Disclaimer: I do not own High School DxD, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Harry Potter, Naruto, Thundercats, He-Man, Rifts, God of War, and Campione!
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: This took so long because of illness and preparing to move and then I was hospitalized. It's been rough.
The King is Dead! Long Live the Queen!
"*Boost!*" Ddraig called out from the [Boosted Gear] as more power flowed into Xander. "Be careful partner. This is not the original Kratos and may be all the more dangerous for it."
"Leave it to a filthy dragon to spoil my fun." Kratos sounded more amused than angry despite his words. "The Welsh Wyrm is correct. I am not the original Kratos. That fool died on my sword. Like most Gods he thought himself invincible. He wasn't expecting a lowly human to be any sort of threat." The grey skinned man smirked. "Not that I am complaining. The Bitch will be the fourth head for my mantle."
"A Campione?" Kiba uttered in shock. "I thought your kind only hunt Rogue Gods."
"The others might limit themselves like that out of fear, but I have moved beyond such despicable cowardice." Kratos cackled madly. "Once the bitch is dead the Great War is inevitable then I can hunt all the heads I want. I'll become the King of Kings."
"Good thing Akeno and Buchou aren't here." Koneko frowned as she altered her stance. Since the battle over the {Fused Excalibur} she had been training on how to counter swords while fighting unarmed. It had taken many hours of fighting Kiba, Raynare, and Xander but she was confident she could channel her defensive power even against holy blades. "Magic isn't very reliable against Campiones."
"Well then, I guess we stick with the basics." Xander's expression morphed into a feral grin as he surged forward. Given his opponent was using two blades he opted against the standard overhead strike with {Rosenberg} instead he attempted a horizontal disemboweling strike. He wasn't surprised that his blow was blocked by a single curved blade. What did surprise him was the fact Kratos was effortlessly holding the axe at bay. "Well, I guess killing a God has some advantages."
"Only if you can claim their Authorities, something no putrid Devil can do." Kratos smirked as pressed against {Rosenberg} with his blade with the intent forcing the holy axe to cut Xander. The smirk faded as the edge of the axe nicked the sword under the intense pressure. Spinning away from Xander, Kratos was evaluating his opposition when Kiba charged to the attack with blinding speed. The godslayer was barely able to block both demonic holy swords with his blades, but before he could push the smaller man away there was a painful strke to his kidney. Kratos was sent tumbling again from the brutal roundhouse kick of Koneko. "Foul baseborn cheaters."
"Well, as Xander-sensei says, if you're not cheating, you're not fighting." Kiba responded politely, though it was clear there was a great deal of amusement in his tone. "If you surrender quickly, I might be able to convince him to let you continue living."
"Surrender to two pups and little pussy? I think not!" Kratos roared as he surged forward with his blades with the intent of slicing Kiba in half. Everyone saw the grey skinned man's blades slice through Kiba's waist and hips as an uneven X. "Not so cocky… what?" Kratos had started to taunt the dying man only to see the image of the smirking blonde fade out. Instead of the bisected devil there were several clunks of a chair. "What sorcery is this?"
"Kawarimi?" Xander queried as he saw the image of Kiba flicker for a moment before fading. "Weren't you the one who said it was a dishonorable tactic?"
"Yes, but that didn't mean I'd refuse to use it." Kiba chuckled as he stepped around the pillar the chair had originally been behind. "I would have dislocated my shoulders trying to parry those blows. Then where would we be?"
Xander didn't take the time to respond. He streaked forward bringing {Rosenberg} in line for another attack. This time he was intent on slicing a leg off the fake Kratos. The clang of metal on metal rang through the corridors of the mall as the holy axe was barely stopped by a wicked blade. Kratos didn't hesitate to lash out at Xander, but found his other sword caught in the gauntlet form of [Boosted Gear].
"Impressive. Perhaps I should stop holding back." Kratos growled out as he found tried to press his attack, only to find that it just cratered the concrete beneath of them. Growling aggressively the grey skinned man pushed on even as his swords began to chip and crack. Finally both of them gave with resounding cracks as they shattered under the strain. Left weaponless, Kratos was left defenseless as Xander foot flashed upwards catching him in the stomach, sending him slamming through the ceiling just before the boom of Kratos' body breaking the sound barrier was heard.
"Nice one sempai." Koneko congratulated Xander as she watched Kratos vanish through the roof of the mall.
"Thanks. That should give us a little time to prepare for the next assault." Xander nodded as he ginger put his foot down. "Channeling everything into one kick isn't the same as creating a *Dragon Beam*. Feels like I sprained my ankle."
"Is there any chance it will finish him off?" Kiba asked as he dismissed one of his swords and sheathed the other one. "After all you had six or seven *boosts* going before you acted."
"Eight, but I doubt he's even wounded." Xander sighed. "He was much stronger than Riser or Rudolphus, so no doubt he's just going to be pissed off."
Fifteen miles outside of Kuoh a crater marked the countryside. Once filled with water it would rival an Olympic size swimming pool. From the center of the destruction a gray skinned man wearing only tattered scraps rose to his feet. Spitting out the mouthful of blood, he wiped the remains from his chin and grinned.
"I haven't hurt this much since Ishtar tried to punish me for killing her husband." Kratos grinned as he remembered the fight with the Goddess of Love and War. He had lost, but Tammuz had been Rogue when Kratos had faced him, so Ishtar was restrained from killing the Campione. The millennia since then had cooled her temper, so he had little to fear now "I guess I should expect that from the Red Dragon Emperor, after all he is Tiamat's equal."
After taking a moment to orient himself in his surroundings, Kratos started walking towards Kuoh with a grin on his face.
"Isaiah?" Erica Blandelli muttered as she reached out to touch the monitor depicting the battle at the Kuoh Mall. The blonde Italian beauty was completely enraptured by the form of Kiba Yuuto as he battled the rogue Campione known only as Kratos. Once the battle was resolved she rewound the video and watched again. She completely ignored the other occupant of the lavish study until she had viewed the clip three more times. "How long ago?"
"An hour." Paolo Blandelli, the current leader of the Copper Black Cross, stated simply as he watched his niece. He hadn't expected to be ignored as she watched video, but he couldn't help the smile coming to his lips. This was the first signs of emotion he had seen on the girl's since she had witnessed the murder of Godou Kusanagi just after the battle of Sardina. "It's the first time either of us has seen your twin since your parents were killed."
"Kuoh is the domain of the Gremory Family." Erica scowled as she watched the images again. She noted the symbol that Kiba wore on his right leg. It was the same one that the tiny blonde and the towering brunette wore. It marked the three of them as servants of a Gremory Devil. "Could they be responsible?"
"No, my brother might have retired from the life of a Knight to raise the two of you, but the manor was heavily warded. Any presence of Devil magic would have been obvious." Paolo continued. "He's definitely a servant of the Gremory family now, but I have a suspicion he was rescued from a truly horrible fate. From what I can piece together the Holy Sword Project was in operation at the time of Isaiah's disappearance. The victims of that mad man's evil were exposed to dimethyl cadmium. About the only way Isaiah could have survived is being reincarnated as a Devil."
"The Holy Sword project?" Erica almost growled out. The Copper Black Cross had been one of the organizations to discover the horrors of the experiment. The Order considered their inability to save the children as a black mark against them. Now hearing one of the victims had been her own brother was especially painful. "I'm going to strangle Gallilei with his own intestines."
"It's little too late for that. According to our reports from the Vatican, he was beheaded by the Gremory Knight. It would seem your brother already exacted his revenge." Paulo smirked as he saw Erica's snarl slowly change to a slight smile. "In the same battle the Gremory Peerage defeated over forty of the {Clay Martyrs} with the help of Exorcist Quarta and a Fallen Angel."
"This sounds like a group that the Copper Black Cross should be watching." Erica said after a moment. Even she knew how formidable the {Clay Martyrs} were to devils. Hearing that a Devil Peerage managed to handle them with only a little help made that group intriguing. "May I request the mission, Magistar?"
"Well, normally we'd have to keep our distance due to the various treaties, but there is another piece to the puzzle that gives us a little wiggle room." Paolo sat back in his chair as he steepled his fingers. "My informants have discovered that the Red Dragon Emperor has a number of aliases: The Slayers' White Knight, the Primal Watcher, the Heart of Sineya, the One who Sees, and the King of Cretins. I don't need to tell you what that could mean."
"No, I don't." Erica shook her head as she ejected the USB drive that she had copied the video onto. "I will prepare to leave immediately."
"Very well," Paulo nodded. "And please be safe. Those who involve themselves with the Heavenly Dragons rarely have a good life."
"My chances at a good life were destroyed when that Trickster killed Godou." Erica whispered more to herself than anything else as she left her uncle's study.
"Are you sure you don't want us to return immediately?" Akeno Himejima was a little confused at her King's orders concerning the current situation. All could she think about was that a God Killer was in Kuoh and her would be boyfriend had placed himself between the monster and their prey. She absolutely loved that aspect of his personality, but at the same time she was worried out of her mind. "We could…"
"Just make everything more dangerous for the others. This Kratos is a Campione, magic is mostly useless against them unless you can overpower their defenses. The Maous could do it easily, but we are not on their level. So, we are just a liability." Rias let the sentence trail off as she hated to admit she was useless in a situation. It wasn't precisely true, as both she and Akeno could outfight the average Mid-rank devil with ease, but that wasn't good enough for this battle. "Xander knows he can win, it's a foregone conclusion. The issue is he doesn't want to use that power now and then not have it against Kokabiel when he finally shows himself."
"And that warmongering bastard will eventually show up." Raynare almost snarled in disgust as she spoke of the Leader of the Grigori faction of the Fallen Angels. "I swear that idiot and his followers give us Fallen a bad name. That's saying something."
"Ufufufu." Akeno covered her mouth as she laughed at Raynare's outburst. "For once we agree about the Fallen Angels, Raynare-chan."
"Hey, most of us aren't that bad, especially by Devil standards, so lay off or I'll tell Xander about you
being responsible for his missing boxers." Raynare shot back but was clearly amused more than offended.
"Oooh, I wonder what he'd do when he finds out?" Akeno pretended to swoon as she contemplated the possibilities. "Maybe he'd tie me up and spank me for being a bad girl."
"That would hardly be a punishment for you." Rias chuckled as she too pictured Xander's reaction. Since he did his own laundry, Xander had noticed that his hamper was missing boxers once in a while. He had chalked it up to forgetfulness on his part as they eventually ended up in his dresser being laundered and folded. "Now let's just relax in the onsen and try not to worry about how much of Kuoh ends up destroyed before we get back."
"I'm having flashbacks to Glorificus." Xander Harris-Hyoudou muttered as he read through what little useful information there was on the Campione. Aside from the generalities of improved bodies and immunity to magic, there was precious little that each Campione seemed to share with each other. "So far all we know for certain is that he's super strong, super tough, and older than the Roman Empire."
"I have heard a few rumors of the Campione who slew Kratos." Harmonia finally spoke up. The goddess had been oddly silent since she had learned who had wanted her dead. Campione were boogey men among the gods, used to frighten unruly deities into toeing the line. While some gods could be killed by any number of means, as long as the Authority was intact there was a chance at revival if a more powerful god intervened. Campione stole their prey's Authorities denying resurrection and nobody was quite sure how. Harmonia was quite rightfully scared. "Supposedly, the man who slew Kratos was a Spartan whose wife had betrayed him and bedded Kratos begetting a son. According to rumors he burnt his wife alive while he consumed the child. When Kratos came to avenge his son, he was slaughtered as well, the body mutilated with the head removed. A few centuries later, Tammuz, the husband of Ishtar was found in a similar state after he had gone rogue in order to impregnate an entire village of women while their husbands were off to war. The women of the village were slaughtered to the last." Harmonia swallowed audibly as she composed herself. "After that, I haven't heard anything. Mount Olympus hasn't had the best relations with most of the Pantheons of the world, less so than the Three Factions to be honest."
"Hmmm, the two God Killings we know of involve Gods seducing married mortals." Kiba Yuuto was polishing his bokken as a means of centering himself. He would be maintaining his swords if it wasn't for the fact he discovered that each time he summoned them they were new. "As well as targeting the woman who was seduced. I wonder what made him switch gears."
"Probably hasn't." Koneko said after swallowing the last bite of her coney dog. She'd become addicted to the things after Xander had taken her to A&W. "She smells like dog."
"Something you need to tell us, Harmony-chan?" Xander quirked an eyebrow when he heard Koneko's comment. He knew her well enough that she wasn't inferring that Harmonia had been petting a dog.
"Wellll… I'm pregnant." Harmonia admitted. "I kinda… sorta… had a wild affair with Xototl. His wife had been on a girl's decade out and…" The blonde was blushing as she stammered through her explanation. While she was her mother's daughter in some ways, she really didn't want to earn the same reputation that she or her friends had. "…It just sorta happened… a few hundred times."
"Oh my, that is quite the pickle!" Asia Argento summed up the PG version of everyone's thoughts as the news hit home. Of course there was the sound of three slaps as Xander, Kiba, and Koneko face-palmed simultaneously.
"Well, if it helps, his wife isn't angry. She was fooling around with another woman at the same time…so it's not like I broke up a marriage or anything." Harmonia was still feeling a little sheepish. Sure, what she did was tame by Greek standards, but she liked Xander and didn't want him to think he was home-wrecking skank.
"Yeah, that means we don't need to worry about an angry Aztec goddess atop the psychotic Spartan." Xander was doing his best not to snap at the goddess. 'What did I ever do to deserve being roped into this soap opera?'
(You want the list or is that a rhetorical question?) Ddraig's voice echoed in Xander's mind.
Kratos entered storage locker he had rented when his hunt had led him to Kuoh. The man no longer had ashen colored skin, but rather a healthy tan. Instead of the bare chest and legs, he was wearing Molon Labe T-Shirt and blue jeans. If not for his heavily muscled physique and his bald head, nobody would have thought he was that unusual. A slight smile graced his face as he perused the racks of weapons and armor he'd collected over the centuries. Everything from Aztec Macuahuitl to Spartan Xiphos to modern battle rifles were there ready for use.
"Perhaps blending tradition with modern practicality will be the best option." Kratos chuckled as he made his way to his modernized version of the Spartan armor. The Cuirass was formed from ceramic plates harder than any steel. The pteruges formed from Kevlar reinforced with metal inserts. His helm manufactured from the same ceramics as the cuirass. Everything was well padded so that it would not chafe or shift. The masterpiece of the set was the shield constructed from sandwiched layers of titanium steel, ceramics, and lab grown diamond. It wasn't quite adamantine, but it was not as if he was on good terms with any of the supernatural smiths. He had to make do with human ingenuity reinforced with magic. "This suit will do for my protection. Now for the offense, perhaps a few blessed spears, a Light Xiphos, and the SAW with tungsten ammo." As he spoke Kratos was grabbing weapons off the shelves. "After all, why play fair?"
"Why are my senses going haywire over a Chik-fil-a?" Xander wondered aloud as he dismounted the Honda Rebel 1100 DCT that Rias had bought for him when she learned he knew how to ride. Actually, she had bought a pair of them as she wanted him to teach her as well. Both of them had custom paintjobs of a gorgeous red haired demoness reclining against a crimson scaled dragon. "Feels like…holy ground."
(The Church and Heaven actually have close ties to several businesses: Chik-fil-a, Hobby Lobby, and My Pillow are three examples. Just like Devils have their fingers in businesses.) Ddraig replied in Xander's head. (It looks like they blessed it as much as normal church, so you'll be fine.)
"Question, who is involved with Dungeons and Dragons?" Xander was taking off his helmet so he had to whisper to himself. He'd tried to think at Ddraig, but that had ended up sending it to Rias too, so truly private conversations were impossible until he practiced for a while.
(Nobody, but that might change with what they've done with the last two editions.) Ddrag replied. (Are you sure you want to ask them for help? We could easily defeat the Campione using the *ScaleMail*. As powerful as Campione are, they are not True Gods. They aren't even a match for leaders of the Three Factions.)
"Using that would mean I won't have available for Kokabiel unless I trade something else." Xander whispered to himself. He had considered the possibility going *Balance Breaker* on Kratos. "Plus, I don't doubt he'd flee the moment he saw the *Scale Mail*. He might be prideful, but he's not stupid." At that moment Xander heard a sound that he was intimately familiar with. The racking of the cocking lever of the Minami M249 Squad Automatic Weapon was something that stuck with you when you had a head full of soldier memories. "Or maybe he is. *Promotion Queen!*"
Outside of a Rating Game Xander would normally need permission to perform a *promotion*. This permission had to come from Rias or someone bearing the Proxy Badge. However consecrated ground was always considered enemy territory for any devil, even when they were invited. Thus Xander had the loophole he needed to channel the power of the {Queen Evil Piece}. A ghostly queen piece superimposed itself over the brunette's form as power flooded into him.
The *promotion* was impeccably timed as no sooner than the protective prowess of the *Queen piece* settled upon Xander, it was put to the test. The staccato of gunfire barely reached Xander's ears as tungsten 5.56N rounds impacted multiple sigils just a few inches from Xander's body. Instead of being discouraged by the light show the gunner kept firing.
"It would seem you will be a worthy opponent, Red Dragon Emperor." The man who had taken the moniker of Kratos smiled as he continued firing on the apparent teenager. His SAW was being fed by a belt of ammo coming from a massive backpack on his back. He'd managed to get into position by using spells to make mundane people ignore him. "But as impressive as those defenses are, they will fail under constant assault."
"*Boost!*" Ddraig announced as the [Boosted Gear] manifested the pair of gauntlets. (Partner, those aren't {Blessed Bullets} but they are still putting a strain on your defenses.)
"Yeah, but if I dodge any of them then people behind me might get hit." Xander started forming strange hand signs again. Like the others used Sigils and Mandalas, he relied on the seals he'd learned Naruto. It might have been a bit Weeb of him, but since the franchise did not exist in this universe yet, it meant he could keep his abilities secret. "*Earth Style: Mudwall!*" The former Watcher called out before vomiting up watery mud onto the ground. A moment later a fifty foot tall wall sprang out of the ground behind him protecting the Chik-fil-A and the crowd of people inside. "Now we can get serious!"
Kratos almost let up on the trigger when he saw the massive mud wall erupt out of the ground. It was well known that Campione were immune to magic directed at them, but there were some exceptions. Magic that was injected directly into their body affected them. Some forms of elemental magic were also a threat if the caster was savvy enough to not imbue the element with magic. However the god-slayer made the assumption that Xander wasn't the type to think of that.
Once the *Mudwall* was in place, Xander was free to start moving evasively. With a feral grin gracing his face Xander began zig-zagging randomly as he approached the source of the gunfire. Unfortunately for Xander, Kratos was capable of tracking Xander and keeping the SAW on target. There was a slight reduction in the number of rounds hitting, but the vast majority were still striking true.
"Well, that was pointless." Xander groused to himself as one of the tungsten round burst through the defenses and grazed his left shoulder. His worry that the next round would cause a real injury faded as Ddraig announced the second *Boost*. The increase in his speed and defenses meant less of the rounds hit and those that did were now just dropping to the ground instead of deflecting away. "Or maybe not." Xander chuckled as his hands flashed through a few more seal. "*Fire Style: Dragon's Breath!*" he called out before releasing a stream of fire from his mouth that raced towards Kratos.
"Fuck!" Kratos muttered as he saw the orange-yellow flames racing towards him. While he was immensely strong Newton's laws of motion were absolute and the heavy ammo pack on his back slowed his ability to dodge. The ancient Spartan managed to avoid the flames, the ammo pack was now burning. Realizing that wearing a burning box full of bullets was a bad idea, he hit the quick release on the pack and dove away from the waiting disaster.
Xander wasted no time and drew {Rosenberg} from the dimensional pocket. The feel of the holy axe in his hands was comforting ever since he traded his arms to Ddraig. Raising the weapon to the sky he uttered the incantation that would bring out one of the weapon's greatest powers. "BY THE HEART OF SINEYA!" Xander's body became a literal lightning rod as bolts power rained down from the heavens as once again he wielded the power of a Slayer. "I HAVE THE POWER!"
As Kratos retrieved his shield and xiphos he witnessed the transformation of his opponent from a fit teenager to a muscled form that looked like he could challenge Heracles. His mystical senses were screamed at him about the danger Xander now represented. Instead of being cowed, the Campione rose to the challenge. "You did not take that form in our previous fight. Is this your trump card?"
"As far as you're concerned it is." Xander said as he gripped {Rosenberg} with one hand. He knew at the moment he was still weaker than when he'd faced Kratos before, but he'd catch up with just another boost and then he'd become much more powerful as the battle waged on. "I can promise you that even if you defeat me, I will leave in such a state that any of my friends will be able to kill you."
"You would have made an excellent Spartan. I'd like to know your name." Kratos smiled as he adopted a ready stance with his sword and Xiphos. "I will want to put a plaque under your head when I place it on my mantle."
"Alexander Harris-Hyoudou. My friends call me Xander. My enemies refer to me as: Oh shit, it's him!" Xander grinned as he observed the man's style. The delay created by the banter allowed enough time for Ddraig to call out the third *Boost* since the activation of the [Boosted Gear].
"The Defender of Man? A strong name for the Red Dragon Emperor. It's a shame you became one of the putrid Devils." Kratos spat the last two words out like a curse despite the fact he'd been praising Xander a moment prior. "Since you are about to die, I will tell you my birth name. I was once Euthymius until my happiness was stolen."
"Well now I have a name to put on the tombstone." Xander grinned as he sprung forward to the attack. {Rosenberg} struck the Spartan shield with thunderous force. With all the power of Xander's base form, the He-Xan transformation, and the exponential magnification provided by the [Boosted Gear] the blow would have been enough to carve a chunk out of a mountain. Unfortunately all it did was create a shallow gouge in Krato's shield as it forced the man backwards a few feet.
"That was impressive Alexander, but not good enough." Kratos smirked as he rushed forward and struck Xander with the massive shield. The results of his blow were more impressive as Xander was sent flying backwards to crash through his own mudwall and skid along the ground through the glass doors of the Chik-fil-a. "You are tougher than I thought. I had expected you to splatter across your own wall."
Xander sat up and spit out the mouthful of blood before getting to his feet. "That fucking hurt." He muttered to himself and Ddraig. "We need to power up a few more times before we try another exchange like that."
"Indeed. This Campione is more formidable than I thought." Ddraig replied in a tone that spoke of grudging respect. "*Boost!* However he will fall before our might."
Xenovia Quarta was having one of those days that her mentor warned her about. The kind where she would be angered to the point of violence, but be unable to lash out at those angering her. Working at Chik-fil-a was both a blessing and a curse. The pay was decent. The employee discount allowed her to eat well. The management and her co-workers were all tolerable at the least. Even most of the customers were fine. However it seemed there were indeed Japanese Karens and they were just as bad as Caucasian Karens. Today she had to deal with a group of them who all insisted that they should get a discount for not wanting pickles on their sandwiches. She would have loved to let the Manager talk to them, but she was the crew leader and the Manager was making the deposit.
"Look, we do not charge for adding extra pickle, so why would we give you a discount for excluding it?" Xenovia tried to reason with the women. "Even if we did discount the cost of the pickle it would come to less than a tenth of a yen so it would be no savings unless you planned to buy thirty sandwiches and even then you might save two yen. So please stop yammering for a discount that I simply cannot give you."
Anything the women might have said was interrupted by the sound of automatic gunfire. Immediately everyone in the store ducked for cover except Xenovia. The blunette watched a Spartan with a machine gun fired on a very familiar form. Seeing Xander raise a wall out of the very ground to protect innocents confirmed her already positive opinion of the devil.
"Irina-chan, we've got an issue outside. Did you bring it?" Xenovia called out as she grabbed the front of her uniform and whispered the incantation for the rapid tear-a-way function. In moments she was wearing only her combat leotard as she vaulted over the counter.
"Of course I did, Xenovia-chan." Irina responded as she mimicked her friend and partner. As she leapt over the counter she grabbed at the ribbon on her arm and will {Excalibur Mimic} into the form of a katana. "Thank God that the Alchemists sent it yesterday."
"Exorcists?" Kratos recognized the unitards of the two women who exited the Chik-Fil-A. A predatory smile graced his lips. "Peace, Servants of Jehovah! I am merely eradicating a Devil. I have no quarrel with either of you."
"If you want to harm Xander-dono, you do have a quarrel with us, Spartan." Xenovia replied as she brought {Durandal} out the dimensional scabbard. "I don't know who you are nor do I care. I have had a very aggravating day and a little violence is just what I was praying for."
"Yeah, Xander-kun was my Watcher." Irina nodded in agreement. In her still far too cheerful demeanor the girl decided to use a standard Slayer threat. "Now leave before I decide to make your ribcage into a hat for him."
"She will, you know." Xander stepped between the two girls still holding {Rosenberg} in gauntleted hand. "And she'll make me wear it like she did with the Hag'nath'ker tooth necklace she made me for Father's Day."
"You said you loved that necklace." Irina pouted at the slight jibe.
"Pah, I can see the two of you are but Witches." Kratos spat out as he advanced on Irina. His {Light Xiphos} clashed with {Excalibur Mimic} as the two warriors test each other. It was clear that Irina was more nimble and had a great deal of talent, but Kratos was far stronger and had far more experience with blade and shield. "I make it a point to kill those who have betrayed their oaths, Witch. I see no difference between you and a woman who cuckolds a man."
"I haven't betrayed any vow, Spartan." Irina replied. "My Vows are to serve Heaven and the Church and they would not be happy if I let Xander-kun die when we are supposed to be watching him."
"Now you add perjury and bearing false witness to your crimes. Have you no shame?" Kratos screamed as he lifted his leg and kicked Irina in the stomach. The cheerful exorcist folded up under the force of the blow before being hurled back skidding along the grassy lawn before impacting the brick wall of her temporary workplace. "Now I will…"
Anything Kratos was going to say was interrupted by a blast from {Durandal} striking his shield. For a moment the spells held against the might of holy sword, but they collapsed. The weakened holy barrage struck the specially constructed shield hard enough to disintegrate everything but the strap and handle. Unfortunately this expended all the power that Xenovia had released. Even worse, the Exorcist was not used to releasing the destructive might of {Durandal} in such a way and was leaning heavily against her sword as she tried to catch her breath.
"My shield? That cost me millions of Euros!" Kratos turned his gaze towards Xenovia. His features twisted with hatred there was no questioning whom his next target was. "What Menelaus did to Helen will seem tame compared to what I do to the two of you."
"*BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST!*" Ddraig called out as the gems of the [Boosted Gear] flashed in rapid succession. "*BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST!*"
"I am going to enjoy this way too much!" Xander said as he dropped {Rosenberg} before rushing in.
"You are a fool." Kratos sneered as he swung his weapon in an attempt to behead Xander.
The {Light Xiphos} bounced off the protective barrier granted by the {Queen Piece} leaving Xander unharmed. Meanwhile Xander grabbed one of Krato's wrists and moved behind the Spartan before grabbing the other wrist. A moment later Xander place his foot at the base of Kratos spine. As strong as the Spartan was from stealing the Authority of a God of Strength, Xander was simply stronger in that moment and had leverage. No matter how Kratos tried to struggle he could not dislodge the hold the younger man had on him. Soon enough the he was laying on the ground with Xander standing on his back with one foot and both arms stretched painfully behind him.
"What are you going to do, Defender of Man? Make me submit and promise to end my evil ways?" Kratos spat out. "You're strength is temporary. Mine is eternal. Eventually, I will escape your hold and then I will take my time with every girl you love. I will keep them alive as I use them to breed new Spartans."
"Oh you really should not have said that." Irina muttered as she sat up, wiping some blood from her mouth after she spoke.
"Heh, he is just a churlish boy who knows nothing of killing." Kratos taunted Irina. "He'll just weep as I plant my seed in you."
"You are sorely mistaken, Spartan." Xenovia panted out. "Xander-dono, do not worry about sparing us the sight, do as you will."
Xander nodded to the bluenette as he applied a bit more pressure to the man under his boot. Without even saying another word to Kratos, Xander jerked upward literally pulling the man's arms with every erg of strength he had. Bones cracked as the man's shoulders violently separated and there was the awful sound of flesh and muscle literally shredding as both arms tore free of the Spartan's body. Arterial blood sprayed from both ragged stumps that were once Kratos' shoulders. As the Campione screamed in pain and horror, Xander tossed aside the limbs. The he reached out and {Rosenberg} few to his hands. With a single swing Kratos' head was separated from his body bringing an end to the screaming and the evil Campione's life.
"We need to get a clean-up crew here quickly. There are probably a lot of traumatized civilians." Irina said as she carefully stood up. "Should we call the Church since this is Holy Ground?"
"Get their permission for a joint operation. Devils will handle the physical cleanup, and the Church Inquisitors can handle the memory modifications." Xander said as he grabbed Kratos' head. "And see if anyone has an open line of communications with the Babylonian gods, I am pretty sure that a certain goddess of love and war would really like this head. Now if you excuse me, I have to get to the clubroom for a nap."
"Well, this is new." Xander muttered to himself as he turned around in place. A moment ago, he'd just closed his eyes for a nap in the ORC Clubroom and now he was standing in the middle of nowhere. That wasn't just a saying either. All he could see in every direction was swirling mists. He could feel ground beneath his feet but he couldn't see it as the mist even obscured his feet. Instinctively he tried the {Eye of Omen} only to find none the functions could see through the mists. "I hope this is not a kidnapping. That would suck."
"No, you haven't been kidnapped, Alexander." A feminine voice sounded from the mist a second before a toga clad woman with an uncanny resemblance to Joyce Summers stepped out of the mist. "I brought your mind here to speak with you, Red Dragon Emperor. I will return your mind to your body shortly. Forgive the surroundings, but I do not do this very often. I keep telling myself I will decorate this Astral Kingdom, but it keeps slipping my mind."
"Who are you?" Xander asked cautiously. Immediately upon seeing the woman he was a bit on edge. Thoughts of the First Evil came to his mind for a moment, but he banished them quickly. The woman resembled Joyce but there were many small differences.
"I am Pandora." She introduced herself. "I am the one who is tasked with overseeing the transference of Authorities between the Gods and the Campione." Pandora continued. "This has been my deific duty since God saw the prank the Greek Gods played on me. Apparently, he thought it would be a fun prank to pull on them."
"Yeah, I always suspected He was a prankster." Xander chuckled. "So…what is the reason for the confab? Pretty sure me being linked to Ddraig means I can't be a Campione."
"That is an assumption based on the fact I have never before considered a Sacred Gear wielder to be worthy. If the [Boosted Gear] were the only consideration, then you would be the newest Campione, however you are a Devil and carry the empowerment of a Primal and those disqualify you. The interaction of the various powers would literally tear you apart." Pandora explained with a sad smile. "However, as Kratos was Rogue, the Pacts dictate that the one to slay him must receive his power. There are two solutions. The first is removing the {Evil Pieces} and the Primal to make you human and then make you a Campione with the authorities of Kratos, Tammuz, and Huitzilopochtli. This would mean you would no longer be Rias Gremory's Pawn and forced to never associate with her or her peerage again due to the Ancient Pacts."
"Well, that'd suck." Xander said without even taking a moment to consider it. "It would break my heart to leave her. What's the other option?"
"This one may give you pause. A sliver of Sineya rests in your soul, the Authorities of Kratos and Huitzilopochtli would give her the ability to create a Slayer Line in this realm." Pandora impassively explained the second option. "The Authority of Tammuz would remain within you. It is a potent power, but one your Devil body could accept."
"Yeah, that gives me pause alright." Xander shuddered. "I made this decision once and I hoped to never make it again. There is no support network for the Slayers in this world." He started pacing back and forth. "They'll be like Sacred Gear wielders. Every faction will want to have a Slayer under their control."
"This is true, but it makes them no different than many talented people." Pandora explained. "On the other hand, there are only a few people in your world who will understand what they are at first. There aren't many who will wish to kill them and even those are just the Strays who would kill any human they came across. They also won't be plagued by the Demonic essence that tainted the Slayers of your world."
Xander continued pacing back and forth as scenarios ran through his mind. He wasn't kidding when he said it would break his heart to leave Rias. He recognized that he was rather hopelessly in love with the crimson haired devil. Then there were the others to consider. Kiba had become a brother much like Jesse and Oz had been. Raynare was the sister he always wanted. Koneko and Asia were definitely his girls. Then there was Akeno who was quickly worming her way into his heart the same way Rias had. Hell, he was even fond of Sona and her peerage. Then there were his regular clients who he considered friends. On the other hand he would be condemning many young women to becoming foot soldiers in wars they probably had no inkling existed. It was a choice he'd made before so he knew exactly what those girls would be put through. It was why he chose to be a Watcher in Africa instead of semi-retirement in England. While some Slayers had Shamans and Rainmakers to help them, for many others he was their only reliable guidance. Now, he was being asked to allow a new Slayer Line to form. Xander wasn't sure if he could live with himself with either choice.
"Your thoughts are loud, Watcher." Sineya announced her presence by poking Xander in the forehead. The First Slayer looked more civilized than she usually had. Her hair was still in dreadlocks but looked clean. She was wearing a buckskin dress that was handmade, but definitely more stylish. Her feet were still bare, but there were signs of a recent pedicure. Her face was plastered with mud, but rather war paint. In one hand she had the Slayer Scythe. The belt she wore around her waist had a few wooden stakes, a silver knife, and a Berretta M92. "You worry much."
"I see your English has improved." Xander smirked. "And you've been learning from the others in my head."
"Not speaking English, Watcher. You Devil understand every language." Sineya chuckled at Xander's erroneous assumption. "Of course I learn. Am not stupid."
"So, you're here to ask that I give you the Authorities so you can make Slayers?" Xander concluded. "Don't like my head anymore?"
"Your head fine. Like all the friends. Part of me always stay." Sineya replied with a grunt. "But yes. You let me have power. You stay with Crimson Empress. I like her. I like Thunder Priestess, White Lioness, Medicine Girl, Holy Slayer, and Blue Knight too. They good mates for you. More will come Devil Dragon. They need you. You need them."
"And what about the Slayers you will create?" Xander asked. "Who is going to guide them? No offense but they need it."
"Some will join Church. Some join Devils. Some join Spirits. Some will join Heroes." Sineya shrugged. "I no force them. They choose if Slayer or not. Death no longer Slayer gift."
"Well, that was my other concern." Xander was surprised to feel his shoulder's actually relax. He hadn't noticed that he was tense. "Fine, We'll do it your way. I still feel like this is going to bite me in the ass later."
"Good." Sineya nodded as a smile graced her face. "Go. Your mates need you."
Xander Harris-Hyoudou woke with a start as he caught the scent of mocha coffee. Sitting up on the couch he looked around for the source of the wonderful aroma. Someone had obviously decided to make a little pick-me-up for everyone. That everyone included Rias, Akeno, and Raynare back from Kyoto as well as Irina and Xenovia was not lost on him.
"Have I really been out of it for three days?" Xander frowned as he sat up. His muscles weren't stiff nor his throat sore, which meant Asia had used [Twlight Healing] in him as he slept. Instinctively he tried to rub the sleep from his eyes but recoiled as he felt the scaly flesh rub against his eyelids. "What the hell?"
Xander stared in shocked horror at his hands and arms. Instead of normal human flesh they were covered in fine red scales. The green gem of the [Boosted Gear] was present on the backs of his hands. The palm-side were a dark pink, but still scaled. His fingernails were replaced with golden claws. There were also a jagged ridge or darker scarlet scaled along each forearm.
"Yes, it has been three days, Xander-kun." Rias Gremory replied as she came around her desk so she could sit on Xander's right side. "We would have panicked, but Harmonia explained that you were speaking with Pandora, the deity in charge the Campione."
"And the dragon hands here?" Xander asked as he raised his altered limbs so everyone could see the transformation went all the way to his shoulder. "Did anyone explain this?"
"This is a result of our bargain, Partner." Ddraig announced as the gems on Xander's glowed. "Your own power was stable enough that the draconic power constantly accumulating in your limbs wasn't likely to cause a transformation. Unfortunately, you pushed yourself well past you limits and during your recovery accepted Tammuz's Authority. Since Tammuz is the descendant of a Dragon this caused a surge of draconic power and thus what you see. I have already discussed this with the others while you were speaking with Pandora and Sineya."
"Sineya?!" Irina Shidou had just barely avoided performing a spit-take with her mocha. Setting down her cup she rushed to Xander's side. "She didn't try to hurt you like last time, did she? You didn't see the cheese man, did you?"
Akeno Himejima was little concerned as she served Xander's mocha and Milano style cookies. She was only just entering the third season of the series so the worried faces of Rias, Raynare, Koneko, and Irina were a little alarming. As Queen her place in the peerage was as Rias' confidante and emotional support, but she was finding she need just as much reassurance as her King. Xander was already very dear to her.
Rias tensed at hearing the name Sineya. She had completed the series and had begun reading some of the background materials. She knew every entity that had posed a threat to Xander and his friends. The fact that First Slayer had nearly killed them all in their dreams for daring the Unification Spell was legitimate reason for concern.
"What did mud-face want?" Koneko Toujou spoke up as she used the same nickname for Siney that Faith liked. The platinum blonde was worried about her sempai for so many reasons but knew that something humorous would help everyone more than an angry statement. Hanging out with Xander was rubbing off on her.
"Well, she's graduated to using modern warpaint, so no more mud-face." Xander chuckled at Koneko's question. He did note at how it made everyone relax. "Sineya helped convince me to not become a Campione." He paused as everyone started talking over each other about how he should have taken that power. "Devils cannot be Campiones. The {Evil Pieces} would have been removed as well as the Primal. Campiones are supposed to steer clear directly associating themselves with Devils, Fallen Angels, or the Church. I'd never see any of you again."
There were gasps all around the room as everyone got really quiet. It was obvious that each of them was imagining losing Xander by him just walking away. Kiba looked pensive, but also a bit angry at the possibility. Raynare had a tear from at the corner of her eye as he contemplated Xander being gone. Koneko had put down her cookie and closed her eyes tight to keep from spilling tears. Xenovia seemed conflicted, as if part of her would miss Xander. Irina and Asia were both weeping but managed to keep from sobbing. Akeno let out a choked sob as tears streamed down both cheeks. Rias instantly descended into a sobbing mess as she threw her arms around Xander. It was clear even the thought of losing him was heartbreaking for her.
"You aren't allowed to leave me, Xander-koi." Rias cried out before she buried her face into his chest. Her tears soaked into his t-shirt. "You're mine and I'm yours. I'll destroy anyone that dares to try take you from me. I don't care if it's the Maous, Heaven, or Death himself."
"I'll help." Akeno said as she found her voice.
"Glad that you feel that way, Rias-hime." Xander patted his fiance's back a after he wrapped his arms around her. "And you to, Akeno-chan." He paused for a moment to let everyone attempt to get themselves under control. He was sure if he hadn't just woken up form a three-day coma, they wouldn't have been as emotional over just the possibility of him leaving. "The other option was giving Sineya two of the Authorities that Kratos had so she could empower a line of Slayers in this dimension."
"WHAT?!" Everyone but Xander blurted out at the same time.
Rin Takagawa was cursing her luck. She had just managed to take the first step in her recovery when it was all coming crashing down around her. Ever since Caleb's attack, Rin was terrified of men. Their presence was enough to case the normally outgoing girl to retreat upon herself and cower behind her friends. More than one man who had tried chat her up found that she was borderline catatonic around them. Her friends were understanding, but not many others were. Rin herself was quite disgusted by what she had become and even submitted herself to intensive therapy session to conquer her fears. She had just gotten to the point where she dared to walk home alone when disaster struck. Someone had grabbed her arm and dragged her into an alley.
"Look what we have here." The tallest of the three thugs sneered. The light skinned man's cheeks were pocked mark with acne scars that prevented him from ever being called handsome. His hair was slicked back with enough grease that it likely would leave stains on anything it touched. Like his two friends he was wearing dingy white wife-beaters and faded blue jeans. Around their left bicep was a purple paisley handkerchief marking them as gang members. "A pretty little rich bitch all alone."
"Well, she's not alone now." The heavy set thug whose gut was peaking out from under his untucked shirt chuckled. "She's got us for company now. I wonder how we're going to entertain her."
"I'll give you all my cash and I won't tell anyone about this." Rin managed to get out despite the shaking of limbs and her rapid heartbeat. "Just please let me go."
"Damn right you won't tell anyone about this, Bitch." The one with gold teeth said as he flipped open his balisong. "If the cops come sniffing around here, you'll be dead. Understand?"
"Y-yes." Rin croaked out as she tried to cower away from the blade.
"Good bitch. Now strip." The gold tooth thug grinned as he motioned to her clothes with his knife.
"W-what?" Rin blurted out a moment before the side of her face exploded in pain from the backhand strike. The petite girl was knocked down from the force of the blow.
(Get up! You not prey!) A feminine voice echoed in Rin's mind. (
"Are you deaf?" The tall one mocked before he kicked Rin in the stomach. "We said strip, Bitch."
"Lay off, Hikaru, she isn't going to be much fun if he's shurt bad." The heavy set one grabbed the tall one by the shoulder. "Don't you prefer making them ride you."
"You're right I do." The tall one chuckled. "Get up, Bitch!"
'That didn't hurt. I felt it, but it was like getting hit by a toddler.' Rin was puzzled on why the kick didn't hurt for a moment. Carefully she got to her feet no longer shaking with fear as she looked at the three thugs. 'That's strange I'm not afraid anymore.'
"Now strip." The gold toothed thug ordered again as he gestured with his knife. The blade was only a few inches from Rin's face.
"No." Rin said as he hand shot up and rthe gold tooth's wrist with crushing strength. Before the man could attempt to pull away Rin twisted his arm into a painful hold and quickly plucked the balisong from his grip. "I think the three of you should strip."
"What the fuck?!" The gold toothed thug howled in pain as his arm was twisted to the point he wondered how the shoulder stayed in the socket. "You better let me go before Hikaru and Tien fuck you…"
Anything else the man had to say was cut off by Rin's foot impacting his groin with so much force he was lifted four feet off the ground. Rin had let go of his arm as he was airborne and prepared a perfect reverse punch that caught him in the stomach before he could fall to the ground. The thug few through the air over fifteen feet before he hit the ground and bounced twice.
Hikaru was not known for his brains. He rushed towards Rin to deliver a haymaker punch to her face. Only Rin caught the fist with her free hand. A moment later Hikaru was howling as he felt the girl crush the bones in his hand like they were crackers. He was still howling in pain as a small boot impact his sternum forcing all the air from his lungs. Rin then released his hand before she jumped up in air and kicked him in the face with enough force to flip him over before he handed on the pavement.
"I'll bust a cap in your ass, bitch." Tien pulled out the Colt 1911 he carried and aimed for Rins head. He didn't register the fact that Rin had thrown the balisong until he pulled the trigger. The knife had lodged into the barrel causing a backfire. Tien was screaming in pain as boot heel was brought down on his skull knocking him out cold.
Rin stood on the alley surveying the carnage she'd wrought. In less than five seconds she had completely wrecked three thugs like they were nothing. 'Kami, I sent one of them flying with a punch.'