Life.6 Calm, Calmer, Calmest
On the rooftop of the apartment complex he lived in,
Kazuhiro cried out in pain as he was sent tumbling backwards.
A portion of the shirt he wore was burnt off slightly, exposing a part of his stomach and the burn underneath it.
Standing opposite to him was Mikazuki, her body wreathed in her divine aura.
From her pursed lips and body language, she remained hesitant.
Must you really go this far, child?
Catching his breath, Kazuhiro muttered under his breath before standing up and shouting.
"...Again!"
Reaching his hand, a rune on Black Lotus' handle glowed in tandem with his gauntlet as it was called back to him—
Mikazuki stiffened her palm and swung her sword hand as she dashed forward, just in time for Kazuhiro to swing his own broken blade and 'cross swords' with her.
He grit his teeth, the fatigue and exhaustion creeping in from the corner of his mind.
However, he steeled himself and let out a war cry.
Along with the sonorous war cry, the jewel on his choker shone as a jet black aura covered his blade.
As if responding to it, a flash of light—
Making some distance between them, Mika raised her guard, her eyes widening at the sight before her.
With Black Lotus at the center, a great blue blaze far larger and hotter than the flames it usually released appeared.
Both from Mika's divine aura and his own blade's stronger than usual flames, Kazuhiro felt like breathing in the air itself was dangerous.
What is he doing..?
He raised the burning blade and took a stance, the close proximity causing his bruised face to be illuminated.
Thrusting both her palms forward, light began to gather in front of Mika as it began to take shape.
Her naginata, the crystallization of her power, appeared in front of her for her to grab on and take a stance of her own.
The tip shone with intense godly power as she kicked the ground, raising it aloft, ready to swing it down.
Kazuhiro kicked the ground and twisted his body to narrowly avoid it, swinging his blade while using his body's motion to add more power to it.
A cut appeared on his cheek as Mika's free hand, which had become a swordhand, was thrust forward faster than his eyes could follow.
Before his blade could go further, he felt a blow on his chest.
He looked down to find her palm thrust into his body, sending him tumbling back once more.
Hitting his head on the concrete, everything went black.
—
"Pardon me?"
"I want to spar with you, but you have to take it seriously. Come at me with the full brunt of the power of a goddess."
—.
That was what Kazuhiro said.
But what she now cradled in her arms was a wheezing mess, his body being burned by not only her own divine energy, but by the rampant flames of his own blade that also held the ability to exorcise Devils like himself.
She had a bitter expression.
If only I hadn't underestimated her… I could've… Back then, I definitely could have..!
Thinking of the nun who had been her 'colleague', she grit her teeth.
She unconsciously gripped Kazuhiro's body tightly, the gesture causing his lids to flick open.
"Mika..?"
"...foolish boy."
Coldly, she loosened her hold and let him fall back on the ground, nearly on his face.
"Ow…"
"What were you thinking? What did you make me do? Do you have a death wish?"
She grabbed him by the collar and threw him down so he would be sitting down, causing him to groan in pain.
"No, I just…"
Can't admit that I was defeated by her, is that it?
He sighed.
"I'm sorry, Mika…"
Raising one of his hands to his face, he found that one of the fingertips of the jarngreipr replicas had burnt.
The gauntlets, despite being replicas of a divine construct, instead served to shield him from the holy and divine energy of Black Lotus, and possibly any divine construct he would hold.
What this meant was…
I went a bit too far.
"Sorry's not going to cut it, you fool."
She grabbed his face and lifted him up, her fingers and thumb squeezing his cheeks together.
"You need to snap out of it. This isn't the first time you lost, so why should it be any different? This isn't the first time you were betrayed, either."
"Okay, okay, I get it..! Geez..!"
From particles of light, Meru appeared on Mika's shoulder.
[Don't you think you could go a bit easier? Are you that upset that he might have fallen for a girl?]
"It's not that!"
Kazuhiro barked back, dusting himself before recalling his blade back to his hand.
"It's just, I… Nevermind."
He turned his heel.
"You need to stop holding back… But you shouldn't push yourself into the wrong direction, either."
Mika was now in front of him, again.
"I get it now. What you just did was…stimulating the divinity inside the blade with your demonic power to cause something like a chemical reaction, but it backfired and the flames went berserk."
She clutched his arm and raised it, showing the burns that were on it.
"Cease this foolishness. I promise I'd teach you how to better use and refine your Contract, so you wouldn't have to rely on 'that' anymore."
Ayame, who had been watching them from the start from the sidelines, sighed.
Right after sparring with me, he went and dove right into a life and death situation against a goddess. Even for a minor deity, she's really strong. You're crazy, Kazu…
She thought back to their brief exchange, and just how surprisingly skilled Kazuhiro was at using two blades.
Ever since they met, she had grown accustomed to seeing his sword techniques, which were traditionally done with a single longsword.
However, during their spar, she felt like she was fighting a completely different person.
"It was only a test anyway. But we've still got time—"
Kazuhiro turned back, changing his light buckler into its wakizashi form as he took a peculiar stance that seemed relaxed.
The air began to vibrate as his eyes glowed a pale light slightly.
Using his breathing techniques, he managed to alleviate the exhaustion he was beginning to feel somewhat.
Mika sighed.
"If you become incapacitated, I will attend the meeting and tell Rias Gremory that you will not be a part of this crisis. Are we clear?"
"Crystal."
She manifested her naginata, letting it rest on her shoulder.
However, light gathered in her free hand as a sheathed sword appeared on her waist.
Drawing it, she too took a relaxed stance.
She's also using two weapons..!
VWIP—
Tilting his body, he used one of his blades to divert Mika's thrust.
With her naginata parried, she swung her uchigatana at close range, prompting Kazuhiro to block the blow with his other blade.
Just as he regained his footing after being knocked back, Mika slammed the tip of her polearm onto the ground, causing frost to spread onto the ground towards where he stood.
Thinking quickly, he thrust Black Lotus into the ground beneath him as its flames ignited, melting the ice that would've frozen his feet still.
"—Too slow!"
Swinging her sword after pulling it back, cracks appeared on the sheet of ice before it was torn apart, the shards shooting upwards.
[Sixth Form, Round Trip]!
He spun his body, swinging his blades all the while to deflect the onslaught of divine ice, becoming a hurricane of sword swings that approached Mika.
Twisting her grip, she swung her naginata upwards as her assailant got close enough.
GIN!
Crossing his blades into an x-shape, Kazuhiro blocked the blow that came from below, only to be thrown up into the air from the force of her swing.
Shit!
Spinning her naginata, cold, strong winds began to gather around them.
Ayame looked up to see clouds forming, the frost in the air getting thicker and thicker until a blizzard was upon the rooftop.
Kazuhiro spread his wings, to no avail.
He felt his body being steadily burnt as the blizzard had been imbued with Mika's divine authority, even slightly.
I need to act, and fast..!
He spread his palm while keeping his index finger and thumb on his light blade, causing a magic-circle to appear at his feet, regaining his balance.
He looked around, causing multiple magic circles to appear.
"Like I'd let you."
As Mika let go of her weapons, they vanished into particles of light.
She made a crushing motion and the winds changed their direction.
Not only being flung from his foothold, Kazuhiro watched as the magic-circles froze and eventually shattered.
"We must operate under the assumption that these people have thoroughly studied you, they'll know your every move."
She swung her hands down and kicked the ground.
The winds shifted downward, throwing Kazuhiro down.
Mika pulled her fist back and threw it forward, hitting him directly in the stomach.
At the same time, the blizzard instantly vanished,
Once again, he was sent tumbling back.
The only thing that stopped his momentum was his back hitting the railings.
"Like I said, you've gotten soft—"
Mika froze as she felt steel fall on her shoulder,
She felt a strange warmth on her neck, along with the sharp edge placed against it.
That's when her senses finally picked up on her surroundings.
His smell, his ragged breathing, all came a second later after 'he' who was at the other end of the rooftop disappeared.
Not a single trace of frost, nor the battle that took place.
"I can still fight."
"But when the time comes, can you do it?"
She turned and looked at him with one 'eye'.
This time it was his turn to freeze up.
Taking this chance, she swept him off balance with her leg, grabbing his wrist as he fell down.
He watched as her fist approached his face, closing his eyes.
But the blow never came.
"How can you…"
He opens his eyes.
"How can you look at your enemy with such pity!?"
Mika's fist was inches away from his face.
For a moment, Asia's appearance overlapped with hers, causing him to sigh.
She let go of his wrist and stood up.
"When the time comes and you won't be able to do it—I won't just sit around and let you get killed."
Mika walked as her body began to fade away, until she completely vanished.
He remembered the words of a certain goddess of dawn.
Kill or be killed… I should just be the one that kills…
Kazuhiro clenched his fist, the smile he couldn't remove from his mind causing him to wince as he remembered it.
I should get to the bottom of this. Then, I'll make that choice if necessary.
Sheathing his blade, Ægis also returned to its deactivated form on his forearm.
He turned towards Ayame.
"Well, let's go to the meeting, shall we?"
Part 1
Upon arriving, he found the three Devils in this town that he knew, with their Queens at their sides.
Because it was their clubroom, Rias' peerage was also in the meeting room.
Additionally, Kiyome Abe was also seated with her dullahan familiar Smith dressed as a butler by her side.
"Is everyone else alright?"
Kazuhiro asked as he approached Riser's side.
"Yeah, they were a bit surprised when I told them, but I think they're just glad to be back in action more than anything."
He then glanced towards Yubelluna, who nodded in acknowledgement, before looking back towards Rias and Sona, who were accompanied by Akeno and Tsubaki.
"I was beginning to think you couldn't make it."
"And miss out on getting paid? I don't think so, this is my job."
"Very well, let's begin."
Kazuhiro left Riser and sat down beside Issei.
"You look like how I feel."
"I'm used to it."
The two chuckle, before Issei sighs and frowns.
"To think Asia would be…"
"Try not to think too much about it. I'm sure she won't, either."
Rias clears her throat.
Scratching the back of his head, Issei apologetically bows several times while Kazuhiro leans back onto the couch while crossing his arms.
"Shortly after we received the information you gave us, we also received a letter from the other side."
She takes out an envelope, throwing it to the center table.
Leaning back in to grab it, Kazuhiro opened it,
In the parchment were three simple words, written in English.
"[Come get us], huh?"
In addition to that, a date was also given.
"This Sunday..?"
The Sabbath. Those bastards…
He felt a headache just thinking about it.
"In your dossier, you said these people were no ordinary Exorcists. So we'll decide our formation accordingly—"
Kazuhiro raised a hand.
Sona furrowed her brow.
"What is it, Shidou?"
"I'd like you…all of you, your peerages, to focus on rescuing the captured civilians. We only know the location of two facilities, but the third one can be assumed to be the abandoned church at the edge of town…"
He stands up.
"I'll draw all three of them to me and buy as much time as possible. During that time, break through their numbers and save everyone."
"Impossible. That's as barebones as it gets, they'll predict it and surround—"
"That's exactly why it'll work… It's only natural that they'll each take a single facility. But even with just one of them, I can't assure you that there won't be any losses."
Issei stands up.
"Wait, so you're telling us it's better if you die?"
"I'll try my best not to, I'm bait after all. But if I do, that should be an acceptable loss. I'm not part of anyone's peerage and I'm just a mercenary, so I'm naturally the most expendable one out of all of us."
Rias turned towards Sona, who had a bitter expression.
"Sona..?"
"I don't like it, but he's right."
She bites her thumb.
"Your description of these 'living saints'... They're comparable to a Seraph in terms of the holy power they wield. Then there's the matter of Excalibur's sister sword."
Rias' Knight, Yumi's eyes widened.
"Combining those factors, even if we use the days leading up to the date in the letter to train ourselves, we'll definitely suffer heavy losses if we face them head on."
Kazuhiro turns towards Rias.
"I won't take any objections. They're gunning for me, after all."
To his casual admission, everyone's train of thought was derailed.
Placing his hand on the back of his neck, he smiled wryly.
"So that's why you want to take them on by yourself, you dumbass."
Riser understood instantly, but everyone else remained bewildered.
"Before I came here, I… I ran into them while on a job. Asia is an exception, but obviously the other two held a grudge. Though it isn't their primary objective, I'm sure they want payback."
Kazuhiro places his hands on his side and bows towards Rias.
"To take responsibility for bringing trouble into your territory, I'll definitely deal with this to the best of my ability. That's why, I want you all to rescue the people that got caught up in this."
He glanced towards Issei before looking back towards Rias and Sona, the latter of which cleared her throat.
"Very well. We'll plan accordingly."
"Thanks, K—"
"But after we're sure everyone has been saved and the riff-raff have been taken care of, we're going to assist you."
She fixes her glasses, a glint of determination in her eyes.
The young man wanted to protest, but he felt at that moment that any more words would be meaningless.
"I've been training too, you know? I didn't nearly break my back for nothing..! I'll beat up all the fodder and then beat up the last boss!"
Issei stood up and pumped his fist.
"About that… They have a means to steal Sacred Gears… So if you were to be caught. You see…"
"Oh, come on!"
The tension gradually eased.
After confirming with everyone, Sona began planning the 'raid' accordingly.
Part 2
Meanwhile, in a certain tropical country to the east—
Ravel walked out of the changing room, the sand in her feet making her feel somewhat nostalgic as she gave a longing look to somewhere else that wasn't there, or rather…someone.
She gave the bottom of her swimsuit a tug.
It has gotten tighter since I bought it… I was saving it, though… How did Onee-sama even know how to pack it?
It was black with a colorful floral pattern and to match it, she also wore flower-like accessories on her wrist and the ties on her twintails.
"Oh, Ravel-chan~ You're finished already?"
Raising her head, she found her sister-in-law clutching her niece.
On the other hand, Shinko wore a bright pink swimsuit with simpler, four petal white patterns on it.
Momiji wore a frilly one-piece with sunglasses that were too large for her, her arms reaching forward towards her blonde aunt.
"Momo-chan's been looking all over for you, can you carry her while we go find Onee?"
"O-Oh, uh, sure!"
The toddler cried out in pain, snuggling up to Ravel's chest.
"Waberu~ Waberu~"
"Y-Yeah, that's me. I'm Waberu."
The two of them walked along the beach, with several onlookers being unable to help but to stop and look.
"You seem like you were spacing out there, is everything okay?"
Ravel's eyes widened.
"W-What? Of course it is! I, umm, I just can't believe we're really here."
"Oh, fufu~ I guess you wanted to come here with Kazu-kun instead of us, huh?"
Her face flushed.
She thinks back to the time in the tent.
"S-So you heard that, huh?"
"Yeah, it's cute. I asked Onee about it, I didn't take you for the romantic type, Ravel-chan~"
"It's not that! It was just a promise!"
Momiji laughs and pokes her aunt's reddened cheeks.
Eventually, the three of them find her,
Akane Faulkner sat on a reclining chair underneath an umbrella.
She wore a black bikini that accentuated her figure, making her seem like a goddess.
"Onee, we're done changing!"
"Ah, oh. Gimme a moment."
Shinko furrowed her brow, spotting the phone she held to her ear.
She placed her hand over the mouthpiece and tilted her head forward, letting her aviators fall slightly as she eyed the three of them.
"You guys can go ahead and play, I won't be long."
Ravel and Shinko looked to each other, then to the toddler who looked towards the sea with eagerness.
The Phenex was the first to leave, with Shinko staying behind and looking right into her Onee's eyes.
"Can I…ask who that is?"
"Nope."
"Onee!"
"Okay, okay. It's Riser. Apparently, someone tried breaking in last night to steal a couple of beers."
A moment of silence.
The sisters squinted, as if on cue.
Akane sighed, taking her glasses off and letting them down on top of the cooler beside her chair.
"Shin."
She smiled, tilting her head slightly.
Between the two of them, everyone on the beach felt an extreme pressure to the point that the air vibrated.
Giving up, Shinko hung her shoulders and followed after Ravel.
Her Onee watched her all the while, before putting the phone back up to her ear.
"You still there?"
[Yes. Do you think she knows?]
"Oh, definitely."
She rolls her eyes as Kazuhiro hisses while holding his temple on the other end.
[Just… Just keep an eye on her, okay?]
"You don't have to tell me that. Besides, I'm the master here, don't order me around."
Letting her head fall back, she stared up at the umbrella that protected her from the sun's rays.
"Though, if she does do something, it'll be on you for keeping her in the dark."
A brief silence.
She waited for her worst pupil's response.
[I will accept any punishment. So just… Just keep her in your sights, okay?]
"That goes both ways, Kazu-chan."
Raising her other hand, she stared at the golden bracelet with an avian design, which matched her silver earrings.
"I'll look after mine if you look after him as well."
[Got it. I'll make sure nothing bad happens to him.]
"No pressure. If things go south, I'll give that Italian bastard what he wants. Ciao."
She hangs up, staring at his caller ID for a few seconds.
If a dance with the Devil is what they want, then that's what they'll get. Won't he, Kazu-chan?
—.
"Oomee~! Oomee~!"
Ravel plopped down Momiji on a floater after inflating it, grabbing onto it as the small child got to paddling the moment her feet were in the water.
After a while of playing with her niece, Ravel was beginning to feel the effects of the sun on her body.
I got a bit too eager… Damn, Momo is just too damn cute.
As she wobbled, a pair of hands suddenly landed on her shoulders.
"Whoa, there. If you zone out now, Momo-chan's gonna swim all the way back home by herself."
She turned back to find her brother's wife.
"Come on, I'll take over from here. Let Shinko oil you up, silly."
Pointing with her thumbs, Ravel followed with her eyes to find Shinko beckoning towards herself while holding a bottle with a mat spread under her near where Akane sat down before.
"Oh, thanks, Onee-sama."
Switching places, Ravel did as instructed and nearly collapsed on the mat.
"I guess it's a good thing you were with us, if you went here with Kazu he'd be worried and panicking right now."
"C-Can you please stop talking about that?!"
With Shinko gesturing to her, she undid her top and lay down on her stomach, puffing her cheeks slightly.
"Sorry, your reactions are just so cute that I can't help but want to tease you. Though, with the way you're reacting, it seems like you actually like him~ Not to mention, that kiss—"
Ravel turned her head to the side, deep in thought.
"So what if I do? That dummy…"
"Eh?"
Shinko froze.
"Maybe I do like him, or something…"
Another moment of silence.
Ravel watched the waves, her niece playing with her mother, then sighed.
That's going to be me someday… Wait, Ravel, what are you thinking?!
She shook her head.
"O-Okay, maybe just a little bit… L-Like, not that much, but I like him… A little…"
SPLASH!
Shinko, who had a dull expression, completely crushed the bottle of suntan in her hand, causing it to explode all over her, to Ravel's surprise.
"S-Shinko-san?!"
"Huh? Oh, my bad. I'll go and get another bottle."
"Uh-huh…"
She looked on as Shinko stood up and went towards where their bags were,
Only to notice some of the other people on the beach looking her way, disbelief on their faces.
Looking down, she remembered that her top was missing—promptly screaming as she covered herself.
Back home, Kazuhiro who got himself a glass of water, suddenly choked on it,
What the hell…
Part 3
Sitting by the Kuoh Gorge's lower cliff, holding a fishing rod while wearing a hat and aviators,
Senjuro nodded in acknowledgement as a young man wearing a black hoodie sat down on the empty chair beside him.
"Something tells me the town is gonna be a battlefield again."
"This'll be the last time."
"That a promise?"
The red-haired man wearing an aloha shirt drops down a duffle bag between them.
"I did something a little special this time around, it's not fool-proof since I don't really go around reinforcing armor against divine powers."
"Special?"
Pulling on the zipper, he opened the bag and dug his hand into it, taking out a familiar chestplate with red lines on it.
However, the feeling he got from it was different.
It's light, as usual… But this aura…
The image of a certain red-haired goddess of the forge appeared in his head, and his eyes went wide.
"What the, how—?!"
Senjuro smiled wryly.
"The last time Svarog-san was here, I…asked her to be my Sponsor."
"What?"
He raised a single hand,
A flicker, then a flash.
Kazuhiro watched as a flame was set ablaze on his palm, before changing shape into a molten hammer, similar to the one Svarog held.
However, it had a more rugged and unrefined appearance, with even less cracks that showed the magma flowing within the tool.
As Senjuro's concentration broke, the hammer vanished into embers along with his pupils' amber glow.
"She told me I was her first, atleast, in terms of humans. Of course, I had to convince her since she was worried it'd have negative effects."
He stands up.
"Do you feel any…different?"
"I don't know… At first I wanted her power because…I knew I could only make it so far on techniques and excellent raw materials alone. I still can't do something like repairing your sword, but I want to be of better use."
The older man turns around.
"The knowledge I gained, though. I guess now I'm sorta like her, I can hear objects 'talk', sometimes. I can even tell the exact composition of this pebble."
He showed the small stone he picked up to Kazuhiro.
"More importantly, I can better help protect this town. Rui says I won't be as strong as you overnight, or like the ones from legend, but I still want to try."
Kazuhiro shook his head.
"Even for a Contractor, I'm not that strong. I'm in the same spot as you. The knowledge is there, but… I spend more time being lost."
He takes the pebble, throwing it up several times as his pupils shine a pale light, throwing it to the opposite cliff face, causing a portion of it to be frozen as the divine aura encasing the pebble explodes.
"We both have a lot to learn, so please don't push yourself just because you think you're behind."
Reaching his hand out, Kazuhiro looks up to meet the school janitor's eyes.
"Also, if you have more questions, it'll be better to ask Akane-san or Svarog-san herself. I'm serious. It'll be better than talking to me."
"Damn, I expected more from someone with your reputation. Turns out you're getting schooled yourself, huh?"
The pair shake hands and chuckle.
Eventually, Senjuro takes his leave first,
Being left alone, Kazuhiro takes out a piece of paper and places it on the duffle bag, causing a magic circle to appear under it as the paper burns away.
The duffle bag descends and disappears into the magic-circle.
—.
Later that day, Kazuhiro met up with Sona in an overpass.
He was taken aback for a moment, seeing her in casual clothes that weren't their school uniform.
Realizing he was eyeing her clothes, she fixed her glasses.
"Nice look, Shidou. Real discreet."
"Haha, it's laundry day…"
She sighed and leaned against the railing, with him doing the same.
"I got your message. Senjuro Hoderi-san… His name did sound familiar, so he's actually part of the local holy swordsmith clan. And now he's a Contractor of Svarog and wants to give us enchanted weapons and items for the battle."
"Yeah, I figured his operation is pretty discreet, but he genuinely wants to help so he made himself known to you and Rias-senpai…"
"Him being the one to maintain your gear since you got here is also news to me. I always thought you just had it teleported back to the North Star."
Kazuhiro nervously chuckles.
"Yeah, I… I don't want to just do that everytime. If I can help it, I'd rather deal with things by myself…"
"Uh-huh… Well, I don't see anything wrong. You can give him this, I'll tell him all the details myself."
A card.
It's the Student Council business card..?
He turned it and his eyes widened.
"W-Wait, Kaichou—Isn't this your personal number?"
"Yes, Shidou. That is it indeed, written on the back of the standard business card of the Student Council."
She furrowed her brow.
"What's bothering you..? Is it my handwriting..?"
"Well. Erm… You're giving me your number."
Saji would literally kill someone for this..!
Sona had a deadpan expression.
"After everything we've been through, that's what bothers you?"
She pinched the bridge of her nose.
"If it makes you feel better, Rias, Rubia, Akeno, and Tsubaki all have it."
How's that supposed to make me feel any better, isn't that your circle of close friends?!
He rubbed his chin.
Wait, who's Rubia?
Dismissing the thought, Kazuhiro made a straight face as he realized how outrageous his train of thought was.
He chuckled nervously.
"I'm…sorry, Kaichou. I lost myself for a moment there."
What the hell were you thinking, making such a fuss over that like a…
Kazuhiro frowned.
Like a completely normal, highschool student.
Noticing his distant expression, Sona decided to silently observe him.
After a while, she sighed.
"It's nothing, Shidou. If anything, it lightened the mood, somehow. Though, those words are usually something you'd hear from a suitor, not from someone with your relationship to me."
"Right."
She turns to watch the sunset.
"Has Onee-sama or father spoken to you yet?"
"Ah, er…"
He thinks back to the hundreds upon hundreds of missed calls from the current Maou Leviathan prior to his blocking of her number.
"No, not really. I think I lost their number."
"What a roundabout excuse. But I'll accept it. Though we did agree that you'll misinform them somewhat, while also informing me of their inquiries."
"Yeah, I'm sorry for keeping it a secret back then."
"You don't have to apologize for trying to do your job. Though, considering the environment, it wasn't too hard to stand out easily. We knew you were abnormal from the first time you set foot on campus."
"Even as a secretary, you were still terrifying, Kaichou."
Terrifying? You barely broke a sweat while taking all of us on…
Sona stared at his face.
On the other hand, nostalgia washed over Kazuhiro as he recalled his arrival in the town.
All the experiences he's had as a highschool student, the moments where he was, even falsely, living like a normal teenager just as Azazel asked him to.
As if reading through him, Sona turned her back on the railing and sighed as she leaned on it again.
"You're thinking of leaving, aren't you?"
"E-Eh? What are you talking about?"
"That face. You look like you've decided on something. I've seen Rias make that face, as I can recognize it somewhat. It's about those times, right..?"
Those times,
From the previous month, Kazuhiro remembered how Cao Cao's pursuit of him endangered everyone.
And now, it was David Cerro.
Once again, his past caught up to him.
Once again, Kuoh became a battlefield.
If I leave… Everyone will be safe, right?
"A part of me wants to hold you accountable for all of these crises, yes."
He winced.
"But a part of me is also the president of the student council. And, whether you like it or not, you are part of the student body that I want to protect."
Sona turns towards him.
"Do you understand, Shidou?"
"Y-Yeah, I do. Umm, thanks."
"Besides, I don't think Akeno would like it if her boyfriend vanished all of a sudden."
Kazuhiro almost choked on his spit and had a coughing fit.
"What?!"
"Huh? Did I assume wrong? It was the conclusion Rias and I came to after discussing it, you were always together whenever she wasn't with us. Not to mention, she started working in the same place as you."
He ran a hand over his face.
"We're…not in a relationship."
"Mn, my apologies. I thought you two were just waiting for the right time to tell everyone."
Afterwards, the two exchanged their goodbyes and went their separate ways.
Passing by a certain shop, Kazuhiro stopped to look at the items,
While holding a white ribbon, he sighed and decided to buy it.
I haven't talked to her in a while, huh?
They've been intimate, he thought.
On his end, he always thought of it as an obsession.
He pushed those thoughts of suspicion back as he was focused on keeping his good reputation intact to avoid trouble. But his compliance cost him his perception of what was actually happening in the town.
No, I shouldn't blame her. The fault is mine, for letting it happen…and for liking it…
Kazuhiro tightened his hold on the bag that had his 'gift'.
For liking her..?
Part 4
Before they knew it, the weekend had arrived,
The day their enemies had dictated was tomorrow.
With their strategy and information on their enemies, despite being limited, well put together,
"Don't just stand there, Hyoudou! Avoid the flying sword!"
"I'm trying!"
Kazuhiro decided to train with the Gremory and Sitri groups after each spent the majority of the week leading up to this day training by themselves.
Recalling his sword to him with the return rune on his gauntlet, he throws it again towards Issei.
While rolling and jumping to avoid the spinning edge of Black Lotus as Kazuhiro manipulated its trajectory by activating and deactivating the recall runes, the Sekiryuutei gradually closed the distance between them.
Then, without looking, he raised his hand and tilted his head.
Absorption Line's line stretched in the gap that was formed where his head was only moments prior, before he grabbed the line with one hand and pulled on it.
[Uwaah!]
Both Saji and Issei were surprised as the former was pulled in and sent flying towards the latter.
Letting go of the line, it retracted back into Saji's sacred gear.
Spreading his palm, Black Lotus returned to his hand.
Then, he promptly spun his body while holding the sword defensively.
The edge of a mass-produced demonic-sword made sparks as it clashed against his own.
Yumi grit her teeth and kicked off of his knee, manifesting another sword and throwing it towards him.
Reversing his grip, he swung his blade upward to deflect it.
FISS—
The moment his blade, covered in flame, made contact with the crystalline demonic sword, it shattered and evaporated into mist instantly.
Covering his mouth with his sleeve, he activated his Contract in an attempt to see better, allowing him to narrowly avoid a fist that was aimed towards his face.
Before long, another one swung towards him from a different angle.
Using the flat edge of his sword to block, the sword's holy nature caused the assailant to hiss in pain as they pulled their fist back.
Kazuhiro spread his wings and flapped it with great strength, causing the mist to be blown away.
Shielding their eyes from the strong wind, Koneko and Tsubasa stood still, the latter clutching her knuckle that got burnt slightly.
Swinging his blade towards them, the two nodded to one another and kicked the ground to make distance.
Then, the rest of the mist dissipated.
It was when Kazuhiro realized.
The rest of the combined force of the Sitri and Gremory peerage had lunged at him from all sides beforehand.
With a stomp, he held his blade with both hands and raised it over his shoulder.
Inhaling vigorously, the glow on his pupils increased.
Tsubaki picked up on the divine energy that was building up on his body instantly, shouting for everyone to duck and get back.
A pale silver light gathered on the tip of Black Lotus' broken blade, which became unleashed as he swung his blade—
[Third Form, Wheel of Fortune]!
Large crescent-shaped blades of divine energy scattered outwards, nearly taking their heads off if not for the Sitri Queen's timely warning.
Then, without losing the momentum on his sword, Kazuhiro stomped his foot as he raised his blade and stopped his body's rotation.
[Fourth Form, Divine Punishment]—
DONNNNNNN!
A large amount of aura gathered on the tip of his sword once more, being unleashed in a powerful explosion as ice and fire were concentrated into a single point at once, causing a crater to form underneath Kazuhiro.
[You finally stopped holding back.]
Mika's voice echoed in his mind.
With his instincts warning him of an attack, Kazuhiro turned around as the dust settled.
He was swept off his feet as a mass of water assaulted him, drenching him all over as it changed shape into a ball with him still inside, floating a couple feet off the ground.
Holding his breath, he regained his balance and assessed his surroundings.
The glimmer of gold caught his eye, causing him to look up to find Akeno floating in the air in the distance.
Even in the water, he heard the sound of the thunder rumbling as the golden light over her raised palm became brighter and brighter.
SPLASH!
The ball of water lost its shape and fell to the ground, causing Kazuhiro to gag and cough as he regained his breath and footing.
Spreading her hands, Rias' aura flared up as a magic-circle of the Gremory clan appeared over him.
Then another above it, followed by another, and another…
Everything clicked in his brain as his eyes went wide,
Akeno lowered her hand, pointing it towards him.
The large bolt of lightning came down, becoming larger and larger with every magic-circle infused by the Power of Destruction until it adopted a crimson coloration before striking the spot where Kazuhiro stood.
Right next to the crater his powerful blow had made, an even larger impression was made in the baseball field.
With her chest heaving, Akeno descended and turned towards Rias, then towards Sona who walked up in a similarly exhausted state.
"You think he's alright?"
Sona looked around to find the fences that had been shredded by Kazuhiro's moon-blades.
"He's survived worse."
I was right about him holding back in the past… But if that's the case, that just means the situation we have right now really is…
The sound of someone coughing caused the three of them to turn back towards the center of the crater.
When the dust settled, what stood there was Kazuhiro with his feet slightly buried into the ground.
He had his light buckler being raised in the air and shining with the absorbed energy before dispelling the power in harmless particles of light and steam through several vents on the mechanism.
"You guys did good..! Guh…"
Raising a thumb, he fell on one knee.
Akeno quickly ran to his side.
Upon closer inspection, she noticed that some of his bandages had come off, with the addition of newer injuries and burns being painfully apparent.
"Are you alright?"
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine."
She sighed.
"Let's get you patched up."
Throwing his arm over her shoulder, she made her way towards the infirmary.
—
"That was a good combination you guys had, Akeno…san."
Kazuhiro spoke while putting on his new shirt.
On the other side of the curtain, Akeno sat in awkward silence.
"Thank you, erm… Kazu-kun?"
"Huh? What is it?"
She clenched her fists on her lap and shook her head.
"N-No, it's nothing."
Akeno yelped slightly as Kazuhiro pulled the curtain to the side, wearing only a tank top.
"Well, in that case… I, uh, wanted to give you this."
"Eh?"
In his hand was a small paper bag which looked crumpled slightly from being carried with the rest of his luggage.
Was he… How long did he have it?
Taking the bag, she unrolled it and got to opening it.
Inside was a small box, which had in it a white ribbon and a braided amethyst bracelet with black and yellow strands intertwining.
"K-Kazu-kun, you..?"
"I bought the ribbon first b-but I figured it wasn't enough… So I spent all week between training and planning trying to make that bracelet."
Good thing I still had it in me to make one, I thought I was only getting rusty in combat…
She raised both to her eyes, glancing between them before jumping off of the bed she sat on to hug him.
Kazuhiro, who was completely caught off guard, couldn't help but be flustered.
Nervously, he returned the hug and lightly pat her on the back.
"Thank you… Thank you… Really, thank you…"
Akeno spoke tearfully with her head on his shoulder.
Then, as if realizing something, she gasped and pulled away immediately.
"O-Oh, I'm sorry, I… I didn't mean to, you know."
While she stammered and panicked, waving her hands that still held her gifts, Kazuhiro shook his head.
"It's alright. I'm happy that you like it…that much."
Putting on his coat, he walked towards the door while Akeno followed him with her eyes.
"I'm sorry but, I'll head home first and prepare."
"I see. Kazu-kun—!"
The door slid open, but Kazuhiro sighed and turned back to her with a smile.
"Take care, okay?"
"You too, Akeno."
SLIDE!
Sheathed sword in hand, he walked out of the door and left the infirmary.
Before long, Akeno had left as well.
Walking to the school gates, she couldn't help but fiddle with the bracelet he gave her, especially the gem that was on it.
"Akeno? I was wondering where you went."
Rias appeared in front of her, quickly taking notice of the 'changes'.
Reflexively, the yamato nadeshiko hid her left arm behind her, but it was too late.
The wind caused her ponytail as well as the now white ribbon tying her hair up to flutter in the wind.
"I see that's why Kazuhiro was in such a hurry."
"R-Rias! But…yeah."
Seeing her friend get flustered, only to calm down with a lovestruck look on their face, Rias couldn't help but feel like a huge burden had been lifted off of her shoulders.
Looks like the awkwardness is gone. How adorable~
Behind her, Sona stared at Akeno without a hint of emotion.
A small smile formed on her lips.
Part 5
On the rooftop of Azazel's complex.
"Why'd you run away?! Are ya stupid! Hahahahaa!"
Ayame falls on her back and then on her side, her feet kicking as she laughs hysterically.
Kazuhiro, who held a soda can in his hand, put a hand over his face and groaned.
"Well, contrary to how you acted towards her in these past two months, it's definitely an improvement."
Leaning on the railing beside him was Mikazuki.
She had taken off her mask, revealing the black bandages that covered the upper half of her face over the bridge of her nose.
Held in her hands was a can of iced tea, which she sipped after speaking her mind.
"Not you too, Mika."
"I'm not trying to tease you, child. I'm simply telling you to go forward with this. You've only taken the first step, after all…"
"First step…huh."
As Kazuhiro hung his head, the air grew heavy.
Pouting, Ayame put her hands on her waist.
"Are you seriously still thinking about doing that?"
"It's for their sake."
He sits down with his legs crossed.
"Whatever your decision, I'll follow you. But even I can see no positives in this course of action."
Placing her can down as she did the same, Mika threw her head back and gazed at the moon.
"The Sitri heiress said it, didn't she? Even now, this entire town is up in arms. Despite telling them that you're partially at fault for this crisis, no one ever blamed you."
"Wait, why are you here again?"
Mikazuki, contrary to how she usually is, chuckled.
"You had me, Meru and Gurin stand by in certain spots in town, but I figured I'd spend the last few hours of the day with you instead. Especially since I'm worried this kunoichi will slip you some alcohol and mess around."
"Hey! Even I know what not to do in the middle of a crisis!"
"Ah, yes. You definitely displayed self control while dealing with the Vajra problem."
Seeing the two bicker, Kazuhiro couldn't help but laugh.
"My, not only did you manage to change the topic, you got to entertain yourself huh…"
Disintegrating the can in her hand with sheer divine power, Mika stood up and dusted her skirt.
"I'll take my leave. But I'll be watching. I'd better see self-control from you, ninju."
Ayame sarcastically salutes while straightening her posture.
Then, she turns towards Kazuhiro.
"You as well, Kazuhiro. Remember, I've got my eyes in you."
"Don't you mean 'on' y—Oh, right… Haha, very funny."
Seemingly satisfied with herself, judging from her smirk, Mikazuki put on her half-face fox mask and vanished with the sound of the wind.
Being left alone, Kazuhiro turned to face towards the railing and started to lie on his back.
"Whoa, how about a warning next time~"
Catching and cradling his head, Ayame then put it on her lap.
"Ayame-san?! W-What..!"
"Relax, it's just a lap pillow. I promise."
She patted him on the cheek.
"I just wanted to catch some shuteye."
"Very well. Goodnight, stud."
For a while, Kazuhiro could only hear the night breeze.
Nights were always usually quiet in Kuoh.
What usually kept him awake was the notion that some things just don't make enough noise, but are even more dangerous than the ones that do.
But now, what kept him up was the soft sensation he felt with the back of his head.
"Ehe, can't sleep?"
"U-Unn, yeah."
Without opening his eyes, Kazuhiro spoke while having his cheeks flushed.
"I guess that tent you're pitching is pretty telling."
"Waah!"
He sat up immediately, covering himself.
Ayame chuckled before looking off.
Eventually, he did calm down.
Instead of lying back down on her lap, he instead lied down on the floor juxtaposed to where she sat.
Trying to sleep again, he felt a hand on his chest as a weight fell on the floor beside him.
Then, his eyes widened as he felt himself being pulled into an embrace.
"Ne, Kazu."
"Y-Yeah?"
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"Huh? Tell you what?"
"I already know, dummy."
Before he could speak again, his face was pushed into her chest.
"I saw you doing 'it' in school, so I started my own investigation along with the reconnaissance you asked me to do in the town…"
She stroked the back of his head before loosening her grip slightly.
"To think you would be blackmailed because of me. I'm sorry, stud. I was more of a burden than I realized."
"Don't think that way, Ayame-san!"
"—?!"
Grabbing her by her arms, Ayame nearly yelped.
But this time, Kazuhiro maintained eye contact.
"It's not your fault! I agreed because it meant safeguarding not only my own reputation, but also yours. I know you can't help yourself sometimes, but I wanted people to know that there's more to you than that!"
His face was flushed, but his eyes burrowed into hers intensely.
"And besides, i-it wasn't all that bad."
"Hheeeh, and here I thought we were having a moment."
Breaking up the embrace, Ayame threw her arms up and put her hands behind her head.
"I guess, unlike what we have, what you have for that girl is actual love. Who'd want such a loose girl like me who's only a teenager at heart but not in body and mind, anyway?"
Is she guilt-tripping…no, she's always been like this because—because of her sister, Sumeragi-san.
"Well, as long as you give me some lovin—K-Kazu?"
When Ayame opened her eyes, he was already on all fours, hovering over her.
Unlike before, he was unable to keep his stare for long, scratching his cheek while averting his gaze.
"I'm sorry you think that way, but… You're beautiful, in your own way, Ayame-san."
He stole several glances towards her eyes.
"A-And, someone once told me, a man's love can be somewhat big… It can't always be for just one woman, so… Before we charge into battle, I wanted to clarify it…"
Swallowing audibly, he mustered up his courage.
"Yes, I love Akeno-senpai, but I love you, too."
Silence.
"I-I said, I love you, Aya—"
"I heard you the first time, idiot!"
PON!
She hit him lightly on the forehead with her knuckle.
"Even if it feels like a secondhand confession, I'll take it."
"Uwah!"
Kazuhiro panicked as she suddenly wrapped her arms and legs around him.
"You'd better take responsibility, kay? And also…be sure to tell her as well."
"O-Of course I will, but not now…"
"Now I'm definitely making it out of this alive. So you better do it, too."
With that, she let go of him and the two dozed off while lying next to each other.
Part 6
FUUUUUNNNNNN!
Chills went down his spine.
Kazuhiro's eyes flicked open as he felt danger.
Pushing himself off of the ground, he grimaced as his eyes widened,
Ayame, who had already woken up before him, stood on the railing.
Extending towards the sky were three pillars of light.
The spots from which they emerged weren't obvious at first, but it clicked for him.
He manifested a communication circle by his ear, only to have it crack before breaking apart instantly.
What?!
"Communications have been cut off… We're behind schedule. That means everyone has already probably…"
Ayame squinted and observed the pillars of light.
Upon closer inspection, they resembled flames that were being sent upwards to the sky more than simple structures of light.
That's when she noticed it.
Making a hand sign, a portion of her shadow came off, taking the shape of a small bird.
Closing her eyes, she took control of it and made it fly up to the sky, sharing her senses with it.
After following one of the pillars, that's when she saw it.
Above the clouds was a massive magic-circle, with three points in which the light pillars converged into.
As if detecting her surveillance, light projectiles assaulted her summoned shadow, causing her to cry out in pain as the link between their senses wasn't cut off in time.
"Ayame-san?"
"I don't know what's going on… But it seems like a spell, a big one…"
Kazuhiro grit his teeth.
The church, the warehouse, and the abandoned factory…
He thought back to their original plan.
Once given the signal, he was supposed to make his presence known to draw David, Freed and Asia to his location while the three peerages that were on standby near the three locations would deal with the fodder and rescue the prisoners.
Additionally, he also dispatched Mika, Gurin and Meru to the three locations to assist the three groups.
As he peered downward, he found several figures gathered in the street in front of the building.
"Look out!"
Pulling on his collar, Ayame managed to save him from the barrage of light bullets aimed up at them.
Then, he spread his wings after looking up and held Ayame as he flew away, avoiding a barrage of light spears that came from above.
There's the Exorcists downstairs, with the Fallen Angels up here..!
He drew his sword and got in between them and Ayame.
Three scantily clad women with black wings floated downward.
"So that's the guy leeching off of Azazel-sama."
"It should be alright if we bring his head to that Italian."
However, before they could manifest more light weapons, a spear was thrown in the middle of their formation.
Its bright red coloration shined even brighter as the light was brought to its limit, causing an explosion that devoured the three figures.
When Kazuhiro lowered his arm, all he could see was a burnt spot resembling a shallow crater on the rooftop, with the unconscious bodies of the Fallen Angel women scattered all over.
"Looks like I got here just in time."
Hearing the voice behind him, he turned around to find a familiar redheaded Fallen hovering down with her four wings spread behind her.
Following her were the odd tall-short pair of junior and senior.
"Cuff them, we'll think about what to do later."
"Sylphy-san!"
"Hey, don't look so happy. I know you probably missed me so much that you can't bear it anymore, but it's a bit unbecoming."
"Wha—It's not that!"
The redhead chuckled,
Then, her eyes met Ayame's.
Both squinted simultaneously.
Straightening herself, Ayame walked towards her.
[Could she be one of 'my people'?] They both thought.
"So, you too, huh?"
"Mm, seems so."
They shook hands while nodding knowingly, as if they've known each other for years, glancing towards Kazuhiro before resuming their overly familiar gesture towards one another.
Somewhat reading the room, he ended up pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Now's not the time for this, you two!"
"Right. Bosslady sent us here after she picked up on an anomaly. It seems like communications are being jammed and that throws a wrench in your entire plan."
"Have you figured out what's causing it?"
One of the Fallen that accompanied Sylphy, the short, pink-haired Meryl, raised her hand.
"Yes, there's one Fallen Angel that went missing after the attack at HQ. She specializes in this type of thing and…she's also my mother, Mittelt."
"Your mother, huh?"
Kazuhiro rubbed his chin, trying to remember the list of personnel that went missing or could've been responsible for the attack and stolen technology.
Mittelt… Mittelt..? Mittelt?!
"Wait, your mother?!"
"Yeah, I get that a lot. Don't judge us by our looks, though. I'm well over forty and that old lady still looks like she's from the Victorian era because she is."
He pinched the head of his nose.
Turning his attention back to the pillars of light, he bit his thumb.
"So that's what it looks like."
"Humans having the power of Angels, how creepy."
"Well, it's more like having the power of a god."
The mark of a Saint.
Or Saintly Sanction, as those in the loop often call it.
The pillars of light were a byproduct of their activation.
Which means that,
I have to hurry.
"Can you guys take care of it, then?"
"Of course. We're only here to make a path for you. Azazel-sama specifically said to avoid showing ourselves in front of any of the peerages, so we'll take care of good ol mum."
Meryl raised a thumb.
"Though in exchange… We'll be looking forward to more of your patronage in the future~ Can't let Sylphy hog your log all to herself~"
Blowing a kiss, the little girl—small woman spread her wings and flew up.
He turned towards Sylphy with a deadpan stare.
"Yeah, I might've overshared a bit about that night…bye!"
"Ah wait, Sylphy-senpai, Meryl-senpai!"
Leaving in a hurry, Aila also followed after the rest of them.
Then, he turned towards Ayame.
"Ayame-san, can you search out each location where the pillars are? They'll fade soon, but you should remember the three locations from the plan."
"Consider it done. But, what about you?"
"The streets should be needing some good cleaning right about now, so I'll get to that until I draw one of them to me. Right there."
He points to the center, triangulated from the three pillars.
If I draw even one of them to me, the plan can proceed like normal…
As they exchanged words, he felt shivers down his spine,
Then, close to the pillar where the church was, a large amount of ice suddenly sprouted upwards in the shape of eyes, the sheer size of the icicle making it visible even from where he was.
Is that…Mika?
Before long, the sounds of battle and explosions in the distance erupted, breaking the silence of the town that was only accompanied by the humming of the light from the pillars.
"Go!"
Ayame nodded, pulling up her mask as she sank into her own shadow.
On the other hand, Kazuhiro grabbed onto the railing and leapt down on the streets below.
"He's coming down!"
"Kill him!"
"Aagh!"
The Exorcists drew their guns and swords as Kazuhiro came down, spreading his buckler.
With their bullets warped, losing their form as the shield absorbed them, it began to shine brighter as he descended.
Flipping in mid-air, he pulled the shield back and threw his arm forward, causing it to detach from the mechanism and be launched as a circular projectile.
DON!
Crashing right in the middle of their formation, the Exorcists that got hit point blank disintegrated instantly, while the rest were scattered as they were blown away.
He spread his wings to dampen the landing, unholstering and unfolding Silver Wolf from his back and using it to finish off the Exorcists that survived.
One by one, he pulled the lever of the rifle with every shot, the sound of the cartridges falling to the ground ringing in his mind all the while.
Part -6
An hour earlier,
In the abandoned church at the end of town, Rias Gremory's peerage had covered the surrounding area in a defensive and soundproof barrier.
"Are you sure that person is here, Koneko?"
She asked her Rook.
The white-haired teen turned to the blonde boy beside them.
Saji, who had requested to come with their group, nodded.
I'm not sure how Kazuhiro got his hands on that information, but he wouldn't be one to lie about that… Especially if it's about Taeko…
The nekoshou who had her usual poker face was in the same spot,
After all, she too, was a close friend of the one they were looking for.
Hearing the bushes behind them rustle, the three of them raised their guard.
Holding her palm out, Rias' demonic-power flared up.
Koneko's animalistic features appeared, while Saji pulled out Absorption Line's line with his other hand and stretched it across his chest with the stance he learned a week prior.
Falling clumsily was Issei, his body covered in several leaves.
"Geez, Ise. Don't scare us like that."
His King's shoulders laxed.
"Sorry, Buchou. Akeno-san asked me to tell you that the barrier was complete."
"Alright. Now we just need to wait for the signal."
Placing a hand near her ear, a magic-circle manifested and hovered near it, rotating slightly.
"Sona, Riser. How are things on your end?"
[We're ready. How's Saji?]
Sona was the first to respond.
The person in question's face glowed up.
"He's…fine. Should I be worried?"
Is Kaichou worried about me?! No, no—Maybe she misses me?!
[No, I'm just worried he'll do something stupid. I hope he isn't getting in the way.]
Saji felt a sharp pain pierce his heart.
[Hey, that's a bit too mean. Saji trained his ass off. He even asked some of mine to train him in hand-to-hand combat. By the way, we're done with preparations… There's a bike driving around the factory, for some reason. There's no driver.]
Riser interjected.
"Kazuhiro briefed us about those…phenomena. It looks like we're all ready, we should—"
STATIC!
The magic-circle buzzed, becoming distorted shortly before it shattered, causing Rias to wince.
What?!
"Buchou."
Koneko's voice snapped her out of her trance.
In front of the church, lining the stairs leading up to its front door, were figures that were not there moments prior.
Her eyes were drawn to the one who stood at the center of the enemy's formation.
"That's…"
"Asia..!"
At Issei's words, the nun raised her head.
Turning to the rest of her servants, Rias came out of hiding.
Asia stood up, making a gesture of stretching her arms.
Issei, who had summoned his gauntlet, had a face of disbelief.
"I didn't want to believe it, but it's true, isn't it?"
He pointed the Boosted Gear towards her, causing the Exorcists around her to take combat stances.
In return, Rias and everyone also raised their auras. Akeno hovering in the air behind them with lightning crackling in her hands.
"Ah, if it isn't Issei Hyoudou. I guess seeing is believing. I have to say, he seems quite different from what you described him to be, Raynare."
At the uttering of that word, Issei took a step back.
He felt his heart sink as a figure emerged from behind Asia.
"Oh please, Sister Asia. He's just trying to show off to that redhead. Deep inside, he's still the pathetic boy I had wrapped around my finger."
While Issei began trembling, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
He frantically turned to find the warm smile of his King.
Rias' kind expression immediately shifted into a sharp glare towards the Fallen Angel.
"So it was you who took such good care of my precious Ise. Good, I was hoping to meet you personally. I wasn't going to give Kazuhiro the satisfaction of killing you."
"Big words, heiress. Maybe it's time I show you how the real world works, bitch."
Both their auras flared up.
"Enough. Let's make this quick."
At that moment, everyone felt like Asia's words alone caused the air to grow heavy all of a sudden.
Yumi gripped her blade on instinct, while all the hairs on Koneko's body stood on end.
Akeno went to the side of her King.
"Rias, this is b—"
Asia's eyes adopted a golden glow.
Thus, the [Saint] began to chant the holy [Sanction].
"Our Father, thou art in Heaven,"
Everyone winced, nearly falling to their knees.
Is she trying to kill us with prayer?! No, a simple one shouldn't be this severely felt!
"Hallowed be thy name,"
Rias grit her teeth as she struggled to stand.
"Thy kingdom come,"
It felt like weights that could break their bones were being placed on their shoulders.
"Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven,"
Asia spread her arms and holy aura practically seeped off of every fiber of her being, her sash—the holy relic known as the Shroud of Magdalene, were draped over and under her arms, resembling a hagoromo.
"Grant to us this day thy omnipotent protection,"
Falling to the ground, Issei held his head as it felt like his skull was being crushed.
"And deliver us from the evil before us,"
Raynare and the other Exorcists had long since backed away from her.
Friend and foe alike, felt the air vibrate.
"In nomine patris et filii et spiritus sancti—"
Asia paused, her lips curving into an eerie smile.
"Amen."
Then, the heavens parted—
From where Asia stood, in tandem with her two compatriots in the other parts of town, a powerful stream of divine energy erupted and shot to the heavens.
To the ones in close proximity, it was completely blinding.
Rias and Akeno spread defensive-type magic-circles in front of them while everyone ducked behind them.
The ground shook to the point that it felt like the earth was going to split.
When Issei opened his eyes to look up, he felt like he was gazing at the sun itself.
However, he couldn't look away.
Rias, Sona, and Riser all felt an instinctual fear welling up within them.
But at the same time, there was a single feeling rising.
This is [[[our]]] enemy.
Emerging from the pillar of light was a goddess.
Clad in white and gold, the [goddess] that appeared before them possessed eight wings made of pure light.
Concealing the upper half of her face was something that resembled a helmet adorned with wings, along with a visible lack of eye holes.
Her golden blonde hair flowed from behind it, with some draped over her shoulder while the rest flowed down behind her.
She had a white choker that extended upwards to her jaw, covering up to her ears and disappearing underneath her helmet.
Wearing an asymmetrical leotard-like cloth, with golden winged breastplates and black belts wrapped along her exposed abdomen and her exposed right thigh.
Additionally, both her right arm and leg were exposed, her hagoromo-like shroud wrapping around her right wrist, while her left arm was sleeved and her left leg covered in cloth.
The holy shroud itself was also changed, having changed from a deep scarlet to a bright pink with strange symbols appearing on it and its ends being changed to resemble feathers.
Palming her fist, she cracks her knuckles while also stretching her neck.
"Your judgment is at hand, Devils."
Asia Argento, the Saint, was no more—
The one that stood before them was the pseudo-goddess—
[Aeriel].
Happy Worthless Exorcist Wednesdays! (They're back!(hopefully)) Leave a like, subscribe and click on the notification bell...yada yada.
Don't forget to read Azure, The Doomsday Option, Cat Got Your Tongue?, DxD: Alternative, My Sister's Keeper and Akainu Punishes Green Bull. They're masterpieces that keep my creative mind alive even if my upload schedule is whack as hell.
This chap is for you, my last three readers.