DISCLAIMER: DxD does not belong to me.


'So, that male turns out to be a devil, after all. Mother, are you sure that Hippolyta can stand against him? I know she's strong, but still...'

'What are you saying, sister Penthesilea? Big sis is strong and powerful, as if a male, even a devil one at all, stands against her! Sister Hippolyta has this match on her hands!'

'Penth, put more faith in your sister, I ask. We, the amazons, could never become the society we are now by doubting our strength, even against such odds, I add. Let us enjoy the match and see how the eldest princess emerges from it, I muse.'

'Mother, you do realize that the male is not an ordinary devil either, right? Even if he were to lose, you are aware that the family that he hails from might want revenge for his death. Lucifer... Doesn't play around..."

'Huhuh. If it comes down to that outcome, Antiope dear... We, as amazons, should die as we live: fighting to the bitter end. That is... The way of Themiskyra.'

...

*TIIIIIING~!*

"Ugwaaaaah...!" And with another swing of her blade, Hippolyta launches me backwards, my katana being no match for her 200kg sword as the brute force is enough to toss me like a ragdoll. Flying for a few seconds before landing on my back, lifting a curtain of dust and blowing the arms in the arena away. I'm now facing the midday sky, when the Sun is at its highest, and I spread a pained grin. Owowow, it hurts. "Phew... You know what they say... There's nothing like getting your ass kicked... By a pretty girl..."

"Hup...!"

"Kah...!" And I snap from my daze as a shadow descends upon me, the image of a bloodthirsty amazon holding a black sword almost four times heavier than me making me realize my current situation and roll to a side, barely escaping being cut in half or downright crushed! The boost of adrenaline helped me stand up and point Ichimonji-R back at her, adoptting yet another battle pose, Hippolyta adjusting her stance and picking both her sword and spear from the ground. One blink, and with this small moment of peace I try to use my [DISCERN OF RICHES] on them...

~~x~~

- ACHILLES(EQUIPPED): A magical spear wielded by Hyppolita, named after the slayer of Queen Penthesilea during the Trojan war. It gives the user the skill [GODSPEED], the ability to switch places with the spear on quick successions and short distances.

- ALCIDES(EQUIPPED): A black sword wielded by Hyppolita, named after the greatest greek hero. A sword made from a mineral only found in Themiskyra, it is extremely dense and usually used for harsh trainings, forged into a blade which weights approximitely 210kg that is sharp as any sword while packing a mean blunt force.

~~x~~

Those are nice weapons, nice weapons indeed, should've known there was something special about them considering the princess amazon is wielding them. Compared to them... I'm in a clear disadvantage. Ah, but no game is fun to play if there's no challenge. I wonder, when I kill her, I can keep them as loot. They probably have stats requirements for me to equip them, though... Just kidding.

"How curious, I observe. Male, if you please..." And I snap back to reality by Hippolyta's surprisingly low and feminine voice, calling for my title and making me face her. The Amazonian princess shealthes her sword once again and points at me with her free hand, the other still holding that spear, Achilles. I tilt my head in doubt. "... Level with me, if you please. You claimed to not be holding back anymore, I remember. Then, even now, why do you hold back your instincts and violence, I ask? I sense no difference between your current and previous stance. Are you perhaps... Looking down on me, I wonder?"

"..." I hum, curiously, as just hearing me insinuating that their princess was beneath me made the crowd boo and curse me, tossing everything on reach against my figure, from cakes to small statues, hitting me a bit, only stopping by another blow from the horn, courtesy of the announcer amazon.

As expected from the strongest in Themiskyra, the amazonian princess, her combat instincts and observations are top-notch, even though I'm the only one with the [DISCERN FOR THE RICHES] here. That is true, I'm not exactly doing my all in this death battle, mainly because, if I go all-out as intented, I might get careless and a bit full of myself, [PRIVILEGE OF THE STRONGEST] only boasting so much on my stats.

I need to find myself a breach first and strike as I can, if I try to open one myself, I might only fall into a trap. This is my first proper battle, and any mistake my end in my death, an idea I'm not currently very fond of. This place is also filled with weapons, weapons I have no doubt that the amazonian princess, descendant of the war god Ares, knows how to use them to their upmost limit, while I can only use and rely on my Power of Destruction and Ichimonji-R. Taking in count her personality and fighting style, plus her own stats and combat prowess, I shouldn't be careless at all. Maybe... I can do something to shake her and make her get careless. But how? How?

...

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW... Oh, I got an idea.

"Ah... So you noticed. I'm sorry, Hippolyta, but it is true that I am not completely in the zone in this match. But, ah, please do not think I'm looking down on you. On the contrary in fact." I open the best smile I can, open my arms in a blasé pose, Ichimonji-R dangling from my fingers, and shot her a wink. Her reaction remains stoic, but an untimed blink reveals a small tint of interest. Great, now, for the second part. "It's a bit embarassing to admit it, but the truth is... I'm so enchanted by your face, figure and fighting prowess, I can't think of anything at all anymore. It might sound strange coming from me, but I can't concentrate on this death match because I can only focus on how beautiful you are."

"...?!"

'...!'

"..."

...

Now, only silence. This is a bit embarassing to say, even considering that she is a princess and a bit older than 'Garith', but if I can put her off-balance for a moment, enough for me to explore a weakness, then so be it, I can throw compliments like a shakespearian nerd. But the impact of my words were a bit too much: not just Hippolyta, but the entire colosseum seemed to have died, not a single sound for a good moment besides queen Otrera's amused chuckles. Once the shock dies, the amazons now speak among themselves, thinking I can't hear them...

'H-he... he called princess beautiful...'

'It's... It's over. What a foolish move.'

'And we cleaned the colisseum not long ago~. It took days to remove the bloodstains from the walls!'

'Well, nice seeing a male, at least.'

Wait, what?

"Beautiful...?" I turn to the direction of opponent again, and from the bangs covering her eyes, I see an ominous green light, clearly directly at me with anything besides good intentions. The grip on her spear tightens, and the aura she exhales is so extreme she started to blow winds to all directions, lifting a curtain of sand. "Did you... Just called me... BEAUTIF-...?!"

"Yes, I did!"

"...?!"

"I-I... I mean... It's a bit embarassing to admit, but I did call you beautiful." I said with an awkward tone, scratching my cheek sheepishly. "Miss Hippolyta is indeed very beautiful. Her green eyes shine like emeralds, her hair is so long and dark like ebony, I bet its silky and nice to touch too, and the way she does a braided-bun combo is so moe and exotic compared to the usual ponytail, makes her royal aura shine even brighter without making her tacky or too masculine or feminine, a perfect blend of both. Her fair skin, the cute mole next to her eye, it complements nicely to her serious, stoic expressions that scream how much of a formidable warriorwoman she is. Not just her appearance, her stance and fighting abilities, they're all so graceful, swift and aesthetically pleasant, as if she's a ballerina of war blessing the battlefields before swifting bringing victory to her faction, as she never missteps or loses composure, all an espectacles for the eyes and war. Her attire is also a nice combination of traditional and modern, her chíton vests embracing and enhancing her already curviliar and well-endowed body, which is perfectly measured and symmetrical without being plain or vulgar, like an statue scuptured by the divine hands, to say nothing about the visible scars on her body, signs of a hardened and cultured warrior which follows the way of conflict to the bone, a beautiful display of a life that mixes the beauty and uglyness of war and battle. Her tiny feet are also so light and feathered, not even the leather gladiator sandals seems to make any noises as she walks, lands or simply stands, the perfect example of her grace yet power. To say nothing about her choice of weapons, the king of arms that is her golden spear and the power in and out of a black sword, which not only make her look like a war goddess, but also mix well with all the colours of her cloathing and features, of course, not just for show, as every move she makes with those deadly weapons are precise and meaningful, years and years of practice in plain sight in her efforts and title as the strongest amazon, a worthy eye-catch in every pose, making someone like me look like an amateur. And not just what the eyes can see, the aura she commands and exhales is strong, powerful, divine even, fearless and free of doubts as we clash blades, as expected from the princess of amazons, worth for the throne. In short, all in all, Hippolyta, you, is very, very much beautiful in all regards, physical and spiritual. I mean it, and I'll say it again: Hippolyta, you are beautiful!"

"..."

'...'

...

Ah, this feeling again. I can sense it, I don't even need to look around to feel it oozing from the crowd around us. It's creeping all over me, and if I try to do something else, it'll just exacerbates it. All of the people in the crowd, all eyes on me, I can sense this feeling; the feeling I'm unfortunately too familiar with; the feeling that 'Ichirou' felt from everyone, to his family, to his coworkers, to even strangers on the streets. Right now, everybody is thinking...

... This guy is a piece of shit.

Which is understandable, considering how creepy that was. My charisma can only help me so much, but as shown with miss Akeno and Miss Grayfia, if I'm not careful, those loose, hollow words will turn against me and bite my rear end until there is nothing left. But this time, isn't this kind of the point?All the creepiness, all the saccharine words that will make her skin crawl with imaginary ants, and my foolish, forced attempts at charming her will definitely put even the almighty amazonian princess off-balance, either by confusion or just plain disgust, her rage emerging and blinding her better judgement and break her calm mind. I don't mind if I'm seen as a piece of shit, if it can open me a breach to explore and escape this whole ordeal...

C'mon, princess Hippolita, make your move now, let us see how you fare against this garith Gremory, your will shaken and his words out. Whatever you throw at me, I shall take it and respond in kind. Be with violence, be with words, I shall withstand it and show to every amazon in this place to not mess with Gar-Why is she blushing? Why is she trembling? Why... What?

"Hm... Hmmmmm~... Hhmmmmmmm~...!"

"M-Miss Hippolita...?"

"P-Please... Don't... Don't look at me, I request." She lifts a hand to shield her own blushing, fulming face, making me even more confused. In the end, Hippolyta turns around and cups her cheeks. "Hmmmm~... Please, stop staring, I beg."

"Errrr..."

...


EVENT UPDATE: THE MAIDEN-HEARTED AMAZONIAN PRINCESS!

[The amazons, the warrior women of the island of Themiskyra... Are a proud race of descendants of Ares, the Greek god of War. As such, they're trained since their early age to wield and master all forms of arms and martial arts, to plan and strategize in the heat of conflict, to develop as warriors and build a strong, independent nation that needs no men, shown in their fighting prowess and strong armies, which can rival with other factions. As such, plus the lack of men in their society, amazons are alien to the concept of 'flirting', and react with hostility any comments, either negative or positive, that are not pointed at their skills and abilities as warriors. For them, strength is everything, and to ignore that is the biggest insult an amazon can face, one that she will not forgive...]

[... HOWEVER! Garith Gremory has complimented the Themiskyra amazonian princess Hippolyta. Such words would've make Hippolyta vexed for the aforementioned reasons, but before that could happen, the devil boy continue to shower her with praises and compliments, both about and not regarding her position and strength. The amazonian princess first reacted with confusion, then curiosity, then faced an existencial crisis to his sentences: she didn't know how to react to them, she didn't know if they were praises or defiance against her, but deep inside her, into the core that is still feminine, her maiden heart couldn't help but to react the same way any woman would to the praises of a handsome boy like Garith. And so, the powerful and stoic amazonian princess blushed and pouted.]

[She was... Lovesick.]


...

Huh.

What to do in this situation, i wonder. I don't have the heart to attack her in that form of defenselessness, I just wanted to make her careless if anything else, but withdrawing from the match will forfeit my destiny in the womb of the kingdom of Themiskyra. Nothing else to do in that, I decided to do just that: nothing, just wait and observe the chaos surrounding me.

The crowd of amazons around us whispers and do mean comments at us, and from the VIP section, Queen Otrera never stops smiling in contrast with the others's comments and murmurs. Eventually, my eyes land on the princess who's still facing away from me, also murmuring something with hands on cheek and shaking uncomfortably from left to right. Of all the situations I was expecting from my words, that is not one of them, at all...

Unbelievable.

"Very well, recovered, I am. Let us resume our match." And now my opponent returns to normal, twirling in place to face me yet again, up and armed. My face contorts in an uncomfortable smile, which mixes disbelief and amusement for this entire predictament. "I am ready for what's stored for me in you, male, I declare. I apologize for my unsightful display, let us continue."

"Oh, okay." I say, lifting my own sword against her. "I hope you're ready (again), princess Hippolyta, and don't worry: this time, I won't be distracted by your beauty."

"..."

"...?"

"O-One... One moment, please." And another blush creeps all over her face for my careless words, her mouth in a pout yet again and eyes brimming with tears, the last view of her pretty face before she turns around and starts murmuring something I can't hear again. Oh, I did it again, how careless of me.

*TING!*

Hm...?


*NEW SKILL ACQUIRED!*

- [PLAYBOY](ACTIVE): A sub-skill of [CHARISMA]. By using the natural charm of the Gremory males and smooth yet hollow words, it is not hard for ladies to fall for your enchants and be snagged for a dangerous romance. However, do not confuse 'lust' with 'love', for the latter is much harder to grasp. It works on males too, by the way, let's be fair. (lvl. 1)


Oh wow, take a look at that, my confidence just got a few steps higher with this skill. I guess being a very handsome, very rich son of basic royalty is enough to grant me this kind of ability. Umu, indeed, I should take advantage of this new appearance of mine as I can, and have fun for what I can gather. Of course, in moderation at least, a few things are as reprehensible as a handsome lech...

"And my mind is back for conflict, I announce." And again the Themskyra princess returns to this realm, wiping off the sweat off her forehead but with her cheeks still bright red. I guess a maiden's heart is a bit too sensitive, specially for one that hasn't seem a man before, I assume. I lift my own arms and point at her. "How careless of me, I admit. To grow flustered by hollow words of a male, perhaps my mind is still not accostumed with his presence, I observe. I'm surprised you didn't try to stab me in the back for the few seconds I was distracted. You do know you are battling for your life, I inquire?"

"Yes, I do." I shrug. "But, oh my, going for such low tactics is beneath my status as the heir of Gremory, you see. If I'm going to win, I shall win without cheats or unfair advantages. To stab someone on the back for a quick win, what do you think I am, a speedrunner(lol)? If I were to rely on cheap tricks like that, I rather die with my pride unhurt, as my master would always say. Do I sound foolish for that? Mayhap, but I don't see it that way, at all. Even with my life on the line... I will fight as I always do, because not even the prospect of death shall shake my spirit or make me change my mind. Besides..."

"...?"

"... Stabbing you in the back or not, the outcome of this match was already decided in my favour. Hohohoh."

*TING!*

And we clash blades once again, the entire weight of her 200kg sword making me weak on my legs and pushing me away with its power and shockwave! With the distance between us, Hippolyta grabs the handle of a weapon and flails a massive spiky ball at my direction, which I cut in half with my Ichimonji-R! *ZOOM!*, a sting of pain on my neck, and an arrow cuts the side of my neck in a blindspot, Hippolyta now unleashes a flurry of arrows against me in rapid succession, more like a machine gun!

No time to parry those, I run and dodge to a side while the rain of points ceaselessly falls on me, each arrow having enough power to stab the wall of the colosseum! And when that was over, she decided to throw shields at me, with enough power and speed to create holes on the walls!

"Like a shooting star, pierce the heavens in an instant; Achilles!" She announces, throwing her golden spear in my direction, the speed and power behind it being so much I could hear the sonic boom from it! Fortunately, my SPD is also no joke, so I dodged the assault in a last moment, missing for a few centimetres! *ZING!*, and in another blink, she appears where the spear should be, readying her sword for another attack! Damn it, I forgot that ability of her weapon! "Vanish!"

"Whoa...!" I try to jump away and dodge a possibly fatal strike, but I was so distracted by my front, my back ends up bumping into something and stopping me from gaining further space! A quick look back, and a shield stuck on the wall was there blocking my path! Everything was calculated, not a single wasted attack, expected from the strongest amazon! "Oh, dear Lilith...!"

In a worthless attempt, I lift Ichimonji-R and tried to block her 200kg black sword, up to no use since, while it didn't reach to cut me, the impact and shock alone blew me away, sending me backwards across the arena, hitting and breaking all the weapons on the floor on my way to the other side! Pain pain; my body goes limp while shock spreads all over my body, making it numb while also unresponsive until I hit the other side of the colosseum, my body creating a crater there and drawing blood everywhere. Such strength, such power, she is indeed the strongest.

Owowowow... Hmmm, [STATUS]?


[STATUS]

- Shock

- Two broken ribs

- Internal bleeding

- Pierced left lung

- Unresponsive right arm


Yep, thought as much. She wrecked my shit in no time's worth, and judging by the the menacing aura coming from the other side, I guess that's just the beginning. The crowd cheers and chants her name, and even with my blurry vision, I can see the confetti raining from above. They think I'm done for, and if I don't something about it, that will be the end for me... Oh well.

One deep breath, a crack on the neck, and slowly as I can in order to not break another bone or two, I stand up and dust my clothes. After that last attack, Ichimonji-R flew away from my hands, and fatigue prevents me from looking too far in order to locate it. The only thing I can focus on now is the sillhouete in the distance slowly approaching me, no doubt Hippolyta coming closer and closer to give me one final blow. I blink once, and with my sight a bit clearer, the image of her charging self makes me internally panic. One wrong move, and I'll die... Oh well.

Oh well...

"This is your end, mal-...!"

*CLAP!*

"...?!"

"Congratulations!" And with a single clap of my hands, the princess stops on her tracks and lifts a brow for my comment. The crowd stops cheering after my little show, and as I walk towards her, I continue to clap as in an ovation. A smile creeps on my face. I'm genuinely happy, not gonna lie. To make me reach this point, I'm actually impressed. Ohohohoh. "Congratulations, Hippolyta. You've managed to beat my first phase. I've underestimated you and as a result, you beat the first phase of this boss. So congratulations!"

"What are you saying, mal-...?"

"Now then... I hope you're ready for phase 2." I open my arms in a blasé pose yet again, clapping my hands one more time and then closing my palms onto each other. I bet she sensed my killing intent with it, and as soon as she could, she charged at me full speed, arms ready and no intention of stopping. "let's dance!"

"Not so fast, I shout!" And she covers the distance between us in an instant, and before the blink of an eye, Hippolyta charged with the power of a bull! I can barely see what's going on, so I need to act fast! From my closed palms, I summon a small sphere of power of destruction, small like a baseball ball, and once it took shape, I clapped my hands once again on it, making a supernatural powder with it! I turn to the princess with a hand lifted! "...?!"

"[INFERNO STYLE: THE FIVE SKILLS OF THE ANNIHILATION CONSTELLATION]! Aquila: Meteor shower of annihilation!" I blew the Power of Destruction powder in her direction, and from it, even smaller spheres of destruction formed and hurled at her direction! Too fast even for her, she uses her Alcides to stop on her tracks and dodge the myriad of destruction balls, which fell like a flecchete of arrows, forming small holes everywhere! I gained some distance now, I can breathe normally and finally tell left from right, one second to regain strength and then move on! The adrenaline rush makes me run despite the pain, and once I locate Ichimonji-R, I dashed at it! "Mine now...!"

And another arrow at my direction. Despite our distance, Hippolyta covers that with another flechette storm, as fast and merciless as a machine gun! Not this time, not during this boss's second phase! I clap my hands and blow another shower of small power of destruction, not only turning her projectiles into ash but also making her dodge and distance herself from me, one particular sphere reaching and blowing an eye off her, enough for me to reach my katana and face her properly.

"Now, for something else: [FAIRY STANCES: THE FIVE STAR FORMS OF DEMONIC KENJUTSU]! Sirius: Destruction Hunting Dog!" I shout, and with two fingers I draw a line of power of destruction in the air. And with Ichimonji-R, I made the small line spin and twirl in the air, with such velocity is created now a spiral of destruction, and with one swing, I hurled it against Hippolyta! Like a serpent, the spiral springs her way towards her with enormous speed and killing intent! She's fast enough to dodge the attack itself, but not the massive shockwave that caused with the impact, not only opening a crater on the ground, but blowing everything away for a good meter or so! She lands on her feet, but staggers a little, clearly shaken. A smug smile spreads on my lips, my katana pointed at her. "How about it, now? Think you'll need a guide to win this one!"

"Achilles...!" And she tosses her spear at my direction again, so much in the zone she doesn't mind my arrogance! I know this tactic now, she'll swap places with the spear and prepare a surprise assault! The golden weapon reaches me and I again dodge it, just waiting for her to change places... Which didn't happen! Instead, a machette flies to me and cuts my shoulder, almost missing my head! Out of instinct, I turn to her direction, but instead I just see the golden spear, and back to where it was, there she is! A fakeout and then a distraction?! She's just too fast!

"Crap...!" A curse escapes my lips, one step to the side to avoid getting hit by her black sword! The strength behind the swing is enough to put me off balance, but I just follow the flow and try a hit on her! Instead, she swaps again and the only thing I hit is Achilles! I turn back at her, and was greeted by the punch in the face!

Which...Didn't hurt, at all! Hah, after all that training with cousin Sairaorg, a simple punch like that is child's play! Unaffected, she gasps in surprise for my lack of reaction, while I smile!

"Hah, that's all you got? That punch needs to be ten time stronger to even come closer to Sairaorg's...!"

*PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH!*

"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA! ORA!" Or she just needs to punch me more than ten times, that works too.

Now, it really hurts, and with one final punch, she sends me flying away. Even with the pain and bleeding, I regain consciousness in a second and put myself in stance again as she charges again with both arms at hand. I wipe off the blood from my lips and run towards her as well! Close combat is the best option here now! We clash blades, the shockwave being enough to lift a curtain of sand, and after a small deadlock, we gain some distance and I unleash a barrage of slashes against her!

Cut after cut, slash after slash, I try my best to stop her from pulling the full force of her strength, and for now, she's on guard, her weapons being strong but no match for my speed, preventing her every move while her only good eye tries to catch up with me! No time to breathe, no time to think, just continue to attack and make her stay on the defensive!

"You... You... Male...!"

*TING!*

And I did it! One clean swipe from Ichimonji-R and I was able to slap her weapons away at the same time, leaving her body defenseless! One slash and is all over! Gripping my katana, I swing at her for the final attack! My katana reaches for her torso... And it ricochets away once it hits the crimson sash around her body! What?! What is this, that piece looks like a normal sash, but even Ichimonji-R was unable to cut it! Now, it was my time to stagger with the failed attack, my gripping hand losing strength and being shot back by the recoil!

"The girdle of war, a gift from our ancestor Ares, I explain. It may look silky, but is in fact nigh-undestructible! No weapon shall ever cut this divine armour given by the gods!" Hippolita says, her eyes growing sharper once she sees me defenseless and she recovers from my own counterattack! One precious second, and even if I try, I won't be able to pull my katana back and block the attack of both her weapons as they descend upon me faster than I can react! Now, it's her turn: one swing and it's over for me! "Now, die...!"

*BANG!*

"Ugh...!"

"[Orion]: Malevolent Shooting star!" If I can't block it, then I will counter her assault with my own! Two fingers pointed at her from a free hand, I shot at her a small sphere of power of destruction, minuscule yet fast as a bullet! One shot which cut the distance between us faster than her arms, piercing her exposed shoulder and opening a hole there! A grunt of pain, letting go off her Alcides from it and jump away to avoid another bullet on a deadly spot! The crowd gasps in surprise, and I also skip a bit to gain distance. I was aiming for a vital spot, but wasn't fast enough. Well, it was enough to save my skin, so that's that, I guess.

A moment to analyze the situation now. One moment to look at her, and Hippolyta had a lame arm, a gaping hole on her left shoulder, one eye missing and bleeding profundly, taking a moment to catch her breath and regain some strength. The amazonian princess tries to grip her hand, but to not avail, only a groan of pain, while I swing my arm a few times to regain force in it. In the end, despite the pain, I'm in a better condition to her, but compared to her, one hit and I'm history. My first adventure, and this is my boss fight? What is this, a Megaten game? Just kidding, of course...

"If you please, male, answer me thus: do you... Fear death?" And for the moment, she asks me. I stop, look at her, and wait. Oh? Now she's the one doing the small talk? And with a serious question too, how strange. No response from me for a while, just a blink of curiosity, and seeing my reaction, she continues. "I do not, I admit. To die, to live as a warrior, there's no greater honour for an amazon, I repeat. Death is... Not a sign of weakness, but an event that define how we lived. To die young... It might sound like a tragedy, but for us... It means we live life as we should, I say. How... How about you?"

"..."

"..."

...

"Say, you're greek in a way, right? I remember a quote by famous philosopher Epicurus: 'Death does not concern us. Because as long as we exist, death is not here. And once it does come, we no longer exist'." I quote, putting my blade on the gap of my armpit to hold it for a while and lift a finger to quote that. Was it during university that I heard that quote, or maybe during mother's various classes? I don't remember clearly, but seeing what happened to me, this particular verse stuck with me. Hippolyta blinks with her only good arm, and I smile. "I am a devil, Hippolyta. We live long, millennia-worthy lives, so we know for a fact that, when we die, it's hardly be a pretty death. No old age, no making peace with it, death is something devils cannot see coming, and something we dread. So, we hardly think about it..."

"..."

"But if I fear death, you asked... Of course not." I smile, and my response draws from her a gasp of surprise. "I had... I have a pretty good life. I have people who love me, I had a happy childhood with my servants, parents and siblings; and while not much compared to them, I have my own set of accomplishments. I don't want to die, but if I were to, I would accept it begrungingly. A short life, but fulfilling and filled with happiness... Way better than a long, ingrate one where I was unhappy... It's enough for me. Of course... It won't be today."

"I see." She murmur. "I find satisfaction in death, while you accept it even with the low chances. Our views are paralleled, yet someone of a kind. I am happy to have fought you."

"Ah, you're making me blush~." I joke, but in the end, this is a hell of a fight. Discussing death at this point, it feels nice too; like she's making peace for both of us. I'm being sincere, too: I've already died once, and was reborn in a loving, caring family with lots of love. If I were to die today... I would be happy to have experimented something like this once, only once. Of course, It won't be today... Not at all. I pick my sword again, and point at her. "Now, have you already make peace with yourself? Then have at thee, Amazon princess!"

"Gladly!" She screams back, and with our weapons at hand, we clash for the last time! The ring of metal meeting gold, we attack each other with all we got!

Seeing that she has one lame arm and a damaged eye, she points the entirety of the left side of her body to me in order to guard the rest of it and cover all the blind spots, a single arm assaulting me with her spear! Despite this, her speed was impressive, and with blocks, thrusts and slashes, we were equally matched! Cuts are open, slashes cut skin, blood flies around us, but nothing but the fighting spirit between us!

One thrust right on my face! She cuts the distance and her spear cuts me by the side of my face, cutting my cheek and almost ripping off my ear! As fast as I could, I lift Ichimonji-R and slash her arm holding Achilles, and with that gashing wound, she let go off it, leaving her armless! I can't get cocky now, either she goes on the offensive or swaps with the spear once again! One blink, I pull the katana back and wait for her final decision before doing the final attack! Seconds that feels like hours, she instead turns her lame arm to me and splashes blood all over my face!

My vision is all covered in red now, and with a blink, it cleaned a bit, but too late for a counter: a moment of hesitation and confusion, and Hippolyta swaps with Achilles to my own blindspot, using the remaining strength in her cut arm to grab the spear once again and stab my arm holding Ichimonji-R, making me let go off it and now leaving me defenseless! The pain, the shock, it stunned me for a while as she picks the spear again and aims it at me!

"Now, taste death, Male...!"

"You...!"

*PAFT!*

But then, in a desperate move, I lift my good arm and... Push her away. A palm at her, I clap her chest with the palm of my hand and lightly push her away. Cupping a feeling on her amazing chest, and then pushing her away, not even enough to make her move, just slightly tilt her torso backwards. One moment, not even enough to stop her attack, and then...

"[INFERNO STYLE]..."

*VOOOOOOOOOSH...!*

"Kh...!"

'...!'

"Crux: Mirror void galaxy."

I chant, and in that small second of hesitation and stun, I unleash from my palm a concise, massive yet concentrated stream of Power of Destruction. Like a flamethrower, like a vortex of dark waters, a pillar of pure annihilation emerges from my hand, hitting Hippolyta on the chest and emerging from her back in a black jet, as if a geyzer of dark energy is coming from her.

The pure recoil and strength plus my weakened body was enough to push me away and fall on my ass, having nothing else to help me stand up, while Hippolyta remained standing, her face petrified in an expression of pure shock as the power behind my coup'de grace made her take a few steps back and then... Just stop.

Face frozen in time, body still like a statue, and from my final attack, now a gaping hole in the middle of her body, small black flames burning the brims of that fissure before finally vanishing in thin air in a black dust. One eyelids tremble, her lips gasp, a bit of blood coming from her mouth, but nothing else...

Now, the rest is silence. The crowd stops with their chants and cheering, not even the announcer has something to say, and all that remains are silent gasps and the swift blow from the wind. All the damage, all the pain, I had energy for that one final blow, and I've made it count, I hope. A blow to the chest, opening a hole there big enough to wipe out most of her organs, not even blood leaking since everything there was destroyed, including her heart, lungs, maybe her stomach, not to mention bones. Nothing but silence now...

...

"Huhuh... Huhuhuhuh..."

"...?!" The horror now spreads onto me! Despite having a gaping hole in her body big enough to see the other side of her body clearly, Hippolyta laughs. She just laughs with bloody lips, and her only green eye now turn to me, fallen and beaten on my own. A smile spreads on her lips, and she chuckles. "H-Hippolyta...?"

"Huhuh... So... This is 'death', I feel. This is a 'warrior's ultimate fate', no? How... What a... Confusing feeling..." Her smile continues to haunt me, but despite this, she seems serene and at peace. She blinks, and still looking at me, she sighs. "I dunno... If I'm happy... Or not... To die in a battlefield... Like that... Huhuh... It's so confusing... I can't help but laugh..."

"..."

"Male... Thanks for being... My partner..." She laughs, yet coughs once again, blood splitting from her lips as she does so. I'm so shocked, my only response was to dumbly nod. One, two seconds of that, and as low as a whisper, her voice reaches for me. "At least... It was a nice... Fight. But... Hm... I wonder... May you... Attend... One last request... From me...?"

I simply nod, wordless from all of that.

"Please... Hug me..." A single tear falls from her already dull eye, and staggering a little, she tries but fails to walk towards me. A hug, she says? I take a moment to process all of this, but in the end, I try and stand up, still a bit shaken by the pain, and walk towards her, reaching my arms for her. "I'm... So... Cold..."

"Hippolyta." I whisper, placing my hands on her shoulders to call for her attention, and she responds with nothing. Her body is cold, indeed, but even so... I sigh, and pull her closer to me. I yelp a little for the thermal shock, but soon get used to it, and relish the moment for a while, her body becoming limp on me as her good arm taps my arm a few times, clearly an attempt to hug back, to no use.

"Haaaah~... So... This is how... A male feels like..." She whispers. "Warm... Big... It... Feels... Nice..."

"Yeah..." I whisper back. "See you on the other side."

"Huhuhuh..."

And I held her for a while, until she gave her last breath and her body became cold as ice, unresponsive. Surrounded by the wails of her subjects, cries and curses, I stood there, holding her corpse until I was ready to let her go. At least she died peacefully, something I wish I could've done.

Indeed, see you on the other side, Themiskyra princess...


-BOSS SLAUGHTERED-

THE THEMISKYRA PRINCESS, HIPPOLYTA: DEAD!-


ACHIEVEMENTS UNLOCKED:

-[IT GETS EASIER WITH TIME]: Kill for the first time.

-[GOING POSTAL]: Kill your first boss.

-[KINGSLAYER]: Slaughter a boss with the [ROYAL] attribute.

-[BAEL HORROR]: Slaughter with the Power of Destruction.


-LEVEL UP!-

The skill, [POWER OF DESTRUCTION], has leveled up to lvl. 58!

+POWER

+ACCURACY

+DEXTERITY


-LEVEL UP!-

The skill, [INTERMEDIATE SWORDSMANSHIP(ACTIVE)], has leveled up to lvl. 99!

+POWER

+ACCURACY

+DEXTERITY

+SPEED


-LEVEL UP!-

The skill, [KENJUTSU], has leveled up to lvl. 65!

+POWER

+ACCURACY

+DEXTERITY

+SPEED

+WISDOM


Oof, this chapter was a ride to write, but I guess that, in the end, I was able to pull it off.

Hello, DxD fandom. How are you doing in this last days of the year? I have doing fine I guess. DxD: R got mixed but otherwise positive feedback for its newest chapter, and now, for Garith, he gets a new achievement in the land of the warrior women, and for his first real boss, I guess he did okay.

Like stated before, he might train, but he's still a bit green on real conflict. I hope I was able to show how he really fights and, in the end, he's no slouch, but has a lot to learn. Oh well... This is the first time I write my mc killing that dramatically, but I hope I was able to pull it off. I had fun with it, although I hope it didn't end up too much convoluted, fight sequences are hard, specially when they're the centre of the entire chapter. Heheh...

I hope you liked this chapter as much as loved to write it, and wait for the new chapter. Until then, stay safe and sound, dont forget to R&R and happy holidays. Until then. Greetings from Houki Minami~.

Garith's profile will be updated by the end of the arc.