Author's Note: If you thought last chapter ended on an 'oh shit' note, this chapter is going to be far, far worse.
Chapter 43: The Infinite's Assault
A loud thumping roar reverberated across the battlefield as an enormous, decorative pillar as wide as a dragon was long, collapsed beneath its own weight, the base support ruined after getting hit by a stray blast. A wave of dust and dirt rolled across the ruined landscape, enveloping the bodies of the dead and the dying.
There were bodies everywhere. Backs broken, heads torn off, bodies rent asunder. One could take five steps without tripping over a body of a fallen devil.
Why?
There was a massive crash as a huge, draconic body cratered into the ground nearby, displacing massive chunks of earth and sending fragments hurtling across the devastated battlefield. The dragon was dying, her pale blue scales cracked and shattered in countless places. Her once beautiful wings now mangled beyond any hope of repair.
"A worthy challenge, Tiamat," the man known as Cao Cao said as he straightened. He ripped his spear from her chest, the greatest and strongest Longinus in existence. The Spear of Destiny. "But dragons have no place in the world I desire."
There was no response. The Dragon King was dead, her life taken from her by the strongest Sacred Gear in existence.
How did this happen?
"—Gungnir!"
Cao Cao expertly darted out of the way as the massive lance of pure power roared past, tearing a huge furrow through the earth with its passage. The massive walls of the arena collapsed beneath its power as it burrowed through it and continued out into the horizon.
"Hah! The old man of the North is still alive!" Cao Cao said, laughing. "You're tenacious if nothing else!"
"I'm not going to let some young whelp like you get the better of me," Odin snapped furiously. "Do you have any idea how many wonderful asses and breasts you've ruined!"
There had been hope when Odin had arrived. The attackers, renegade devils and magicians hellbent on killing them and disrupting the Rating Game died in droves. Their bodies were scattered through the arena.
That hope hadn't last long.
[You never change.]
A thousand lances of pure darkness rained down upon the old God from all directions. Everything erupted into fire and smoke as the unimaginable powerful attack detonated with mind numbing force. When the smoke cleared the old God was still standing, one hand raised above his head and another firmly clasping an old oak staff. His upper clothes had been burned to ash leaving him wearing only the bottom half of his robe, thankfully held up by a still intact belt. Little trails of smoke curled up from his singed hair and beard.
[Do not wish to kill you.] Ophis said softly as she descended from above. She held her hand out and a powerful gravitation force slammed into Odin, hammering the old God into the ground with a painful grunt. [Stay still and you will live to see Asgard again.]
Why was Ophis here?
"You finished over there, Izou?" Cao Cao called out as made his way back into view around Tiamat's ruined corpse.
A tear trickled down her cheek.
"Kousetsu has drunk its fill," Izou said, sounding almost cheerful as he pulled the cursed blade out from Kiba's back. The once proud Knight of Rias was nothing more than a desiccated corpse. Nearby was Karlamine, her body covered in so much blood that if she wasn't dead, she would be soon. Izou wiped the blade on the remains of Kiba's uniform before sheathing it. "This battle has proven quite bountiful." His eyes turned towards her. "But I could always use something a bit more exotic—"
"Touch Shirone-chan and I will kill you," a black hair nekomata growled warningly at the man.
"Fine, fine, I get it! She gets to live," Izou winked at her. "You're one of the lucky ones."
Lucky? This was lucky?
Kiba-senpai was dead. Asia-san taken away by Diodora. Akeno-senpai… her neck twisted at an unnatural angle, her father dead beside her. Bouchou wouldn't wake up. Her beautiful red hair covered in dirt and blood from a head injury. And Issei-kun…
There was another loud crash as a large, red form smashed into the ground with earth shattering force. A brilliant white light streaked into it, driving the massive draconic form of Issei's juggernaut drive even further into the ground.
"Not enough. Should I let him live in hopes that he will grow stronger or kill him here and now and focus on the real challenge, Tatsumi?" Vali asked as he stood over Issei's broken form. The juggernaut drive was falling apart around him as Issei's power and consciousness left him. "The Tyrant is becoming a force to reckon with. I want to challenge him."
[After I am finished.] Ophis reminded Vali.
"I know, I know," he stared down at Issei for a moment before stepping off the fallen boy. "I'll leave him as is. Whether he lives or dies will be up to him. What about the vampire? That Balor View was annoying to deal with."
[Leave Gasper Vladi alone. Ymir is taken with him.]
"That's why I put him to sleep!" Kuroka said, grinning happily. The happy grin slipped away as she turned her way. A sad look crept into her eyes. "This was the only way Shirone-chan. The only way to keep you alive."
She just glared at her sister as she crouched low over Rias' prone form. Even if what happened to bouchou and Issei-kun weren't her fault, she still helped! If they wanted to hurt her further it would be over her dead body!
"Don't think too badly of your sister," Kuroka's friend and ally, Leone said softly. The blonde haired battle happy nekomata just looked tired and regretful now. "With Ophis here there was no chance of victory. At least you and your master get to live because of her." That wasn't any consolation! She simply glared at Leone with the same fury she had with her sister. Leone simply shook her head sadly. "Still a child I see. You'll understand some day. The world isn't a nice place. If you don't want to lose anyone, then you need to become stronger than everyone."
Leone left her then, walking over to Kuroka's side to converse quietly.
Why was this happening to them?
"There shouldn't be any distractions now," Katerea Leviathan said as she approached Ophis, wringing her wrists nervously. Whatever training Ophis had put her through after that first ill-fated attack on the peace conference had thoroughly cowed her in the presence of the humanoid dragon. "And that man should be about finished playing by now."
The disgust in her voice gave no doubt about her feelings about said individual.
[Yes, no one should be able to go to their aid,] Ophis said as she nodded her head happily. [Azazel?]
Katerea turned away and snapped her fingers. A pair of powerful devils appeared dragging the Governor of the Fallen Angels between them.
"Heh, I completely miscalculated this," Azazel said, coughing up a little blood as he spoke. The man looked as if he'd been thrown into a blender. Bruises and lacerations covered his body. His clothes were drenched in blood and his jet black wings drooped behind him. "To think the leader of the Khaos Brigade would get her own hands dirty. Why now?"
[It would have been earlier, but He asked me to wait so I waited.] Ophis said simply. [I wish to take back my home. To obtain my silence. The key is inside Tatsumi. Can't have any interference.]
"Tatsumi?" Azazel asked, sounding confused. Then his eyes widened as realization hit him. "So that's it! That's how you intend to defeat Great Red!"
[We are equal. To win, the balance must be tipped. A third is required to tip that balance.] She tilted her head to the side. [Don't need Tatsumi. Just a piece of him. It is enough.]
"And then what? You just leave?"
[I will. Yes.] Her eyes lifted to everyone else. [Fighting Great Red will take time. Do not wish to be disturbed. This and they will serve as distraction enough.]
"You could have just asked for help," Azazel said bitterly, sweeping his gaze about the ruined battlefield, "You didn't need to do all this."
[Yes, I did. Not for me, but for him.] She paused. [He would be pressured, forced, by too many.] Ophis floated down to his level. [Even if it becomes known what he can do for others, the method of how must be kept secret.] she paused for a moment, wondering if she should say any more. [You know too much and your lips are too loose.]
"Shit," Azazel cursed as he realized what was about to happen.
[Goodbye, Azazel.]
"Farewell, Ophelia," Azazel whispered a strange name as Ophis' overwhelming power washed over him. Azazel didn't cry out once, he simply smiled grimly as the dark energy consumed him. There was a simple, flash of light and then nothing.
Just like that, the leader of Grigori was gone. Not even ashes remained where he had once stood.
[How are the Satans?] Ophis asked those assembled before her.
"Asmodeus is dead, Serafall is at the arena, and Ajuka has gone into hiding," Cao Cao said simply.
[Sirzechs?]
"Alive. I'm not sure that thing is even a devil any more or that it can die as it is. Lost Siegfried and a few others trying to kill him. Still, whatever he is, he's not in any condition to give chase. Georg trapped him with Dimension Lost. It will take even him time to get out of there."
[That is enough. It is time to leave,] Ophis said as she turned to Odin who was still restrained beneath a powerful gravity field. [I suggest you return home. There will be no mercy if I see you again.]
"How… generous… of you…" Odin managed to squeeze out between clenched teeth.
"It is generous," Cao Cao said as he walked over to the imprisoned God. "Normally I'd just end you, but out of thanks to Ophis for giving me the opportunity to cull so many that would exploit humanity for their own gains, I'll let you go for now. I suggest you fortify the walls of Asgard because I will come knocking some day."
If looks could kill, Cao Cao would be a pile of smoldering embers right then. Instead the man simply laughed and walked away, arms looped around the Spear of Destiny as it rested across his shoulders.
Then they started to disappear, teleporting away through various means. Ophis was the last to leave, casting one last glance about the blasted landscape before teleporting away to a different part of the Underworld.
With the gravity attack lifted Odin could move again. The old god let out a loud groan as he staggered to his feet, using his oaken staff as leverage. "I'm getting too old for this." He glanced around the ruined arena and shook his head sadly. "Nothing is going to be the same after this I'm afraid." he hobbled over to her side and set a single vial of Phoenix Tears on the ground before her. "It was a gift to me from your kind but you need it more than I."
"…thank you, nyan," Koneko whispered as she gently took the vial. She uncorked it and quickly gave it to Rias. "…why is this happening to us? It was… everything was…"
Everything had been going so well and now nothing would ever be the same again. Friends she'd laughed and smiled with only earlier that day… she'd never be able to talk to again.
"Why indeed?" Odin asked as he straightened his back with a groan. Several sharp cracks and pops were followed by a content sigh. "I don't think there exists an answer you will accept. Everyone is unique and thus everyone has different ideals and different goals. Eventually they will come into conflict with each other." He shook his head softly, his eyes drifting to the fallen form of a Valkyrie in the distance. "We were just unfortunate enough to get caught up in the ideals of those beyond our comprehension. All we can do is pick up the pieces and move forward as best we can."
He left her side then, making his way across the shattered
"…will there never be peace, nyan?" Koneko asked, her voice on the verge of breaking. Why couldn't every just get along? Why must she keep losing people she cared about?
"True peace? No," Odin said as he stopped beside the fallen Valkyrie. Someone that had introduced themselves as Rossweisse earlier. "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't at least try. I won't give up."
Don't give up. Tatsumi wouldn't give up. "…Tatsumi, nyan."
"That boy… he's in for a rough future," Odin said. "If he survives he'll need your support more than ever." he cradled the Valkyrie to his chest. She had fought as hard as any trying to protect her God. She had paid a heavy price for it. Her armor was crushed and blood spilled from a gaping hole in her chest. "Rossweisse my child, I never wanted you to come to this end," Odin said as he stared down at the fallen Valkyrie in his arms. He pressed his head against her chest. "Such a fine chest and…" his eyes widened. "You're still…" he gave Koneko one last look. "Farewell child. I suggest you place revenge on the back burner for now. Save who you can. That's all that should matter at this moment."
With that Odin took off, disappearing back to Asgard to save his Valkyrie.
Save who she could. She wanted to hurt those that hurt the people she loved! Asia was gone, Kiba and Akeno were dead and Issei… she had no idea if Vali left him alive. Her blood started to burn with a red-hot fury.
She was going to—
"Nrgh," Rias groaned in her arms. All thoughts of revenge flew from her mind as her Master slowly woke up. "Koneko-chan?" she whispered weakly as she blinked her eyes blearily at her.
Tears burst from Koneko's eyes as Rias woke up. "Bouchou-senpai!" she wailed as she buried her face in her chest.
x~X~x
Serafall's scream of fear and rage pierced straight to the soul, scraping excruciatingly along its edges. A voice filled with all the pain and fear of seeing her most precious person in the hands of a sadistic monster that wouldn't just tear her apart piece by piece, but enjoy putting on display every moment of it.
It affected Tatsumi just as badly. He knew what Esdeath was capable of. Had seen it first hand. Those tortured, broken bodies in the basement of that hotel. Everything she had done in his world. If someone didn't get to Sona in the next minute, there wouldn't be a Sona left for anyone to save.
Tatsumi fought down the surge of panic that threatened to overwhelm him. He had to think logically here. Going berserk wouldn't save her. He had to do something, but he couldn't just pop up without explanation! He didn't know where she was! Without that piece of information there was nothing he could do for her.
Damn it what was he supposed to do?!
[Where should I start?] Esdeath said on the screen as she started towards Sona Sitri.
[S-Stay away from her!] Ruruko shouted, jumping in front of her master.
[Don't worry, I'll tend to you later, personally,] Syura said as he appeared at her side. She swung at him only to disappear. Teleported away. [She's all yours, Esdeath.]
[You'll find I'm not so easily beaten,] Sona said as she brought her hands up in front of her, prepared to defend herself as best she could until reinforcements arrived.
Esdeath didn't seem to notice her words. [Are you watching Serafall?] she asked, staring up at the view portal. [Of course you are. I was never able to demonstrate to you first hand my special techniques. I'll be sure to take things nice and slow for your benefit!]
There was a massive explosion of power as Serafall went berserk. A pillar of blue-white light engulfed her. The very air about her froze creating a fantastical lattice of ice and frozen gas that spread out in all directions. Twelve beautiful blue-white wings erupted from her back as her clothes and form subsumed beneath a thick layer of ice.
Like an elemental of pure ice, only infinitely more dangerous and on a warpath.
Serafall ignored everyone as she shot towards the ceiling. Nothing mattered to her save getting to her sister before Esdeath could kill her.
The imposter was faster.
"Sorry, I can't have you doing that," the fake Sairaorg said as he grabbed Serafall's ankle and whipped her back towards the stadium floor. The enraged Satan slammed into the ground with breakneck force, sending waves of ice crackling in every direction. The imposter shook his hand, scattering bits of ice all over the place. "My, you certainly are cold. Almost as cold as my daughter, Hel."
Tatsumi's mind froze.
What did he just say? His daughter, Hel? But… wasn't Loki Hel's father? Could it be?
As if to confirm his thoughts the disguise slipped away to reveal the Norse God Loki hovering in the air above the stadium. That long flowing cyan hair. The maniacal smile. The cold, hard eyes and the long white trench coat. It was Loki.
The one responsible for his impromptu trip to Niflheim.
And a reason to be here aside from Sona's Rating Game.
But he didn't have Incursio…
SCREW INCURSIO!
First Mine and now Sona! Was this man going to rob him of everything?!
Tatsumi roar shattered the glass ceiling of the stadium. The distance to Loki disappeared in an instant. The God of Mischief had just enough time to whirl around before Tatsumi slammed his fist into his face. Touki flared about his form brighter than the sun itself. All the power of the tyrant flowed through his veins, his muscles, his body, empowering him far beyond the limits a human body should ever be able to obtain.
The platform that had hosted Sona's peerage was sundered in half as Tatsumi hurled the God through it. A thick leather boot drove the God through the wall of the stadium and into the waiting rooms beyond.
"Go Serafall!" Tatsumi roared over the screams of terror and fear that swept through the panicking crowd. "Night Raid is here to hunt a God!"
Serafall, even in her enraged state, understood exactly what Tatsumi was getting at. He had no longer snuck into Agraes to rig the game in Sona's favor, but to hunt Loki. A perfect excuse to explain his presence.
And her chance to go to her sister's side.
"FENRIR!" Loki bellowed as he burst through the stadium wall, thoroughly pissed off. "Kill the bitch!"
Before Serafall could even attempt to leave a massive white wolf broke through the floor of the stadium, massive jaws open wide to snap Serafall in half.
"MIDGARDSORMR!"
A massive, serpentine like snake erupted through the stands, snapping its mouth shut upon dozens of devils, devouring them with a single bite. The entire arena erupted into pandemonium as devils started fleeing in every direction, screaming in panic.
This was not good. He needed to take control and…
((Finally I'm here for when you do something crazy,)) Bennia said as she suddenly appeared at his side. She blazed with all her divine power in her adult form. Her twin death scythes held easily in her hands.
Was the divine glow about her brighter than usual?
It was only then that Tatsumi realized that most of Night Raid was actually here. Najenda was guiding people towards the exit while Akame was slipping through the crowds, looking for the best time to deliver that one, fatal strike with Murasame. There was Lenneth and Ymir, even Mine. Everyone save Xenovia and Ravel were here!
"Oh, I'm so scared about a washed-up has-been Goddess without any power," Loki sneered at Bennia.
Bennia just smiled and suddenly there were two of her. One smiling, the other one ramming her scythe through his gut. Loki shimmered with a blue light and shattered, disappearing and reappearing a dozen meters away. "You're not the only one that can manipulate time!" Loki snarled as he rubbed his gut. Even though he'd said that, Bennia had managed to nick him.
(("I'm not a no name Goddess anymore, Loki,)) Bennia said, her voice deceptively soft. ((Themis shouted my name across all of northern Europe. I have been seen at Tatsumi's side. I'm a teacher at his school! The world knows I am his lover. People know who I am. My name is being spoke across the world. I am far more than I once was, more than I have ever been!)) Her power blazed ever higher, an inky darkness that enveloped her and spread out in all directions, threatening to suck the life out of everyone and everything around her.
For him though, it just felt like a warm blanket was being wrapped around him.
"Impossible! You are just a secondary Goddess! You are no Athena! No Artemis!"
((Tatsumi brings change to all those he touches.))
"Then he must die here!"
((Over my dead body!))
"That can be arranged—"
"DIVINE ASSAULT! Nibelung Valesti!" A massive silver spear slammed into Loki, throwing him off balance.
"Even you Lenneth!" Loki snapped at the powerful Valkyrie.
"I hate men with small penises," Lenneth said seemingly without moving her mouth. "That's all the reason I need!" Lenneth blushed heavily and threw a panicked look Ymir's way.
God damn it Ymir, seriously? Why was he trolling now of all times?
Sona's scream of pain cut through the din of battle. [Oh, that separated more easily than I thought it would.] Esdeath's sickeningly sweet voice haunted them. There was a loud squelch like flesh was being pulverized to paste. [You're much softer than my usual targets.]
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Serafall screamed at Fenrir as she tried to blast the dog with all her power. Freezing an enormous section of the arena in the process. Fenrir just tore through the ice like it wasn't even there.
Fenrir wasn't considered one of the strongest entities in existence without reason. He was as fast as Garmr had been, but far tougher. A wolf of the north was not only highly resistant to the cold, but nearly immune.
Serafall was fighting a battle she couldn't win.
He needed to think. Think! He needed to come up with a strategy that was more than just punching everything in front of him to death! What did he have to work with? What was the state of everything? He strained his mind and his sight, taking in everything. His consciousness shifted. Twin pangs of pain just below his temple stabbed his mind. Parts of his brain evolved, nerves that didn't exist grew and connected. A second pair of eyes, blood red and with a dark cross shaped pupil opened up on the sides of his head.
He had a three hundred and forty degree view of the entire arena. He could see everything in sharp, crisp clarity. Loki standing before them. Midgardsormr rampaging across the stadium. Serafall struggling with a faster and more powerful Fenrir. Esdeath laboriously torturing Sona Sitri on the monitor, slowly taking her left arm apart muscle by muscle, bone by bone, piece by piece.
There was Hikaru, floating above the shattered platform he'd thrown Loki through, uncertain of what to do, where to go, or who to help. Sairaorg was picking himself up out of the stands with the help of Misteeta and Coriana. Lady Agares desperately trying to find some way to recall Sona Sitri before she was killed. His allies all around him.
A plan formed in his mind.
"Sairaorg!" Tatsumi bellowed across the stadium, snapping the man's attention his way. With his attention Tatsumi pointed at the Midgardsormr "Take care of that thing!"
Sairaorg didn't argue. He barked two quick orders to his bishops and charged head long at the giant serpentine dragon.
There was no need to give Najenda and Akame orders. They knew what to do without even being told. They'd gone into action long before Tatsumi had been able to compose himself.
"Lady Agares! Where is Sona Sitri's battle arena?"
The head of the Agares family looked startled for a moment before quickly answering. [A large temple at the edge of our territory bordering the Fallen Angel territory. It's directly north of here between a pair of mountain peaks. But that's nearly two thousand miles away, no one can get there fast—]
Tatsumi was done listening to her. There was one person that could get that faster than anyone else.
"Hikaru! GO!"
She didn't wait a moment longer. In a blaze of lightning she crackled through the hole in the ceiling and across the rain swept sky.
"No, no, no, I won't let you ruin my plans!" Loki shouted, realizing that Tatsumi was undoing everything. "Hel! Chase after her and see that she's killed!"
"Yes, father," Hel said as she appeared from a portal. "I'll stop her from—" a delicate pink boot was quite firmly planted into her face.
"Miss me, bitch?!" Mine suddenly made her presence known. "I'm going to stomp all over your face before I'm done with you!"
"You! I'll kill you!"
"THIS ISN'T ASGARD HAG!" Mine roared as she powered up an enormous pink lance of light. Pumpkin blazed brilliantly upon her wrist. "This is my world and here I'm Queen Bitch!"
She threw the enormous pink spear of light straight into Hel's face.
The Goddess screamed in rage as she was lanced through the bottom of the stadium and into the land below. "You deal with Loki, I've got a score to settle with this hag!" Mine shouted at Tatsumi before she dove after the Goddess who by this time had been carried out the bottom of Agraes and was spiked into the surface of the underworld below.
The biggest problem was Fenrir. Serafall was losing, and fast.
((Go, Tatsumi, I'll handle Loki with the Valkyrie that doesn't like small penises,)) Bennia said.
"I didn't say that!" Lenneth protested.
((No need to be ashamed of it. I don't like small penises either.))
"Is Tatsumi's large?" Lenneth gasped and clasped her hands over her mouth. "That wasn't me!"
((I think Ymir and I are going to get along really well,)) Bennia said, grinning widely. The grin faded away. ((Go Tatsumi.))
"Don't you die on me," Tatsumi told her.
((Against Loki? He doesn't have a chance. Not against me.))
Tatsumi had to trust her. If he didn't Serafall was going to die.
A bright flash of light and a thunderous roar reverberated through the speakers around the arena as a lightning clad Hikaru tore through the top of the temple. Tatsumi watched Esdeath use her Trump card to freeze time to get away. The stone where Esdeath had been standing scorched and melted beneath Hikaru as she slammed into the very spot Esdeath had just been.
[Hikaru!] Sona gasped out happily.
[I'll protect you kaichou, Syura's teleport isn't going to work on me.]
[Oh I've wanted to kill you for the longest time!] Syura said, spitting at her. The spit evaporated before it reached her. [Don't think I haven't thought up ways of dealing with you too!]
With everything in place and everyone doing what they needed to be doing, Tatsumi could focus on his own battle. He flipped in mid air and dove at Fenrir. Behind he could see Loki trying to give chase only to be intercepted by twin scythes and a beautiful divine sword.
Tatsumi focused on Fenrir as he dove at the divine wolf. Watching it's every movement, mapping it's every action. A line of copies, of future places the divine wolf would be, stretched across the frozen battlefield towards Serafall. He could see Serafall too, darting away, avoid the powerful jaws, only to be struck by the claws. She wouldn't get away unscathed.
Not this time.
Not without Tatsumi's help.
Tatsumi urged himself forward, faster than before. He slammed into Fenrir with bone crushing force just before the wolf reached Serafall. A painful yelped was ripped from Fenrir's throat as Tatsumi rammed the wolf into the jagged ice beneath its feat. The stadium floor cratered. The ice shattered, sending sharp fragments of ice hurtling in all directions.
He wasn't finished.
A deep, intense heat built up in the pit of his stomach, fueled by glands no human possessed. A weak flame would not work on an entity this powerful. Even a massive, powerful wave was questionable.
He needed something sharp. Focused. Pinpoint. Like a laser. Penetrating power and speed mattered more than anything.
It burned his throat, but he didn't care. It scorched his mouth. It mattered not. With a roar fueled by all the rage, panic and fear that had been building up this whole day and unleashed his attack upon the divine wolf beneath him.
What erupted from Tatsumi's mouth was not a huge steam of fire, but a thin, pinpoint stream of super hot plasma. It tore straight through Fenrir, vaporized the ice beneath, melted the stadium floor, burned its way through Agraes, clipped Hel in the leg, screamed through the air, and slammed into the surface of the Underworld, burning all the way through to the ruined realm of Hades where it detonated in a massive fireball that rivaled the sun with its brilliance.
Fenrir howled in pain and phased out from under Tatsumi, darting away from the two of them.
"Tatsumi," Serafall's voice crackled like the frozen north.
"Yes?" Tatsumi asked as he sidled he prepared himself for Fenrir's next rush. He could already see the wolf getting ready to lunge at them.
"After this is all over, I'm having your babies!"
"Wait, what?!" Tatsumi was so shocked by her sudden admission that he was nearly torn in half by Fenrir's lunge. "This isn't over yet, Serafall! Focus!"
"And I'm not taking no for an answer!" Serafall roared as she slammed her icy wings into the ground.
Twelve flowing rivers of ice erupted from the ground and crashed down upon the great wolf of the north. They were fast, subsuming the very air about them as they targeted the wolf. Fenrir effortlessly dodged Serafall's attack.
Dodged right into Tatsumi's awaiting fist.
The air rippled and screamed from its passage. A clenched fist, blazing with light of touki, slammed into Fenrir's side with all the force of a nuclear shock wave. The icy ground crumpled and shattered beneath Tatsumi's feet as the reverse force blew out into the ground beneath him. The powerful wolf folded in half, a sharp yelp ripped from its throat, as it was sent hurtling back into Serafall's ice.
A hundred razor sharp icy edges dug into Fenrir's skin, drawing an equal number of thin cuts all across his skin. Dark blood began to matte his thick fur.
Serafall clapped her hands together and the air around Fenrir dropped to absolute zero. An icy lattice of frozen moisture and gasses solidified all around him, imprisoning the great wolf. A terrifying ability
It didn't hold the great wolf for long. The entire icy lattice started to vibrate violently. Heat generated from that vibration caused solidified molecules to move again, turning into liquids and then gases.
All at once the entire icy lattice shattered into a million tiny little shards, creating a beautiful, yet deadly field of razor-sharp ice. A terrifying howl of rage washed over Tatsumi and the arena, striking fear into the hearts of all that heard. Many of the weaker devils and guests collapsed in the stands, their hearts incapable of handling it.
Even Tatsumi felt his heart quiver fitfully.
He clenched his teeth and let out a low growl of his own, forcing himself to take a step forward. Then another, and another, until he was sprinting towards the powerful wolf. Take it out quick before it had the chance to recover.
"Watch out!" Serafall shouted a warning.
Too late. So focused were all his sense on Fenrir that he hadn't even noticed Lenneth until it was too late. The Valkyrie slammed into him from the side, sending the both of them tumbling to the side.
An attack? Had she betrayed them at the last moment—
That thought died when he noticed her state. Her breastplate was ruined, mangled beyond any practical use. The front of it had been ripped open, along with the latex body suit beneath, exposing a large, open would in the center of her chest. Her long, beautiful silver hair was matted with her own blood.
She hadn't attacked him, Loki had thrown her at him.
"Sorry Tatsumi," Lenneth forced out through clenched teeth as she forced herself back to her feet. Her face was a mask of intense pain and concentration.
"It's—MOVE!" Tatsumi shouted as he threw Lenneth to the side. Just in time as the massive form of Fenrir barreled down upon him. A gaping maw filled with razor-sharp teeth capable of rending the very Gods themselves snapped down to devour him whole.
He had just enough time to grab Fenrir's teeth and wrench his jaw apart to prevent the great wolf from tearing him in half. There was little he could do to stop the charge. Fenrir tore across the icy grounds and slammed Tatsumi into the wall of the stadium, causing pain to lance through Tatsumi's back as his draconic wings crunched painfully.
The wall faired far worse.
When two tons of powerfully muscled wolf moving at hypersonic speeds crashes into a wall with someone that even death has given up on, the wall could do little more than whimper before it detonated inwards, covering the room beyond in a cloud of dust and possibilities of what might have been.
The room beyond was a change room for security guards. The walls were lined with lockers with a thin, low bench ringing the room. It wasn't empty. What appeared to be a captain was desperately urging a number of subordinates scattered throughout the room to gear up faster.
They all froze as Tatsumi and Fenrir came crashing into the room.
Tatsumi had no time to think, or even care, about them. He planted his feet into the floor, crumpling it beneath both the weight and force of Fenrir's charge. He managed to slow the great beast down after being pushed across the room, his feet digging deep trenches into the floor. With a heave Tatsumi whipped Fenrir to the side, throwing the wolf into the lockers on the wall.
The lockers crumpled and the wall collapsed beneath the weight of the massive hound. Fenrir was quick to recover, spinning in midair to land on his feet. He crashed onto the large hallway beyond, digging deep furrows into the concrete floor before he smacked into the far wall.
Fenrir roared and charged. It came so fast if Tatsumi hadn't known where he'd be before he arrived he wouldn't have been able to dodge. The wind howled with Fenrir's passage as he soared past Tatsumi and crashed into the far wall. Screams of agony were drowned out by collapsing concrete and screeching steel as Fenrir tore apart two security guards, the lockers, the wall and the ceiling alike in his haste to spin around.
He needed a distraction, anything. His eyes landed on the devil next to him, the captain that had been rallying the troops earlier.
Perfect.
It mattered very little to Tatsumi what happened to the average devil. He grabbed the unsuspecting captain next to him and threw the shocked man at Fenrir. He bounced off Fenrir's snout as the massive hound managed to turn around, momentarily hiding Tatsumi from view. He used that advantage to get in close.
Fenrir shredded the devil into four pieces with a single swipe of a claw, showering the room in blood, just in time to get a touki clad boot to the side of the head. Fenrir yelped as he was sent tumbling across the change room to the far wall, crushing more devils along the way, filling the room with the cries of the injured and the dying.
The few devils still alive in the room bailed in all directions, diving through the holes in the walls and even making new exits straight through the walls.
Tatsumi couldn't leave. This damn mutt would just follow. He scowled angrily as Fenrir climbed back to its feet and shook off Tatsumi's attack like it hadn't done anything.
What did it take to put this mutt down? Just beating it wasn't enough. The thing was tough. It wasn't quite as fast as Garmr, but it was stronger and many times tougher. Tatsumi could take a few hits from Garmr. He couldn't do the same with Fenrir. If it got a clean hit with those claws or fangs, it was going to put him out of commission.
It was hard to say if Fenrir could actually kill him since death had already tried to claim him four times and had failed each time.
There wasn't any more time to think as Fenrir lunged once more, tearing up the floor as he raced forward. Tatsumi shot forward to meet Fenrir halfway. The large wolf came down on Tatsumi, mouth wide, razor-sharp teeth ready to rend him limb from limb.
Tatsumi stomped on his lower jaw and drove it into the floor and slammed his palms into the roof of Fenrir's mouth, forcing the maw wide. He slammed his free foot into the floor, digging a deep furrow through the concrete before managing to stop Fenrir's charge.
"I need some way of putting you down for good!" Tatsumi growled as he struggled against the powerful wolf. Touki and the Tyrant's full strength surged through his body, his veins, and yet it wasn't enough. All it could do was bring about a stalemate.
"How about this?"
The temperature in the room plummeted and icy snowflakes floated past Tatsumi's vision. Then A thunderous crackle of ice deafened them all. Fenrir's scream of agony was lost beneath the sound. The fountain of blood that spewed from his mouth and drenched Tatsumi from head to toe was not missed. Fenrir's strength left him almost instantly and Tatsumi was able to wrench the jaws wide and throw the enormous wolf to the side.
Only half of it went.
Fenrir's upper half bounced off the floor once before sliding to a stop at the wall. The other half was slumped behind a large wall of ice that went from floor to ceiling. The edge of the wall was so sharp it made the sharpest razors seem dull by comparison.
A sound drew Tatsumi's attention to the left as Serafall floated into the room upon wings of ice.
"Thanks," Tatsumi said.
"Why are you thanking me?" Serafall asked, sounding genuinely confused. "You saved my Sona-chan. You saved me. You've saved the Sitri family."
Tatsumi tried to wipe Fenrir's blood from his face and glared at his blood soaked hands. He was going to need a long shower after this. "The battle isn't over yet," Tatsumi told her. Things could still go wrong. He had learned a lot of valuable lessons over the course of his life. Such as never assuming they had won until they'd actually won. "Let's go see who needs help."
Serafall's icy eyes glowed fiercely. "I'll make Loki pay!"
~o~
Mine smiled in grim satisfaction as she watched the conflagration.
The world beneath her burned, creating a large billowing cloud of smoke and ash that rose high into the sky. It choked out everything, blocking light and breath alike. It reached the base of Agreas, curling around its outer edges and up through the enormous that had been burned through it.
It affected her little. Her 'Dominion' as Azazel liked to call it, was fully active. It filtered out the worst of the smoke and ash before it reached her, creating a pocket around her of fresh, clean air. It also did little to hinder Mine's perception of the world about her. She could feel the cloud, and everything it touched, including the ground below.
The forest below Agreas was burning, lit ablaze by Mine's divine power. Directly beneath her amidst the burning forest was a large crater filled with molten earth and at the very epicenter of it all, was Hel.
The Norse Goddess of the Underworld was alternating between hurling obscenities and screaming in pain as she desperately pulled herself up from the pool of magma. What clothing she had once worn was little more than ash upon the wind. Her skin bubbled and burned, the magma eating away at her flesh and doing very little in the way of making the hideous goddess any more attractive. Steam hissed off her body as the heat from the molten earth burned away the moisture in her body.
With a scream of frustration that echoed across the forest. Divine power flared around Hel as she created a portal to Hel that brought the icy winds and blizzards from Niflheim to the Underworld.
Mine just snickered.
Anyone that knows even the least bit about chemistry and physics knows what happens when super cooled frozen water was brought into contact with an incredibly hot substance like magma.
Sublimation.
Mine snickered as the entire place blew up in her face. The cold winds of Niflheim instead became a super heated blast of steam that burned Hel just as badly as the magma. The Goddesses voice, filled with fury and pain, reverberated across the burning forest.
"Serves you right, bitch," Mine whispered even as she raised a single, delicate hand above her head. Her divine power surged through her veins. Pumpkin flared brightly, fueled by her hatred of the woman beneath her. She manipulated her energy, forging it into six huge spears of brilliant pink light, each individually as powerful as the single one she'd hit Esdeath with all those months ago.
She snapped her wrist and all six spears lanced at the ground. Hel, the pool of magma, the super heated steam, the land and everything around it disappeared in a massive detonation of pink energy. Powerful shock waves blasted the sky clear of smoke and ash, only to be replace by a fresh cloud of fire and ash.
A piercing scream of rage and pain cut through the explosive reverberations. Mine felt Hel's power erupt, decaying everything around her. Flames flickered and died. Magma cooled and stilled. The cold winds stopped. The now hardened magma around her shattered, then cratered, as her power rose ever higher. With a second ear-piercing howl Hel launched herself into the sky, the air broke about her multiple times over as she went supersonic, wisps of vapor, smoke and ash streaming off her form.
She was completely out of it. It made her an easy target. People that let their emotions dictate their actions were prone to mistakes.
Mine didn't let her emotions dictate her actions, not too much any ways, but there was nothing wrong in letting them fuel her actions!
Her ten black wings unfurled behind her as she summoned all her power to the fore. She was going to meet Hel head on and pound all her anger and frustrations into her face. Divine power surged about her and a thin platform of pure energy formed above her. Twisting around, she settled her feet against the magical platform and launched herself at Hel, prepared to meet her head on.
Then it happened.
A thin, intense line of pure plasma pierced the sky, tearing through Hel's leg just before she reached Mine. It burned straight through her leg, disintegrating muscle, bone and ligament alike. The supersonic speeds did the rest, tearing Hel's left leg off, just beneath the knee. A scream of pure agony was ripped from the Goddess' mouth.
Her charge faltered.
The grin on Mine's face was wide enough to split it in half as she slammed into the now unprepared Hel once more, boot to face leading the way. A thunderous shock wave rippled outwards from the impact, blasting away the smoke and ash. Mine carried through, hurtling towards the burning ground and slammed the screaming Hel back into earth at supersonic speeds.
It felt so satisfying to grind her boot into Hel's face. There was just something about it that made Mine want to pulverize it. Or maybe it was the eyes and the way they'd leered at her Tatsumi or her mouth and the twisted words that came from it.
She was going to enjoy making her pay—
A sudden memory surface. A memory of a clumsy woman in purple with long, beautiful hair of the same color wielding a pair of scissors nearly as large as she was. A memory of her being shot in the back. A memory of her being torn in half. A memory of her death.
A strange tear ran down Mine's cheek.
"Change of plans," Mine said as she threw all thoughts of taking her time torturing Hel from her mind.
She lunged forward, hurtling across the burning forest floor. The fire whipped about from her passage, scattering a trail of ashes and burning leaves in her wake. Hel was slow to recover from her fall. A hand covered her face. The other gripped a smoldering tree next to her as she tried to climb back to her feet.
Mine wouldn't give her the time to recover. A hand snapped to the side. Divine power flared deep within her breast, racing across her body and down her arm. Pink energy danced across the surface of her arm, coalescing into a long blade.
Whether Goddess heard Mine approach or felt her impending doom rushing towards her, her face snapped up. Her eyes locked onto Mine's. There was fear now in them. But it was only a small part of the whole. Her lips curled back into an angry snarl as she made to protect herself.
Mine wasn't going to let that happen. She wasn't going to let Hel do anything.
Her Dominion around Hel changed, the viscosity of the air became that of molasses. Hel, unprepared for the sudden change in air density, was too slow to do anything before Mine was upon her.
The energy blade came down, shearing through Hel's outstretched arm just below the elbow. Mine stomped the floor of the forest hard. A cloud of black, sooty ash and burning leaves burst forward. She twisted in place, using her own Dominion to slow herself and force her back around. Faster than thought, Mine whipped back to face Hel. A little hop. Her leg snapped out and crashed into Hel's back with a thunderous crack. A shockwave rippled outwards, blowing out of nearby fires and sending a massive cloud of ash and smoke whipping out in all directions.
Mine had felt something snap beneath her leg as Hel bounced off the forest floor with an agonized scream. Her lower body was limp and unresponsive. Mine didn't take a chance. That memory was still fresh. The blade came down again, cutting her in half.
"What do you think of this 'nothing' now?" Mine bit out viciously as she stomped on Hel's neck, forcing her face into the ashen ground. "You're the one that's nothing here!"
"You stupid bitch!" Hel howled impotently. "You have no idea what you've done! You deserve to die for your crimes!"
"Crimes? You're the one that locked us in Helheim! We just wanted to leave—"
"You kicked down the Gates of Hel!" Hel screamed at her. "The human world is overrun with Draugr now! They're rampaging all across the northern European countries!"
"Draugr are no match for human technology."
"Their military can't be everywhere!" Hel shot back. "The major cities, the primary highways? They're protected. But all the rural communities? They're being decimated!"
"Don't you try to give me your 'holier than thou' attitude! You care even less about humanity than I! You're here trying to kill us instead of being there rebuilding the gates!" Mine felt a little bad for the humans that were suffering, but that had nothing to do with this situation. She couldn't fix it, and the one person that could, refused to. "You've stated loud and clear with your actions what you care about most." Her blade raised. "They're going to have to find someone to replace you."
"You can't do this!" Hel screamed at her. "I'm a Goddess! The ramifications will be even worse than kicking down the gates!"
"Oh, I can," Mine said. she was in no mood to listen any longer. The ramifications were irrelevant if Hel refused to do her role regardless. "But… you were right about one thing." A wide grin split her lips as she remembered that night with Tatsumi. "That steak was delicious."
Hel screamed as Mine's blade came down upon her head, ending her life.
"If you had stayed in Asgard, in Helheim, perhaps I could have gotten over all that, in time," Mine whispered to the corpse of the fallen Goddess. "But you couldn't and if I don't put you down here and now, you'll just attack us later. At a time and place of your choosing. At a time and place where we're not ready. I won't lose anyone else precious because I hesitated."
With that said Mine stepped over the body of the dead Goddess and took to the air, speeding back towards Agraes.
~o~
There!
It was just like Lady Agares had said. A large temple situated between two mountains right at the edge of the Fallen Angel's area. There was a clear, defined line differentiating the two territories. Where the light of the sun failed to reach belonged to the devils. The rest, the Fallen Angels.
It had to be the place.
Hikaru crackled across the sky and zapped towards the temple. She burned through the roof, the floor beneath that, and kept burning her way through until it opened up into the enormous antechamber that had been visible on the monitors.
There, directly beneath her was Sona Sitri and Esdeath. She crashed into Esdeath with a bright display of light and a thunderous roar that reverberated throughout the room. The stone beneath her melted beneath the intense heat of her lightning form.
She missed Esdeath somehow. One moment she'd been there and then the next, she was halfway across the temple.
"Hikaru-san!" Sona gasped out, her voice a mixture of relief and pain.
"I'll protect you kaichou, Syura's teleport isn't going to work on me," Hikaru said, her voice crackling like lightning. She spared her King only a brief glance to see how she was doing before settling down protectively before her.
She wasn't doing well, but considering who she was with, it could have been far worse. Her left arm was ruined beyond repair. Everything from the elbow down was missing. The skin from her shoulder to the elbow had been flayed off and Esdeath had been working on ripping her muscles apart, one at a time. There wasn't nearly as much blood as Hikaru would have thought. But then, there were faint hints of ice and cold all over the arm. Esdeath had frozen major arteries shut to prevent her from bleeding out.
A small blessing that had served to prolong her suffering, but also gave her the chance of surviving this. Hikaru couldn't spare her much more attention than that. She had to focus.
Another noticed her arrival.
"Oh I've wanted to kill you for the longest time!" Syura said, spitting at her. The spit evaporated before it reached her. "Don't think I haven't thought up ways of dealing with you too!"
"You're welcome to try," Hikaru said. That man was the last remnant of Gregorious Abaddon. So long as he still lived, a reminder would always exist. Hikaru intended to end him once and for all. "You're a loose end that should have been tied up that night."
"I have no problem if you do that," Esdeath said, giving her a small grin. "Leave Sona Sitri to me and I won't interfere in your revenge against Syura. I might even help."
"What?"
"You didn't expect me to let you continue living after this, did you?" Esdeath asked him with an arched brow. "You know too much about me. The moment your usefulness to Ophis is done, you're done."
"I'm going to have to decline," Hikaru said. "I won't let you touch kaichou."
"Devils are so greedy," Esdeath said.
"And you're no different! You Fallen are all the same!" Hikaru snapped.
"Fallen?" Esdeath asked, then she started to laugh. And then the impossible happened. Ten pure white wings erupted from her back. "Yes, I am Fallen!"
She heard Sona gasp sharply behind her. Even Syuria did a double-take. He had not known about that side of his new master. Hikaru felt the same as them. Utter bewilderment. One of the most infamous and evil of Fallen Angels… wasn't a Fallen Angel? Esdeath had a body count larger than most wars! And few deaths had been swift and gentle.
How was all that even remotely endorsed by Heaven?
"Nice trick, doesn't change what you did to kaichou!" Hikaru said.
It still didn't change what she had to do.
"True, but it does give it a different meaning," Esdeath said.
"Hikaru, deal with them quickly," Sona snapped loudly. "She's just delaying you!"
Sona was right. She didn't even need to see Esdeath's grin to know that she was right. Her lightning form was powerful, but it also had its limit. Namely, Hikaru's own stamina. She couldn't maintain it indefinitely and she had used up a lot of her stamina in the battle against Kuisha. A lot more than she really should have.
Even against Kuisha though, she hadn't maintained the form for very long. Continued use was far more taxing than massive bursts of energy. It wasn't the physical aspect that was the worst, but the mental drain.
She didn't know how much time she could keep this going. She could feel the exhaustion creeping in at the edges of her mind. She had minutes at best. It was best to operate under the assumption that she had far less.
She moved. A flash of light that blinded the room. A jagged bolt of lightning that snapped across the room in an instant. Her target, Syura. If he was killed, the recall system could get Sona away. That was the number one priority.
Her target wasn't a simple devil though. This was Syura, one of the oldest reincarnated devils, and one that had seen, caused, and survived the worst life could throw at someone. He was teleporting away the moment the light flooded the room. Even if he wasn't her target. Moving was always better than standing still.
Hikaru was faster still. She hadn't been lying when she said she could interfere with his teleport. She was simply faster. She could see his form, insubstantial and smoky, slipping away. She sparked through it, grabbing it as she passed. Syura was ripped from his teleport and hurled away, slamming against a far pillar with an audible thump.
But Syura wasn't the only one the move.
Esdeath was there, a blade of shearing through her lightning form. The air froze behind its passage. Hikaru was shocked. Esdeath could move as quickly as she could. She wrapped her lightning about her and flashed away, zipping between and around the massive columns.
Esdeath was far more dangerous that Hikaru had thought she'd be. She'd heard stories of course, but to think she could freeze her in her Lightning Form.
Syura teleported again.
"No!" Hikaru shouted as she noticed where he was headed. Sona Sitri. She crackled across the temple once more.
Esdeath was there.
She dodged, snapping to the ceiling then forward once more. She hit Syura a mere foot away from Sona Sitri. She ripped him from his teleport and hurled him across the room once more. A frozen wave of ice cocooned around him.
A spear of ice was rammed through her chest, piercing the wall behind. Sona was alright diving to her left, rolling out of the way. Hikaru didn't dart away this time. They were too close.
"Lightning Burst!" Hikaru roared.
The surrounding air exploded into a dazzling display of lightning and plasma as she supercharged the particles around her. The spear of ice sublimated into vapor, and then plasma as it was further ionized.
She pointed what was once her arm, a mass of lightning arcs, at Esdeath. "Lightning Burst: Crash!" All the energy and plasma that built up around her was unleashed in the form of an enormous bolt of energy. It burned across the room, scorching the floor and ceiling with its passage.
It didn't find Esdeath. Once more she managed to evade faster than Hikaru thought was possible.
"My, you're a difficult one to deal with," Esdeath said as she strolled around a large pillar after the lightning blast had dissipated. There were beads of sweat of her head. "I haven't needed to use Mahapadma so many times in quick succession in a very long time."
"Hikaru-san, blast the cocoon," Sona commanded from the side.
"Ignoring me are we?"
Hikaru did just that, trusting that Sona had a plan. She raised her lightning encased hand and started in surprise. Her human body was returning. Her form was collapsing on her already. She had only had seconds left. Seconds that would be whittled down even more if she used her power…
"Hikaru!"
"Lightning Bolt!"
She had to trust Sona.
The lightning lashed into the cocoon. Hikaru fully expected it to just arc around it and not do anything. It didn't happen. There was a surge of demonic energy next to her and the ice turned into water. Lightning could pass through water just fine.
As a rather cold Syura found out the hard way as it arced through it and him. A watery scream was ripped from his throat as he was electrocuted. Esdeath quickly froze the water and pulled it away, dropping the stunned man onto the tile floor.
Hikaru couldn't tell from this angle if he was dead or not.
"The Sitri family can control water, and ice is just frozen water," Sona said matter-of-factly. "I can control your ice, Esdeath."
Esdeath just started to laugh. "Yes! Oh I am so glad you're not making this easy for me! A challenge! All over Serafall's lovers in the past just fell over and died. They were no fun at all." Her grin was filled with bloodlust and violence, at complete odds with the ten beautiful white wings that flowed from her back. "Thank you."
That sounded oddly genuine.
"But unfortunately I think the play time is over."
What did she mean… exhaustion suddenly slammed into her. She keeled over, collapsing to her knees as her lightning form dissipated entirely. Her chest heaved as she gasped for breath. Her limbs felt as if they were filled with led.
No! Not now!
"Syura's down! Get her out of here!" Hikaru shouted, hoping that Lady Agares could hear her.
She did and a white light began to gather around both her and Sona. It didn't last long before it shattered into pieces. Before she could even begin to process what that meant a heavy weight crashed into her back, flattening her into the tile floor.
"You bitch," Syura hissed into her ear, pressing his face close to hers. Her brought a hand forward and revealed a gold ring with a large topaz inset upon it. "I told you I had ways of dealing with you! This ring absorbs lightning. Your lightning. You can't put me down so long as I wear it!" He grabbed her chin and bent her back painfully as he pulled her upper torso off the ground. Her eyes bulged wide as he grabbed her breast and squeezed painfully. A shiver of revulsion ran down her spine. "I've wanted to do this for years. And now I can do it in front of Tatsumi and for all the devils of the Underworld to see! How do you like that? Being raped on national television to the enjoyment of all?"
"Syura," Hikaru growled out through clenched teeth. She could feel his fingers digging into her breasts. Taking whatever he wanted without a care for how she felt. She felt utterly violated.
And she'd never have a better chance than now so she endured it. The hand with that ring, it was pressed against her skin. As Syura said, it was her lightning.
She could feel it.
She drew upon it, slowly, so that he wouldn't notice, drawing it from the topaz back inside her.
"Leave her alone!" Sona shouted as she conjured a massive wave of water and sent it hurtling at Syura. It took the shape of a dragon's mouth.
It froze before it reached him.
"I can't have you interfering with their fun!" Esdeath said as she slowly approached Sona. "You and I have unfinished business."
"And it will be fun!" Syura crowed victoriously. He jerked her back, raising her even higher so that she her naked body was exposed for all the world to see. "How is everyone doing out there? Who wants to see this woman raped?" He paused dramatically, almost if he could hear the crowd going wild. "That's what I thought." He leaned in close once more. So close Hikaru could feel his breath upon her cheek. His fingers started trailing down her stomach. "I'm going to enjoy this."
"So am I," Hikaru said. She was finished drawing the lightning from the topaz. The ring could absorb her lightning, true, but it didn't work instantly. There was a delay between being struck and the absorption. "Die."
It was a thin, highly focused jolt of pure lightning. It crackled from her ear, into his. It scorched his ear canals. Burned its way through the walls and into his brain. It all happened in a singular instant, faster than the ring could react and absorb.
Syura let out a single, ear-piercing scream before his brain was turned to charcoal.
"My, that's a new one," Esdeath said, stopping her slow march towards Sona to gaze admiringly at Hikaru. "I'll have to remember that one for the future."
"Not today though," Esdeath said and, unexpectedly started walking away. "I've seen enough for now. Besides…" she stopped and grinned at them. She tapped her ear. "It's all over now. You're here, which means you can't complicate things for Ophis."
The blood drained from her face. "What?"
"Bye!" Esdeath said before teleporting away.
"Lady Agares!" Hikaru called out. She scrambled to her feet, heedless of her nudity. She didn't care if the world saw her naked. Her mind was occupied with far more terrible thoughts. "Lady Agares!"
There was no response.
"What's going on?" Hikaru whispered.
"I don't know," Sona said as she limped over to her side. Her ruined arm hung limply at her side, causing a grimace of pain to mar Sona's features with each step. "But I think we'll need to find our own way back."
"Tatsumi, please be safe," Hikaru whispered quietly.
It was strange for a devil to pray for the safety of another, but it was all she could do.
Author's Note: And there we have it! Not much left now! Just 1 final chapter and then the epilogue! What did you like, dislike, so on and so forth!
Leave a review and let me know what you think.
Note on Rias' Rating Game: That may not go over well with some people but it did have some purpose. Two surprise attacks are better than one. Keep all the real powers currently in the underworld split up, focus most of your forces on the larger faction while you keep the others distracted, then you can mop things up at your leisure later.
I also wanted Rias to get hit really hard. Hard enough that… well… you'll see in the epilogue. There's a key scene that I want to work with should I ever continue this story in a second book.
Note on Sairaorg: I'm not sure if he'd normally obey someone like Tatsumi outright like that, but I'd like to think that give the situation, he would have. While he has a great deal of pride and supreme confidence in his strength, Sairaorg had to understand the gravity of the situation and that right then wasn't really the time to be arguing with the only person with the mental faculties and capability to organize a proper defense. And while he probably would have preferred to fight Loki one-on-one after having his place usurped, fighting a Dragon King is a fairly decent consolation prize.