An unholy amalgamation of several beasts ranging from a bear, tiger, lion, and even a dragon. Its seven heads were resting on the ground. Each head had a crown of ten horns and its massive body stretched into the distance. But even from here, Yaldabaoth could see its seven thick tails, each being as thick as a redwood tree and belonging to a different animal. Its four arms laid spread across the ground, each arm bearing curved talons and below its scaled, ape-like body, were two thick, strong legs.
A horned woman stood before the beast, watching it closely. She turned around, her dark purple eyes locking with Yaldabaoth's.
"Mother, is it…?"
The woman nodded. "The seals placed by the Seven and reinforced by Elohim are still holding strong. However, its influence still leaks through to the outside. Don't worry, I've dealt with the Shedim already."
"Mother is here while the Seven laze around. They're even protecting the Queen of Conquest," Yaldabaoth said angrily.
"Worry not. She's not an active threat. However, the Red King of War is," she said, turning around.
"But what about the Queen of Conquest?" Yaldabaoth asked.
"Be patient. For now, handle the one most active, an opportunity will prevent itself. Remember the promise we made to Ellie, Entropy must never awaken. The four must never be allowed to converge," she said.
Yaldabaoth nodded. "Oh, Mother, one of the devils who call themselves your descendants interfered in my siblings' peace treaty."
"Hmm? I've never known you as one to take interest in politics," the woman said.
"She… She said that the Law of Infinity, Ouroboros Ophis, is interfering. Do you think her actions will hinder our mission?" she asked.
"Ophis? Interfering. How interesting… for now, monitor War and wait for the opportunity to take him out. If we can keep even one of them from fully maturing, then we will have staved off Entropy," she said. "But for now, my daughter, go and rest."
"Mother, I don't need to-"
"Even Gods need to rest, Yal. When you've rested up, you can go back," she replied.
Yaldabaoth nodded. She took one last look at her mother before walking away.
Now left alone, the horned woman resumed her vigil over the seal. She pulled out a small locket and opened it, revealing a portrait of Elohim, the Biblical God inside it.
"Ouroboros is interfering… but I won't break my promise to you," she said.
"I'm sorry… I won't be coming home with you, Lotan."
"Ellie! Wait!"
"Law of Genesis: Let There Be Light!"
She opened her eyes and stared at the beast hatefully. "No matter what it takes, Ellie. I swear on my name as Leviathan. No matter the sacrifices, this world shall overcome the Law of Entropy."
[]
The Laws of the World
The Universe is born of Laws that comprise and operate it.
Natural, cosmic forces beyond the influence of the Gods and Man.
Unbound by Space. Unfettered by Time. Free from Causality.
These are absolute forces that govern and rule the Universe.
Karma, Absolute, Infinity, Dreams, Genesis, and Nihility.
A God that becomes a Law is a God that transcends the very name.
[]
The Seven Great Gods
On the eve of the last days, as the all-consuming tide of Entropy advances,
Lies a tale whose foundation of truth has long since been buried by time.
A final truth entombed within the Laws of the World. A final escape from the final [Doomsday].
What remains here... are nothing more than amusing tales
About a past that has long since passed.
Of Seven Gods who have become Laws.
Seven who lived pridefully until that day, singing the song of the World with their lives.
[]
Leviathan
A "Devil" who has lived for thousands of years.
She represents the Chaos of the Abyss.
A Law of the World that represents the denial of Genesis.
Though she is a "Devil", she does not stray far from the concepts of humans and thus is feared as a being of incalculable power.
She is the Arch-Rival of the White God, having been locked in perpetual combat with her for thousands of years, yet their relationship appears to be something more.
Finally! We finished canon! Yaaaay! I mean, we finished this volume! Dear God! 36 chapters. For God's sake, that took longer than I thought.
Let's begin for anyone who didn't get what Yaldabaoth meant with her words. Basically, what Yaldabaoth said was what we were all thinking when we all saw Shin since the beginning of this fic. Who is he? Who is he really? Is he just... an OC who's there to help Issei? Does he even have main character status? It seems that the entire story, which was supposed to be about him, focuses entirely on Issei. So where does that leave him? His entire character just felt like an important side character to the main.
In addition, Shin is a character that... doesn't really like himself. Combine this with an unhealthy admiration and idolization of his older sister and you have someone trying desperately to be someone that's not them. Someone whose identity revolves around orbiting the "main character" and wanting to be his older sister is someone who has long since abandoned themselves. Like Yaldabaoth said, Shin, without Issei or his sister, is nothing because he's left with just himself, a person he doesn't really want to be. Therefore, to avoid being him, Shin can either be the MC's best friend or become Akane herself.
WHICH... begins what I want to do is to have Shin become himself.
That's my interpretation of my own character. A person who's lost faith in who he is so he sticks by the side of someone else and wants to be anyone but himself.
Now... finally, I can close Volume III. Now, we move onto Volume IV: The Dragon Festival Arc or... alternatively known as Asia's Welcoming Party.
I'll take a short break of... about 2 weeks.
Please leave a review. Follow. All that jazz.
And remember to have a great day/night or not, the choice is yours.
Edit: Thanks Anon-Kun for catching my mistake. I forgot to add in Yeshua using Let There Be Light! And thank you for your concern as well. And for everyone who keeps asking, Til Midnight is... on an indefinite hiatus which means I won't update it. It'll be like HxH.