Kuoh Academy
"What do you think?" Rias asks. She's wearing her thinking glasses.
"I'm not sure." Sona replies. "There is a reason that Cross-Rail never attempted diplomacy."
"The [Human Principle]." Rias sighs. "The idea that it was humanity's fear of the unknown which created all supernatural creatures and phenomena."
"Correct." Sona pushes her glasses up. "That principle is the foundation that Cross-Rail rests upon. Since we exist due to human fear, Cross-Rail believes that they have the right to remove this fear."
"Completely illogical." Rias glances out the window. A group of students in tracksuits were running around the soccer pitch. "There is no proof that we were born from fear."
"It doesn't matter what we believe. To Cross-Rail, we're just human imagination manifested into a physical form. Killing us isn't like killing humans. In fact, they would probably consider it closer to removing [Dreams]."
"And now they seek to form a truce with [Dreams]? How ironic." Rias crosses her arms. "That's completely out of character."
"Indeed. There is definitely another factor in play here." Sona takes a cookie from the table and softly bites into it. "They're hiding something. Something important."
"-[Khaos Brigade]?" The name of the hated group of terrorists. The remnants of [Khaos Brigade] had fallen into obscurity ever since the defeat of Cao Cao, but a small number of factions still remained.
"Maybe. But I don't think so." Sona brushes a lock of hair off her face. "With the [Hero Faction], [Old-Devil Faction] and [Vali Faction] out of commission, [Khaos Brigade] is severely weakened. The [Four Monsters] could easily crush the remaining factions of [Khaos Brigade]."
"So something else?" Rias bites her lip. "There's another organization out there?"
"That's a possibility." Sona admits. "But if there is one, how is it we've never heard of them?"
Underworld
"Impossible." Falbium Asmodeus says, smashing his hand on the table. "They're dead."
"We beg to differ." Duval replies. "There is a lot of evidence that supports the idea that they still exist."
"We put aside all differences to kill them 5 years ago! Every. Single. Pantheon."
"And yet they're still alive." Duval pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket. "This is a report of Cross-Rail's investigations into a recent [Longinus] sighting. By the time we arrived, the [Longinus] was gone. However, we found the corpses of three Fallen Angels lying around." All the members of the council fall silent. "We also found the corpses of 20 humans."
"Exorcists?" Sirzechs asks. "Maybe a few strays from [Heaven]?"
"No. They were wearing snow camouflage and were carrying assault rifles."
"Human military?" The council look at each other. If a single government was aware of the existence of the magical world, then-
"No. These people carried no markings. While this fact is true for many black operations teams world-wide, the weapons were different." Duval summons one of the rifles. "These things are Railguns."
"Railguns?" Leviathan asks.
"Its an experimental weapon that can fire bullets at an accelerated rate." Ajuka Beelzebub explains. "Humans have been developing them for a while, but I didn't know they had actually succeeded in creating a handheld version-"
"They haven't." Duval cuts in. "The problem was the power source. A railgun requires an incredible amount of energy. That's why most of them are built onto ships with their own reactors. This one however, runs on magic." Duval pulls a small cylinder from the barrel of the gun. "Compact, powerful and easy to replace."
"Magi-science." Beelzebub breathes, his eyes wide. "But the only person who is capable of doing this was-"
"-the [God Hand]." Duval finishes. "His mastery over magic is so precise its said he could disrupt magical arrays with a touch."
"And he was a member of-" Beelzebub is cut off by Asmodeus.
"I refuse to believe they still exist!" Asmodeus shouts. "We killed all of them on that night! All of them!"
"But the evidence supports it." Sirzechs sighs. "We have no choice. We need to proceed as if they exist."
"Well you don't have to believe me." Duval points out. "But you'll die at the hands of [Testament] if you don't."
The members of the council look as if they'd been slapped with a fish.
"...teh." Asmodeus looks as if his execution had just been announced. "We'll need to contact the other factions. If we don't, then [Testament] will completely annihilate us."
A murmur of consent resonates throughout the room.
"[Swordsman of Love and Peace], [Demon's Bane], [One-man Army], [God's Hand], [Gray Eyes], [Primordial Force] and the [Devourer of Gods]." Duval recites the monikers slowly, articulating each word. "The strongest humans in the world, the [Seven of Testament]."
"[Seven of Testament]." Sirzechs felt the words slowly roll off his tongue. "If they had joined any side during the war, it would have ended in a sea of blood."
"I, no we, have a debt to repay." Asmodeus touches his arm. Underneath his cloak, his entire arm is made of metal.
"We all do." Duval smiles a sad smile. "Those men took a lot from us 5 years ago."
5 years ago.
The [Exodus of Gods] started by the [Seven of Testament].
On the first day, 1/2 of the remaining [Pillars] of the Devils were annihilated.
On the second day, 2/3 of the Fallen Angels were annihilated.
On the third day, 1/2 of the Angels forces were annihilated, as were 2 of the Seraphs.
On the fourth day, 3/4 of the Valkyrie Units were annihilated.
On the fifth day, The Gate of Tartarus was destroyed, releasing hell onto the Pantheons. Thousands of Exorcists died defending humanity.
On the sixth day, the Land of the Frost Giants was severed from the World Tree.
And on the final day, a [God] was slain.
Kuoh Academy
"Puoh~" Alfie lets out a breath. "Japanese soda really is the best~We don't have anything like this back in Canada."
"I agree." Sean is drinking a melon-and-apple juice mix.
"...yes I agree." Elizabeth also says. All of a sudden, she throws the carton onto the ground. "WAIT A SECOND, AREN'T WE BEING A LITTLE TOO RELAXED HERE!?"
"Calm down Liz." Alfie places his drink onto the ground. "Try and enjoy the peace. Duval, if push comes to shove, can easily escape from the Underworld."
"I know...but still." Elizabeth sighs. "Master Duval has a tendency to annoy people without meaning to. What if he ends up saying something inappropriate?"
"Um-um I'm sure Master Duval won't do anything stupid..." Sean adds, not sounding very certain.
"...Now I'm worried." Alfie groans. "I really don't wanna kill all these Devils. I mean, they've been so gracious and all..." Alfie turns towards Issei and Rias. "If we do end up having to battle each other, I'm sorry. It's nothing personal or anything."
"Erm..." Rias isn't quite sure how to respond to this situation. "...thank you?"
"You're welcome!" Alfie smiles before returning to his drink.
"..these people are weird." Koneko murmurs.
"Indeed." Xenovia agrees. "They're in the heart of the enemy base and yet they're perfectly relaxed."
"They don't seem too bad." Asia glances at the 3 exorcists. "Maybe they want to be our friends?" Issei looks at the three exorcists chatting happily among themselves.
An over-the-top girl.
A super-chill guy.
And a super quiet guy who could be either a girl or boy.
Why does this feel like a school-life manga? Issei thinks to himself.
[No idea, Oppai-desu] Ddraig adds.
City of Hong Kong
"...this isn't Japan." The white-haired boy glares at his companion. "WHY THE FUCK DID YOU THINK THIS WAS JAPAN?!" Around him, office workers were eyeing the two from a distance.
"Eh~? When did I ever say this was Japan?" The black-haired boy grins. "I said I wanted to make a stopover before we arrived~~"
"...are you serious."
"Yup~" The black-haired boy pulls out a brown bag. "Here, try this~~"
"...YOU!" The white-haired boy grabs the bag and throws it onto the ground. "WE AREN'T SUPPOSE TO BE ON VACATION!"
"But the food in Hong Kong is soooo good~~" The black-haired boy, completely unaffected by the sudden loss of food, pulls another brown bag from his backpack. "Here, this is-"
"GAAAAAH!" The white-haired boy finally snaps. Traveling with his companion across an ocean had caused him immense mental anguish, all of which he was finally releasing in that moment. With a flourish, a short sword is in his hand. "I, the conqueror, call on my swords. Here my cry and rise once more to the sigil of the-"
"Excuse me." A voice cut in. "But can I ask you to come with me?" Both the white and black haired boys turn around. A policeman is standing there. "We've received several complaints regarding your behavior." The policeman glances at the wicked-looking blade in the white-haired boy's hand, before writing something down on his notepad. "Also, weapons of this type are illegal here. I'll have to have you come with me to the station."
Both of the [Testament] warriors are silent, before the black-haired boy suddenly bursts out laughing.
And another chapter is done~! More info regarding [Testament], as well as the reason why they still haven't attacked the Alliance just yet.
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