Disclaimer: I do not own High School DxD, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Harry Potter, Naruto, Thundercats, He-Man and Rifts

Major AU: Do not expect this story to strictly follow canon for High School DxD.

Key: "Talking" 'Thought' [Sacred Gear] (Pailamancy or Telepathy) ~Communicator~ *Technique* {Magical Item}

Author Note: Sorry it took so long. I rewrote this chapter 10 times.

Excalibur Rising part three

"I managed to heal Irina-san, but she's exhausted. She managed to eat some Manna and drink some Gatorade, but fell asleep afterwards." Asia reported as she left the bedroom attached to the ORC clubroom. "I don't think we should wake her for at least twelve hours, Buchou."

"Thank you, Asia-chan." Rias nodded as she turned her attention back to the map of Kuoh that was being projected on the wall from her laptop. "As you can all see, Kuoh is home to a few Ley lines and nexus points. It doesn't have as many as Kyoto, but they are still potent. If Valper's plan is to reforge Excalibur into a single weapon he will need control of at least one of these nexus points."

"That would not be quite correct, Gremory-dono." Xenovia spoke up as she looked over the map. "The Church has access to many untainted Nexus points and none of them have provided the energy needed to reforge Excalibur. As you know the use of Super Nexus points like Calgary and Hamunaptra are expressly forbidden to any of the three factions. The seven Great Ley Line Triangles are watched carefully for similar reasons.

"This map isn't accurate." Xander said after a moment. "It's missing some of the weaker lines and points in town."

"Ajuka-sama himself drew this map just two years ago, Xander-kun. Ley Lines take hundreds of years to form." Akeno stated simply. "Signs of a nascent line would have been obvious to him."

"If it was a natural line, yeah that's true." Xander nodded his head in confirmation that he knew what Akeno had told him was the truth. "These aren't natural. I never got to see the Nazca Line Drawings, but I remember Willow gushing over about how they crafted a matrix of artificial Ley Lines to power them. She used similar method to craft a Line Star of David and that is what she used to craft Rosenberg. If that was possible in my world, someone could have done similar here, especially as this world has far more ambient magic."

"Weak ley lines wouldn't be noticeable with all the background magic already here." Koneko spoke up as she thought of why they hadn't noticed. "And if they were hidden then only Senpai would know they were there."

"And if we didn't talk about any Ley Lines, he wouldn't have thought to mention them." Rias realized where the whole in the information pipeline had been. Xander was knowledgeable about the supernatural even if only about fifty percent of what he knew was useful in this world. Therein lay the problem, everyone expected Xander to understand some concepts that he'd never even been told about. "Do you think you can trace the position of the ley lines on the map, Xander-koi?"

"Sure," Xander nodded before taking the laptop and got to work. "This will take a few minutes, Buchou-chan."

"We need to prepare for what the {Fused Excalibur} will be capable of." Kiba Yuuto spoke up as he didn't want to waste any time in the meeting. "They have four fragments. {Excalibur Rapidly}, {Excalibur Nightmare}, {Excalibur Transparency}, and {Excalibur Mimic}. They'd have {Excalibur Destruction} too, but Irina-san deceived them into thinking she had it when she ran."

"Lovely, so we just have to worry about a sword that can take down most of our fighters with one swipe and it makes the user as fast as Kiba-kun, create illusions, make itself and the user invisible, and change shape into whatever the guy wants." Raynare made her displeasure known through her sarcasm. "And we've got exactly two offensive weapons that have a chance of standing up to it."

"Actually, with the {Bracers of Puissance} my conjured swords should be able to survive strikes from even {Fused Excalibur} given we don't need to worry about {Excalibur Destruction}." Kiba corrected Raynare's assessment. "So I am back in the fight."

"If we had enough time to rouse Irina-chan, it would give another talented warrior to add to the fray." Xenovia mused aloud. "I still have a spare {Greater Light Sword} she could use."

"Actually, I can use one of those and it would do better than my *Light Spears*." Raynare spoke up. "In my hands it would be like a Lesser {Holy Sword}. So I at least could defend myself against the creep."

"Raynare-san it might be better if you joined Koneko, Buchou, and myself in handling whatever else the Archbishop will bring against us." Akeno spoke up. "Xander-kun and Kiba-kun are still much better in melee than you are. You'd be a liability." While the words were harsh, Akeno was strangely taking no pleasure from saying them to the Fallen Angel. While she would not say Raynare was one of her precious people, she was a part of the ORC and precious to people Akeno cared for. "I mean no offense, but they will already have to adjust to fighting with Xenovia-san and without Koneko-chan."

Koneko crossed her arms over her chest clearly a little upset that she wouldn't be allowed to smack the vulgar exorcist around. She knew why she was being excluded from that part of the fight and it was wise. Despite having the highest defense in the peerage a {Holy Sword} could cut through her a little too easily. Without a weapon to deflect the blade she would be taken out of the fight with just one solid blow. She had tried to learn the art of melee weaponry and found she had a severe mental block. Though a trip to the firing range had proved she was an excellent shot even with some of Xander's more exotic weapons. "How many statues does the creep have?"

"According to what information was left behind at the last laboratory the Church raided, Valper created forty nine in total. None of them have been destroyed until today." Xenovia explained. "The consensus among the Cardinals is he only brought fourteen with him to Japan."

"I doubt it." Kiba muttered darkly. "You don't really know him. He won't let anything get in the way of his ambition of recreating Excalibur. He threw three {Clay Martyrs} after you because he didn't want to weaken the guard he's set around the ritual. He'll have brought all of them with him."

"With those kinds of numbers we will need to bring everything to bear. I'd ask the Student Council to help us, but there is a pair of Stray Devils causing a ruckus. She can't spare anyone and normally it would fall to us, but Freed and Valper are the larger threat." Rias nodded sagely. Then her expression morphed into what could only be described as sadistic glee. "We're going to need to pull out all the stops. perhaps Xander-kun will let me play with one of his new toys."

Every member of Rias' peerage shuddered at that statement. They all loved Rias dearly and would follow her to storm Tartarus if she asked. However they were all quite aware that while she enjoyed firing the various guns Xander had in his armory, Rias had no talent with any of them. In fact the safest place to be was standing in front of what she was aiming at. The easier the shot was supposed to be the worse she would miss. They still wondered how she missed when she had the double barreled shotgun only a foot away from her target.

"NO!" Kiba, Akeno, Koneko, Asia, and Raynare nearly shouted in unison.

"Where the fuck is our boss?" Freed Sellzen asked as he looked around the ritual area. He wasn't happy with it being out in the open, but he wasn't consulted before hand. Yes the open area would give him room to build up speed but it also lacked cover, especially when it was right by the fountain in the middle of the park. "Despite our epic trash talk, we both know your lame ass {Clay Martyrs} are not going to be able to take those shitty devils out. Psycho-kun and Tits McGee are not your average brawn over brains fuckers."

"Lord Kokabiel was disappointed by the Church's response to the theft of the Excalibur Fragments." If Valper Galilei was disappointed by the absence of the Fallen Angel, he was hiding it well. "He is of the belief that attempting to enact his plan now would lead to failure despite killing the Gremory and Sitri Heiresses."

"So we're just packing up and leaving? That's fucking bullshit. I have some Devils to kill." Freed snarled as he stepped off the paved walkway to kick over a garbage can.

"And that is my sentiment as well." Valper assured his comrade. "We have most of the fragments and I do not require any more aid in completing the alchemical ritual. If we employ a proper ambush we may be able to seize {Excalibur Destruction} and perform the ritual properly."

"So I am going to have that really sweet sword with the awesome stats?" Freed perked up at that. "I am going to have so much fun filleting those shitty devils. Maybe I'll even tap the ass of that hot miko with the rack before I kill her."

"Freed, my son, while I would never suggest mercy on the enemies of God, it would probably be for the best if you didn't entertain such thoughts." Valper shook his head in dismay. "Extreme emotions are the key needed to unlocking Balance Breakers in Sacred Gear users. Do you really wish to unleash the Red Dragon Emperor Scale Mail?"

Freed's eyes widened dramatically at that thought. "Fuck that!"

"Okay, I have bad news and worse news." Xander announced as he brought up his modified map on the projector. In moments there was a highlighted area on the map showing a classic heptagram surrounding the park where Issei had met his doom. "Three of those lines are natural the other four are not. Worse I think it was completed before my predecessor was murdered there and I can't think that it's a coincidence."

"Oh God." Raynare muttered before crossing herself. "I had no idea. I was ordered to kill him there, but they just said that it would be so his body would be found quickly. I mean as bad as losing a child is, having one missing for weeks and then found dead in a remote area is worse."

"Nobody is blaming you, Raynare-chan." Asia spoke up as she saw how her friend was starting to blame herself. "Right?"

"Well… not anymore." Akeno added in with a shrug. "But you did help them supercharge that heptagram. Their {Fused Excalibur} has a chance of becoming a Dragon Slayer if it manages to bloods a Dragon after becoming completed. That's not something that {True Excalibur} could claim."

"That blows." Koneko muttered.

"Yes, it does. If that Exorcist manages to cut either of Xander-koi's arms then his weapon becomes infinitely more dangerous." Rias stated firmly. "Unfortunately he's also the only one of here who can counter the illusion and invisibility powers of the {Fused Excalibur}."

"Indeed. My partner's unique prowess of perception with the {Eye of Omen} does completely negate those abilities." Ddraig's voice sounded from the two emeralds on the back of Xander's hands. "If needs must he does have access to the *Scale Mail* of my Balance Breaker. Trading his arms has given him a full minute of that form, no more and no less."

"Do I have to use it all at once?" Xander asked as considered the options.

"No. You are certainly allowed to break up that time among multiple transformations." Ddraig responded. "But I should warn you that in that form it is not just your arms that are draconic."

"That adds a new dimension to this fight." Kiba smirked. "You're scary enough with just the *Boosts* and that Axe of yours."

"While having the Red Dragon Emperor show his true might would make for a certain victory over Freed Sellzen, you may wish to keep that power in reserve for Kokabiel." Xenovia spoke up as she leaned against {Excalibur Destruction}. "He is the one who leveled Sodom and Gomorrah after all. And that is despite Fierna Belial opposing him. He is of the Cadre class and not to be taken lightly."

"Yes, and I doubt his fall from grace has weakened him all that much." Rias nodded in agreement with the blunette exorcist. "Xander-koi should save his Balance Breaker for Kokabiel's appearance. It might be best to even save the He-Xan form until we need it. We can decide on scene whether we use Knight, Rook, or Queen promotion."

Xander nodded at that. He understood the reasoning behind not just using the Queen promotion. While the Queen combined the aspects of Knight, Rook and Bishop it wasn't quite as good at the different aspects as the lesser pieces. To fit all that power into one piece, there was some cutting of enhancement. The average Queen received eighty percent of the amplifications of Rook, Knight, and Bishop. Over time a dedicated Queen could push themselves to the point they matched a Knight's speed, a Bishop's magical ability, or a Rook's prowess, but a Pawn using Promotion really couldn't do that as easily.

"So we are agreed, Xander-koi, Kiba-kun, and Xenovia-san will engage Freed if he is using the {Fused Excalibur}. Koneko-chan, Akeno-chan, Raynare-san and I will be subduing Valper and whatever minions he has." Rias laid out the general orders. "Asia-chan will be healing either group as needed and Xanrai will provide her with as much protection as he can."

Xanrai who had been literally perched atop Asia's head nodded in agreement to the order. There was little doubt the Sprite Dragon would take great glee in shocking any male that approached Asia, unless they were Xander.

"Aren't we going to step in?" Grayfia Lucifuge looked over to her husband who was intently watching the scene through a scrying orb. "A major holy sword is quite capable of killing Rias-sama."

"Yes it is and no we won't." Sirzechs Lucifer steepled his fingers as watched the events in the orb. "If we continually bail out my precious Ria-tan, then she will never grow into the strong woman I know she will one day be. It's my hope that one day in the far future I will retire and hand the title of Lucifer over to her."

"I see." Grayfia nodded in acceptance. "I assume Serafall-sama is thinking the same with Sona-sama?"

"No, Serafall-chan loves her sister dearly but knows that Sona-chan is no diplomat. If she were to become one of the Satans it would likely be either Beelzebub or Asmodeus. She has the intellect for either, though it does lean more toward Asmodeus." Sirzechs refuted his wife's claims. "Though Xander-kun may be a much better candidate for that position."

"A Reincarnated Devil becoming a Satan? Many of the Purebloods will not stand for that." Grayfia shook her head. "And will likely die on Xander-sama's axe for their hubris."

"That is why we are not stepping in." Sirzechs nodded in agreement as he further explained his position. "If Ria-tan and Xander-kun develop a reputation for destroying powerful enemies, the Great Houses will be sufficiently cowed. The defeat of Riser in the Rating Game is a good start to their legend. The death of Rudolphus has many tongues wagging. When it comes out they defeat Excalibur and the {Clay Martyrs} I expect some Houses will seek Ria-tan's favor and where she leads Xander-kun will follow."

"Xander-sama is not one to follow blindly." Grayfia sent her husband a small glare for implying the young man was a drone.

"You are correct and I wouldn't want him to," Sirzech raised his hands is a placating gesture. "I just meant that where Rias is welcome, Xander will be as well. She will make certain of it."

"What's with the pout?" Xander asked as he approached his fiancé as everyone else was getting kitted out. It still felt a little weird to refer to anyone other than Anya as that, but it didn't mean he loved Rias any less. He'd learned his lessons since that relationship and he made a point of communicating with Rias. They'd even already had their first fight, which they patched up pretty quickly. It helped that it had been a silly thing. They had been deciding Halloween costumes and he'd refused to go as anything but himself for fear of another *Night of Masks* spell. "Did someone leak a spoiler on your favorite Anime again?"

"No, nobody released a spoiler." Rias huffed. "The others… they were very emphatic about not letting me use a gun in battle."

"Well, that only makes sense, Rias-hime." Xander nodded along with the group's line of thinking. Seeing the hurt and betrayal in Rias's eyes was like a knife to the heart. "You know I love you, but you are a lousy shot. Yes, you had fun and I would gladly take you to the range any time you wanted, but the only time I'd feel safe with a gun in your hands is if you were aiming at me." Xander felt like a heel saying all that, but he knew he had to nip this in the bud. "At the same time I trust you with your aim with the *Power of Destruction* and your spells. I didn't even trust Willow and Tara as much as I trust you. So save the guns for fun stuff and when lives are on the line you stick to magic."

"Am I really that bad a shot?" Rias asked as she turned the doe eyes look towards her lover.

"Yes." Xander nodded vigorously. "You shot me while I was showing you how to hold a rifle. You hit Akeno twice with pistol rounds. Kiba still flinches when he sees a shotgun. I am absolutely terrified what might happen if I let you play with a heavier weapon."

"But they're so much fun!" Rias playfully whined. She really hadn't thought she'd enjoy guns at all, but from the first pull of the trigger she was hooked. Despite her desires, she could literally feel how Xander wasn't going to bend on this. It was killing him to say no to her as wanted to see her happy, but he stood firm. With a huff of resignation Rias relented. "Fine, I won't use guns in combat. Just promise you'll teach me how to shoot correctly?"

"Yes, once a week we go to the range, where I will take the time to turn you into a sharpshooter." Xander nodded. "You know you could try to emulate some of the guns with your powers. You made a facsimile of a Claymore already, shotgun blasts and rapid fire blasts shouldn't be too hard."

Xander Lavelle Harris-Hyoudou was contemplating the words of Helmuth von Moltke when he said: No plan of operations reaches with any certainty beyond first encounter with the enemy's main force. There really wasn't any other way to sum up what was happening at the moment. The ORC and Xenovia had emerged from their transportation circles in full battle gear and were immediately set upon by {Clay Martyrs}. Kiba had been absolutely correct in that Valper had brought all of them. Forty six to nine was not the best odds, especially when one of the nine was a non combatant and another was a shih tzu sized dragon. Instead of the carefully planned assault, the ORC was fighting defensively. Only the training Xander had drilled into them kept them from panicking.

"Boost!" Ddraig announced as the [Boosted Gear] had automatically doubled Xander's power for the third time since he'd stepped out of the transportation circles. "Ten O'Clock!"

"Got it!" Xander pivoted on the spot and unleashed a round from his Pfeifer-Zeliska Revolver. The deafening report of the .600 Nitro Express cartridge announced that another enchanted lead bullet was launched in excess of two thousand feet per second. Not one foot from the barrel, the runes inscribed on the projectile activated increasing the mass of the round without decreasing the speed. The {Clay Martyr's} head was utterly shattered as it was struck with twenty five million foot pounds of force. Immediately the necromantic construction melted like wax on a hot stove. It seemed that Valper Galilei had followed the old legends and the golem's 'life force' was in it's head. Xander for his part winced as his arm was screaming bloody murder at him. As he hadn't promoted yet nor used {Rosenberg} he was still relatively fragile. The bone rattling recoil wasn't breaking any bones, but only just barely. "I only have four more of those."

Akeno Himejima was smiling as she drew back the mystical string of the [Yumi no Raiden] creating an *Amaterasu Flame Arrow*. For years she had functioned as a pure caster in combat, not daring to use any of the skills her mother had taught her. Thanks to the precious gift in her hand and the one-eyed man who had helped her hone her archery, she once again felt like a daughter of Shuri Himejima. Of course, she didn't forget her first savior. Her smiled never faltered she formed a Gremory Sigil just ahead of her arrow. Releasing the string she watched the arrow slip into the sigil before a massive one appeared in the sky above the battle. Dozens of *Amaterasu Flame Arrows* rained down on the battlefield. As the white flames struck {Clay Martyrs} the mystic flames burned holes into the golems. Before arrows would strike an ally they vanished altogether rather than cause any harm.

"It's such a shame that none of these things can feel pain." Akeno pouted cutely as the automatons simply fought on regardless of the damage. "I might need to work off some tension later. Would you let me borrow Xander-kun later?"

"He's not some toy you can just play with, Akeno." Rias Gremory responded playfully to her Queen. If she was a little less secure in her fiancé's love she might have been jealous or snapped at the busty brunette. As it was, Rias was feeling a little playful in her responses to the teasing. It probably helped that there were so many targets for her to express some of her violent impulses on. "Besides, he might just be too much man for a virgin like you."

Rias for her part was taking Xander's suggestion to heart. She had enjoyed the mental exercise of creating the *Claymore of Oblivion* and now she was going to innovate some more. Most application of the *Power of Destruction* comprised of compressing it or shaping the flow. Rias was doing the opposite, spreading the Bael family power thin creating a fluid of sorts. The effect was startling and quite spectacular. Rias released streams of red-black energy that struck their targets, spreading over them and seeping into the soft clay. Moments later parts of the {Clay Martyrs} simply ceased to be. Some were horrifically maimed, while others simple dropped inert. 'I'd say the *Ravaging Liquidation* is a success.'

Koneko Toujou had carefully considered just how she wanted to fight in the upcoming battle. While she discovered a natural talent for firearms most of Xander's collection was either useless against the {Clay Martyrs} or far too large for her to use effectively in a dynamic battlefield. Some were just too large for her petite frame, period. She'd decided to go with just using her martial arts skills, but Xander still persuaded her to carry the Mare's Leg in a back holster. With her Rook defenses backed up by the {Hitai'ate of Gremory} were proving to be adequate against the abominations, but they did little to protect her clothing. One of the automatons had tore the sleeve off her blouse and her response had been appropriately devastating, the offending {Clay Martyr} had been hurled through an cumulus cloud before gravity arrested it's ascent and began falling back to the Earth.

"Un!" Koneko grunted as she performed a prefect shoryuken that connected with the falling {Clay Martyr} the resulting impact splattered the area with softening clay.

Kiba Yuuto was not doing as well as he would have hoped. The formidable defensive powers of the {Clay Martyrs} was making a fair mockery of his swords. He could use the *Plow to Swords* in order herd the constructs, but every slash of his sword was met with bone-jarring resistance. He attempted the slow pressure that he'd been told was effective, but his entire combat repertoire was based around blinding speed. When another of his swords bounced off oobleck like hide yet again, he remembered a conversation he'd had with Xander.

"What are you doing?" Kiba had entered the advanced shop classroom looking for Xander. The dark haired man was half an hour late for sparring practice.

"Making a gift for Rias." Xander said as he tapped the resume key on the computer. There was the gentle hum of compressors firing up and the nozzle on the large water table fired up cutting it's way through the quarter inch sheet steel as if it were butter. "Man I would have killed for a machine like this in Sunnydale. I've seen this baby cut through steel, titanium, granite, quartz, just about anything. Hell, with a few tweaks Hephaestus and I used it to cut the metal for the Hitai-ates. It's too bad we couldn't keep it that souped up, but without a literal God here keeping it together…"

"Is that some sort of acid?" Kiba was a bit curious. He had gotten through basic woodworking class and didn't bother to go further. Xander was actually in the most advanced shop class Kuoh Academy offered having tested out of all the others, including advanced drafting.

"Water and garnet particles at extreme pressure." Xander replied evenly. "The garnet is needed because the machinery can only produce so much pressure. Given enough pressure then just plain water would pretty much do the same thing."

"Well, it wouldn't be the worst idea I ever had." Kiba shrugged as the thought popped into his head. Concentrating for a moment he triggered [Sword Birth] and imagined what he wanted. {Holy Eraser} was briefly encased ice crystals which shattered a moment revealing a new blade. Fans of a certain wargame would instantly recognize the shape chainsword, the sole difference was that instead of a rotating chain, there was water flowing at insane speed and pressure. "Let's see how my {Pressure Blade} works."

Asia Argento was not used to being in the thick of melee combat and she was sure she never would be. She had been swarmed the moment she had come through the *Transport Circle*. It didn't matter that she had been standing right next to Raynare or that the others had arrived before her. Six of the {Clay Martyrs} were doing best to batter her to death. It was only thanks to the {Chains of Prometheus} that she wasn't unconscious or dead. The eight massive chains were constantly moving to block blows aimed at her. She couldn't direct her chain to do anything but fend off the attacks.

"Well, at least I am keeping some of them busy." Asia tried to find the positives in her predicament.

"Oh for Christ's Sake!" Raynare didn't care that she uttered a borderline blasphemy as she ducked under a roundhouse blow from one {Clay Martyr} only to be punched in the ear by another. The blow wasn't enough to knock her down or even ring her bells, but it was enough to let her know that she was in real danger. She'd tried the wrestling moves that Koneko taught her, but she wasn't strong enough. With a snarl she formed a *Light Spear* and thrust it into the offending golem. Her eyes nearly bugged out as the weapon effortlessly sunk before detonating. The result was a completely vaporized {Clay Martyr}. "What the flying fuck?"

Xenovia Quarta was beginning to wonder just why {Clay Martyrs} were feared by Devils. She was cleaved through the fifth of the golems with ease. {Excalibur Destruction} treated the alchemical clay no different than it would softened butter. Something didn't add up as she knew without a doubt that Rias and Akeno could destroy buildings with their magic. The massive revolver that Xander was using should be shooting completely through the automatons. Every Devil was putting far more effort into the battle than she had to. Out of the corner of her eye she caught what Raynare's *Light Spear* had done and it clicked.

"Rias-dono, they are vulnerable to Holy and Light powers." The bluenette called out to her temporary allies.

"I hate to say it, but those pussy devils are doing better than you predicted, Old Man." Freed Sellzen was a man of action and hated just watching a battle. He longed to wade into the battle and bathe his blade in Devil blood. The only thing he enjoyed as much was raping devil women. Yes, he knew that made him evil, but he could care less. The reason he was put on this Earth was to murder devils for their crimes of existing. Any pleasure he took from that was his reward. "Could you hurry the fuck up with the sword? Give those bastards too long and they'll dry fuck our asses."

"That is to be expected. We are talking about Lady Gremory and her peerage. I doubt Sirzechs would allow his little sister to have a weak coffle of slaves." Valper Galilei blithely replied to his foul mouthed subordinate's comments. While the older man wasn't found of the vulgarities the younger man used, Valper considered Freed the epitome of what Exorcists should be: devil killing machines that would not let compassion stand in their way. He even admired how Freed would torment the female devils before killing them. Turning his attention back to the golden orb that was hovering a few feet over where the bearer of the [Boosted Gear] had been briefly killed, the alchemist drew a few diagrams in the air. "We cannot rush the reforging process, Freed. Otherwise the [Fused Excalibur] might very well shatter the first time to strike an enemy. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

"That would suck ass." Freed agreed after a moment. "Damn it. I should've brought a spare {Light Blade}."

"I LIKE this sword!" Kiba said, but his words could not be heard over the shrilling that the {Pressure Blade} made as it cut through the {Clay Martyr} not too unlike a chainsaw through softwood. The rapidly flowing water literally tore the clay to shreds even as it tried to harden under the pressure. In just three strokes one of the golems was completely neutralized. With a feral grin on his face the Knight of Gremory blurred into action the {Pressure Blade} slicing off limbs from the constructs as he passed.

'Holy and Light Magic? Great, not much I can do about the first, but thanks to Grayfia-nee, I have ways of handling the second.' Rias muttered as she raised her hand to perform a spell that her sister-in-law taught her. Wind whipped her hair about as she gathered a great deal of her power. Three sigils formed in front of her before they aligned in a row aimed for the clouds. Rias unleashed a white beam through the sigils and it travelled to the clouds. A moment later beams of light began raining down from above. Most of them just hit the ground, but the ones that struck {Clay Martyrs} burned massive holes in the constructs. None of the beams came close to the ORC or Xenovia. Unfortunately Freed and Valper seemed to be outside of the area of effect. 'Damn, *Radiant Rain* takes a lot out of me.'

"Tch!" Koneko drew the Mare's Leg and spun the weapon like Chuck Connors would his Henry Rifle. It was a trick Xander taught her for rapidly chambering a round when only using one hand. The whole reason she was doing this was that Xander had managed to get the .454 Casul rounds blessed, so they were effectively holy. Of course the petite girl was taking no chances, she had one of the {Clay Martyrs} in a modified wristlock producing enough pressure to keep the automaton solid rather than let it ooze out of grip. Without pause she blew the construct's head off execution style. "I prefer pummeling them, but this works."

Raynare smiled widely as she spread her wings and took to the sky. Forming *Light Spears* in each hand she began hurling them at any {Clay Martyr} that Kiba and Rias had immobilized. While the still functional ones were a greater danger, Raynare's thoughts were more along the line of making sure that Asia was no longer harried. In the long ron allowing their healer to do her job was more important than taking out a few intact enemies.

"Ugh!" Shouting out her observation to the ORC had cost Xenovia. One of the {Clay Martyrs} had delivered a vicious upper cut that caught the Exorcist in the chin and launch her into the air. Landing in a heap she was at the mercy of four of the automatons as they stomped on her over and over again. Just as an earthen foot was about to cave in her skull, her vision was filled with silver lighting and golden chains.

Asia finally had some room to breathe thanks to Kiba slicing the limbs off her attackers and Raynare finishing them off. As the {Chains of Prometheus} were no longer tied up in just keeping her unharmed, the healer could take stock of what was happening. It wasn't a moment too soon as she saw a group of {Clay Martyrs} stomping on a downed Xenovia. Now most people would have second thoughts about saving someone who had expressed a desire to kill her. Asia simply did not. She sent a few chains to retrieve the down Exorcist.

"Xanrai, mommy needs your help." Asia ordered her familiar. "Protect Xenovia!"

"Raargh!" Xanrai screeched as he took to flight. The tiny terror was quite capable to releasing massive amounts of lightning when he was riled and he was most definitely that at the moment. There were clay creatures trying to hurt his Mommy and Aunties. While he trusted that the Alpha and his Mate would lead them to victory, it was still the middle of combat and one of the new Aunties was in danger. As he closed with the foul smelling clay creatures stomping on the blue hair Auntie, Xanrai let loose the largest bolt of lightning he'd ever produced. He was rewarded with watching one of the abomination break apart before it could finish it's stomp.

'I do not want to use the power of that man.' Akeno seethed as she heard what the {Clay Martyrs} were vulnerable to. She did have access to a power that would allow her to easily handle the abominations, but it meant facing a very painful time in her past. Akeno just wasn't ready yet. "Perhaps some *Music of the Kami* will have an effect." Akeno muttered to herself as she plucked the mystical string of the [Yumi no Raiden]. The single twang reverberated over the battlefield and the effect was immediate. Every {Clay Martyr} paused in the middle of whatever they were doing and jerked spastically. The effect lasted a full second, but that was enough to ruin many attacks by the constructs. "Ufufufu, this has promise. Dance my little puppets! Dance!" She giggled gleefully as she strummed the string over and over again.

"BOOST!" Ddraig announced again as Xander's power was doubled for the fourth time. "Partner, it might be time to bring out {Rosenberg}. Your pistol is out of ammo."

"Yeah, I know." Xander grunted out as he blocked a punch from one of the {Clay Martyrs}. His right arm was protesting having fired five rounds from his Elephant Gun Revolver, and now the left felt like he tried to catch one of Illyria's softball pitches. Reaching behind his back he exchanged the revolver for his favorite axe and holding it aloft. "By the heart of Sineya, I have the Power!" As before, four bolts of lightning cascaded down from the sky triggering the transformation to the He-Xan form. One of the few {Clay Martyrs} that resisted the *Music of the Kami* made the blunder of attacking mid transformation only to have the residual energies blast the construct apart. Once the process ended Xander's grin turned predatory. "Promotion: Queen!"

"Oh, that just isn't fucking fair. Psycho-kun is He-Man!" Freed ranted as he saw the transformation of dark haired devil. "Old Man, we need to hurry the hell up with the sword. There isn't enough lube in the world to prepare our asses for how fucked we are if those shitty devils finish off your crap martyrs before you're done."

"It is almost done, my boy." Valper wanted to roll his eyes at the antics of the young man, but he could not take his attention off the ritual. This was especially important as one of the {Clay Martyrs} had tossed {Excalibur Destruction} into the glowing orb. Ordinarily adding an unexpected element to an alchemical ritual would have disrupted it, however Valper was a genius. He'd created the equations specifying Fragments of Excalibur as a group. The addition of another sword merely required a slight tweaking. "And there is good news. The weapon will have the abilities of {Excalibur Destruction} as well."

"Well, thank fucking God for that. I'm gonna need it." Freed replied snappishly.

"Huh?" Xenovia opened her eyes to see the green glow of [Twilight Healing] as Asia worked quickly to heal her aching body. Just a few seconds ago the Exorcist had been certain that she was about to die. She had known the moment she'd taken on the training that it would eventually happen, but she always imagined it would be decades away. As she watched the foot of the {Clay Martyr} Xenovia had offered her final confession, only to find it wasn't going to be the last one. The very young woman she'd threatened to kill just the day before had saved her life and healed you. The bluenetted almost asked why she did so, but one look in Asia's eye said it all. The former Holy Saint was pure even as a Devil. It never occurred to the blonde to not heal her. "I thank you, Asia Argento. I will repay this kindness one day."

"Just relax a moment, Xenovia-san. They broke a few of your ribs. I'll have them healed in a just a minute." Asia soothed the exorcist as she continued to heal the young woman's injuries. "Xanrai and Koneko are protecting us, so we will be fine." The blonde smiled warmly. "And your thanks is all the repayment I need."

"Eat it." Koneko deadpanned to her current victim. She had knocked the feet out from under a {Clay Martyr} causing to land on it's back. A moment later she had the mouth of the Mare's Leg barrel pressed to the golem's mouth and pulled the trigger. The blessing on the bullet negated the defensive capability of the enchanted clay and the .454 Casull hollowpoint made a splatter of the head. With a practiced motion she racked the weapon again and blew the knees out on another {Clay Martyr} causing it to topple. "This is fun."

"And another one bites the dust." Kiba quipped as {Pressure Sword} tore through the neck of a {Clay Martyr} with almost no resistance. "Oh great, Xander's a worse influence than I imagined." The blonde swordsman groaned as he spun in place to generate momentum for the next attack. That golem fared no better than the other and was bisected from hip to shoulder. "Well, as long as nobody tells him, I can pretend it didn't happen."

"I heard you, Kiba!" Xander yelled across the battlefield as he brought {Rosenberg} down on one of the accursed automatons. The blade of the holy axe had only penetrated an inch when the {Clay Martyr} was consumed in golden flames. Xander didn't waste any movement as he recovered for another blow. "Your quipping is improving, but still needs work." In blink Xander blurred through three of the golems swinging as he did, as he came to stop all three burst into golden flames. "I should make you read Spider-man comics."

"Don't you dare! I need at least one of the men in the peerage to have some class and sophistication." Rias playfully rebuked her fiancé. "Since I love you the way you are, that has to be Kiba." Even as she spoke, Rias prepared another spell. Another sigil appeared and disgorged a literal rainbow spray that encompassed a full dozen of the {Clay Martyrs}. Some of the golems burst into flames, some melted into sludge, others spasmed until they fell apart, a few turned to stone and some just vanished completely. 'Never thought I'd ever have a use for *Prismatic Spray*.'

"Daaaammmn!" Raynare drawled out. "Asia you need to hurry up, Xander is suffering a third degree burns from that one." The fallen angel laughed even as she pitched *Light Spears* as fast as she could form them. What had started out a desperate battle had turned into a mop-up operation as more of the {Clay Martyrs} were destroyed with terrifying ease.

"I'd be offended, but we all know it's true." Xander responded even as he grabbed one {Clay Martyr} by the arm and proceeded to us the construct as a club to strike another. As the two were smooshed together {Rosenberg} cleaved through them both destroying them utterly. "Besides, could you imagine me acting all prim and proper. I mean really try to picture it in your head for a moment."

"Fufufufu, my mind rebels at the very thought Xander-kun." Akeno was still giggling a little as she plucked the mystic string of the [Yumi no Raiden]. She had been experimenting at first, but now that she knew where the notes were she was plucking out different children's songs like Hot Cross Buns and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

"Nope, can't do it." Kiba shook his head as he cut one of the last few fully mobile {Clay Martyrs} from crotch to forehead with the {Pressure Sword}. "It's like imagining a goofy laid back Kaichou."

"So wrong." Koneko muttered as put the Mare's Leg under the chin of a {Clay Martyr} and pulled the trigger splattering it's head before chambering another round. "How many are left?"

"Eureka!" Valper cried out as the glowing orb of golden light died down to reveal a wicked looking sword balanced on the tip. The excited alchemist leaned forward to examine the weapon for a moment. "It's complete. It's finally complete. I have done what they have claimed is impossible. Freed, my boy, baptize the {Fused Excalibur} in the blood of those devils. Be especially sure to kill the Red Dragon Emperor."

"Yeeessss! Finally!" Freed crowed as he grabbed the hilt of {Fused Excalibur} and bright the weapon to a ready position. "I know just what to do." Freed smirked as he faded from view using the *Transparency* power of the holy blade in his hand. "He'll never see me coming."

"Only a few more Koneko," Xander called out as {Rosenberg} cleaved through one of the spastic {Clay Martyrs} the wiccan holy axe making short work of the necromantic energies animating the statue. The golden flames consumed the clay leaving behind only dust. "After that we can… No!" Xander said as he brought his ax up in a defensive block as if expected a sword strike from empty air. The fact that sparks erupted along the haft made it very clear that his action was not just whimsy. "Gremory Kill Circle! Form up on Asia!"

If anyone in the Gremory family had an argument with Xander's order they didn't voice it. Immediately Rias and Akeno took Asia's right and left flanks erecting their strongest *Shields* to help protect the group. Kiba was directly ahead of the former nun with a {Pressure Sword} in each hand. Koneko and Raynare took the rear the former with her Mare's Leg at the read and the latter with a longer than normal *Light Spear*. Xanrai was circling above, his eyes peeled and ears perked looking for the enemies that would be a threat to Asia.

"How the fuck did you block my blow, Psycho-kun?" Freed's disembodied voice asked even as he retreated a bit to judge the capabilities of his prey. His practiced eye noticed that *Shield * that the Devils has erected were far enough away that if he tried to breach them, that the Devils inside would be able to respond before he could do anything. As for the man he dubbed Psycho-kun, he seemed far too sure of his ability to fight Freed. "No shitty devil magic can see me right now."

"Do you honestly think I am dumb enough to tell you that, Altar Boy?" Xander made a point of not looking directly at Freed. The ability of the {Eye of Omen} to see in every direction no matter where the star was pointed made it child's play to keep the invisible exorcist in sight. Xander was amused that his normal eye could see the insane man as easily as the artificial eye did. With but a thought, he opened his sense of sight to Rias so she could keep track of the threat as well. "That's a fancy pig sticker you have there. I take it the D.M.W. finished it."

"You like it? The Old Man calls it {Fused Excalibur} but I think I will call it my Super Killy Sword." Freed laughed rushed forward in an attempt to skewer Xander. He was prepared for the massive axe knocking the strike out of line or the feral grin on the man's face as he looked him right in the eyes.

"Boost!" Ddraig announced.

"This is SPARTAAA!" Xander yelled as he delivered a perfect Sparta Kick to the man with every bit of power he had. Freed was sent flying across the fountain courtyard tumbling along the ground a few times before impacting the trunk of a large apple tree. "Always wanted to do that."

The Gremory Kill Circle might have been inspired by a comedy movie, but that didn't make it any less effective. With their backs to Asia who would heal them as necessary, the Gremory peerage and honorary member literally shredded anything that dared approach. If *Power of Destruction* and *Lightning* didn't destroy the {Clay Martyrs} then *Light Spears*, blessed bullets, and *Pressure Swords* did. It was a perfect study in turning overwhelming offensive power into an effective defense.

"This is impossible. I expected you to do better than some of the scum I have had killed before, but this..." Valper Galilei muttered in shock as he saw the last of his golems being destroyed. "I designed the {Clay Martyrs} specifically to draw on Devil Power to strengthen their defenses. Only the Fallen Angel and the Exorcist should have been a threat to them at all. It's inconceivable that all of you have survived."

"As I have learned from my fiancé, nothing is impossible when you think outside the box." Rias smirked as she witnessed the mad scientist's disbelief. "Valper Galilei, you are charged with attempting to violate the Three Faction Armistice by attempting to murder the Lucifer's sister. The Church has already declared your life your forfeit for your other crimes. Normally this is where I would Execute you personally for the harm you have brought upon my servants and myself, but my Knight has petitioned me to allow him to decide your fate. Kiba, he's all yours."

"I do not recognize your authority to judge me, Devil." Valper sneered at the crimson haired Devil. "It is my Duty as a Servant of Heaven to destroy your kind wherever they may be. There can be no crime when the outcome is to kill a devil." Despite the glares he was receiving the former Archbishop continued. "As for the Church, their condemnation is nothing by hypocrisy. They condemn me for my experiments, but it is clear they have used the fruits to create Excalibur wielders like the Exorcist there." As he spoke, the older man produced a hen's egg sized crystal from his robes, holding it up so all could see.

"That's the same kind of crystal they used on me. If I had known the *Blessing* they had given me came from your research I would have refused it." Xenovia spoke in a deadly calm voice. "And I know Irina would have done the same."

"Your research?" Kiba stepped forward as he let both *Pressure Blades* dissipate. "How many of us had to die for your precious research?" Tears fell down the young man's cheek as he spoke, his voice one of barely contained rage. "You tortured us with a smile on your face. I now know that the smile wasn't meant to comfort us. You were enjoying the pain and misery you put us through." He paused for a moment. "For two years you kept us there. You told us that we were serving God and that we were helping the sick and dying. For two years you lied us, telling you that you were trying to cure a disease."

"Ah, you must be the survivor I heard about… Isaiah was it?" Valper asked rhetorically before continuing. "I did not lie to you. Your torment and pain was serving a useful purpose. It helped me learn how to extract the potential to wield Excalibur from those who were not quite capable." The old man smiled at Kiba, but there was no warmth in it, and then he tossed to Kiba who instinctively caught. "Here, you might as well have this one. I can create higher quality crystals with no martyrs required."

"This? This is the fruits of your research? Of the lives you sacrificed?" The tears flowing down his cheeks did not detract from the fury in Kiba's voice. "You didn't even try to preserve their lives, did you? You enjoyed every whimper of pain, every plea to spare us pain, every mournful cry when someone did not return from their session. It was like honey on your tongue, wasn't it?" Kiba's knees trembled as he racked with sobs. "It should have been someone else." As Kiba was speaking motes of light leaked from the crystal, swirling about him for a moment before they started to grow. "There were kinder souls." The motes of light started to take humanoid form. "There were children with greater dreams than mine."

"What's happening?" Raynare stage whispered her question.

"Our various powers and the residual necromantic energy of the {Clay Martyr} are bending to the will of Kiba's broken heart." Akeno spoke up in the same stage whisper. "He's released the souls trapped in the Crystal."

"The Knight as peaked." Ddraig spoke up from the [Boosted Gear]. "It happens when the wielder of a Sacred Gear's heart and soul cry out against the nature of things. We're about to witness the birth of a Balance Breaker."

"It shouldn't have been me!" Kiba cried out. "Some one more worthy should have lived, but you wouldn't allow that! Even if I die this day, I will drag you to the pits of Tartarus for your crimes, Valper Galilei." As he spoke he made to start towards the older man, only to be stopped by a tiny hand gripping his shirt. Looking back he saw the ghostly apparition of a little girl he knew all too well. "Ruth?"

"Don't throw you life away, Isaiah." The little girl spoke. "We're here with you now."

The other motes of light had taken the form of the other victims of the Excalibur Project. There were far too many young children, but amongst them were teens and some adults. All of them looking at Kiba with smiles on their faces before they dissolved back into motes of light and swirling around him.

"It's alright, Isaiah. We wanted you to live."

"Accept us into you, let us help you be happy."

"It doesn't matter if there is a God or Heaven, we will be together."

"We all love you, Isaiah. Let us help."

"My comrades… I can't refuse your request." Kiba said as he straightened up. "Help me live for all of you, for my friends, and for myself!"

"Damn it, Kiba, you're breaking my heart worse than Ole Yeller." Xander muttered as he wiped away a few tears.

Asia's tears were flowing so heavily she didn't dare speak. Instead she bowed her head in prayer, even if she could utter or even think the words without extreme pain.

"How sweet." Koneko observed as she watched the display.

The motes of light swirled around Kiba faster leaving afterimage streaks before they plunged into the young man. Kiba's entire form glowed with a silver aura as the sounds of children's laughter echoed across the park. "We will be with forever, Isaiah."

"Ever since that wretched day all I have ever wanted was to kill you, Valper Galilei. I even researched the most gruesome methods of execution I could find." Kiba said as he started advancing towards the older man.

"I can help you with the Blood Eagle if you want." Xander and Akeno said at the same time not even realizing they had spoken the exact some words.

"Remind me to never anger them." Raynare stage whispered to Rias who just shrugged.

"But that's not what they wanted for me. They didn't want me to take revenge." Kiba continued as he ignored the very tempting suggestions. "They just wanted me to be happy to be free, but I am not free. I won't be free until the evil before me is destroyed."

Valper took a fearful back-step away from the advancing young man. "You, who allowed yourself to be made into a Devil dare judge me? You should have allowed yourself to perish and not become part of the disease known as Devils."

"It is time for a new sword." Kiba continued as a rune circle appeared before him. "A sword meant to balance the scales of your crimes." A sword formed in the middle of the circle and Kiba casually picked it up. "Prepare yourself, Valper Galilei."

"I've stalled as long as I could." Valper's nervous façade faded away to show the confident sneer the man had. "I don't care what sword you create, nothing will stop {Fused Excalibur}."

"And here I am! You shitty devils can't keep me down." Freed made an impressive landing in front of Valper, {Fused Excalibur} in hand. "Are you ready to die, Devil-kun."

"Tell me, Knight of Gremory, would you accept my help in cleansing the world of this evil?" Xenovia asked as she stepped to the right side the blonde teen. "Would you permit me to help you destroy that sword?"

"I would." Kiba responded. "But why would you offer it."

"I know that technically what we are looking at is a Holy Sword, but it was forged by a heretic and being wielded by a mad dog, there is nothing sacred about that." Xenovia said before she reaching out her right hand to her side, a massive holy sigil formed in the air. A moment later a gigantic blue blade with gold hilt all emerged from the sigil, the entire sword ensnared in chains. Xenovia grasps the hilt and begins to chant. "Oh Saint Peter, Basil and Denis. Oh Bless'd Mary. By their names and the soul of the Saint who resides in this blade, I set you free." With the final word the chains break and Xenovia brings the sword to bear. "I present my sword, {Durandal}."

"[Durandal]?" Rias gasped out loud. "One of the greatest Holy Swords!"

"A sword on par with [Excalibur] said to be able to cut the world." Akeno continued her bestfriend's description.

"Oooh, I haven't seen that sword in action for decades, this will be good." Raynare murmured.

"[Durandal]? How do you have that thing? My research had nothing to do with that sword." Valper was sweating now.

"Oh who the fuck cares, I'll just add it to my collection after I kill her." Freed said as {Fused Excalibur} warped in his hands creating several whip like tentacles that arched for Xenovia.

"Hmph." Xenovia's scorn was quite noticeable as she used [Durandal] to literally cut through the attacks causing the {Fused Excalibur} to revert to it's previous form. "You are attempting to use a broken weapon against a true Holy Sword, you will not prevail."

"I have more tricks up my sleeve, like this *Nightmare*." Freed announced as his form blurred for a moment as two more Freed's appeared flanking the original, then two more emerged a moment later creating a line of five. "This is like a shell game. Can you guess which one is me?"

"Middle one." Xander called as he stepped up to Kiba's left. "And I will happily prove that {Rosenberg} can cleave your skull."

"Thank you, my friends, but this battle is mine." Kiba smiled at both Xander and Xenovia.

"You can do it Kib-kun!" Asia, Akeno, and Koneko called out.

"Kiba, fight like a valued member of the Gremory Family." Rias cheered. "No True Knight of mine would ever lose to such a pathetic foe."

"I want to see blood." Koneko deadpanned.

"Oh God, another touching moment from Gag-me Gremory." Freed's spat in disgust as he squirmed around. "What's wrong with you Devils? You're more touchy-feely than the Teletubbies. It's not natural. It makes my skin crawl. I know what will make me feel better, killing all of you." With that the insane exorcist blurred forward.

Xander moved to block the mass of attacking Freeds and true to what he said, the middle one was real. {Rosenberg's} blade sparked with golden flames as it literally carved a small section of {Fused Excalibur} off. Unfortunately Xander was too slow to dodge a kick to his knee than caused him to go down in a heap thanks to Freed getting lucky.

"And for this battle something new is needed. Something that not even the greatest Alchemists could create. [Sword Birth} go!" Kiba held his sword aloft as his body was buffeted from the winds created by concentrating his devil power as was doing. A stream of inky blackness and pure white entwined around the sword as runes along the blade glowed a brilliant crimson. "This is {Sword of the Betrayed} a blade imbued with Holy and Devil Powers! It will be the end of this madness."

"Holy and Devil powers!?" Rias murmured aloud. "That's impossible."

Xenovia didn't even register the literal miracle given form beside her. She saw Xander go down when his knee bent the wrong way. Concerned that Freed would finish the man off, she rushed to the attack attempting to bisect Freed. Unfortunately the stray exorcist easily dodged the blow with a leap into the air.

"I've decided I don't like you!" Freed snarled at the bluenette.

"The feeling is mutual." Kiba pushed his speed to the max and was matching Freed blow for blow, counter for counter.

To anyone uninitiated in the art of swordplay they seemed evenly matched. Those who knew the art marveled at how Kiba was literally toying with the stray exorcist. {Sword of the Betrayed} clashed with {Fused Excalibur} time and time again but each blow was forcing Freed into a disadvantage until Kiba destroyed {Fused Excalibur} with an overhead chop.

"My sword broke!" Freed screamed out before landing in a crouch. "I can't believe Devil-kun beat me! Well, it's time to… urk!" Freed looked down to see a saucer sized hole where his heart had been. With the last of energy in his body he turned to see Xander holding the same Pfeifer-Zeliska Revolver as before.

"Don't need blessed ammo for scum." Xander muttered as he turned the revolver to point at Valper.

"Did you see that my friends?" Kiba was whispering to himself. "We defeated Excalibur. We're almost free."

"Devil and Holy Powers working together?" Valper was beginning to blabber as a crazed look came to his eyes. "It is an aberration. Two diametric opposite powers cannot coexist without unbalancing the natural order of…urk."

Valper never got to finish what he was saying, Kiba moved with lightning speed and beheaded the man before he could get in a monologue. It was one of Xander's lessons. Never a supposedly beaten foe monologue as they will use it to recover and kill you.

Author Note: Yes, I know in the Manga and Anime it is "Sword of the Betrayer" but I think "Betrayed" fits the story better.