Chapter 49 – Grudge

The tall and wide chamber reminiscent of a throne room shook a little, prompting the pensive Shalba Beelzebub to frown a little as he looked out the large window and into the ruined wasteland surrounding the citadel. The numerous flashes of light shining in the distance would have been a beautiful sight to behold if one was unaware of their true origin.

Even from here, the sounds of battles being waged all over the artificial space could be heard, with each second claiming more and more lives from both sides. However, that meant little to Shalba. As far as he was concerned, the lives of his 'allies' were worth less than trash, and the lives of his direct subordinates were his to use as he saw fit.

Such is the privilege bestowed upon the true Devil Kings. Shalba thought. One of the many reasons you and the other pretenders were never worthy of our birthright, Sirzechs. You could never make the choices necessary to forge a stronger Underworld, one that would dominate this world.

Shalba turned away from the window and shifted his focus on the proceedings within the chamber. In its midst, there was a large and complex magic formation comprised of multiple magic circles. Though Shalba could tell they were of Greek origin, he couldn't fully decipher them and understand their intended function.

Surrounding the formation were several priests, their staffs raised and magic circles hovering around them as they chanted something. Several rifts in space had also appeared above the formation, with a multitude of glowing orbs pouring out of them en masse like rivers of light and sinking into the magic circle.

"A magnificent sight, is it not?" Memnon said as he came to stand next to Shalba, a beatific smile on his face. "Ah, to think that the advent of our glorious masters is so close to being realized, that our long-standing desires will be fulfilled at long last, it fills my heart and soul with indescribable joy!"

"That's assuming your fancy ritual will work as intended, and that the girl will keep supplying the necessary power for it." Diodora, who had entered the throne room at the same time, said. "Are you sure she's under your complete control?"

"Not to worry, my young heir." Memnon said, glancing at Pandora, who was now sporting a black military outfit and was directing Spirits into the formation through the rifts. "Phaedra's soul has asserted complete control over the host's body, and Pandora's own soul has been locked away. At best, she's still conscious, but incapable of doing anything but be a passive observer. As for the ritual, I assure you that it will work to perfection. Today, we'll strike a major blow at this decadent order and reshape the world as we see fit."

It's a shame there's no room for lowlifes like you in that new world. Shalba thought. I'm certain you're planning to turn on us, perhaps even use that ritual to designate everyone else apart from your insane cult as targets for it, but I won't let things go the way you wish. The ones left standing in the end will be us, the True Devil King Faction.

"Memnon-sama." One of the Titan Worshippers said as he rushed to his side. "A small group is approaching the citadel from the east. We've identified them as Rias Gremory and her Peerage, along with an Angel and a Valkyrie judging from their energy signatures."

"Heh, isn't that perfect." Diodora grinned. "Just waiting around until the ritual is complete and everyone is dead would be dull. The deaths of Rias Gremory and her lowborn mutts can serve as decent entertainment. Not to mention, parading her corpse in front of her brother before the end would make our victory all the sweeter. Don't you agree, Shalba-sama?"

Shalba looked at the youth next to him with an unreadable expression. While Diodora's relation to Ajuka, the man who occupied the seat that should have been his, had somewhat soured his opinion of the Astaroth heir, Shalba couldn't help but admit that, other than that, the boy perfectly embodied the traditional values of the Devil race.

Perhaps there is some merit in keeping him alive after all this.

"A splendid idea, Diodora." Shalba said after a couple of seconds. "Of course, they will have to reach us first, but should they manage to do so, we will have them experience true Hell before putting an end to their pitiful lives in the most gruesome way possible."

"Excellent." Diodora let out a sinister smile. "I have been looking forward to crushing the uppity Rias Gremory under my heel for some time. A worthless house like the Gremory clan that values affection and advocates for equality should have never been part of the seventy-two Pillars to begin with. If you'll excuse me, my Peerage and I need to prepare ourselves for the coming battle."

Shalba nodded as Diodora bowed and left the room.

"I will notify my fellow leaders to be ready for the enemy's arrival as well." Memnon said. "The Astaroth heir shouldn't have all the fun. Oh, and I guess I'll notify our other friend that we'll be having guests soon."

"Do as you wish."

Shalba said as he turned his attention outside once again.

It won't be long now. Shalba thought. The world will bow to our might, and no-one will stand in our way. Once the cleansing is done, the Underworld will become what it was meant to be from the start; a den of evil and vice that rules over all existence, led by the few chosen.

A small smile appeared on Shalba's face as he pictured that ideal future.


"Tch, is there no end to them!?"

Rias said with an annoyed expression, aiming her Destruction bow at the opponents flying towards her. A volley of arrows flew from it, tearing through several Devils' skulls and chests and vaporizing them. A manticore aimed its tail at her from the side, but the Destruction avatar's ribcage appeared around Rias to shield her, with its left arm materializing and annihilating the attacking manticore with a lightning-fast backhand.

Several Cerberuses jumped at her, their maws opened wide as flames gathered in them. Several small crimson arrows appeared on Rias' fingers, with the Gremory heir launching them at the three-headed beasts' mouths and locking them shut. With nowhere to go, the trapped flames caused the creatures' heads to explode, their corpses falling on Rias' feet as she shot beams of Destruction from her fingers to clear the remaining pack.

"Ufufu, they may have the numbers, but little beyond that."

Akeno smiled, her lightning bolts vaporizing a group of giant centipede-like constructs. Enveloping her body in lightning, she spread her mixed wings and dashed into the middle of a Titan Worshipper battalion. Using the speed of her Knight trait and the strength of her Rook trait, she evaded the waves of fire and ice shot at her, delivering lightning-clad punches and kicks in retaliation.

As several Titan Worshippers charged at her, their weapons covered by dark aura, Akeno called upon her Bishop trait next and pointed at them. Their armors and weapons' shape were distorted, breaking apart and wrapping themselves around their wielders' bodies. The terrorists howled and screamed as they struggled to escape from their bonds, but found themselves unable to do so before they were trapped in makeshift metal bondage suits which crushed their bodies.

"Ara, ara, you have my gratitude for letting me practice on your bodies, terrorists." Akeno licked her lips, a sadistic smile on her face. "This will be a valuable experience when Takeshi and I get to 'play' together, ufufu~."

Creating a large lightning lance as she said so, Akeno hurled it at another group aiming for her, annihilating them in an instant. Below her, Irina, Yuuto and Xenovia were busy mowing down the Khaos Brigade members with their swords.

"Xenovia, let's go with 'that' combo!"

"Yes!"

Xenovia responded to Yuuto, raising Durandal high and gathering a raging storm of holy energy around it that forced the charging enemies to stop and avert their eyes due to the harsh radiance. Extending his hand forward, Yuuto summoned a Holy Demonic Sword, which began siphoning Durandal's aura.

"Durandal Birth!"

Yuuto shouted, with a large number of Holy Demonic Swords enveloped by copious amounts of holy power sprouting all over the area and skewering every terrorist around the two warriors. The few Devils that escaped from the ocean of supercharged blades by taking to the sky found Irina waiting for them there.

"Judgment time for the evil! Amen!"

Excalibur Mimic transformed into a whip-like blade following Irina's words as she swung it, slicing her targets in half. At the sight of that, a group of nearby Harpies aimed their wings at Irina, shooting a volley of sharp feathers at her. Changing Excalibur Mimic's shape into that of a shield, Irina defended herself while shooting a barrage of light spears that skewered the charging Harpies. As her shield turned into a hammer, Irina dove down and struck a Lamia that was about to pounce on Xenovia, pulverizing its top half.

"Thank you!"

Xenovia said as she swung Durandal, its holy power wave destroying several four-armed constructs before her with ease. Drawing Almace as well, she dispersed a spell volley aimed at her from a battalion of deformed serpentine constructs with numerous tentacles coming out of their bodies that were situated further back.

Enveloping her body in demonic power, Xenovia jumped in their midst, her two swords tearing through them and sending their severed parts flying around. Several humanoid lizard constructs surrounded by ice armor and lightning charged at Xenovia, only for her to increase the demonic power surrounding her foot and stomp hard on the ground, creating a small earthquake that caused them to lose their balance.

Before they could recover, Xenovia was upon them, Almace dispelling their elemental armor and Durandal bisecting them. A few steps behind her, Irina had transformed Mimic into a bow, channeling her holy power in it to fire arrows that tore through the constructs' armor. Coming to stand next to Xenovia, Irina changed Mimic's shape into that of a halberd as the two of them charged towards a group of Minotaurs next.

Meanwhile, Yuuto was using his superior speed to evade a horde of panther-shaped constructs that had a multitude of shadow constructs in the shape of blades, claws and whips sprouting from their bodies. Summoning a Holy Demonic Sword in his left hand, he plunged it into the ground, with numerous thick vines erupting from the spot in response and wrapping themselves around the constructs.

Although their weapons sliced through the branches, their momentary pause was enough as Yuuto summoned a wakizashi and pointed it at the constructs. Its blade stretched with speed comparable to that of a bullet, tearing through several constructs with ease. Seeking to take advantage of his seemingly distracted state, a group of Titan Worshippers brandished their enchanted weapons as they attacked Yuuto, but he smirked as he tapped his sword. The extended blade broke apart into numerous shards that shot forward and tore through his enemies.

Summoning another hybrid Holy Demonic Sword, Yuuto aimed it at a group of Devils flying above. The blade turned into numerous strings that shot forward and entangled them. Before they could free themselves, the strings exploded due to the properties of Blast Ogre mixed into Razor Line, sending their charred corpses crashing on the ground. Yuuto formed several boomerang-shaped Holy Demonic Swords next, sending them flying at the Khaos Brigade members as he charged while wielding Frost Touch and Flame Create.

"…Stupid horsemen."

Koneko remarked as her Touki-enveloped fist sent a nearby Centaur flying, his body crashing into the midst of his pack and scattering them. Dodging an Empusa's kick, her brass leg missing her by centimeters, Koneko countered with a cross chop to the neck. The Empusa shrieked in pain as the power of purification in her opponent's blow vaporized her.

A group of Gegenees charged at Koneko next, swinging their six arms at her with the intent to crush her. However, her form flickered and vanished, leaving the giants confused as to where she had gone. Before they could react, several ki bullets flew at them, exploding on their bodies and forcing them on their knees as they howled in agony.

Reappearing above the Gegenees with claw-shaped ki constructs extending from her arms, Koneko began tearing through them with ease. Some of them tried to aim their fists at her, but Koneko used her telekinesis to redirect their blows at their comrades instead. In a matter of seconds, all creatures had been annihilated.

"…Easy."

Koneko remarked as she turned to face a horde of Cerberuses running at her. Before they could reach her though, their bodies froze in the middle of their dash. Gasper, the one responsible for that, was flying around in his bat swarm form, using his Sacred Gear to stop opponents and incoming enemy attacks in order to support his comrades.

Assuming his regular form once again to evade a stream of flames from several wyvern constructs, Gasper formed two magic circles, with waves of crimson energy erupting from them and slicing through the constructs. Several Titan Worshippers attacked him from behind, but three eyes appeared on his back, channeling Forbidden Balor View's abilities and freezing them midair, causing them to fall on the ground.

Seeing that Koneko was about to be surrounded below him, Gasper transformed into a swarm of bats once again and surrounded her, freezing the incoming terrorists before solidifying himself and hurling shadow stakes at them. Koneko also joined him by using her ki to manipulate several of the nearby severed branches that Yuuto had created with his blade, causing them to grow once again and pierce through the Khaos Brigade members.

"…Good assist, Gya-kun." Koneko gave a thumbs-up to her friend. "Let's keep it up and take them all down."

"Y-Yes, Koneko-chan!"

Gasper shouted as the two first years stood next to each other while facing another group charging at them.

Impressive. Rossweisse, who was fighting a short distance away from them, thought as she blasted several Titan Worshippers with a barrage of elemental magic attacks. Even though I've buffed them all with reinforcement magic beforehand, it wouldn't have been enough if they weren't skilled to begin with. Too bad they don't belong in our Pantheon. They'd have made fine Valkyries and Einherjar.

Forming a Norse-style magic circle, Rossweisse activated a spell that reversed the movements of Annihilation Maker's lizard-shaped constructs that were charging at her, forcing them to run backwards as if someone was rewinding them. Following up with another magic circle with different runes on it, Rossweisse directed its glow to her opponents. The spell forced those in its area of effect to fall on their knees as if all strength had left their bodies.

Upon witnessing that, a battalion of Devils aimed their attacks at Rossweisse. In response, she formed several magic circles around her, with a concentrated barrage of energy blasts shooting from them and tearing through the enemy's attacks, forcing them to dodge in haste. Rossweisse's next spell generated an intense radiance that could be compared to the sun's light, blinding the screaming terrorists.

Shaping a torrent of multicolored energy that emerged from another magic circle into a spear, Rossweisse dashed in the middle of the enemy formation. Her weapon tore through the terrorists' defenses and bodies with ease, with Rossweisse using the magic circles hovering behind her in order to keep launching concentrated energy blasts at her opponents.

Even when several Titan Worshippers attacked her from below, Rossweisse formed another Norse-style magic circle without missing a beat. The grey energy arrows that flew from it would render whatever limb they struck immobile, making it easier for Rossweisse to dispatch the Khaos Brigade members.

[This is the best!] Nidhogg shouted while laughing with evident glee. [More! Rage on more, whelp! Let us bathe in the enemy's blood and despair!]

Takeshi ignored Nidhogg's ecstatic words, numerous ash tendrils extending from his body and taking the form of spinning lances as they tore through the terrorists. His axe and limbs surrounded by miasma, he dove in the midst of the terrorists' ranks with a furious snarl and began hacking at them in a savage manner. Many terrorists screamed in pain as they fell on their ground, their bodies eroded by the miasma or shredded by the ashes.

Evading a desperate charge by a group of Titan Worshippers, Takeshi broke their weapons and limbs with a series of kicks before slamming his axe on the ground. A raging ash tornado erupted with him at the epicenter, shredding anyone unfortunate enough to be caught by it. The tornado then transformed into a massive serpentine dragon that consumed dozens of terrorists, prompting the rest to fall back and target Takeshi with their spells instead.

[Revolve On. Atrocity.]

Switching to Savage Predator Incarnation, Takeshi began running towards the terrorists, their attacks dissipating on his armor. Extending his arms, he unleashed serpentine dragons made of fire and ice from his gauntlets that flew towards his opponents as if they had a mind of their own.

Khaos Brigade members shrieked as they were either incinerated of frozen by the dragons, with Takeshi bringing down anyone crazy enough to approach him with aura-clad kicks that shattered their bodies. Even when someone managed to slash at him with their weapon, it would always shatter upon striking his armor.

A construct resembling an adult Dragon with a pair of scythes growing from its sides burst out of the ground below, charging towards Takeshi and aiming its scythes at him. Unperturbed, he grabbed the construct's weapons, halting its charge, and lifted it over his head. With a mighty heave, he tossed it towards the citadel in the distance. The creature crashed on the barrier surrounding the enemy's headquarters and broke apart into several pieces.

[Revolve On. Hazard.]

As Eight Branch Ethereal Surge's armor enveloped his body, Takeshi jumped on the chariot above him, dashing through enemy lines and mowing down anyone slow enough to evade his charge. His seven tails also moved at lightning-fast speeds, piercing the terrorists or shooting streams of venom and poisonous gas that had anyone struck by them convulse and scream in agony before falling on the ground dead.

Raising his hand high, Takeshi summoned several dark clouds over a mixed battalion of Devils and Titan Worshippers in the distance that attempted to snipe him from afar. Torrents of poisonous rain and black thunder fell on them with unrelenting ferocity, reducing them into misshapen carcasses in a matter of seconds.

[Over there, partner!] Orochi said, directing Takeshi's attention to three hydras approaching him from his right. [Let's show these posers who's boss!]

As the hydras spat globules of venom at Takeshi, he swung his black wind-clad tails to deflect the incoming projectiles. His arm stinger shot forward and tore through all three hydras, with Takeshi dragging him behind them as the chariot dashed ahead. The monsters howled in pain, but dug their feet on the ground to force the chariot into a halt, almost dislocating Takeshi's arm.

Stubborn bastards! Takeshi thought, barely stifling a cry of pain as his arm felt like someone was sawing it off with a chainsaw. The poison from the stinger should have been an instant out. In that case!

Takeshi pressed the sides of his buckle once.

[Charge! Hazard Overflow!]

Takeshi jumped off his chariot, which began circling the three hydras, trapping them in a tornado. Takeshi jumped inside it, his seven tails and his stinger moving in front of his right leg as corrupted draconic aura, poison, wind and thunder enveloped them.

[Venom Blast Fever!]

Bouncing off his chariot, Takeshi began striking the trapped hydras from multiple angles. With one final kick, he tore through their bodies, scattering their innards and pieces of their hides all over the area.

"Ow…" Takeshi grunted as he landed, feeling like someone had stabbed his body in multiple areas. "I don't think I'll ever truly get used to this…"

At that moment, a barrage of light beams, fire lances, darkness-clad weapons and ice spears bombarded Takeshi's position, raising a huge cloud of dust.

"Direct hit!" One of the Titan Worshippers that had attacked him said with a cruel smile. "There's no way he—!"

His words were cut off by a semi-transparent projectile that took his head off. At the same time, an announcement echoed.

[Revolve On. Terror.]

Emerging from the smoke was Takeshi wearing Insomniac Haunted Ground's armor. The gems on it shone red as several of his enemies screamed in terror, while others fell on the ground clutching their heads and trembling. However, most of them were unaffected as they charged at Takeshi while snarling.

The drone units detached themselves from Takeshi's armor, with spherical barriers enveloping them. Several spike-shaped barriers also extended from them as they flew forward, tearing through the enemy's ranks. Tapping his foot on the ground, Takeshi caused the earth to swell up like a tidal wave and envelop his opponents, further throwing their ranks into chaos.

Upon noticing that quite a few terrorists were standing up despite the injures on their bodies, Takeshi formed a large wheel-shaped barrier around him, with two similar ones appearing adjacent to it. The construct moved forward at his mental command, flattening the reanimated Titan Worshippers with little trouble along with any Khaos Brigade member unfortunate enough to find themselves in his path.

[That's…the way…] Ladon said. [Even with…Iapetus' blessing…a pulverized body…cannot rise again…]

Dismissing his barriers as the drones attached themselves to his armor again, Takeshi noticed that they had almost reached the citadel. However, a large number of transfer magic circles appeared above, with more terrorists and Annihilation Maker constructs emerging from it.

"One after the other…" Takeshi said through gritted teeth. "I don't have time to deal with you small fries!"

[Add!]

Takeshi pressed two gems on his buckle, with Mayhem Striker and Blight Current materializing in his hands. However, before he could attack, several chained explosion spells stuck the terrorists' ranks, causing them to disperse. At the same time, what appeared to be a large firebird appeared from above and dove towards the Khaos Brigade members, incinerating several of them.

"That aura…" Takeshi said with a frown as she looked at the firebird. "It can't be…Riser?"

As if having heard his words, the firebird landed next to Takeshi and dispersed, revealing Riser's form.

"And here I was, thinking this day couldn't get any worse." Riser said with a smirk. "We seem to be running into each other quite often as of late, Evil Dragon User."

Takeshi didn't answer as Blight Current morphed into its eight-pronged whip form and shot forward. Riser tensed, but the whips went past him and struck two assassin-type constructs that were aiming for Riser's back.

"Keep your guard up at all times." Takeshi said. "There are no retiring systems on the battlefield, and no do-overs. If you die here, that's it."

"I am well aware of that!"

Riser shouted as he jumped up, with several streams of fire shooting out of his wings and incinerating a small group of Devils next to Takeshi. As he landed behind him, Takeshi switched to Savage Predator Incarnation's armor, burying his axe in a lizard construct's head while kicking away a Titan Worshipper with a flame-clad kick.

"Why are you here!?" Takeshi asked as he evaded a spear jab and headbutted his attacker, cracking her skull. "You don't strike me as the type of guy who would willingly jump into a messy battlefield like this!"

"It was not by choice, I assure you!" Riser said, shooting several wind blades at a couple of cyclopes charging at Takeshi. "The terrorists' transfer spells dragged even those of us in the VIP stands inside this field! I was fighting in a nearby location when Governor Azazel's message, which requested for reinforcements in this area, reached me! You should be grateful that I have come to your aid!"

"Oh, I appreciate it all right!" Takeshi said, throwing Mayhem Striker a charging Centaur and firing a freezing breath at an Empusa. "Not sure how much you can do on your own though!"

"Whoever said I was on my own?"

Riser grinned as several more explosions rocked the area around the two men, wiping out the terrorists that were trying to surround them. A rain of fire bullets, demonic power blasts and light spears also bombarded the Khaos Brigade members' ranks, disrupting their formation.

Turning his attention to the source of the attacks, Takeshi saw Ravel, Yubelluna and Mihae standing on top of a nearby rock formation, with several Angels, Fallen Angels and Devils around them. The other members of Riser's Peerage were also there, with Karlamine leading them as they charged towards the terrorists.

"Don't falter, everyone!" Karlamine shouted as she cut down two Devils with her sword. "For Riser-sama's honor, and for the sake of peace, we will eliminate these miscreants who dare bare their fangs at the Underworld!"

[Yes!]

Riser's Peerage shouted together as they began taking down terrorist after terrorist, with Mihae, Yubelluna and Ravel supporting them with long-range attacks. The Three Factions troops had also descended from the rock formation to join the fray, forcing the Khaos Brigade members away from the citadel.

"This is your chance." Riser said, gesturing at the citadel. "You have business in there, no? In that case, go and show the Khaos Brigade what it means to make enemies out of the wrong people. However, make sure not to suffer a miserable defeat in the process. The privilege of making you grovel before me with a frustrated expression, I won't hand that over to anyone else."

After saying so, Riser spread his wings and took flight, heading towards his Peerage members.

"Heh." Takeshi chuckled. "He's an annoying fellow, but one can depend on him when needed, eh?"

"Takeshi!"

Rias shouted as she rushed to his side, the other members of the Peerage, Irina and Rossweisse following close behind.

"Good to see everyone is alright." Takeshi said, dismissing his Sacred Gears and armor. "Riser's Peerage and the soldiers have given us a brief opening. We should use it while we still can."

"Right." Rias nodded. "I admit I never expected Riser of all people to come to our rescue. Now then, onward, everyone! The real deal starts from here!"

The group nodded as they started running, leaving the battlefield behind. After a minute or so, they arrived at the cobbled path leading to the citadel. Although Takeshi half-expected the statues that were placed on either side of it to come alive and start attacking them, there had been no suspicious movements from them so far.

Sticking close to each other, they started moving slower, with Rossweisse and Akeno having taken point, magic circles on their hands as they scanned the area ahead of them.

"Several traps have been placed here, but nothing too complex or dangerous." Rossweisse said, dismantling yet another magic formation in their path with relative ease. "Perhaps they didn't expect someone to get this far?"

"I find that hard to believe." Rias said as the group approached the walls and the gate, beyond which lied the enemy's stronghold. "No matter how confident they are, when facing against the current heads of the Three Factions and several Gods, more extensive preparations should—"

Before Rias could finish talking, an eerie purple mist suddenly surrounded the group. Unable to react in time, Takeshi felt everyone's presence vanish in an instant, leaving him on his own.

"This mist…Dimension Lost!?" Takeshi cried out in alarm. "No wonder this felt too easy!"

The mist dispersed after a few seconds, with Takeshi finding himself on top of the inner wall surrounding the main keep. Looking below, he could see the shrines surrounding the citadel, and could also feel the energy pulses emanating from them and the fortress in front of him.

"They've split us up…" Takeshi muttered, placing his finger near his ear. "President, can you hear me? Azazel-sensei? Anyone?"

"It's useless. Our countermeasures are jamming your communications, so I'm afraid no-one is coming to your aid, Evil Dragon User."

Turning around in haste, Takeshi felt a chill go down his spine. Standing a few meters away from him was Vortigern, Ascalon drawn and a thin sheet of corrupted draconic aura covering his body.

"You…" Takeshi narrowed his eyes at the unpleasant sight before him. "Where is everyone else?"

"Scattered all over the area, and probably about to meet their end as we speak." Vortigern said as he glanced at the flashes of light in the distance. "Rejoice at the fact that you won't be facing your demise alone though, since the leaders of the Three Factions and the Gods who joined you in this space will accompany to your final resting place. I am curious though, what possessed your group to rush into the enemy's stronghold like lambs to the slaughter?"

"I came here to bring Pandora back." Takeshi said. "Get in my way at your peril, Vortigern."

"You rushed here for the sake of your treacherous former friend?" Vortigern smirked. "Ah, the privileges of youth. Fighting for those precious people in front of you without having to pay heed to the bigger picture. However, such a simple-minded attitude makes you easier to manipulate by those who see further ahead than you. Best to keep that in mind, though it's not likely you will survive past today to use my advice."

"My odds of survival aside, I'm not sure I should put much stock in the words of a former tyrant." Takeshi grinned. "Especially one whose past actions demonstrated his utter lack of foresight."

"On the contrary, the eventual fall of Arthur's little utopia and the subsequent descent of Britain into chaos was something I had seen coming from a mile away, and it was something I desperately fought against even as my own people condemned me." Vortigern said with a dark expression. "I was far from the tyrant everyone portrayed me as. It is an unfortunate fact that history is written by the victors though, so it cannot be helped that you are unaware of your superiors' sins."

"Their sins?" Takeshi frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"You are still unaware?" Vortigern said. "A little history lesson it is then, one that might serve to open your eyes to the true nature of the masters you serve. Unlike what the altered history described, I was a regular King with his own virtues and vices. Not an ideal one, but far from a tyrant. Unfortunately, it was during my reign that Heaven doubled its efforts to have Britain espouse their religion, taking advantage of the Welsh Pantheon's slow decline in influence."

A bitter smile appeared on Vortigern's face as he kept talking.

"Of course, I opposed this with all my might." Vortigern said. "I could tell that only misfortune awaited my kingdom if we got involved in the petty squabbles between the Three Factions. Unfortunately, many people failed to see that, my relative Uther being chief among them. Seduced by the promises of power and security offered by Heaven, he organized a coup that removed me from the throne, seizing it for himself and pledging the kingdom to Christianity. In the process, my entire immediate family was…purged for good measure."

A pained expression appeared on Vortigern's face as he said that.

"Let me guess." Takeshi said. "That's when you made your blood pact with Crom Cruach?"

"…Correct." Vortigern said after composing himself. "Having barely escaped with my life along with several faithful followers and seeking refuge in a vast cavern, I stumbled upon the wounded Crom Cruach. He was on the verge of death, having lost a battle against the combined forces of Heaven and the Irish Pantheon a while back. Desperate for more power, I appealed to him. I half-expected to be turned into a bloody smear on the ground, but the Evil Dragon must have found my actions amusing. He gave me his blood, transforming me into a human/Evil Dragon hybrid and granting me the power to oppose Uther and the boons he received from Heaven."

"That's when you returned and reclaimed your kingdom by slaying Uther Pendragon?"

"That was one of the most satisfying moments of my life." Vortigern said, a malicious smile on his face. "Alas, my comeback was short-lived. Uther's spawn, the 'great' Arthur Pendragon, survived and, using the Holy Swords and other equipment he received from Heaven, defeated me, with his lackey Merlin sealing me away while I was weakened. After that, Arthur proceeded to establish the kingdom of Camelot, his vision of a paradise on Earth."

A dark laugh escaped from Vortigern's lips as he said that, prompting Takeshi to tense.

"In the end though, Arthur's precious Camelot proved to be an ephemeral dream, all too easily brought down by human malice and Devil scheming." Vortigern sneered. "Arthur's half-sister, Morgause, sought vengeance for her father's death at Uther's hands way back and coveted the throne for herself. With the Devils' aid, she seduced Arthur and bore the infamous Mordred, along with concocting various schemes that undermined the kingdom's stability. As a result, Camelot was destroyed and Britain was plunged into an era of anarchy and chaos, just as I had predicted. Being greeted by such a sight when I escaped from my seal, as you can imagine, it was far from pleasant."

Vortigern brandished Ascalon with a furious expression on his face, the draconic aura surrounding him intensifying.

"Because of the Three Factions' interference, I lost everything that mattered to me." Vortigern spat out. "My kingdom, my family, my reputation, my humanity, everything. That's why, this time, it's my turn. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and I have waited fifteen hundred years for this reckoning."

"Well, I reckon you're about to wait a whole lot more." Takeshi said, summoning Berserk Devastator. "Showing yourself before me in this situation was a big mistake."

"Even after hearing all that, you still wish to serve the decadent Three Factions' interests?" Vortigern raised an eyebrow. "Or perhaps you are only concerned with the thrill of the fight, and what I said went in one ear and out the other?"

"Make no mistake, I don't condone what happened back then one bit." Takeshi said. "However, the monstrous acts of others don't excuse you turning into a monster. Moreover, I refuse to hold the current government or myself accountable for the sins of our predecessors. Everyone should only take responsibility for their own actions. Call me short-sighted or foolish if you want, but my priority right now is Pandora, not the tragedies of ages past."

"You seem awfully attached to that girl." Vortigern remarked. "However, the Calamity Witch's curse has led hundreds of people to their ruin in the past. You, an already cursed individual, shouldn't be so eager to consort with her, especially now that she's turned traitor. Instead of plunging yourself into the even deeper Hell that awaits you, dying here in combat should be much more preferable."

"I'm going to say no thank you to that." Takeshi said. "No matter what kind of Hell awaits, I will never stop moving forward. Since you insist standing in my way, you'll be eradicated without fail!"

"Do your worst, Evil Dragon User!"

Vortigern jumped, aiming an overhead slash at Takeshi. Rolling to the side, he evaded his blow as he raised his power.

"Balance Break!"

Savage Predator Incarnation's armor encased Takeshi's body once again, with him releasing a fire breath at Vortigern. He shielded himself with an aura barrier and dashed at Takeshi, who pressed a gem on his buckle.

[Add!]

Hesperides Fort materialized on Takeshi's left arm, with several circular barriers appearing in front of it. Ascalon cut through most of them, but wasn't able to go through all of them. Before Vortigern could remove his blade, Takeshi's ice-clad tail struck the side of his head, sending him flying and crashing on the stone floor.

Stomping his foot on the ground, Takeshi generated a sheet of ice that trapped Vortigern's limbs. Several hexagonal barriers descended from the sky at the same time, smashing on Vortigern. Before the former King could free himself, Takeshi spread his wings and flew up, pressing the sides of his buckle once.

[Dual Charge! Calamity Overflow!]

A drill-shaped barrier appeared around Takeshi's legs, with raging torrents of flame and ice surrounding it.

[Twin Blast Fever!]

Descending from the sky like a missile, Takeshi struck the trapped Vortigern, destroying part of the wall and sending him crashing down in the courtyard. Following up with a barrage of saw-shaped barriers, Takeshi severed Vortigern's right arm and head, enveloping his right gauntlet in large amounts of flame as he dashed forward.

Much to his surprise, Vortigern's headless body evaded his blow, with rivulets of blood flowing out of his wounds and attaching themselves to his severed arm and head, drawing them back to his body and reconnecting them. Takeshi dodged Vortigern's riposte and blocked his aura bullets, but wasn't able to avoid his heel kick, which sent him skidding backwards.

"Something is different about you." Vortigern remarked as his wounds closed. "Not only have you grown stronger, but you have also controlled your fear. Compared to our last encounter, your movements and attacks are far more precise and fluid."

"I've done a bit of growing up since we last met." Takeshi grinned underneath his helmet. "If you want to turn tail and run, now's your chance."

[Don't you dare let him get away, whelp!] Grendel bellowed in Takeshi's head. [An immortal bastard with Boss Crom's power in him, you can't ask for a better opponent to keep pounding into oblivion!]

"That confidence of yours is unwarranted." Vortigern said, opening a rift in space and placing Ascalon in it. "You may be able to keep up with me in this state now, but I assure you that my true form is far more formidable. I may not be able to use Ascalon with it, but that's a minor impediment at best."

After Vortigern said so, the pitch-black aura surrounding him increased in volume and density, creating shockwaves that almost sent Takeshi flying. His body swelled up and his clothes were ripped as thick black scales replaced his skin, a pair of wings and a tail sprouted from his back and rear respectively, and rows of razor-sharp teeth grew from his snout. Once his transformation was complete, an imposing humanoid Dragon could be seen standing, letting out a roar that shook the area and caused Takeshi to wince.

"It's been ages since I last used this form." Vortigern said with a small grin. "Here I come, Evil Dragon User!"

Vanishing in a burst of speed, Vortigern appeared behind Takeshi. Before he could even think to turn around, Vortigern's kick sent him flying and crashing on the nearby wall.

Such power…! Takeshi thought. I almost blacked out from that!

Enveloping himself in a skin-tight barrier, Takeshi emerged from the rubble and charged at Vortigern. The hybrid warrior evaded his blows and streams of flame and ice with ease, delivering a series of rapid punches that shattered the barrier and cracked his armor.

Knocking away Hesperides Fort with his tail and dodging Takeshi's roundhouse kick, Vortigern grabbed his helmet and smashed him on the ground. Spreading his wings, he flew forward as he dragged Takeshi along with him, raising a large dust cloud and chipping his armor away bit by bit.

[Revolve On. Terror.]

Changing his armor once again, Takeshi extended a spherical barrier from his body to push away Vortigern. Then, he pressed the sides of his buckle twice.

[Charge! Terror Overflow!]

The two shields detached from his sides and formed thick barriers around them, smashing Vortigern's sides and pinning him down. The drones that detached from Takeshi's armor came to float above the trapped Vortigern as dense spherical barriers surrounded them.

[Crushing Impact!]

The drones fell towards Vortigern with the force of meteors. However, he let out a storm of draconic aura that shattered the barriers trapping him, with five aura tendrils extending from his body and grabbing the descending spheres. Vortigern tossed them back at Takeshi.

Using a chain-shaped barrier, Takeshi snatched the incoming drones and linked them all together, swinging them like a flail at Vortigern. He knocked them away with an aura-clad kick before shooting several dark aura lances at Takeshi. He conjured several rectangular barriers in front of him, but the lances went through most of them, with Vortigern's ensuing aura blast shattering them and blasting Takeshi backwards, damaging his armor.

This isn't good… Takeshi thought as he formed a large number of dome-shaped barriers to defend himself while getting up slowly. This new form of his is too strong for the current me, and not being able to inflict any lasting damage isn't helping things either. Time to change my approach.

Vortigern spread his wings and charged at Takeshi, shattering every barrier before him with ease. Before he could reach him, several rock spires sprouted from the ground, striking his hide. At the same time, mud geysers erupted all around him, dousing his body. Although this did little more than slow him down a bit, this was enough for Takeshi.

"I hope you're not claustrophobic, Vortigern!"

Takeshi shouted as he extended his arm forward, with a large number of dense spherical barriers enveloping Vortigern immediately afterwards. As he exerted his aura in an attempt to shatter them, Vortigern was surprised to see a giant leg made out of stone rising from the ground.

"What's this?" Vortigern chuckled as his aura began eroding the barriers. "Are you trying to crush me? I'm afraid that much isn't enough to kill me."

"I know, which is why I'm aiming for something different." Takeshi said. "Usually, I'm not a guy who pushes his problems on to others, but I'll make an exception this time!"

"What are—"

Vortigern wasn't able to finish his sentence as the large stone leg kicked the ball-shaped barrier, sending it flying out of the citadel.

"He shoots, he scores!" Takeshi cheered as the stone construct crumbled next to him. "I should have sent him in the direction of the Chief God trio, so that's one headache out of our way."

Dismissing his armor, Takeshi stumbled as the adrenaline subsided, feeling stabs of pain all over his body due to the exertion and injuries. Summoning Mayhem Striker to mend his wounds, Takeshi turned his attention to the fortress before him.

I've used quite a bit of power, but I can still go on. Takeshi thought. Problem is, where should I head next? I could go and help the others, but that means allowing the enemy to complete their preparations for their plan unhindered. Vortigern sounded confident about taking down everyone in this barrier with it, so it's not something we can ignore. If we spend too much time regrouping, there's a big chance we won't be able to stop them in time. But going in there on my own…will I be able to make a difference?

Takeshi pondered this for a few seconds. Then, after taking a deep breath, he started running towards the fortress before him.

No choice but to take a risk here. Takeshi thought while running. Everyone, please hang in there!


A while back…

"Such a pointless slaughter…"

Michael remarked with a sorrowful expression, his holy wind-clad light spears tearing through several Devils and Titan Worshippers that were aiming for him. Two mantis-shaped creatures charged at him, but he formed a light longsword and dispatched them with a few quick strokes from it.

Next to him, a young girl with glowing silver hair and shining blue eyes was taking down construct after construct with her fists and kicks, her limbs covered in pure white scales. When several centipede-like constructs tried to attack her, she opened her mouth wide. A stream of golden flames erupted from it, incinerating the creatures.

Two assassin-type constructs teleported in her blind spot, aiming their katanas at her. Before she could intercept them, several dense light blades had torn through their bodies, vaporizing them.

"Are you alright, Arshalia?" Michael said as he flew to the girl's side. "Were you injured?"

"My deepest apologies, Michael-sama!" Arshalia bowed her head several times in succession. "As your Queen, I should be the one protecting you, and yet because of my negligence, you had to step in and save—"

"Enough." Michael raised his hand, cutting her off. "There is no need to apologize. As fellow servants of Heaven, it is our duty to look after each other."

Arshalia looked like she wanted to say more, but the approach of several enemy battalions prevented her from doing so. Before she or Michael could react, large amounts of holy fire rained down from the sky and struck the Khaos Brigade members, turning them into ashes in a matter of seconds.

"Michael! Thank Heaven you are safe!"

A burly man with vermillion-colored hair and golden eyes, who had twelve white wings growing from his back and a halo hovering above his head, flew towards Michael and Arshalia, a relieved expression on his face. A large group of Angels could be seen flying behind him, their light spears at the ready as they began attacking the remaining Khaos Brigade members.

"Uriel." Michael nodded at his fellow Seraph. "Despite having anticipated the Khaos Brigade's attack, they still managed to catch us by surprise with this forced transfer that split us up. Where is Gabriel?"

"You know her…" Uriel sighed. "She rushed to aid her so-called 'best friend' out of concern for her well-being. I will never understand how such a one-sided friendship came to be, or how Gabriel is so oblivious to Serafall Leviathan's dislike of her."

"Our sister sees things in a different way." Michael said. "Perhaps she views herself and Serafall as kindred souls deep down, hence her fondness for the current Leviathan. More importantly, what is the general state of our forces?"

"Most of the Brave Saints that came here and a large number of Angels have been transferred to a different area, with Leon Ainsworth and Dia Serrano being included among them." Uriel said. "Metatron's troops have been sent to the southeast, where they have engaged the Khaos Brigade's forces alongside the God Susanoo. Another large group has also been sent to a position in the northeast that isn't too far from us. However, when I tried to contact them, I received no response."

"That is troubling." Michael frowned. "As soon as we are done here, we should regroup and—"

"Aw, leaving so soon? But why? The main event will start soon, and it's going to be a doozy!"

All Angels present turned towards the direction the voice was coming from. Hovering several meters away from them was Adam, a savage grin on his face and the mangled corpse of an eight-winged Angel dangling from his left hand.

"You…if I am not mistaken, you are one of the individuals who showed during the final stages of the conference battle." Michael said with a frown. "Seeing you from up close like that…there is something eerily familiar about you…"

"More importantly, that corpse you are holding there…whose is it?"

Uriel asked with an icy tone, prompting Adam to snicker.

"What, the mighty Archangel Uriel, who was blessed with the gift of future sight by his creator, can't tell?" Adam said in a mocking tone while shaking the corpse. "Oh, sorry, forgot that yours is a crappier version when compared to that of Gods. My bad, my bad."

"You scum!" Arshalia said in a furious manner. "You dare disrespect the great Archangels with your foul mouth!?"

"I sure as Hell do, missy." Adam grinned. "As one of the many whose life has been screwed by the Church's two-faced policies, it's my right to talk as much shit about them as I want. Plus, a bit of trash-talking is A-OK among family. Isn't that right—Dad?"

Adam said that last word while directing a pointed look at Michael, whose frown became deeper.

"What are you talking about, young man?" Michael said. "I do not have children…other than Leon Ainsworth."

"Hmm, do I detect a bit of hesitation there?" Adam tilted his head to the side while smirking. "Oho, perhaps you don't see my poor little brother as your child after all? Well, color me not surprised. I assure you though, I'm one hundred percent serious here. I'm as much your child as the Red Dragon Emperor is. You can thank the now defunct Section Thirteen of the Protestant Church for that."

"Section Thirteen…" Uriel muttered. "The heretical institution in America that was destroyed almost a century ago, comprised of zealots who strayed from the faith. The one where its members would dabble in unethical practices and forbidden arts in an attempt to create powerful weapons against all enemies of the Church."

"Not destroyed." Adam said with a dark expression. "Purged. In the Church's usual methodical and merciless manner, with your butchers sparing no-one in their quest to 'subjugate the unclean heathens'. Even victims like me and the other children that were experimented upon in that hellhole were abominations that had to go in their eyes. Couldn't leave evidence of the Church's wrongdoings behind after all. That would be terrible for you fuckers' public image."

"You claim that such atrocities took place, yet apart from your account, there is no evidence to support said claims." Michael said. "Section Thirteen's destruction took the lives of its members and the task force sent to apprehend them, leaving us with no testimony from witnesses about what had transpired."

"My birth is proof enough." Adam said, placing his hand on his chest. "Your little Theotokos Project, the attempts to create a second Deus Trinity, all that was based on the experiments conducted by Section Thirteen on producing artificial Miracle Children, of which I was the sole successful test subject prior to its destruction. You could say I was your Subject Zero. If you interrogate those who came up with the idea, I'm sure you'll find some interesting tidbits you missed."

"The researchers involved with the project, they somehow recovered the results of that research and perfected them over the years before applying them…?" Uriel said with a thoughtful expression. "Could this be true? Did Raziel know this, or was he lied to as well…?"

"Why are you acting so surprised?" Adam sneered. "Isn't that how you bastards operate? You condemn so-called heresy, and yet you don't hesitate to use the results brought forth by it to strengthen Heaven. First was the Theotokos Project, and then the Holy Sword Project. Your hypocrisy knows no bounds. And if a couple hundred people die in the process, who gives a fuck, eh? After all, it's for the 'greater good', and it's not like anyone's going to miss a bunch of orphans."

"All that still hinges on you actually being my progeny." Michael pointed out. "There is an eerie aura coming from you, but I don't sense an Angel's power in you."

"How's this for proof then?"

A light spear appeared on Adam's hands, with the young man hurling it at Michael. The Archangel grabbed it with a swift movement, examining it with a pensive look.

"You can tell, can't you?" Adam smirked. "Each Angel has their own unique frequency when it comes to their light constructs, but when it comes to parent and child, their frequencies are almost identical. I'm sure you know that phenomenon has been observed in both Miracle Children and Fallen Angel children since ages ago."

"Michael?" Uriel turned to his fellow Archangel. "The frequency from that spear, is it…?"

"…There is no mistake." Michael said, crushing the light spear as he turned to Adam with a sorrowful look. "It is indeed similar to mine. That young man…he is my child as well."

Ripples of unease went through the Angels' ranks, with Arshalia looking at Michael with a worried look.

"At least you didn't lie to save face." Adam said. "I'll give you a bit of respect for that. Well, since introductions are out of the way, I guess it's time we get serious here."

Deep red aura surrounded Adam's body after he said so and spread outwards, causing all Angels present to tense. Michael also felt his rage and bloodlust surging somewhat for some reason, but resisted the urge to blindly charge at the enemy before them.

"At first, I thought about gutting all these precious artificial Miracle Children of yours and present their corpses to you before killing you." Adam said. "But then I said 'nah, screw that'. Not only are they your victims as well, but I doubt you'd give a rat's ass if anything happened to them. Don't you think so as well, mister corpse?"

Moving the carcass' head up and down, Adam looked at the agitated Angels while grinning.

"That's why, I'm keeping it simple." Adam said. "Just like I slaughtered that large group of Angels you were going to join with, I'm going to gut all of you like fishes. Nice and clean, right? Well, maybe not that clean considering your fellow Angels died like cowards, shrieking and pissing their pants while begging for mercy."

"How dare you insult our comrades!?"

"You will pay for your transgressions, terrorist!"

Most of the Angels rushed at Adam in outrage, their light spears at the ready to skewer the Khaos Brigade agent.

"Stop!" Michael shouted, struggling to keep his building rage under control. "Don't rush at him blindly!"

Seeing the charging Angels, Adam's smile became wider.

"Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, 'Come'. I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer."

Upon saying so, Adam tossed the corpse in his hands at the charging Angels. It burst apart, releasing a swarm of flies surrounded by white aura that enveloped almost a quarter of his opponents. The affected Angels screamed as scars oozing pus appeared on their bodies, blood flowed from their eyes and the feathers on their wings began changing their color to grey.

Shocked by what was happening to their comrades, several Angels were too slow to react as Adam conjured a longbow, shooting a volley of white arrows at them. Anyone stuck by them would exhibit the same symptoms before falling on the ground dead.

"Take him down!"

Thousands of light spears sailed through the air, striking Adam and causing a massive light explosion that lit up the area. However, once the smoke cleared, Adam could be seen hovering unharmed, with several drones hovering in front of him and forming a thick, semi-transparent barrier.

"When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, 'Come'. And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from Earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him."

A multitude of futuristic-looking guns, cannons and melee weapons with blades made out of light appeared around Adam as he said so, while a blazing crimson broadsword formed in his right hand. While the weapons around him struck the Angels, eliminating them by the dozens, Adam dove in the middle of their ranks, his flaming blade tearing through them with no resistance.

The Angels struggled to defend themselves and regroup, but each time Adam approached them, their bloodlust surged to the point where they threw caution to the wind and attacked him while bellowing in a savage manner. More often than not though, their frenzied charge would result in them striking down their own comrades before meeting their end by Adam's blade or his summoned weapons.

"This power…" Michael muttered. "Could it be…? No, more importantly, we have to save everyone. They are no match for Adam."

"Watch out!"

Before Michael could fly ahead, Uriel rushed at him in haste, pushing him out of the way. Thanks to that, the grey-colored light spears that would have struck him missed their mark. Looking down below, Michael was horrified to see that the seemingly dead Angels had been reanimated, their diseased bodies held together by a pale white aura.

"What in the name of the Lord is that!?" Arshalia exclaimed with a horrified expression. "What did that scum do to our comrades!?"

"Whatever it was…it doesn't seem to be reversible." Uriel said with a sorrowful expression. "We cannot allow that terrorist to keep abusing their bodies like that. Putting them to rest for good is our only option."

Several fireballs appeared around Uriel as he said so, with the Archangel hurling them at the undead Angels. Each time one of them approached their target, they stuck on their bodies and expanded, engulfing them and incinerating them almost instantly.

The undead Angels counterattacked by launching yet another barrage of light spears. Uriel shielded himself by having a holy fire shield envelop his body. It then transformed into several flaming serpents that flew at the controlled Angels, destroying their bodies with ease. A trio of Angels attempted to attack Uriel from behind, but he dodged their attack as if having predicted it, countering with a rain of holy fire spears that tore through his opponents.

"Damn it! If it wasn't for that bastard…!"

Arshalia cursed as she opened her mouth wide and let out a stream of holy flames, incinerating the battalion of undead Angels coming at her. Large light claws extended from her hands as she charged forward, slashing at her former comrades with a bitter expression.

Ten of them attempted to surround them, but were blown away by a violent tempest conjured by Michael. The Archangel spread his twelve wings wide, unleashing a barrage of light bullets that exploded upon impact, bringing down undead after undead with ease. Upon noticing that white vapor seemed to be coming from their bodies upon destruction, Michael called upon the wind in a hurry to disperse it.

It appears this is some sort of malady meant to afflict Angels. Michael thought, his wind blades slashing several undead before him into numerous pieces. If that is the case though, impossible as that should be, the origin of Adam's mysterious powers has to be…

Michael glanced at Adam in the distance. The young man was hacking through Angels with a beatific smile on his face, the red aura surrounding growing in volume with each kill. Pulling his sword out from the abdomen of a six-winged Angel, Adam unleashed a shockwave from his body that sent all Angels around him flying back as he spoke.

"When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, 'Come'. I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, 'A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; but do not damage the oil and the wine'."

Adam's eyes turned pitch-black as a wave of black aura erupted from his body next. Those who weren't able to evade it and were engulfed by it howled as a feeling of intense starvation assaulted them. As if having lost their minds, the Angels fell upon each other, sinking their teeth into their compatriots' bodies and shoving chunks of them down their throat in a vain attempt to satiate their ravenous hunger.

The few who were able to somewhat resist the temptation fell on the ground, feeling as if almost all strength had left their bodies. Digging their fingers into their arms they struggled to keep their sanity, but soon lost themselves as well, tearing their own flesh and drinking their own blood before perishing.

Upon witnessing these scenes of madness and carnage unfolding around them, the remaining Angels around Adam felt chills going down their spines.

"What manner of foul being are you…?" An eight-winged Angel said with evident trepidation. "How can the son of Michael-sama exhibit such monstrous power?"

"Aha, you're feeling it at last, the fear that comes when one realizes their life is at its end." Adam grinned. "Sucks, doesn't it, you sanctimonious maggots? Now you know how my friends felt, how I felt when the blades of your executioners aimed for us. And in that knowledge, you can all go burn in Hell!"

Plunging his hand into his chest, Adam pulled out a sinister-looking scythe that exuded a pale green aura as he shouted.

"When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, 'Come'! I looked, and behold, a green horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him! Authority was given to them over a fourth of the Earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the Earth!"

Adam vanished with a burst of speed, slashing at the surrounding Angels with his scythe. Every Angel who received a wound from it, no matter how minor it was, would fall on the ground dead. Despite trying to shield themselves with numerous defensive magic circles, the scythe would erode them before tearing through its targets' bodies.

Even though a few Angels attempted to run away in a hurry after seeing this, their fear getting the better of them, Adam wasn't about to let them. Opening his mouth wide, he let out copious amounts of pale green vapor that engulfed the retreating Angels. They screamed as their bodies began aging rapidly, turning into dust in a matter of seconds.

"And then, there were three." Adam said, turning his attention to Michael, Uriel and Arshalia. "Did you have fun murdering your comrades? Oh, what am I saying? Of course you did. This is practically a Tuesday for you. Now tell me, which way do you prefer to die? I may hate your guts, but I can give you that much choice at least. It's more than what we were given."

"Pestilence, war, famine, death." Michael said with a grim expression. "I thought that eerie aura emanating from your body was familiar. Your power, its origin lies with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, doesn't it?"

"Impossible!" Uriel cried out. "The Horsemen died during the final stages of the Great War, brought down by Lucifer and whatever strange sorcery he employed! Their bodies and souls were eliminated without leaving even a trace behind! How can he be wielding their power!?"

"That's what happens when your head is up in the clouds twenty-four seven." Adam sneered. "You tend to miss the little things, like how fragments of the Horsemen's bodies survived and were collected by Church agents behind your backs. Their alchemists had been trying for centuries to harness and replicate the Horsemen's near godlike power. Among the various inhumane experiments they were involved in, Section Thirteen also dabbled into such practices. They embedded the so-called Apocalypse Factors into test subjects, resulting in the creation of monstrosities once rejection reactions occurred. I was the only one who adapted to the Apocalypse Factors and gained the power of the Four Horsemen."

After saying so, Adam spread his twelve wings. Unlike other Angels and Fallen Angels, his were comprised of four different colors. Three were pure white, three were red, three were pitch-black and three were pale green, giving him a bizarre, yet haunting appearance. The sinister-looking armor he had used in the conference also materialized over his body and a spiked crown-shaped halo formed above his head, letting out an eerie glow.

"Such an irony." Adam smirked beneath his helmet. "What was once one of Heaven's greatest weapons has been revived in the modern era through sinister means into the chief Archangel's son, and now aims to destroy Heaven itself. Fate has a curious sense of humor, no?"

"You don't have to do this, Adam." Michael said. "I understand that you suffered because of the blind zealotry of some of our followers, and words alone cannot express how deeply sorry am I for their vile acts and my lack of supervision. However, becoming a terrorist and swearing vengeance on Heaven is not—"

"Oh, don't you dare try to weasel your way out of this with a half-assed apology and a lecture, Dad." Adam said, his face contorted by rage. "You don't get to judge me for my decisions. I suffered unspeakable horrors at the hands of Section Thirteen's mad scientists, things no child should go through. Then, my life almost came to an end at the hands of Church warriors, the ones who were supposed to protect us, after they slaughtered my friends."

"That is true, but—"

"If my powers hadn't manifested in an explosive manner and destroyed both the attackers and the facilities, I wouldn't be standing before you today." Adam said, cutting off Michael. "Even then, I fell into a coma for decades due to the backlash, only surviving thanks to old man Alkaid's help. No, Father, this reckoning has been long overdue. It's about damn time you were judged for your sins, you and this whole corrupt world you've built. The Khaos Brigade will make sure of it."

"I cannot allow this to happen." Michael said, drawing the Sword of Judgment and igniting it. "Heaven and the Church have made plenty of mistakes, but their destruction will not fix anything, only create more pain and tragedies. We will atone for our misdeeds by helping establish peace among the factions and ensuring that atrocities like the Section Thirteen massacre and the Holy Sword Project are never repeated. That is a promise."

"As usual, you're only good for spouting flowery words and empty promises." Adam said as he brandished his scythe. "No matter. Soon, you won't be able to say anything at all. Come, Dad. Let's celebrate our reunion with a lovely deathmatch!"

"I have called for reinforcements, but it may take some time for Metatron and Susanoo to come to our aid." Uriel said from the side, holy fire enveloping his hands. "We will have to deal with him on our own for now. Let us hope he has yet to awaken the full power of the Horsemen."

"Right." Michael said, brandishing his sword. "Are you ready, Arshalia?"

"Of course, my lord!"

Arshalia said as she began transforming. Pure white scales replaced her skin, her body grew larger and longer, and two horns sprouted from her head. After a couple of seconds, a pure white eastern Dragon hovered in Arshalia's place, ten Angel wings growing from her back and a halo hovering above her head.

"Ha, what's this!?" Adam laughed. "Some kind of holy Dragon or something? You sure made an interesting person into your Queen, Dad! Now, let's mark the end with a bout fit for Armageddon!"

Both sides charged at each other, their clash creating a powerful explosion that shook the area.


This concludes Chapter 49. First, in response to your reviews.

To RyukiPendragon: I might use such an armor as Takeshi's base form in his upcoming show, but I don't think he'll use it in actual combat.

Once again, this is a chapter where I intended to include a lot more things. The plan was to dedicate one section for the Gremory group, one for Heaven's side and one for Vali's team. However, since I realized that the chapter would become massive, I changed things a bit. The good news is that the next chapter, which will feature Leon and the other artificial Miracle Children's fight, is about eighty percent done, so it should be out very soon unless something unexpected happens.

Here, the origins of Vortigern's hatred for the Three Factions and Adam's backstory were finally revealed. Regarding Adam's power and its connection to the Four Horsemen, I'm aware that the first Horseman is supposed to be Conquest, but I went with the more modern interpretation that has the white rider being Pestilence.

On an unrelated note, I made a few edits in Chapters 20 and 36 due to the recent purge. Perhaps it was an overreaction, but I'd rather not risk have this story deleted, or worse, have my account deleted. Their original versions can still be found in AO3.

Well, that's all for now. As always, please read, review, favorite, follow, but most of all, enjoy!

See you all next time!