The Battle Never Ends

by Arthain

The Tyrant had surpassed death once before. This time wouldn't have been any different save for the determination of one young man and his desire to protect all that he cared for. But what should have been the end instead became a new beginning. A beginning somewhere else. A beginning where Night Raid was still needed.

18. The Weight of an Ideal

Final note on God: Lots of different comments on my view of God. Some people voicing their opinion, others citing differences to what's been stated in later volumes of the LN. I'm just going to end this with: It's a fan fiction, things change, and leave it at that. I'm making God in my fan fiction closer to the biblical definition than the Ichiei Ishibumi definition.

Author's Note: Happy Canada Day to all the Canadians that read this! I am Canadian and proud to be it!

Chapter 16: Ideals

He was the Tyrant.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, in the deepest recesses of his consciousness, Tatsumi had always known. He had died back there in the Empire. A Teigu did not follow a person into death and they did not move on like the Sacred Gears of this world. Incursio was gone, the Key was gone and yet the Tyrant had remained.

It had always been there, lurking in the depths of his mind, his body. Whenever Tatsumi was in trouble it would shift and surge, granting him the power necessary to push past his limits and become more than what he had been before. The strength to survive any injury.

But what did that really mean? The power had always come from within him, from the Tyrant, and not from some external source. Yet never at any point in time had he felt his control slipping. During the battle with Esdeath and afterwards with Kokabiel, it had been the same. He could distinctly remember each of them. Then there was that strange knowledge, the feelings he had that didn't connect properly with what he could easily recall.

That was when he realized the full implication of what happened after death, why the two souls had still been tethered together as they drifted through the void. The Tyrant had tried to rip away from him, true, but why had they even been joined in the first place? The answer was simple. Just as it had tried to rebuild its body by using Tatsumi's as a base, it had tried to do the same with it's soul and mind.

The struggle in that void... Tatsumi had accomplished his goal, forced the Tyrant to stay tethered to his soul. But what did victory mean and what did it cost Tatsumi?

An unsettling feeling washed over him. How much of the current him was Tatsumi and how much of it was the Tyrant? Where did he end and it begin? Was he human or was he a monster now, a Super Class danger beast?

No, that wasn't right either.

He shook his head, "I am Tatsumi." He wasn't a Super Class danger beast. All he had ever desired was to be left alone, but power drew the greedy and so he had been chased. He had killed to survive, killed to escape, killed in self-defence. The efficiency of his killing had earned him a label he never knew he had. "I am…" he couldn't finish that thought.

What was he?

"You're both, if I'm not mistaken," Najenda said as she circled about him. There was no hint of fear or rejection in her eyes, just curiosity. "Whether you're the Tyrant that gained a rational, thinking mind in the form of Tatsumi, or the human Tatsumi that incorporated all that the Tyrant was into his own existence, is all really just academic at this point. Whatever it is you are, you've lived as it for the past seventeen years and that is fact." Najenda came to a stop in front of him once more. "What matters most isn't what you are, or what you were, but what is it that you wish to be."

He clung to those words like a life line. Najenda was right. He couldn't change the past, all he could do was choose what he would be in the future. He was neither Tatsumi the human nor the creature labeled as the Tyrant, a Super Class danger beast. He took a long, deep breath and withdrew his power inside. It went easily, willingly. The scales receded, the muscles shifted, and his bones realigned and in mere moments a human stood where a dragon had once been. The Shroud of Longinus shifted back to a simple cloak that hung from his shoulders.

"What I wish to be?" He turned to regard the others. His eyes immediately found Bennia and Sona. There was no fear there, no hint of rejection. Bennia just looked confused because she had no idea what they were talking about and Sona looked determined to never let him go. Warmth stirred inside his heart. "What I am is irrelevant. The only real name I have ever been given in any of my lives was Tatsumi and so that is what it shall be." He didn't want the label of Tyrant, even if it did have a nice little ring to it. "All that matters is that I'm strong enough to protect Humanity and the people I care about." His voice was firm. That was his one singular and unshakable ideal. "Sona once asked me what I wanted to be, what my dreams were." He knew now why he couldn't give Sona that answer. "I don't have one. I don't need one. I will protect the smiles of those I care about. Hopefully they'll try to do the same. If you and everyone you know is happy, do you really need anything else?"

((Nope!)) Bennia said happily as she threw her arms around his neck. Her lips quirked up into a mischievous smile. ((and I know several ways to make you smile! I'll show you after this stuffy meeting!))

Bennia was deftly plucked from his shoulders by an irate Sona. Bennia stuck her tongue out at Sona as she was held aloft, and away from him. "I believe Najenda put it quite nicely. Whatever you may be, you've lived it these past seventeen years. That's the only Tatsumi I've ever known and is the one I fell in love with so I see no problems here." She gave Bennia a stern glare. "And certain activities can only do so much. He needs a real woman to make him truly happy."

((A real woman? Wouldn't that disqualify you?))

Michael gently cleared his throat before the two of them could get into an argument. "I keep hearing the term Tyrant, is it too much to inquire as to what that is, exactly?"

Najenda was silent for a few moments as she worked on how best to respond, "In our world we have something called Danger Beasts. They're basically normal wildlife that, either due to mutation or some other… external factor, end up becoming powerful, vicious monsters that attack the living indiscriminately. The Tyrant was one such Danger Beast. A powerful dragon that indiscriminately slaughtered all life it came across—"

"Actually, that's wrong," Tatsumi interrupted her. "Humans attacked first. The First Emperor was a greedy, selfish man that wanted everything. History portrayed him as a great man but when he saw what I… or rather the Tyrant could do, he wanted it for himself. The Tyrant became nomadic and vicious as a means of protecting itself, not because it wanted to." Tatsumi frowned as a far distant memory surface. "It was actually that way for a lot of the Teigus. The First Emperor wasn't satisfied with being a mortal. He wanted to be a God and the Teigus were the end result of his attempt at obtaining absolute power."

Najenda nodded thoughtfully. "There are several schools of thought that agree with that line of thinking. The Emperor was already the leader of the largest, most powerful and advanced nation in the world at the time. Despite his supposed desire to 'preserve his glorious nation,' there wasn't any actual need to create the Teigus. As someone as intelligent as he had been portrayed, he should have been able to foresee how they'd be misused after his death. Despite that, he went ahead and created them. The actual 'why' has eluded scientists and scholars for centuries, although everyone seems to have their own theory." She shook her head. "That's a separate discussion and not one for here. Let's get back on topic." She turned to regard Michael. "We have several levels of classification for Danger Beasts in our world. Super Class is designated for the most dangerous and powerful, of which there are only five known ones. The Tyrant is the dragon that sits at the top of those five as the greatest."

"And we're not going to tell you what it's capable of," Tatsumi said dryly.

"An assassin doesn't reveal all his tricks, is it?" Azazel asked.

"Something like that."

Azazel just smiled. "That's fine, it's more interesting to try and piece things together."

Tatsumi turned to regard Najenda and Akame. "How did you two get here anyways?"

"You can thank those two women over there," Najenda said as she gestured to Serafall and Gabriel. The two of them smiled at Tatsumi. "They made a special trip to our world to get help for you. We agreed, provided they stopped the war they started."

Everyone turned to stare at the two of them. Michael and Sona in particular had rather large frowns on their faces. Azazel just looked like he wanted to laugh.

"It's her fault," Serafall said quickly, pointing at Gabriel. "She refused to accept that magical girls are better than shinobis!"

"No other explanation is needed," Michael said, letting out a soft sigh. "Gabriel, you should know better than to convert people in such a way."

"I am deeply grieved by how our disagreement escalated," Gabriel said softly. She suddenly smiled widely. "I did learn that God's system doesn't extend to Tatsumi's world so it's impossible for Angels to fall there no matter what they do."

"You were able to confirm this?" Michael asked cautiously.

"Yes, I was able to eat bacon."

Michael's eyes lit up happily. "Perhaps I should pay Tatsumi's world a visit."

"Wait, bacon causes Angels to fall?" Tatsumi asked incredulously. That was the most asinine and stupid reason to cause a fall.

"Pig, actually," Michael corrected him gently. "One of God's mistakes apparently, but he was too kind hearted to wipe them out. I've heard the taste is exquisite but Angels are not allowed to partake. That rule is so deeply ingrained in the great system that we'd have to rebuild it from the ground up if we wanted to change it."

"God hated bacon… wow… that's…" Tatsumi didn't know what to think.

"Bacon is what started the Great War," Azazel said, pushing the absurdity to new heights. "Devils taught humans how to whip up bacon and God took offense to that."

What the fuck? Tatsumi just stared at all the powerful figures gathered in this room. They weren't serious… were they? They all looked serious. "The Great War that caused the death of so many was because of bacon?!"

Azazel grinned. "Yes."

Tatsumi gave Michael a pleading look, begging him to refute Azazel. Michael simply coughed and looked away. "Azazel is exaggerating a little. We were already at war with the Devils and the original Satans when the Fallen Angels taught Humanity how to cook bacon. That was simply the reason they were pulled in."

What the hell was wrong with this world? He just wanted to grab it by the throat and throttle it sometimes! It was crazy through and through! Tatsumi never thought he'd long to return to his old life but even being a part of Night Raid during the height of the war was better than this! As corrupt and horrible as it had been at least it'd made sense!

"This is a strange place you've found yourself in, Tatsumi," Najenda said softly. She was eyeing the powerful beings at the table warily. Yes! Someone else that found this place completely nuts! He wasn't the odd one out.

Tatsumi hadn't felt so utterly relieved in a very long time.

"Stupid if you ask me," Akame added. "You should come home. Mine would be overjoyed to see you again."

Wait, what was that? Mine was awake? That completely tore Tatsumi away from the all crazy surrounding the round table in front of him. "She woke up?"

"I'm right here," Mine said from across the room.

"Our Mine," Najenda explained for her. "Mine was a part of Night Raid in our world. She and Tatsumi were close." She gave Tatsumi a sly look. "Very close. Close enough that you left a child inside her before you died, Tatsumi."

"Loli-harem! Ho!" Issei shouted.

Everyone ignored him.

"Taven is doing well," Akame said. "Grew up on stories about his father. He's looking to join the Royal Guard like you always wanted."

A hushed silence fell upon the room as Akame and Najenda dropped that bomb upon it. Tatsumi didn't have to look. He could feel what everyone else was thinking. Would he accept Akame's offer? Even if it had been tossed out there almost in jest due to the craziness of the current conversation, it changed everything. He had a son waiting for him back in the other world, a son and a woman that loved him just as much as those here did. It was a world he had fought and died to protect, to restore order to. That was their origin, Tyrant and Tatsumi both, before they became what they were now.

A part of him yearned to accept that offer. To go see Mine, her smile, and his son.

"If you wish to go, Tatsumi, go," Michael said unexpectedly. Only then did Tatsumi turn to stare at the powerful leaders. He could see consternation on Gabriel and Serafall. They had not expected this development. Sirzechs and Azazel were impassive, simply waiting to see which way he fell. "No one here would blame you."

((But—!))

"Would you keep a man from his son just for your own selfish desires?" Michael asked Bennia softly.

No one was willing to refute that. Oh, Tatsumi could see that some of them very much wanted to. They all wanted him to stay, but no one would stop him from leaving.

He could leave here. Leave this warped and strange world where few things made sense to him. Reunite with the first woman he'd ever loved and a son he never knew he had. Enjoy the fruits of his labor. The village he had left, the parents that were still waiting for him there. Had he not earned it? Had he not done enough already?

A single tear rolled down his cheek.

"I can't go back," Tatsumi said.

He'd never be able to live with himself if he did. To just turn his back on this world and let its people suffer just so he could know a few years of peace? He couldn't do that. How would he even connect with his son? They were physically the same age now. More than that he couldn't just appear in his life after not being there for the first seventeen. It just didn't feel right.

And he wasn't the same Tatsumi that had fallen in love with Mine of his old world. He had moved on, resolved to building a life here in this world. Gregorious Abaddon needed to pay for his crimes and he couldn't just leave Bennia and Sona behind. Bennia might come with him but Sona's dreams were all firmly rooted in this world. He simply couldn't sever all the feelings and connections he'd made in this world just so he could go back and make a single woman happy.

The worst thing however… "Mine can't know that I live."

"No, she can't," Najenda agreed. She seemed to understand where he was coming from. If Mine knew, she'd definitely make her way here. That couldn't be allowed to happen. Better that she live with memories that he died loving her, than to live knowing he was alive elsewhere and avoiding her. "If you're resolved to stay here and help this world, you will need to eventually cut all ties with your old one. Even us. You can't protect the happiness of both. It's either our world, or this one."

It would be this world. His old one was done and finished. It was protected. It didn't need Tatsumi anymore, even if a single woman did. Even if that battle had ended, this one was still going strong and so long as this battle never ended, he would continue to fight.

"Just bring her here!" Issei offered from the sidelines. "No man should be denied his loli-harem like this! You can even double-dip with this loli-Mine!" Mine glanced at her chest and then glared daggers at Issei. "It's not fair that you have to give such a delicious flat chest up!"

Azazel managed to restrain Mine a half second before she rammed a large pink spear of light up Issei's ass.

"No." All three of them, Tatsumi, Najenda and Akame said together. They shared knowing looks.

"She's not fit for battle anymore, is she?" Tatsumi asked quietly.

"No, she isn't. Overloading Pumpkin to kill Budo left her bound to a wheelchair." The Budo and Mine in the room shared startled looks. "She can't fight anymore, but if she came here…"

She would try and then she would die. Tatsumi was going to be painting a huge target on himself very soon, if he didn't already have one. He could only surround himself with people that could fight and protect themselves. So far everyone a part of Night Raid was just that, and they would become more. The Mine he knew couldn't.

"It's nice to know that she woke up," Tatsumi said with a soft sigh. He shook his head and made his way back to his seat between Gabriel and Serafall. The both of them looked overjoyed as he retook his seat. "This is where I belong now. I fought to protect the happiness of my old world and succeeded, perhaps that means I can succeed here as well." A wry smile came to his lips. "Hopefully this time I won't die in the process."

"That's the Tatsumi I knew," Najenda said smiling. She approved of his decision. "Since you're trying to rebuild and lead a new Night Raid, it only makes sense that the Leader of the original Night Raid stays around to teach you how to run things properly."

"What about the Empire?" Tatsumi asked.

"It's the Kingdom now and it has become quiet, no one to murder or assassinate in three years. It's been so dull Akame has gone on trips overseas without me."

"There was food I wanted to try," Akame said softly. She made her way around the table to his side and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Najenda and I will help you save this world however we can."

Bennia floated over to Tatsumi's side and took up position behind his seat once more. ((You smell more like Death that Tatsumi did!))

"Perhaps because I am," Akame stated quietly. "As Tatsumi merged with the Tyrant because he pushed Incursio too far, so too have I joined with Murasame." She didn't go into any further explanation.

Unlike this world, they didn't give away their secrets just because it was an opportune time to go into a monologue.

"Well, now that we've finished with the introduction of the new members of Night Raid," Sirzechs said, cutting through the atmosphere of the room like a knife. "There's something else we'd like to present you with Tatsumi."

"There's more?" He was honestly surprise. Just being able to see Akame and Najenda again was more than he could have ever hoped for.

Sirzechs looked amused. "Of course. I, and the others, are aware that you've been staying at Sona Sitri's place ever since your own was destroyed. That was fine for the interim when there was only the two of you." His gaze momentarily shifted to Bennia before returning. "There's seven of you now and her place simply won't do. Again, it would be seen as a sign of preferential treatment and bias. Night Raid can't have that."

Michael nodded. "To that end all three of us," the leader of the Angels gestured to Sirzechs, Azazel and himself, "worked to have a base constructed for you and Night Raid. We purchased the land around your home, the devastated crater that Kokabiel had made, and repurposed it. The scar on the land is gone replaced by the new base of operations for Night Raid."

"That's going to be rather visible," Tatsumi noted. He'd seen pictures of that crater in online news feeds. It was not small. He was used to Night Raid having secret hideouts hidden away in hard to reach places.

"That's the point," Azazel said. "We want you to be in the open. A visible reminder for everyone of what will happen if they step out of line." He laughed. "I also expect it to be raided at least twice a year. It's easier to watch the raid unfold if you're out in the open like that."

Tatsumi turned to Gabriel. "I can still punch him in the teeth, right?"

"Yes."

"Oi-GABUH!" Azazel coughed and spluttered as Mine hauled off and decked him in the teeth. "Traitor!"

Mine just cracked her knuckles ominously. "I'll be living there too. I don't appreciate your insinuation. I know you well enough to know that you might just set those raids up yourself!"

Azazel blinked. "I totally forgot that—BARGH!" He cried out as Mine decked him a second time.

"You're right, Azazel," Tatsumi said, smiling, "it's definitely more satisfying watching it happen out in the open like this."

"I hate my life!" Azazel moaned pitifully.

"She really is the same as our Mine," Najenda said, shaking her head laughing. "I wonder if I'll get to meet myself in this world."

"Want to see Kurome," Akame said softly.

"I don't know about Akame or this Kurome," Michael said softly, "but our Najenda is leading an exorcist corps down in Africa in a joint operation with the Egyptian Gods and Goddesses to root out a rather large heretical organization that believes in ritualistically sacrificing children to an Outer God."

"Perhaps I'll swing by after everything is done over here before heading home," Najenda mused, "might be interesting to speak to myself."

"If this peace truly succeeds and takes hold, I'll arrange it myself," Michael assured her.

"Does that satisfy everything, Tatsumi?" Sirzechs asked him, "a lot has been said and done, but we have yet to hear whether you'll accept. Will you, Nakimori Tatsumi, lead Night Raid and fight for the peace of this world, peace in which Humans no longer have to suffer at the hands of the other powers?"

There wasn't any more need to think about this.

"Yes, I will. So long as the battle still rages, Night Raid will be there to fight it."

There were smiles all around the table now. It was a sealed deal. Night Raid would be the blade that cut down all those that would seek to use Humanity for their own desires without any concern or thought. His gaze shifted to Sona. She closed her eyes and looked away. She knew. Now it wasn't just his own ideals that would clash against Sona's and her desire to open up a Rating Game School. He would be mandated by the very Satans that ruled her society to kill her students if they preyed upon humanity.

She would need to change her dream or watch as Tatsumi cut it to pieces in front of her.

The Archangel, Michael, addressed Issei across the room, "Since the discussion has gone in a good direction and the question of Night Raid has been solved amicably, it would be alright if we heard about the matter you brought up to me earlier, Sekiryuutei."

What was this? Tatsumi looked over at Issei as the young boy rose stiffly from his chair. He obviously hadn't expected to be called upon here, or for Michael to even remember whatever it was they'd discussed. Issei shared a quick look with Asia before swallowing hard.

"Michael-san, I just want to know but, why did you exile Asia?"

Tatsumi blinked in surprise. That was actually a rather intelligent question, and coming from Issei it made it even more remarkable. From what Tatsumi knew of Asia she should be the sort of individual the church would want to hang onto no matter the cost, and yet she had been cast off for some reason.

Michael seemed genuinely surprised as well, and remorseful at the same time, "I can only apologize for that. After God was killed, only the divine system remained. This system empowers holy items and rituals like exorcism, crosses, holy weapons, and others. This system is fueled by the faith and belief of our followers and we Angels are entirely dependent on it. Without it, we ourselves would die."

Ah, now Tatsumi understood.

"Asia was exiled because she can heal Devils and Fallen Angels as well..." Issei trailed off. He seemed to have realized it as well.

"Yes, I apologize again. Her faith in God was never in doubt, but we need to exile and ostracize anything that could disrupt the flow of faith. Asia Argento's Twilight Healing is one such Sacred Gear." Michael glanced over at Xenovia. "Normally those that know the non-existence of God would be included however…"

"It doesn't matter if God is dead," Xenovia said firmly, "Gabriel-sama is my light, and even if He is gone, his teachings still govern my life. I will be eternally grateful to them and the light they have brought into my life. I will fight for Heaven and for Gabriel-sama as fiercely as I once fought for Him."

"Isn't she just a darling?" Gabriel said like someone showing off a prized possession. Xenovia preened under her compliment.

Asia rose to her feet, "It's alright, Michael-sama, you don't have to apologize." The radiant glow on Asia's face truly hit home just how wrong it was for Michael to discard her, even if Tatsumi could accept it from a more rational point of view. "I regret being a devil a bit, but all the things I couldn't do when I served the church, everything that was sealed from me, are now brilliantly coloring my life every day. I can heal and serve without fear of rejection." She gave Xenovia a kind smile. "I might anger the believers by saying this but, I am satisfied with my current life."

"You shame me with your words," Michael said regretfully, "your loss is a true blow to the Church."

"Your words are all I need, Michael-sama," Asia said. She looked absolutely radiant after hearing that praise. "To be able to meet you and talk with you is an honor I never could have dreamed of as a Holy Maiden."

Michael looked relieved at her kind words and Tatsumi once again was struck at how much God's death had affected things. If He had been alive, Asia would never have been ex-communicated. A girl that pure and devote, that kind, would never have been let go. She truly well and belonged in the Church, but here she was, a devil. An existence that was at direct odds with her nature.

"Your words are wonderful to hear," Michael said softly, "if I could have, I would have taken you under my wing myself." Instead of seeing it as an opportunity lost, Asia all but glowed under that praise. "Still, I feel as if we Angels need to do something to make up for our mistake." He reached beneath his armor and pulled out a small blue crystal glowing with a soft, inner white light. "I know it's not much, but it's all I'm allowed to provide at the moment." He sent it spinning through the air towards Rias. She reached out and grabbed it as it arrived. "Give that to your Knight, Yuuto Kiba. It contains the souls of his friends that were taken for the Holy Sword research. Perhaps… it will give him a bit of peace and help heal the wounds of his heart. After that, it's up to him if he ever wakes again."

Rias bowed low. "Thank you, Michael-sama," the crimson-haired girl said from the bottom of her heart.

"Alright we're getting Kiba back!" Issei cheered happily. Asia looked ecstatic as well and even Akeno had a warm smile on her lips. Suddenly Issei deflated. "Oh wait we're getting Kiba back…"

Tatsumi couldn't stop the smile that came to his lips. Kiba and Issei were always at odds with each other. Even though Issei was well on the way to having his own personal harem, Kiba was still his arch enemy, that typical pretty-boy that every girl fawned over.

Azazel clapped loudly, bringing their attention to him. "Well, now that everything has been addressed, and boy did that go on long." Serafall and Gabriel glared at him. "I'd like to hear the opinion of two other powers that'll have a great influence on our world in the future." The leader of the Grigori peered back at Vali. "What says the invincible Dragon-sama, the Hakuryuukou, Vali?"

"All I care about is testing my strength against the best," Vali declared openly. He grinned at Tatsumi. "I had thought only the Sekiryuutei would offer me a challenge but now…"

A battle maniac. Great. At least he didn't seem unnecessarily sadistic like Esdeath. Well, so long as he didn't bother humanity as a whole Tatsumi wouldn't mind fighting him at some point in the future. It might even be something to look forward to.

"And what about the Sekiryuutei, the Red Dragon Emperor?" Azazel asked, turning to Issei.

"I honestly don't know what's going on," Issei said as he scratched his cheek absentmindedly. "All this stuff with Night Raid and peace and war is just way over my head. I have my hands full with looking after my kohai. Even if you ask me what I think, I don't know. I haven't thought about it."

"I see, I see," Azazel said, nodding his head sagely. A strange little smile suddenly came to his lips. "Well, perhaps I can put it in terms you might understand better. If there's a war, you won't be able to have sex with Rias Gremory." Issei went rigid with shock. "If we make peace, you two can have sex as much as you want, make babies by the dozens. If we fight, both of you will be forced to fight as well and that means no sexy time."

Akame and Najenda both stared at him incredulously and he could only shake his head helplessly. Yes, he knew, they didn't need to look at him like that. This world seriously was that screwed up. He didn't even need to pay attention. He could interpret Issei's words even if he didn't pay attention. If you put it like that then Issei would only have one answer every time.

When Rias' face became as crimson as her hair, it was only confirmation.

Suddenly the conference was interrupted by a loud thump against the window. As one they all turned and stared. With a loud squeal a robbed woman slowly slid down the tall glass windows. A trail of blood smeared the window behind, courtesy of a hole punched through her chest.

Tatsumi could only tilt his head and stare. "I just have to ask, but that's not normal, is it?" He honestly didn't know. In this world he wasn't willing to discount anything.

"Do we really look that strange to the three of you?" Azazel asked as he rose to his feet. The other leaders were rising as well.

"Yes," Tatsumi said. Najenda and Akame nodded in agreement. Even as he said that though he was already moving towards the window. It didn't take Tatsumi long to realize that something was very wrong. There were giant holes in the old school building and bodies of scantily clad sorceresses all over the place. He caught a glimpse of a short white-haired girl racing past some windows carrying a box. "Hey! Rias! Koneko is running about with that box you reincarnated."

"I didn't reincarnate a box!" Rias shouted at him indignantly.

"The box is moving," Akame said quietly. She gave Tatsumi a curious look. "They have sentient boxes here?"

"Apparently."

"Strange."

"Noo!" Rias wail of protest brought a smile to Tatsumi's face.

"No time for that," Azazel snapped, suddenly all serious. "It seems that we're under attack by a faction that doesn't appreciate our efforts to sue for peace."

"You seem to know who these attackers are," Michael said as he joined Azazel at a window. "Do explain."

A thousand magical circles sprung up in the air about the academy. From those circles descended hundreds of robed figures similar to the one that had squeaked her way down the window earlier. Alongside them was thrice that number in devils. They outnumbered the guards the various factions had brought by several times.

And they didn't hesitate to attack. The night lit up with flashes of magical light as attacks were unleashed in concert upon the unsuspecting forces below. The room shook and quaked as explosions rocked the school.

Half of the bodyguards died before the rest realized what was happening. The remaining Angels, Devils and Fallen immediately started to fight back.

"It's a terrorist attack. In any era where a power tries to form peace, there are others that will try to disturb it." Azazel hummed as he stared at the ongoing battle. "They couldn't get in unless someone inside made a gate for them. We have a traitor."

Tatsumi was only half paying attention to the battle outside. His main attention was on the white-haired girl in the old school building. Koneko was really making the terrorist work. They hadn't been training together long but already she was showing huge improvements. Tatsumi could only admire her handiwork as she bulldozed through a dozen magical attacks to stomp a magician's face into the floor, splattering chunks of brain matter about the place.

And all while carting about a reincarnated box.

Still, it was taking a toll on her. Her clothes were all but gone and dark welts and injuries were appearing all about her small frame.

"Who are these individuals?" Michael asked.

Azazel chuckled. "The Khaos Brigade." Well wasn't that an ominous name? "They deal in chaos and mayhem and are led by the most powerful being in existence now that God is dead. The Ouroboros Dragon, Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God."

"Ophis isn't really infinite, is it?" Tatsumi asked. No one answered. The leaders all knew about the dragon but none of them refuted his question. "Night Raid isn't ready to fight someone like that."

"Don't be silly, Tatsumi," Gabriel said, dismissing his concern. "Ophis is our problem."

[She'll be all your problems soon enough.] A magically distorted voice spoke up in the room. A devil like runic circle appeared on the floor near the door. [Ophis is the leader of the Khaos Brigade and with her power we'll destroy all three factions!]

Azazel scowled as someone began to emerge from the circle. "It seems the mastermind of this attack has arrived."

Tatsumi exchanged a quick look with Akame. No words were needed. As one the two of them blazed across the room in the blink of an eye. Little more than a mass of brown hair and a pair of violet eyes had appeared before their blades descended upon her. A pair of black snakes caught Akame's blade before it could reach her, sensing the danger that lurked within.

No such snake intercepted Tatsumi's blade as it screamed for her face. The brown-haired lady let out an undignified scream as she quickly jerked her head to the side. His blade careened smashed through her glasses and took her left eye before it continued out the side of her head.

"You brats!" the woman screamed in pain as she hurtled through the portal in an instant. A powerful wave of energy hurled Tatsumi back into a warm embrace and a pair of enormous breasts. To the side he saw that Akame had been caught by Serafall.

"You dare injure me?!" The woman screamed in rage as she clutched at her bleeding face.

"If you're going to make such a slow, lackadaisical entrance, yes," Tatsumi retorted. That overly dramatic entrance was typical of what he'd come to expect here in this world. If you wanted to gloat, do it after you'd won, not before the battle even started.

Gabriel gently placed Tatsumi on his feet before she suddenly disappeared. The bespectacled woman barely had time to react before a powerful fist thundered into her chest. She let out a scream of surprise as she was sent hurtling through the wall, the hallway, the next class room, and out of the school building.

"And I'll do far more than that," Gabriel said as she cracked her knuckles.

"Sensei—"

"Don't worry about Katerea Leviathan, Tatsumi," Gabriel said as she started for the hole she'd punched the woman through. "I told you before it's my responsibility to step in when something above your ability to handle steps up. Katerea is arguably more powerful than Kokabiel if Ophis is empowering her. You may be ready to face people like her someday, but that day is not today. For now, let your Sensei do her job."

"Not alone!" Serafall said as she came up beside Gabriel. "Levia-tan isn't letting Gaby-tan get one up on her! Besides, it's my name she wants."

"Another competition?" Gabriel asked.

"Yes!"

"Oi, if you girls destroy the school again, you devils are picking up the bill!" Azazel called out.

"I'm fairly confident it won't happen, we just got a little over excited last time," Gabriel said. She looked over to Michael. "May I, brother?"

"Go with my blessing, dear sister, and show this Khaos Brigade that Heaven is not a power to be underestimated."

Gabriel hurled herself through the hole in the wall and charged after Katerea. Serafall quickly chased after her.

"Those two are becoming fast friends," Azazel mused as he watched two of the most powerful women in existence leave. "That's a terrifying combination."

"If they work together and not against each other," Sirzechs said. "There's still quite a number of rough edges there."

"But it brings me hope that peace truly is something we can all enjoy together," Michael said in his beautiful, melodic voice. "If my sister and the Leviathan can join hands and work together, others should be able to as well."

"We can worry about that later," Tatsumi said as he rushed over to the windows and peered back out into the school yard. The three leaders seemed really laid back as their followers fought a losing battle. It was so strange. "There's a whole army out there that needs to be taken down."

"What are your orders, Tatsumi?" Najenda asked him as she joined him at the window, there was a little smile on her lips as if she was enjoying this.

"My orders?" It was strange hearing Najenda say that. He was used to following hers. "Right now it's hard to give any orders without knowing what everyone is capable of." He had never seen Xenovia or Ravel fight and Mine's one battle with him had resorted to a single overwhelming attack that hadn't actually finished Esdeath off. "Which makes this the perfect opportunity for that. If they wish to disturb the conference then they don't like the idea of a peaceful world where humans are able to live their lives without suffering. That makes them Night Raid's enemy, even if some of them are human." Tatsumi turned to the others. "Is everyone ready?"

Ravel curtsied to him, "it will be an honor to show you what I can do, Tatsumi-san."

An enormous blue-gold sword appeared in Xenovia's hands. "An enemy of both Lady Gabriel and Tatsumi. Durandal and I will cut them down!"

"They have some nerve trying to attack this peace conference while I'm here!" Mine sniffed imperiously. She cracked her fingers. "I'm going to enjoy teaching them a lesson!"

"I know you're willing to reap souls," He said looking over at Bennia. She just smiled and brought her scythe out. "What about you Akame?"

She glanced over at Najenda who nodded. She brought Murasame out and the dark curse flared along its edge and across her form. Her sclera darkened. "It will be nice to fight alongside you again, Tatsumi."

Yes it would. "Alright everyone," Tatsumi turned back to the window. He raised his fist and surged the Tyrant's… no his power through his arm and slammed it into the window. The entire wall ruptured and exploded outwards in a storm of glass, concrete and steel. "Night Raid, your targets are the human magicians and the devils attacking the peace conference. Don't leave a single one alive."

Bennia was the first one out and she didn't waste any time. For her following Tatsumi's orders and taking out his targets was familiar territory. She took to the air, attacking the magicians and devils with quick, precise strikes of her reaper's scythe. They tried to target her but she was simply too fast, moving so quickly from target to target that she left afterimages behind her.

Mine and Xenovia followed on her heels.

Xenovia launched herself at a nearby devil attacking an Angel. Her enormous sword cleaved through the devil like a hot knife through butter. A powerful holy aura erupted around its edge causing the impaled devil to literally melt upon its edge. She used the back of the melting devil as a launch pad to acrobatically throw herself towards her another devil. This one died in a single strike, as did the next as Xenovia leapt and flipped about the battle field.

Mine took to the air and began to rain a hailstorm of pink light upon the devils and magicians. Dozens died in mere moments under the machine gun like rapid fire of light. When they tried to retaliate, Mine simply spun in place, wrapping a wave of pink light about her at arm's length that nullified their attacks. When she stopped spinning, a hundred more spears of light were launched at the devils and magicians. Those that dodged them still died as they the pink spears detonated in a sphere of destructive pink energy.

"There's no Fallen Angel that has more versatility to the way they can manipulate their light than Mine," Azazel said as he came up to the opening in the wall to stare up at Mine. "It's her human heritage that allows her come up and utilize such imaginative ways. You better take good care of her."

"So she's a halfbreed here as well," Najenda mused.

"Seems so," Tatsumi said.

"Mine is better that way," Akame said before she stepped out of the room and fell to the ground below. Then she began to blur across the battle field. A black streak of death that left only corpses in her wake.

"A halfbreed you say?" Michael mused quietly. "Well, it seems she's a Fallen Angel due to no fault of her own. It's not as difficult to raise someone to an angel as it is to create one anew, perhaps I could—"

"Oi! Oi! No poaching!" Azazel protested.

"Ya!" Issei joined in the protest, "how dare you take from Tatsumi another loli for his loli harem!"

Everyone just stared.

Tatsumi shook his head and turned to the young girl that hadn't jumped out the window. "Not joining them?" he asked Ravel.

"My place is beside you," Ravel said. A pair of devils tried to attack them but before they could even get near the room Ravel waved her hand and a pillar of flame consumed them. "A bishop is not a front-line fighter. I will stay back and protect you and the others as best I can from a distance." To emphasize that point she sent balls of fire and summoned pillars of flames at various points throughout the battle field to help support Mine and Xenovia.

Neither Bennia nor Akame needed any assistance. They were never in one place long enough for anyone to actually hit them.

"We're going too," Rias said suddenly as she jumped from through the shattered opening in the wall and took to the air. "Akeno, Issei, Asia, to me, we're going to help Koneko and Gasper!"

"Yes Buchou!" they all shouted as they followed Rias out.

"Tsubaki and I are going as well, Sirzechs-sama," Sona said as she took to the air after her friend. Tsubaki followed closely on her heels."

The six of them raced for the old school building. Issei gathered Asia up into his arms and raced across the grounds as Akeno, Rias, Sona and Tsubaki decimated all the magicians and devils trying to obstruct them.

Looking on the battle field Tatsumi noted one interesting piece of information though. Everyone was so weak. The escorts the three leaders had brought with them struggled against the attackers. The members of Night Raid and Rias' peerage, however, carved through them like they were nothing.

"And what would you have of me?" Najenda asked. There was a small, amused smile on her lips like she was enjoying this.

"Watch us and take notes, I won't be able to keep an eye on everyone out there."

"You're going to join in?"

Tatsumi held Incursio aloft before him, "yes. I need to refamiliarize myself." He focused on the familiar pulse that connected him to the blade and pulled on it. "Incursio!"

The transformation happened faster this time, and it wasn't nearly as exhausting. His blood boiled and surged as his body morphed and shifted once more bringing forth the flesh of the Tyrant. Wings erupted from his back and the Shroud of Longinus quickly integrated itself into his flesh as it created a second pair of matching wings. Old, familiar strength surged through his veins.

"Quicker this time," Tatsumi rumbled. "And I don't seem to be as large as back then."

"I consider that a good thing," Najenda replied offhandedly. "You wouldn't fit in this room if you were."

That was true.

"Vali, go join them as well," Azazel suggested. "With you helping them we can bring this entire thing to an end in short order."

"Understood," Vali agreed. He let out a long breath and wings of light unfolded from Vali's back. [Vanishing Dragon Balance Breaker!]

A snow-white aura whipped about Vali's form, momentarily concealing him from sight. When the light faded away his entire body was wrapped in white body armor that was unnervingly similar to the old Incursio.

"Three dragons, one for Humanity, one for the Fallen Angels and one for the Devils," Azazel laughed as he threw a wide grin at Michael. "The Angels need to step up."

Vali chuckled, his voice came out distorted by the armor he wore. "You're only partly correct Azazel."

A thunderclap rocked the room. Bright golden and silver light washed over everything, momentarily drowning out all sight. The room shook violently for several long, agonizing seconds as ear piercing noises and bright flashes of light blinded everyone there.

When the shaking and rumbling finally stopped Vali's blood drenched fist extended out of Azazel's back, grasping a significant length of his spinal column. "The Fallen don't have a dragon," Val whispered as Azazel weakly grasped at his arm.

"Betraying me… already?" Azazel gasped out. He let out a violent cough and a bubble of blood escaped from his lips.

"I got a better offer," Vali said lightly He ripped his fist out and let Azazel drop boneless to the conference room floor. He dropped the bloody spine onto Azazel's bleeding chest. "You can have this back, maybe that little nun will return before you bleed out."

"What is the meaning of this?" Budo demanded. The powerful angel had taken up a defensive posture between Michael and Vali. Lightning violently crackled about his frame. Grayfia had done likewise with Sirzechs and demonic power blazed off her form.

"I can't fight the strong if peace is all we have," Vali said simply. He turned his eyes upon Tatsumi. "And I'm far more interested in testing the limits of this 'Tyrant' than any shitty peace conference!"

"Najenda!" Tatsumi shouted even as he threw himself out of the hole in the wall.

He had a single moment to put his guard up before Vali crashed into him, sending him hurtling across the school yard. The White Dragon Emperor took off after him and behind Tatsumi could see Najenda pulling Ravel back to her feet. She had reacted quickly enough to get the young girl out of the way before Vali had struck. He didn't have any more time to worry about them as Vali came charging towards him again.

Both sets of wings flared dramatically behind Tatsumi but instead of slowing him down they used the strike to amplify Tatsumi's reaction. Vali's armor clad fist hit nothing but air as Tatsumi blurred around him. Tatsumi marveled at how smooth the movement was, it was beyond anything he had experienced before. The two sets of wings gave him a level of mobility far beyond anything a single pair ever could. He didn't waste too much time marveling at it though, and quickly lashed out at Vali with a thunderous kick.

The armor protecting Vali's side fractured beneath his foot and the man was sent violently spinning away. Tatsumi spun Neuntote around in his hand and hurled it at Vali. Air currents rippled off the bladed edge in waves as it shattered the sound barrier. Tatsumi kicked off the air and shot after it.

Vali was quick to right himself, halting his momentum and spinning around to face Tatsumi. He had a split second to recognize Neuntote's threat. The man was quick enough to dodge out of the way before, allowing the bladed harpoon to hurtle harmlessly past him and through the back of an unsuspecting devil. He wasn't quick enough to dodge Tatsumi as he plowed him into him. Vali's doubled over, a painful gasp ripped from his throat. His armor ruptured and split. Slivers of dragonscale steel showered the air about the two of them. Tatsumi surged his blood through his veins and pulled yet more power from the depths of his being. The air shattered in a thunderous roar that nearly deafened Tatsumi.

The two of them blasted past Neuntote and slammed into the ground below. A pair of unfortunate magicians that had been about to end the life of an exhausted female angel was pulverized into a bloody mist upon their impact.

Tatsumi reached up and grabbed Neuntote as it reached them and brought it down upon Vali.

Vali slammed his palm into the side of the blade and knocked it to the side. Before Tatsumi could react a pair of dragonscale boots slammed into his chest, throwing him back into the air. Tatsumi flared his wings behind him and quickly righted himself. By then Vali had taken to the air once more, hovering a dozen paces in front of him.

"Yes, this is the way it should be!" Vali shouted, laughing joyously. "I was right! I don't have just the Sekiryuutei to look forward to! In the future even you may be a worth challenge!"

If Tatsumi had eyebrows to cock, he'd be doing that right now. "You realize I just kicked your ass, right?" He winced and wished he could take his words back immediately. He knew enough about manga and anime to realize those words were basically a death sentence.

"Oh, you think so?" Vali asked, still laughing. His blue wings glowed brilliantly for a brief moment before he hurtled towards Tatsumi once more. "You're strong, fast, and agile! But all that is worthless before my Sacred Gear!" Tatsumi shot forward to stop Vali from activating whatever trump card he had. "Divide!"

Too late.

Instantly his stamina and strength were drained away, halved. Tatsumi had just enough time to realize that wasn't a good thing before Vali rammed his fist into Tatsumi's chest. Pain flared across his chest, momentarily blinding Tatsumi as Vali ripped out some internal bits he was fairly certain he needed.

Vali ripped his hand out, scattering gobs of blood, flesh and bits of intestine across the sky. The White Dragon Emperor whirled around and lashed out with a powerful kick. He couldn't just take that kick. Tatsumi forced himself to see through the haze of pain and tried to dodge to the side. He realized instantly that even his speed and maneuverability had been halved. He had just enough time to bring his arms up to brace his vulnerable chest before he was hit with bone crushing force. His scales shattered, muscles tore, and the bones in his arms broke beneath the force of Vali's kick.

The next thing Tatsumi knew he was cratering into the ground, wracking his body in more waves of pain.

"Do you understand now?" Vali asked, gloating from high above as Tatsumi desperately gasped for the oxygen that seemed to have very rudely left him upon impact. "Do you understand the fear that is the Hakuryuukou? You're stronger than most of the maggots that crawl down there upon the ground, but that's to be expected from a dragon."

His breath regained, Tatsumi slowly sat up. He forced his body to heal quickly, although that was taking longer than it should. Another side effect of Vali's sacred gear? If so that sacred gear was terrifying in its simplicity. Everything was divided in half. It made Tatsumi so thankful the people of this world spent more time talking than fighting. It gave his body the time it needed to heal.

Healing was only the start though. He needed to do something about Vali's sacred gear. Every fiber of his existence felt the same. That sacred gear was a threat he needed to adapt to. Even as the hole in his chest sealed up and the muscles in his arms knit anew, his scales flared, blood surged, and his senses soared to painful heights. What felt like a million tiny little tendrils pricked up through his body and stretched forth, searching and analyzing.

Tatsumi wiped flecks of his own blood from his chest as he climbed to his feet. Vali was still hovering in the air above like some sort of superior being. Perhaps he was stronger than everyone else down here, that didn't make him better.

Vali would have been killed so quickly in Tatsumi's old world. He certainly would have stood on top as the strongest, but everyone would have quickly realized that and found other… less noble ways of ending him.

He still needed a bit more time to finish healing. "That was a neat trick," Tatsumi threw out, baiting Vali to fall prey to yet more of the same issue everyone in this world had.

Verbal diarrhea.

It worked. "Divine Dividing is my Sacred Gear, Tatsumi," Vali said as he slowly lowered towards the ground. "I can halve anything I have touched every ten seconds and add it to my own power."

Tatsumi had already figured out the halving portion, but the rest? Thank you for stupidly telling me everything about your ability. That was one thing he was going to have to stress with Xenovia, Ravel and Mine. Do not spill what you can and can't do just because someone asks.

"Like I said, neat trick, but it won't be enough to beat me," Tatsumi said. Already he could feel his body shifting the direction of its search and analysis.

"Well, at least you're not lacking in confidence, even if it's only fueled by naïve ignorance," Vali gloated arrogantly. "I don't even have to touch you again to divide your strength, once is enough," Vali scoffed. The arrogant dragon emperor stretched his hand towards Tatsumi once more. "Divide!"

He felt it that time. It felt like a wave, or force of energy. It hit him, consuming his energy, before pulling back to where it had come. His body surged and shifted, grasping onto that strange energy, isolating elements and pieces of it. Everything about it was analyzed, the ways of entry into the body, methods of absorption, the types of energy it stole and the types it ignored, how the mental commands that infused it were issued and stored. Everything was consumed, analyzed, and… understood.

Tatsumi felt his body shift once more. Methods of entry closed. His scales fused together, becoming an impossibly smooth reflective surface. Absorption nodules grew capable of devouring invasive energy which in turn doubled as an energy conversion center for his own, altering the makeup, nature and frequency of his own energy every second.

The change did not go unnoticed. "A new transformation?" Vali asked archly.

"Something like that," Tatsumi said, grinning viciously up at the man. Now that the adaptive measures had been adopted renewed strength surged through Tatsumi's body. His muscles grew and thickened beneath the newly formed scales. He needed to be faster, stronger, greater than before.

The Tyrant's body, Tatsumi's body, his body, responded in full. Tatsumi or the Tyrant, it didn't matter. Every piece of his existence wanted the same thing, bring Vali to his knees.

Vali was utterly unprepared as Tatsumi's fist slammed into his gut. The White Dragon Emperor doubled over the fist as it plowed through his armor and shattered the air, sending a powerful shockwave rippling across the battlefield. Tatsumi spun in place and slammed a scaled boot into Vali's chest sending the man hurtling away.

Tatsumi held his hand to the side and the massive bladed harpoon appeared in his hands once more. He flared his wings behind him and kicked off the air, diving after Vali. "Neuntote!"

He was going to end this.

"Divide!" Vali roared.

The power hit Tatsumi and slid off. The few tendrils that made it inside were quickly absorbed by the absorption nodules and converted into energy for Tatsumi to use. Tatsumi grinned as he slammed into Vali like an unstoppable force, utilizing a portion of the man's own power against him. Neuntote tore through the remains of his armor and ripped through the man's chest before erupting out the other side. The strike carried the both of them from the school yard and into the forest beyond. Trees were torn up and smashed apart as Tatsumi carried through and rammed Vali into the ground.

It cratered beneath his body.

"How?!" Vali demanded as he gripped the spear in both his hands. Even if he couldn't divide Tatsumi's power and add it to his own, the man was still incredibly strong on his own. It was only that grip that had kept Tatsumi from bisecting the man entirely.

The look of shock and disbelief on Vali's face made Tatsumi feel warm inside. His belief and faith in his Sacred Gear had been so absolute that it hadn't even occurred to him that anyone or anything could develop an immunity to it.

"You don't honestly think I'm going to spill my secrets, do you?" Tatsumi asked him. "I'm an assassin before I am anything else."

"It's that transformation, isn't it?"

No, the transformation was just a visible external indication of how Tatsumi had changed on the inside. "Figure it out yourself," Tatsumi said as he ripped Neuntote from Vali's chest. "Well I suppose you won't have the time to do that." He raised Neuntote above his head…

…and struck one final time.

~o~

There was a muffled crack as the woman's neck twisted into an unnatural position. Koneko didn't finish there, she grabbed the robed woman and broke her over her knee before discarding her to the side. One more body for the growing pile.

She hated the move. It reminded her of pain, of when Esdeath had broken her like that. But she knew how effective it was.

That woman had been the last of this batch of attackers, magicians hell bent on taking Gasper for whatever reason. She wouldn't let that happen! She hadn't been able to protect Asia or Kiba when Esdeath struck in the church. She hadn't been able to do anything in the rating game and couldn't stop Kiba from being taken and tortured by Kokabiel.

She had truly become the failure of a Rook Esdeath had broken her for being.

But she was different now. Tatsumi-senpai had helped make her different. She'd protect Gasper even if she died!

"Won't… fail again!" Koneko panted as she stood on guard in front of the box that Gasper hid in. Her school uniform had long ago been shredded and only fragments of it clung to her by the thinnest of threads. Her panties were ripped and torn and her bra had been blasted off by an errant laser beam. Lacerations and bruises covered her body, clear evidence of the abuse she had taken from the attacks she hadn't been able to dodge.

"Auuu, I-I-I-can h-help!" A little voice squeaked out from inside the box.

"Stay in box," Koneko whispered to Gasper. "Will protect you."

The magicians had pushed the two of them into a room deep inside the old school building. It was heavily fortified and had enchantments all about it so it wasn't easy to enter. Unfortunately there was only one entrance, one exit and the enchantments wouldn't hold up long. There was no running anymore.

She wouldn't run anymore!

A magical circle appeared on the ceiling and a magician started to come through it. A brief memory flashed across Koneko's mind. Tatsumi-senpai had saved Asia by acting quickly. He hadn't let Raynare finish speaking.

Koneko wouldn't let this woman finish arriving.

"…won't let you!" Koneko declared fiercely as she leapt up at the magician. The woman's mouth went wide in shock as Koneko slammed a fist into her face before she'd even finished appearing. The woman's head popped like a watermelon, splashing the wall and upper corner of the room with blood and gore.

The body limply fell from the circle and bounced off the floor. Koneko stumbled as she landed, exhaustion turning her muscles weak. She growled under her breath and forced her legs to straighten. When they finally decided to obey she kicked the body of the magician over to the pile with the rest before she took up position beside Gasper again.

The box bounced and wiggled. "I-I want to help!"

"Will protect!" Koneko growled.

"Eeep!"

Another magical circle sprang up on a wall, then another and another. They kept appearing until there were too many for Koneko to count in her exhausted state. Koneko threw her exhaustion aside and pounced. The first magician to try and arrive through a portal died instantly as Koneko turned their face into a stain on the wall. The second one died a moment later, a hole pounded through their chest right where their heart was.

Koneko had to move fast, quickly. Kill without mercy. This was how Tatsumi-senpai protected. If she didn't, she wouldn't be able to protect anyone. She couldn't waste time sparing them.

The third magician died on the heels of the second, ripped in half by Koneko's strength. The magician's blood spayed all over her, dying her white hair a deep crimson.

Then the spells rained down upon her. Beams of light burned into her flesh while bolts of lightning sent her body into uncontrollable spasms. Through it all Koneko battled. Hitting, kicking, biting and tearing through the magicians as quickly as she could before her body failed her. Every time they reached for the box with Gasper, Koneko was there, ripping their arms from their bodies and beating them to death with them.

Koneko yelped in pain as a beam of light stronger than any of the previous ones punched a hole through her thigh, sending her tumbling to the ground. The door to the room blew off its hinges and more people rushed in. Koneko couldn't worry about them. More magicians were going for Gasper. She had to stop them.

With a howl of desperation, she threw herself across the room and tackled the magician nearest the box. The magician tried to fight back, sending a beam of light into Koneko's face. She just ignored the stinging pain and beat the woman's face into an unrecognizable smear on the floor. More pain lanced up her back as a pair of energy beams reduced what was left of her school uniform to dust as they punched through her skin.

They died moments later, little more than smoldering corpses with lingering traces of yellow lightning arcing across their bodies. The magicians throughout the room died in droves, wiped out by lightning and dark destruction magic.

It didn't matter, she wouldn't let anyone near Gasper! She would protect him from everyone! She scrambled to all fours and hissed angrily at the red-haired woman that was rushing to her side. Koneko would stop all attackers!

"Koneko!" that familiar voice pierced through the blood rage.

She froze and blinked and suddenly the red-haired attacker was gone. Instead she found herself staring up into Buchou's concerned face. She wasn't the only one there. Akeno stood just behind her along with Issei-senpai, Asia-san, Kaichou and Tsubaki-senpai.

"Buchou?" Koneko whispered.

She was enveloped in a large, warm embrace. "Koneko! It's alright, it's ok, we're here now."

Koneko hiccupped and her eyes started to burn. "Protected Gasper?"

"Yes, you protected Gasper," Rias reaffirmed as she embraced her tightly. "You did an amazing job. I am so glad you were here. Without you they would have taken Gasper. Thank you so much, Koneko."

Koneko hiccupped again and tears began to stream down her cheeks. "Protected Gasper..." she didn't fail this time! She had… she had protected someone. "I-I didn't fail…"

"No, you didn't," Rias whispered.

She didn't fail. That was all she could take. Koneko clung to Rias and wept tears of pain and relief. The tears rolled down her cheeks unchecked. She continued to weep until exhaustion overwhelmed her and she drifted off to sleep.

~o~

A pole knocked Neuntote away before Tatsumi could land the killing blow. Reacting on instinct he leapt back, and narrowly avoided a retaliatory strike from the other end of the pole.

A tall, handsome young man with short cropped dark hair wearing armor that wouldn't have looked out of place in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms era appeared at Vali's side. Tatsumi eyed the staff he rested easily on his shoulders, that man had been able to knock Neuntote away like it was nothing.

"Vali, I've come for you," the man said cheerfully.

Vali scowled as he struggled to his feet, holding a hand to his chest to try and step the flow of blood. "What are you here for Bikou? I had this in hand!"

"Looked more like you greatly underestimated Tatsumi and got your ass kicked," Bikou said, grinning cheekily at Vali. The White Dragon Emperor threw an irritated glare at the man. "I made it all the way here to pick you up and this is the greeting I get. I feel so loved." The sarcasm was so thick Tatsumi could cut it with a knife. "The whole plan has gone to shit here. Katerea is getting her ass handed to her by Serafall and Gabriel so she won't even get near the leaders."

"I killed Azazel," Vali retorted.

"That's still to be seen. The bugger activated some sort of Balance Breaker armor and is using that to cling to life."

Tatsumi eyed the two warily as they bickered back and forth. They were both very good. Even though they were arguing like children they never once took their eyes off Tatsumi. There was no opening to tear them apart.

He could use the lull himself though to catch his breath. He wasn't used to this transformation yet and it just devoured his stamina at an unbelievable rate. Undergoing an evolutionary transformation in midbattle sure hadn't done much to conserve his stamina either.

"Whatever the case, the mission is a failure and your role is over. Come back with me Vali, it's time to go fight the Norse Gods for awhile."

Vali harrumphed and threw Tatsumi a small grin. "Fine, this was only meant to be a test anyways, and for a first test I must say I am quite satisfied. I look forward to seeing how you grow."

"You realize I was within seconds of killing you." This was his victory and yet Vali was gloating like he had come out on top? That was some ego he had.

"Next time, I'll show you the power of the Juggernaut Drive," Vali vowed.

Right, thanks for warning him. He'd make sure to kill Vali before he could activate it.

"Until then, I suggest you get stronger!" Bikou said to Tatsumi cheerfully as he tapped his pole into the ground. "Vali is rather obsessed with fighting." An inky black circle of darkness opened beneath the two men and a moment later they were gone.

"Not sure how I'm supposed to feel about this," Tatsumi muttered to himself as he stared at the spot the two had disappeared.

The man had escaped after attacking Tatsumi, and taken with him information on what Tatsumi could do. While true it wasn't a lot, even a little could be deadly in the right hands.

Then there was the fact that Vali had disturbed the peace conference, although all he had really done was stab and try to murder Azazel and Tatsumi wasn't too particularly broken up about that. Really, all Vali had done was beat Tatsumi to the punch, literally speaking. Some of those comments Azazel had made during the conference had made Tatsumi want to do the same.

His entire focus had been on Tatsumi. The desire to test his capacity against an unknown. He wasn't evil, nor was he a threat to humanity. He probably didn't even notice or care about them at all on account of how weak the majority of them were.

A battle maniac, that was all he was. Tatsumi could probably ignore him for now. He wasn't a serious threat to humanity. But if he shows up again and causes trouble… "I'll put him down for good next time."

"One would be wise not to underestimate the White Dragon Emperor," came a laid-back voice.

Tatsumi immediately went on guard as someone dressed like a samurai stepped out from amongst the trees. He didn't feel dangerous at the moment, no bloodlust, no killing intent, just a calm amusement as he chewed on the stem of an aromatic herb. It was difficult to tell though as the man's eyes seemed to be perpetually shut.

Still, he moved with the grace of a seasoned swordsman, someone with skill surpassing his own, possibly even Akame, at least the Akame he had known before. And that sword he had at his side, Tatsumi recognized the engravings on the hilt and pommel.

It was the Muramasa. The blade that once unsheathed, couldn't be sheathed until it drank blood.

"Who are you?" Tatsumi asked warily.

"No need to be on guard, Kousetsu had his fill just a few moments ago." He said as he patted the hilt of the blade at his side. The calm, almost relaxed manner in which he delivered that almost convinced Tatsumi he was being sincere. "I am Oda Nobuizou, Tatsumi, but my acquaintances just call me Izou."

Izou? That name rang a bell, tickled an old memory. Tatsumi felt like he should know this person, or had at some time in the past briefly met him. If it didn't pop up right away, it simply meant he hadn't done anything particularly bad for Tatsumi to bother remembering.

"What do you want?" There was no way he was just taking an evening stroll through a forest.

"I'm trying to decide," Izou said as he stopped at the edge of the crater Vali's body had made in the forest floor. He glanced past Tatsumi to the school beyond. "You've allied with the Angels, Devils and Fallen?"

No point in trying to hide that bit. This man must have spied upon the meeting. If he was as good as he appeared to be, he probably could have read lips through the windows.

"I'm not sure how to label it," Tatsumi said truthfully. "It is true that they're placing their own in my organization. They probably even hope to influence me, guide me in a favorable direction." Lord Phenex's words came back to him. He was a pawn in other's schemes, in a great many schemes. They would use him and he'd let them. In turn he'd use their attempts to manipulate him to further his own goals. "They seek to use me, but that doesn't mean I can't use them. I won't sacrifice my ideals, not for their sakes. I will protect humanity and if at some point in the future they become a threat to humanity, I will point my blade at them no matter who they've placed at my side."

Their ideals coincided, for the moment. The Angels, Devils and Fallen wanted peace, and they wanted to use Tatsumi to help enforce that peace. This was something Tatsumi could agree with. It didn't matter who wielded the blade, so long as it cut down the enemies of Humanity. But if the one wielding it tried to turn it on humanity itself, in any way, they would find out that the blade known as Night Raid could cut both ways.

"That will reassure him," Izou said, seeming to approve of Tatsumi's conviction. "You would turn your blade against the likes of Azazel, Michael and Sirzechs?"

"I'm sure either one of them could obliterate me with a sneeze," Tatsumi said dryly. "That doesn't mean I won't try if it's necessary." An ideal worth killing for, was one worth dying for. "I will say this though. There are enough threats and enemies out there without making more. If some are willing to leave Humanity in peace, I will embrace them, if only so I can focus on those that never will." He had to focus, pick his targets. Take out the most dangerous threats, not in terms of power, but view and opinion. Those that saw humanity as nothing but tools, slaves, or a source of entertainment for sick perversions. "I've befriended several devils. A contradiction one might think and I would have thought the same not six months ago. But because of that I can now chase the devils that harm Humanity anywhere they might run. I might even be able to set up bases and hideouts on their very world! That is an advantage that can't be overstated."

Izou nodded his head, agreeing with Tatsumi. "Yes, I feel much the same. It's like befriending the weak so that you can better focus on those worthy of your attention." He smiled. "I think you and him might be able to work together after all."

"Him?"

"Someone who, like you, fights to protect Humanity from the supernatural," Izou chuckled lightly. "He's a bit more unbending than you, but even if your methods are different your end goals are the same."

"And what is his end goal?"

"An Earth ruled by Humans, free from influence, oppression, and exploitation by the supernatural."

"I suppose we do share the same goal at that," Tatsumi agreed. That was his goal as well. The biggest question though, was how this mysterious person defined 'influence,' 'oppression' and 'exploitation.' Setting her peerage aside, everything else Sona had done here at Kuoh Academy didn't fit within Tatsumi's definition of any of those, but they might for another. "But I should warn you and him. If you point your blade at Night Raid without due cause, I will kill you."

Izou smiled. "Likewise, Tatsumi-san." He bowed his head in respect, "now, if you'll excuse me, I should be going and you…" he glanced past him towards the Academy again. "Should probably see about tending to the injured Gabriel and Serafall," he finished before turning and walking away.

What was that about an injured Gabriel and Serafall? Didn't Bikou just state that Gabriel and Serafall were beating Katerea with ease? Tatsumi whirled on his heel and threw himself into the air. He took off through the trees and shot back to the Academy.

The battle had all but ended by the time he returned. The Fallen Angel, Angel and Devil escorts of the leaders were no longer struggling to survive, but were pressing back. Night Raid was flitting through the ranks of the attackers, destroying them by the dozens. Ravel stood beside Najenda supporting everyone as best she could. Even at this distance Tatsumi could see her eyes light up happily when he reappeared.

Night Raid wasn't the only one backing up the escorts. Sona, Tsubaki, Rias and her peerage were there as well, although they were staying near the old school building. The pressure from both sides on the attackers had given the escorts all the support they needed and now the remaining few devils and magicians were either fleeing or fighting a valiant last stand.

One look was all he needed to realize that fight was well in hand. He shifted his gaze past them to the front of the school where Serafall and Gabriel were. He could only blink and stare at the unbelievably one-sided fight.

"I thought they were in trouble?"

Katerea Leviathan looked as if she was about to pass out. Her once beautiful dress was all but gone and she was covered in so many bruises and lacerations he couldn't make out her natural skin tone. There were dark snake like lines of power wrapped about her body and they seemed to be the sole reason she hadn't already passed on.

That battle was well in—

The sky suddenly split open just behind Katerea Leviathan and an overwhelming wave of power washed over the area. It chilled Tatsumi to the bone, like countless tiny little teeth were biting into his skin and bleeding him dry. Was this what Izou was warning Tatsumi of?

Tatsumi was prepared for just about anything to come through that rift. He didn't expect to see a little girl with long dark hair and a gothic black dress that was open in the front to expose a barely budding chest that was only covered by a pair of tiny x-shaped pasties.

He was too far away to make out what was being said but from the way Gabriel and Serafall suddenly back away in fear, it couldn't be a good thing. The little girl raised a palm towards Serafall and the sky was consumed by an enormous wave of dark energy. It happened so fast he almost missed the small, dark-haired form that got sent hurtling across the sky and off the shore of Japan into the Pacific Ocean. The beam continued on out into the horizon.

The little girl lowered her hand and the beam of dark energy disappeared. She tilted her head to Gabriel and the Seraph instantly summoned all her power to her side. Her form blazed with so much holy, divine light that it seemed like a second sun had suddenly bloomed in the night sky.

A backhand ended it in an instant.

A thunderous shockwave split the night sky and the earth below. The blazing divine light was snuffed out in an instant with the torturous grind of sundered steel. Gabriel's limp body shattered the sound barrier twice over as it tumbled across the academy sky.

Tatsumi moved, bolting across the sky towards Gabriel. He caught her before she could fly past him into the forest. His relief was short lived as he realized his puny strength could do little more than redirect the force her the blow. For the second time that night Tatsumi hurtled back into the forest. He held onto Gabriel as tightly as he could before the two of them slammed into the forest ground.

Tatsumi blacked out for a moment and when he came to his transformation had unravelled. He was back in his human form.

The two of them were in a crater not all unlike the one Vali had made. Tatsumi quickly checked on the powerful woman in his arms and let out a sigh of relief as he felt her chest rise and fall. She was still breathing which meant she was still alive. Whoever that was that had smacked her out of the sky like a fly had been mind-numbingly powerful. A single strike had taken down his sensei, destroyed the golden armor she'd worn and…

He felt the blood drain from his face when he realized that the blow had done more than just destroy Sensei's armor. It had also blown away the right side of the dress she'd worn beneath it. Tatsumi, in his haste to catch her, hadn't paid attention to where he grabbed and now he was not only staring at, but groping the very thing Gabriel had said on any number of occasions she'd be forced to kill him over.

He could almost see why. It truly was the finest breast he had ever seen. It was perfectly flawless in every way and the way it felt! That soft, warm feeling in the palm of his hand was just too much. It felt like jolts of pure ecstasy was shooting through his body, and a part of him responded in kind.

It truly was a treasure beyond measure.

Gabriel groaned as she started to come to. Tatsumi had to act fast or she'd end his life. Before he could do anything an iron grip clamped down upon the wrist of his offending hand.

"Tatsumi?" Gabriel murmured as she slowly opened her eyes.

"You could tell from the wrist alone?" Tatsumi asked, surprised, "no wait, I mean, I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention when I caught you. Please don't kill me."

Gabriel let out a soft chuckle. Instead of killing him she simply released his wrist and laid her hand gently atop of his, preventing him from withdrawing it. "Thank you. It's nice to have such a thoughtful apprentice." She gently squeezed her hand, pushing Tatsumi's fingers deeper into her bosom.

"Ah ha… ah, sensei I—"

"Tatsumi," Gabriel cut him off. "I have no idea where your eyes are so I can only assume you've respected my privacy."

She'd read his mind. Tatsumi started to sweat. He had done no such thing, he wasn't even doing that right now. He was literally burning that wonderful sight into memory. There was no way she was so naïve as to assume he… oh. "Another one of those loopholes?"

Gabriel let out a long sigh. "In a manner of speaking. Tatsumi, those rules aren't enforced by the divine system. They're my rules, to prevent me from falling."

"Isn't that still a problem?"

"Not as much as it was before." Tatsumi blinked, what did that mean? "Love and Lust are so intrinsically connected that it's difficult to separate the two. Love is safe, Lust causes the fall. Watching you and your way of thinking has presented me with another loophole in the system, one I am… currently exploring."

"I'm not sure if I should be flattered or not," Tatsumi said.

Gabriel let out a soft laugh, it was a beautiful sound that made him feel warm inside. She raised a hand and held it up to the starry sky above them. "It's simple Tatsumi. If I wish to lay with a man because I desire to lay with a man, I will fall. But if I were to lay with a man to make that man happy, well, it doesn't matter if it's a pleasurable experience that I enjoy immensely. If it's done wholly for the sake of another, it can't be defined as Lust."

"And thus you can have sex without actually falling."

"That's the theory," Gabriel said. "It's a fair bit more difficult in practice though. If for even a single instant during the heat of the moment your passion overwhelms you… you fall. It's easy for us to give ourselves to another for their sake, losing ourselves to passion in the heat of the moment is something else entirely and our biggest risk."

Because they'd never experienced it before. New experiences were always the most intense and that was the problem.

"Oh." Tatsumi rolled his thumb across the top of her breast and for the briefest of moments, Gabriel's wings flickered to black. He quickly jerked his hand away. "Just be careful, I don't want you to fall." He meant that too.

She let out a little sigh, "Of course, Tatsumi." Gabriel slowly climbed to her feet before turning to face him full. She just looked at him as he sweated there in the ground. In his defense, he truly tried to keep his eyes on her face but that beautiful, divine breast just kept pulling his eyes back towards it. He was not pervert like Issei, but there was no man alive or dead, gay or straight, that wouldn't feel an incredible desire to stare. "Interesting." Tatsumi blinked when he realized she was actually smiling at him. It was a beautiful, wonderful smile. "Does this please you?"

"Yes." The word slipped out before he could stop it.

Gabriel let out a pleasant laugh. "I appreciate your honesty. You're such a nice boy." She lifted her arms high and suddenly she was enveloped by a golden glow. When the light died down she was once more wearing her beautiful dress, this one undamaged. "We should head back before we worry the others."

Tatsumi scrambled to his feet and roughly cleared his throat. He couldn't stop the blush that came to his cheeks. He felt so dirty now having stared so openly at the woman, even if she had all but requested it. Was this what it felt like to be Issei? It was a rather unpleasant feeling.

"So who was that person?" Tatsumi asked, eager to change the subject to anything else. That powerful presence was gone so Tatsumi could only assume they'd left, hopefully without hurting anyone else.

Gabriel's smile disappeared. "That, was Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God."

"That little girl?"

"Ophis doesn't technically have a gender, but this time it's a she. But to answer your question, yes, that little girl is Ophis." Gabriel shook her head. "We were not ready to face her."

"You and Serafall weren't enough?" Tatsumi asked surprised.

"Did we look like we were enough?" Gabriel asked archly. "Enough would be every God of every pantheon in existence along with the combined might of all Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils."

"You're kidding." She had to be kidding. That was just ridiculous.

"Tatsumi, her label as the Infinite Dragon God isn't just a label, it's a description. Hers' and Great Red's are the only powers on par with God himself. The concept of infinity was derived from her. Her existence defines it."

"So what was she doing here?"

"Saving Katerea," Gabriel said, sounding annoyed, "said something about not being finished with her yet."

"Oh," a thought just occurred to Tatsumi. "What happened to the Left Eye of God?" He hadn't actually seen it on her person.

Gabriel's hands instantly came to her chest before the blood slowly drained from her face. "Oh no."

"What?"

"Ophis took it."

Tatsumi paled as well. An object capable of seeing the future and the past in the hands of a being with infinite power?

That couldn't be good.

---

Author's Note: Whew! That was sort of an intense chapter to write. Ophis now has the power to see the future! What will that mean for the fate of the DxD Universe? How many events were tied to Ophis being betrayed by the Khaos Brigade? The ripples are getting larger.

Leave a comment in the review about what you thought of the chapter!

Note on Akame: If you haven't figure it out by now, the ending with Esdeath and Akame was a little different. Because she had truly killed Tatsumi, and not just the Tyrant's soul, she activated the trump card completely. The curse of Murasame consumed her entirely and she was able to defeat Esdeath without having Murasame broken.

Aside from that, everything else in the last few chapters unravelled exactly as displayed, minus Tatsumi.

Note on Tatsumi beating Vali: If Issei can beat Vali with the power of breasts alone, the fucking Tyrant can do it too. Besides, Vali didn't go Juggernaut or use all his tricks so he didn't even come close to showing his full power.

Some observant individuals may notice that Tatsumi is basically stealing every major point of the story where Issei undergoes a massive boost in power. All I'm going to say is that by the story's end… it's not going to matter.

Side Note on Xenovia: This Xenovia is going to be different from the one you've seen in the Light Novels/Anime/Manga. In the canon universe, she is excommunicated for learning of God's death and becomes a devil on a whim because she didn't know what else to do. The excommunication and the fall to devil is what turned her into that baby desiring sex crazed maniac in the canon universe. She was no longer held back by the doctrines of the church she was raised by and her inner desires were allowed to come to the surface to play.

That didn't happen in my story. While she may say a few things from time to time that hints at an underlying desire, such as last full chapter when she asked for babies, she's going to be far closer to her original serious, calm and quiet self than the sexual one you're probably all familiar with.